**Chapter 18: Plan to Ambush Yoru**

In the forest, more than a dozen figures were racing swiftly.

 At the head of the group was a man with wild long hair and a robust aura—it was Jiraiya, who had just arrived at the front lines.

 Aside from Jiraiya, there were five other Jonin accompanying him, including Aburame Shibi from the Aburame clan, Hyuga Hizashi from the Hyuga clan, Yamanaka Inoichi from the Yamanaka clan, and a member from the Nara clan.

 These four members were some of the strongest within their respective clans, with the exception of the Nara clan member, who was still a top elite of his clan! The composition of this team made it clear: Jiraiya was determined to corner Yoru and leave him no room to escape!

 During Yoru's last appearance, not only did he rescue Hozuki Mangetsu, but he also killed Nara Shikaku. This caused Jiraiya, who had just arrived on the Mist battlefield, to suffer a significant blow.

 More critically, right after Jiraiya reached the camp, he learned that after Yoru escaped from them, instead of retreating to the Hidden Mist, he went elsewhere to rescue the severely wounded Seven Ninja Swordsmen! 

 How could Jiraiya tolerate such an act?

 After paying a huge price, Konoha successfully tracked down Yoru and the location of the Seven Swordsmen. Having dealt a heavy blow to the Mist forces at the front lines, Jiraiya set off decisively with his elite team, heading toward Kumamoto Prefecture.

 "Everyone, even though our target has been identified, we must still remain cautious."

 While advancing at high speed, Jiraiya spoke in a deep voice: "Our target not only possesses various secret techniques, but also formidable skills in body flicker and swordsmanship. He may also have help from the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."

 "Although those three swordsmen are injured, after some rest, their injuries have likely recovered somewhat. If we engage them, their threat cannot be underestimated."

 "Additionally, Fugaku, if the swordsmen join the fight, we'll be relying on you."

 Jiraiya addressed Uchiha Fugaku, who was positioned at the rear of the group.

 "Understood, leave it to me."

 Uchiha Fugaku nodded, expressing no concerns.

 Indeed, Uchiha Fugaku, as the head of the Uchiha clan, had joined this mission.

 As for the reason?

 It was simple: he wanted to reclaim Shisui's eye!

 The Uchiha clan could not afford to have another incident of their sharingan leaking out, as had already happened with Kakashi.

 The six-man team moved quickly through the trees. This elite group was so powerful that they could easily destroy an entire nation.

 Jiraiya led the way, with four reconnaissance ninjas carefully monitoring the surroundings, while Uchiha Fugaku guarded the rear, protecting the four secret technique users.

 Before long, the outline of Kumamoto Prefecture appeared before them.

 ...

 Meanwhile.

 Inside a pavilion in Kumamoto Prefecture.

 Four ordinary-looking figures sat cross-legged, but the dense chakra flowing around them revealed their extraordinary identities.

 These four were Kirigakure ninja,  Yoru and three Ninja Swordsmen he had rescued. 

At that time, three swordsmen were gravely injured, and Yoru's chakra was nearly depleted.

 Faced with Konoha’s search and attempts to capture them, Yoru knew that hiding in the forest would inevitably lead to discovery by Konoha’s sensory ninjas. Furthermore, the three swordsmen needed medical supplies to treat their injuries.

 Yoru had no choice but to take a risk and seek temporary refuge in Kumamoto Prefecture.

 Kumamoto Prefecture was a well-known city in the Land of Fire, famous for its cherry blossoms. In times of peace, it attracted countless tourists from across the ninja world.

 Even in these war-torn times, the area had largely avoided the ravages of battle due to its lack of strategic value, and Konoha had only stationed a small number of ninjas there.

 Using the power of his Sharingan, Yoru hypnotized the few sensory-type Konoha ninjas guarding the area, then brought the three swordsmen into temporary hiding, while also gathering some medical supplies to treat their injuries and restore their chakra.

 "I'll go check the surroundings."

 "Go ahead."

 Feeling the state of his chakra, Yoru stood up, pushed the door open, and walked outside.

 The cool air hit him, and the long-lost peace made him exhale softly, though his heart remained tightly clenched.

 From Konoha’s reaction, it was clear they had already learned about him and the swordsmen. Four severely wounded Mist village elites trapped within the Land of Fire—there was no way Konoha would give up their pursuit.

 Kumamoto Prefecture was far from a safe place. Those hunters would find them eventually, and it was highly likely they were already on their way.

 “If things really become hopeless, I may have no choice but to abandon these three comrades.”

 Rescuing the three Ninja Swordsmen was worth 15,000 points, a significant sum.

 But if Konoha continued to pursue him relentlessly, for the sake of his own survival, Yoru would have to give them up. 

“By the way, I should check how many points I earned from killing Might Duy and the Konoha ninjas along the way.”

 Opening the system interface, a dazzling array of items appeared before Yoru’s eyes. He stared longingly at the SSS-tier items that required over a million points, swallowing hard in frustration.

 He willed the items to scroll down.

 Seeing his nearly 160,000 points, Yoru felt a sense of satisfaction.

 Thanks to the "Father of Youth," he had finally escaped the ranks of the destitute.

 With 160,000 points, he could exchange for plenty of valuable things—high-level Kido, high-level Bakudo, and even the "Shikai" of some Zanpakuto!

 Looking at the treasures on the exchange panel, Yoru's eyes sparkled with excitement.

 **[Hado #91: Senjū Kōten Taihō]**  
Item Grade: S  
Item Description: A Kido scroll that allows mastery of **Hado #91: Senjū Kōten Taihō**.  
Price: 100,000 points.

 **[Bakudo #81: Dankū]**  
Item Grade: A  
Item Description: A Kido scroll that allows mastery of **Bakudo #81: Dankū**.  
Price: 50,000 points.

 **[Gikon]**  
Item Grade: A  
Item Description: A specially crafted artificial body that allows a user’s soul to perfectly inhabit it. Customizable.  
Price: 10,000 points.

 **[Cero]**  
Item Grade: B  
Item Description: A concentrated blast of spiritual energy.  
Price: 5,000 points.

 **[Zanpakuto: Sanbutsuken Shishō (Shikai)]**  
Item Grade: S  
Item Description: Bestows the name "Sanbutsuken Shishō" upon a sealed Zanpakuto.  
Price: 100,000 points.

 **[Sonído]**, **[Hierro]**, **[Bala]**, **[Gran Rey Cero]**, **[High-Speed Regeneration]**, **[Kyōka Suigetsu]**... 

As one treasure after another flashed before his eyes, Yoru felt both thrilled and torn, as his points were only enough to exchange for a fraction of them.

 “My current strength allows me to hold my own in a one-on-one fight, even against someone like Jiraiya. But once I’m in a group battle, the various secret techniques of these ninjas become a real problem for me.”

 “And with my current power, the startup time for casting high-level Kido is way too long. Without preparation or assistance from others, it’s nearly impossible to use them in direct combat.”

 “In the end, what I lack is a way to unleash explosive power.”

 What I need is the release of a Zanpakuto!

(Chapter End)