Naruto's civilian cannon fodder starts with the three-body technique

Chapter 313 Scorching Fireball
"Senior Zuoyun, please calm down."

Umino Sasuke raised his hand to interrupt him, his eyes calm but with a deep meaning as he said, "Making a move now would certainly be able to easily deal with the remnants of Yecang's forces, but the effect would be far less than waiting a little longer."

"Wait?" Hatake Sagumo asked, puzzled and even a little anxious. "Wait for what? Wait for Yekura to actually storm the Daimyo's residence? What if something goes wrong, and the Daimyo is injured or even kidnapped? How will we explain this to the Hokage and the Daimyo? The mission will be a complete failure!"

Umino Sasuke did not respond, but merely glanced at Nara Shikaku beside him.

Nara Shikaku immediately understood and analyzed, "Senior Sagumo, on the contrary, it would be more advantageous for Konoha to let the remnants of Yecang break in."

The surprise attack by the remnants of Yecang's forces will make the daimyo feel a real threat of death, and the nobles of the entire Daimyo's residence in the Land of Rivers will feel the same way. As soon as the Sand Ninja's blade is raised, those pampered noble lords will surely be terrified and run away in terror. At that time, we—"

Yamashiro Midori chimed in, "At that time, we will be like divine warriors descending from the heavens, wiping out the powerful enemy in one fell swoop and rescuing the daimyo from his perilous situation. In this way, the entire nation of the River Land, especially that daimyo, will surely remember with deep reverence who saved him and his country at the critical moment of life and death? Whose power truly protected the peace of the River Land?!"

Umino Sasuke nodded, then looked at Hatake Sakumo and added, "This shock, this gratitude, is indeed far greater than silently eliminating the remnants of Yotsuya in the middle of nowhere."

It will become our most powerful bargaining chip in the post-war period to secure huge missions from the Land of Rivers, stabilize trade routes, and even influence its national policies!
"This concerns Konoha's interests in the Land of Rivers for the next ten years. Senior Zuo Yun, the bigger picture is important. This little bit of time is worth waiting for!"

Nara Shikaku added at the opportune moment, speaking calmly and objectively: "The commander is absolutely right. According to intelligence, although the Daimyo's guard forces have been mobilized, the core defenses remain intact. It will be extremely difficult for Yekura to infiltrate silently and take control of the Daimyo himself instantly. This will inevitably cause chaos and resistance, which will give us the opportunity to accurately locate and strike. The risks are completely controllable, while the benefits are immeasurable."

Shun Uchiha crossed his arms, his crimson Sharingan gleaming slightly in the shadows. He didn't speak, but his posture clearly showed that he fully supported Sasuke Umino's decision.

Meanwhile, Uchiha Mikoto stared at Umino Sasuke with adoration in her eyes.

Looking at the people in front of him, especially Umino Sasuke's all-knowing and all-controlling gaze, Hatake Sagumo felt a great deal of anxiety, but it was suppressed by the naked political reality and the huge potential benefits.

He understood that although Umino Sasuke was stalling for time, what he was doing was correct. The Hokage's orders were important, but if they could use this to completely bind the Land of Rivers, it would be far more beneficial to Konoha's overall strategic interests than returning a few days earlier to report for duty.

He sighed heavily, a mixture of helplessness and a complex appreciative look at Umino Sasuke's methods: "Alright! Everyone must ensure that everything goes perfectly; the Daimyo must not suffer the slightest harm!"

"Don't worry, senior." Sasuke Umino smiled slightly, confident and certain. "Everything is under control."

Without saying another word, he quickly formed hand seals and released three shadow clones.

These shadow clones quickly formed a formation and unleashed a combined ninjutsu.

"Cooperative Flying Thunder God Technique!"

hum~
A strong spatial fluctuation instantly enveloped the six people, and amidst the distorted light and shadow, only faint ripples of chakra remained in their original positions.

The next instant, on the outskirts of the Daimyo's residence in the Land of Rivers, in a high, dense forest overlooking the entire Daimyo's residence.

