Eighteen Kirigakure Shinobi silently entered the inn.
However, what they didn't anticipate was that, before they could enter the inn, right after killing their comrades, Shisui, who was supposed to be sound asleep, opened his eyes and swiftly got up.
His imposing aura sensed a strong killing intent; someone was targeting them!
Shisui thought about all sort of possibilities, and he could only speculate that Kirigakure's problems might be more severe than he imagined. Perhaps the high-brass was at odds with the Mizukage, which explained the harassment and this assassination attempt.
One faction wanted to participate in the Five Kage Summit, while the opposing faction didn't. To thwart the other, they resorted to extreme measures, sending a squad to assassinate Shisui's team.
The assailants were undoubtedly from Kirigakure. Shisui didn't need to think twice. Except for Kirigakure, all the other Great Shinobi Countries had confirmed their participation in the Five Kage Summit. Was it possible that Shinobi from a small village infiltrated Kirigakure to disrupt the invitation?
That was impossible.
"Get up! We're under attack!" Shisui shouted loudly, alerting his team.
In his perception, the attacking Shinobi weren't weak. Four of them were at Jonin-level, and the rest were pretty capable Chunin. While they might not pose a threat to Shisui, that wasn't necessarily the case to his team.
Each room consisted of two. Shisui's sudden shout woke up his team members, who quickly got up and looked at Shisui with confusion.
Without time for elaborate explanations, Shisui hurriedly said, "Prepare for combat and evacuation! Someone wants to kill us."
After saying that, Shisui leaped down to the first floor.
Shisui's sudden shout left not only his team, but also the Kirigakure Anbu who had just entered the inn surprised.
After all, when they killed the two Kirigakure Shinobi, they didn't make a sound, and when they entered the inn, they utilized the Anbu's special silent infiltration technique.
Despite their astonishment, Kirigakure Anbu quickly cast away any unnecessary emotions and drew their weapons, ready to launch an attack.
Since they were unable to assassinate them, they decided to engage in direct combat. Despite the surprise, those eighteen elite Anbu were prepared to face Shisui's team. While they might not be a threat to Shisui, they believed they could easily overpower a mere squad from Konoha.
Since everything was part of Obito's plan, the inn where Shisui and his team stayed was located in a relatively remote area. No one would come near the inn this late. Thus, those Anbu could act without worry.
They didn't plan to kill everyone; eliminating most and let one or two of them injured should be sufficient.
It didn't matter whether the survivors reported to their superior or not. If their Shinobi died during a mission in Kirigakure, Konoha would undoubtedly retaliate.
However, having a few survivors would provide Konoha with a more justified reason to retaliate, waging the war sooner—a situation Obito hoped for.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!
The sound of air being ripped apart reverberated through the night, disrupting its calm. Shurikens and kunai was directed at Shisui from various directions.
Facing the onslaught of numerous shurikens and kunai, Shisui remained calm. For some reason, he was in a good mood now, perhaps because he felt that dealing with these Anbu would be much easier than the political affair between the Mizukage and Kirigakure's high-brass.
Although Shisui wasn't someone who boasted about his abilities, his strength gave him ample self-confidence.
"Fire Release: Majestic Fire Dragon Technique!"
Shisui's movements were swift, and a substantial amount of Chakra within him quickly underwent Nature Transformation, turning into flames that he spewed out.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Roar!
Three lifelike fire dragons soared out, dispersing the pitch-black night and dyeing the inn in a fiery red light.
Each fire dragon charged towards a different direction, perfectly devouring all the incoming shurikens and kunai.
Most of the Kirigakure Anbu present were adept at Water Release. Although Shisui's Majestic Fire Dragon Technique seemed powerful, they didn't panic. With a brief exchange, they already decided who would defend against the attack and who would go on the offensive.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Fifteen Kirigakure Anbu simultaneously made their move, with each group of five responsible for blocking one fire dragon, using the Water Formation Wall at the same time.
"Water Release: Hiding in Mist Technique!"
