Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
After walking only a few steps,
Uchiha Itachi and the other two used the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared instantly.
Seeing this,
Anko, who still had not fully understood the situation, was slightly stunned.
"They just… left like that? They really gave up on us?"
Whoosh.
Yagyu sheathed his sword.
The terrifying Wind Release chakra surrounding him slowly withdrew back into his body.
He glanced toward the direction where Itachi and the others had disappeared.
A trace of exhaustion flickered in his eyes.
"Anko-sensei, let's go."
He withdrew his deep gaze and spoke.
"This mission is already over. Staying here would be dangerous."
After saying that,
Yagyu turned around and walked toward their original destination.
Anko, who had not been able to participate in the fight at all during the entire battle, also withdrew her gaze.
She quickly followed Yagyu.
…
Night fell.
In the dark forest,
A campfire burned quietly.
Anko kept adding dry wood she had gathered.
Her eyes occasionally drifted toward the large tree nearby.
Yagyu was leaning against the trunk, sleeping.
"That guy…"
Thinking about the battle earlier that day, Anko sighed inwardly.
"He's actually that strong. It's unbelievable. Is this kid really only twelve years old?"
After repeatedly reviewing the battle in her mind,
Anko finally began to see some clues.
She roughly understood Yagyu's intentions from the very beginning.
Her thoughts gradually became clear.
First, he established the tone that the battle would be a one-on-one fight.
Then he fought the rogue ninja called Sasori.
Taking advantage of Sasori's underestimation, Yagyu defeated the puppet ninja twice.
Afterward he arrogantly provoked Uchiha Itachi and the other teammate.
In Anko's view,
Yagyu's plan originally included defeating the shark-faced ninja as well.
But unexpectedly, Itachi chose to intervene directly because he felt the other two were too slow.
And that,
In Anko's opinion, was exactly what Yagyu had been aiming for from the start.
It was the final step of the entire plan.
And also the most dangerous step.
Forcing the strongest of the three, Uchiha Itachi, to personally step in.
Then in the fight with Itachi,
Yagyu needed to at least maintain a draw.
Only in that way could the situation appear evenly matched.
It would make it clear that the battle would fall into a stalemate rather than them being crushed.
And because Itachi had said from the beginning that they had an urgent mission to recruit someone into their organization,
They would not waste too much time here.
And that was exactly where Yagyu and Anko's chance of survival lay.
"His mind is incredibly meticulous."
After piecing everything together, Anko muttered.
"And unbelievably bold. A plan like this is like dancing on the edge of a blade. If your strength were even slightly insufficient, the result would be complete destruction. And he didn't let me interfere at all. Damn it… in that kid's eyes, am I just weak?"
If Yagyu knew what Anko was thinking right now, he would probably sigh.
Smart people really are frightening.
Every guess Anko made was correct.
The only thing she did not know was that Uchiha Itachi was not truly their enemy.
He was an enemy who would deliberately hold back.
Everything Yagyu did was simply giving Itachi a reason to retreat.
And Itachi's first mention of having a mission was also a hint.
If Yagyu had not understood that hint,
Then things would have developed in a completely different direction.
Fortunately, Yagyu caught Itachi's signal and reacted quickly.
He cooperated perfectly and gave Itachi an excuse to withdraw.
Thus the unexpected battle during the day
Ended perfectly.
Of course, Yagyu did not completely trust Itachi either.
He had kept a trump card.
From the beginning,
Yagyu had only used his perfected Yagyu Style swordsmanship and the Wind Release chakra mode he had developed.
All his other methods were reserved as backups.
Fortunately, those backups were never needed.
As for Anko's doubt about whether she was weak…
That question was hard to answer.
If you said yes, then yes.
If you said no, then not exactly.
In short,
After today's battle, Anko probably already knew the answer herself.
"This mission should count as completed."
After finishing her thoughts about Yagyu, Anko spoke seriously.
"When we get back, I'll report everything to the Hokage in detail. Let them deal with this headache."
At the same time,
She also decided that once they returned,
She would take at least ten or fifteen days off.
Their very first B-rank mission had run into an S-rank rogue ninja like Uchiha Itachi.
It was truly unbelievable.
…
Before sunrise the next morning,
Yagyu woke up.
Knock. Knock.
He tapped his still-heavy head.
"My mental exhaustion is too great. One night of sleep isn't enough to recover."
With some resignation,
Yagyu glanced toward another tree nearby.
Anko was also asleep.
"System, sign in."
He withdrew his gaze and began packing his belongings while speaking in his mind.
[Ding! Sign-in successful. Reward obtained: 10% development progress of Senju Sage Body.]
Buzz.
As the system's voice faded,
A cool and comfortable energy surged through Yagyu's body.
It flowed through his limbs.
Through his willpower.
Through every part of his body.
In just ten seconds,
The heaviness in Yagyu's body and mind completely vanished.
He returned to peak condition.
Not only that.
He even felt himself taking a step further beyond his previous peak.
At that moment,
Yagyu clearly felt the change in his strength.
"System, open my status panel."
After fully accepting the reward, Yagyu spoke again in his mind.
[Ding! Host Status Panel]
Name: Yagyu Sōsuke
Chakra: 2213
Ninjutsu: 703
Taijutsu: 696
Genjutsu: 687
Bloodline Limits: Senju Sage Body (32%), Sharingan (Three Tomoe)
Overall Strength Evaluation: Elite Jonin
"Feels amazing."
A sharp gleam flashed in Yagyu's eyes as he looked at his status panel.
"I've become stronger again."
The further development of the Sage Body had significantly increased his attributes.
He was now much closer to his peak.
With his current strength,
Even in Konoha,
He could be considered a top-tier ninja.
After enjoying that pleasant feeling,
Yagyu packed his belongings, woke Anko up,
And the two of them began their journey back.
…
Two days later.
Afternoon.
At the gates of Konoha.
Step. Step. Step.
Yagyu and Anko walked into the village one after the other.
Their destination was clear.
The Hokage Tower.
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