As the spatial ripples subsided, the figures of Umino Sasuke, Uchiha Mikoto, Nara Shikaku, Yamashiro Midori, Hatake Sagumo, and Uchiha Shun quietly appeared.

In the dense forest on the high slope, six figures, like rocks blending into the night, looked down at the brightly lit Daimyo's mansion in the land of rivers below.

Hatake Sakumo's sharp gaze swept across the shadows surrounding the mansion. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and he whispered, "They're here!"

In the dark corners surrounding the Daming Prefecture, dozens of figures dressed in tattered vests of the Sand Village appeared silently. Their movements were swift and silent, like the most experienced hunters. They quickly dispersed and stealthily moved in different directions towards the Daming Prefecture.

The leader, dressed in a backless dress, with smooth and delicate skin and a lithe figure, was none other than Ye Cang, the Scorching Escape Master!
Her eyes, still bright in the night, held a resolute determination as she clearly locked onto the core area of ​​the Daimyo mansion.

Seeing Yekura's figure disappear behind the high wall like a ghost, Hatake Sagumi frowned and said in a deep voice, "Sasuke! We can't wait any longer. Those guardian ninjas of the Daimyo's mansion probably won't be able to hold off Yekura for long. What if..."

He looked at Umino Sasuke, his tone urgent: "I propose that you lead the team to the core of the mansion immediately to protect the daimyo's safety. I can handle those thirty-odd Sand Ninja rabble outside by myself. Give me ten breaths, and I will make sure their heads roll!"

Hatake Sagumo's words were full of powerful confidence. As a Kage-level powerhouse known for his speed, sharpness, and battlefield reaping ability, he was indeed confident that he could inflict a devastating blow on a group of Sand Ninja remnants who had lost their advantage of terrain in a very short time.

Sasuke Umino's gaze remained calm as he shook his head slightly. "I have no doubt about your strength, senior. However, to ensure no one escapes, it will be the three of us—Mikoto, Shikaku, and I—who will enter the core of the mansion to protect the daimyo. As for the outer perimeter..."

His gaze swept over Uchiha Shun and Yamashiro Midoriya: "Shun, Midoriya, you two work together with Senior Zuo Yun to block all possible escape routes. We cannot let a single Sand Shinobi escape!"

Uchiha Shun crossed his arms, his crimson Sharingan swirling slightly in the darkness. He nodded coldly, while Yamashiro Midoriya swiftly drew a kunai and whispered, "Understood! With the three of us here, they won't be able to escape!"

Seeing that Umino Sasuke had made the arrangements, Hatake Sagumo, though anxious, acknowledged the division of labor and solemnly said, "Alright! I entrust the safety of the Daimyo to you. Be sure to watch out for Pakura's Scorching Release!"

"Don't worry, senior." Umino Sasuke nodded, then formed hand seals and precisely located the coordinates of the Flying Thunder God Technique in a hidden corner of the mansion.

"Flying Thunder God Technique!"

hum~
Space distorted, and Umino Sasuke, Uchiha Mikoto, and Nara Shikaku instantly vanished from their original spot.

In the daimyo's mansion in the land of rivers, in a secluded, shaded corridor connecting to the inner palace garden.

The spatial fluctuations subsided, and the figures of Umino Sasuke and his two companions appeared.

Tekigami, who had been anxiously waiting there, and the nearly adult, sharp-eyed sub-avian desert falcon beside him, immediately came to greet them.

"Commander! You've finally arrived!"

When Tekugin saw Umino Sasuke arrive in person, a look of relief instantly appeared on his face. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said with lingering fear, "That woman, Yekura, was too troublesome. Her Scorch Release was incredibly powerful. Ehiko, Mama, and I couldn't withstand her Scorch Release attacks at all. If we hadn't received advance warning of reinforcements and had the Desert Falcon providing early warning and maneuvering in the air, we would have already been thinking of running away with the Daimyo!"