While the 15 Anbu employed Water Release to counter Shisui's fire dragons, the remaining three simultaneously used the Hiding in Mist Technique, summoning an extremely thick fog that enveloped everything, reducing visibility to zero.
Unfortunately, Shisui's team arrived downstairs just when Shisui's shout and the ongoing battle below attracted their attention. However, their timing was exceptionally bad. Just as they reached the lower floor, the extremely thick fog robbed them of their sight before they could reach Shisui.
Luckily, the seasoned Vice-Captain Yanagi could immediately tell that it was Kirigakure's signature technique—the Hiding in Mist Technique. He quickly alerted his teammates, "Don't panic; this is the Kirigakure's Ninjutsu. Use Wind Release to disperse it."
The only Shinobi in the team who could use Wind Release immediately performed his fastest Wind Release Technique, trying to blow the mist away.
Unfortunately, it wasn't an ordinary Hiding in Mist Technique; three Kirigakure Anbu used it at the same time, so the Wind Release Technique only managed to thin the mist within a range of a few meters, not enough to see through the thick fog.
"I'm sorry; my Wind Release isn't strong enough." The Wind Release user apologized, feeling like he was publicly executed.
"Keep going! It's working, so don't worry!" Vice-Captain Yanagi's expression remained unchanged. Although he gave the order, his eyes were fixed on the impenetrable fog, cautious of any potential attacks.
"Arm, thigh, abdomen, head... guess which part I will cut first." The hoarse voice of the Kirigakure Anbu echoed in the ears of all Konoha Shinobi, trying to induce panic.
Along with the hoarse voice, the sound of shurikens, kunai, and what seemed like footsteps coming from all directions intensified. It was all on purpose to further plunge Konoha Shinobi into fear.
However, the thick fog couldn't obstruct the vision of Sharingan.
Shisui's three-tomoe Sharingan instantly manifested. The crimson eyes focused intensely on each Kirigakure Shinobi.
'One, two, three... eighteen.' Shisui silently observed the positions of all the attackers, thinking about the way to defeat them while protecting his teammates.
Bang, bang, bang!!!
After the attackers made their move, Shisui's Chakra erupted instantly. His incredible speed left the Kirigakure Anbu only able to see afterimages. In an instant, he sent four Anbu flying!
Shisui glanced each Kirigakure Anbu with his Sharingan, sending shivers down their spines.
Facing the intense gaze of the Sharingan, Kirigakure Anbu felt as if they were drown in a sea of blood, and their souls were about to be swallowed by the crimson tide.
Originally thinking about how to release water to make it difficult for Konoha Shinobi to detect them and escape, it now seemed uncertain who would be the one running away.
"Deal with him first!" one Kirigakure Anbu whispered to his companion.
However, before they could do anything, the three-tomoe Sharingan pattern in Shisui's eyes spun rapidly. The Kirigakure Anbu who just spoke lost the light in his eyes and collapsed instantly.
The Kirigakure Anbu exchanged a quick glance, and their years of teamwork allowed them to convey information swiftly.
Boom, boom, boom!!!
Several Anbu simultaneously used Body Flicker Technique, disappearing from their original positions and charging towards Shisui.
"Don't move, stay in place," Shisui commanded his Konoha team.
Then, Shisui gathered a large amount of Chakra at his feet. A powerful force struck the air, creating a massive compressed air blade.
Boom, boom, boom!
Two Kirigakure Anbu couldn't evade in time. The powerful compressed air blade hit them, riddling them with cuts as they were sent flying!
At the same time, the powerful compressed air blade dispersed the thick fog, revealing the Kirigakure Anbu within.
While Shisui excelled in Genjutsu and Fire Release, being the leader of Training Team 4 meant he mastered Six Powers, including the Advanced Six Powers that incorporated Nature Transformation.
At this moment, several Kirigakure Anbu who charged towards Shisui also successfully closed in.
Then, Shisui's eyes, adorned with the three-tomoe Sharingan, spun rapidly. The Kirigakure Anbu who spoke fell into an illusion, his eyes becoming lifeless as he collapsed.
Following this, Shisui displayed exquisite taijutsu. Even when two Kirigakure Anbu attacked from different directions, Shisui easily neutralized them, leaving them vomiting blood.
"Amazing!" Vice-Captain Yanagi, who had observed Shisui from the beginning, was surprised by Shisui's strength.
Since Shisui had been working in the Anbu and Training Team, the only thing people knew about him was the talented young Shinobi from the Third Great Shinobi World War. Only those familiar with Shisui knew that he had grown into a truly skilled Shinobi.
"Incredible." Even the experienced Jonin like Vice-Captain Yanagi was astonished by Shisui's strength, let alone the other Chunin members. After seeing Shisui in action, their anxiety disappeared.
Boom, boom!
Just as Shisui finished dealing with the Kirigakure Anbu who approached him, eight massive stone pillars suddenly rose around Shisui, trapping him within.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
"Lightning Release: False Darkness!"
Almost simultaneously with the pillars rising, three other Kirigakure Anbu launched their attacks. Two of them used Water Release, summoning a massive volume of water, while the other one used Lightning Release in combination with the Water Release.
"Captain, be careful!" The Konoha Shinobi nearby both warned Shisui and attempted to use defensive Ninjutsu like Earth style Wall to help him withstand the attacks.
Kirigakure's previous assault was just a feint, and their well-prepared combination Ninjutsu was the true lethal move.
However, compared to the Kirigakure, the Konoha Shinobi were too slow. They hadn't even completed the hand seals when the electrified water ball hit the stone pillars. The water that was charged with electricity easily got through the pillars.
"Captain!" Upon witnessing this scene, The Konoha Shinobi's eyes were filled with anger. They were about to avenge their Captain, but they soon heard their captain's voice again.
"You guys are too slow," Shisui silently appeared behind a Kirigakure Shinobi after swiftly dealing with another one.
"How is this possible?" The Kirigakure Anbu found it hard to accept that their well-prepared combination attack had been evaded so quickly. The opponent wasn't even known for being the fastest in the Shinobi world, so how did this happen?
However, Shisui had no intention of explaining to the enemy. He silently appeared behind another Kirigakure Shinobi, using his kunai to pierce the Shinobi's heart.
The Kirigakure Shinobi collapsed to the ground after his heart had been pierced.
Seeing Shisui alive and swiftly took down two more Kirigakure Anbu, the morale of the Konoha Shinobi rose. Utilizing the advantage of numbers, they swiftly defeated one Kirigakure Shinobi, leaving only five standing.
The tables had turned, and the Kirigakure Anbu found themselves being the prey.
"You're Kirigakure Anbu, right? Why did you attack us? Do you want to start a war between our villages?" Vice-Captain Yanagi threatened with a deep voice.
Those Kirigakure Shinobi seemed afraid that others wouldn't recognize them as Anbu from the Kirigakure. Even though they might have been attempting to sow discord, Shisui's swift counterattack left them perplexed.
Although someone might be trying to manipulate them, considering their strength, they seemed to be genuine Anbu.
Trained as expendable soldiers, these Kirigakure Anbu wouldn't leak any information. Faced with Vice-Captain Yanagi's interrogation, they remained unmoved, continuing to gaze at the Konoha Shinobi with hostile eyes, seemingly contemplating how to take down as many of them as possible before their inevitable demise.
Being stared down by those eyes, Vice-Captain Yanagi felt anger rising, but he didn't immediately strike. Instead, he instructed Shisui to keep them alive for questioning.
Shisui nodded in response.
Just as Shisui was preparing to swiftly deal with the remaining five Kirigakure Anbu, an unexpected person appeared.
"What a bunch of useless shit. A group of Anbu can't even handle a squad of envoys." A green-haired, baby face young man holding a strangely shaped iron rod walked out emotionlessly.