Teku Gin was somewhat self-aware. He was only skilled in summoning beasts and controlling ninja tools. Ebihiko's taijutsu was decent, but he lacked powerful ninjutsu. Shiranui Mama was the strongest in terms of attack power among the three, but he was only at the level of a regular Jonin. Against Pakura, who possessed a bloodline limit and was an elite Jonin, he was indeed outmatched.

Umino Sasuke patted him on the shoulder, his gaze fixed on the depths of the mansion.

"Even if Yekura manages to break through the outer defenses, he should be able to hold out against the attack led by Kagawa Momoyo, Hiko, and Mama with a large number of guards. The daimyo is temporarily safe under the close protection of the Huangyan Guardian Ninja, and is in the 'Tranquil Pavilion' just ahead."

Tekugin quickly reported, then a sly look appeared on his face, "Commander, that Kagawa Momoyo is the head of the local guardian ninja of the Land of Rivers. His loyalty to the daimyo is impeccable, but as for our Konoha... hehe, he's stubborn and wary of everything. He's a tough nut to crack. Do you think we should teach him a lesson? It would be best if we could teach him a lesson he won't forget!"

A knowing glint flashed in Umino Sasuke's eyes, and he nodded slightly: "Just what I wanted."

He rapidly formed hand seals, creating three shadow clones. Each of these clones then summoned a sealing scroll. Bang! Bang! Bang!
As the white smoke dissipated, six exquisitely crafted puppets, each with a unique shape and radiating a cold metallic luster, appeared before the crowd.

Immediately afterwards, the three shadow clones formed hand seals with one hand, and a puff of white smoke rose from their bodies.

As the smoke dissipated, the three shadow clones transformed into three middle-aged men with unfamiliar faces, sinister demeanors, and dressed in the uniforms of Sand Village puppeteers. Their chakra fluctuations, expressions, and even the subtle dust aura clinging to their bodies were all perfectly imitated!

"this--"

Tekigin stared in disbelief, and couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "Commander! Your transformation technique is too amazing! This is exactly the same as a Sand Village puppeteer! Even the smell of machine oil from years of manipulating puppets and the dryness of the desert are exactly the same. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it was fake!"

Uchiha Mikoto quietly activated her three-tomoe Sharingan, her crimson eyes carefully scanning the three "puppet masters," revealing genuine amazement: "Commander's disguise technique has probably reached the pinnacle of transformation techniques. If I hadn't known beforehand and used my three-tomoe Sharingan to its fullest extent, I probably wouldn't have been able to detect that extremely subtle flaw in chakra flow. An ordinary Sharingan simply couldn't see through it."

Nara Shikaku looked at the three "Sunagakure puppeteers" who were so realistic that they were almost indistinguishable from real people, and felt a chill in his heart. Such exquisite and terrifying transformation and disguise abilities would be impossible to defend against if used for infiltration, assassination, framing and so on!
He secretly rejoiced that the Ino-Shika-Cho trio had chosen to stand with Umino Sasuke early on; otherwise, just thinking about facing such an opponent would send chills down his spine.

Tekugin lowered his voice and added with a hint of expectation, "My lord, it would be best if we could completely cripple that stubborn old man, Kagawa Momoyo, so that he would no longer interfere with our monopoly and control over the Land of Rivers?"

The shadow clone "puppet master" nodded coldly, then manipulated their respective puppets, just like real Sand Village ninjas, silently blending into the shadows of the mansion and stealthily heading towards the battle already raging in the front yard.

At this moment, the battle in the front yard had reached a fever pitch.

Yekura was surrounded in a spacious courtyard by Kagawa Momoyo, Ehiko, Shiranui Mama, and dozens of elite guards.

Scorching fireballs danced and swirled around her, radiating terrifying heat. Each time they collided with a ninja tool or ninjutsu, they would instantly evaporate its moisture and turn it into ashes.

Kagawa Momoyo's water-style ninjutsu was incredibly powerful, Ehiko's taijutsu was cunning and ruthless, and Shiranui Shinma's fire-style ninjutsu was also quite formidable. Coupled with the guards' fearless harassment, even though Yekura was incredibly strong, she was still tightly entangled, and her clothes were torn in several places.

"Damn it!" Ye Cang was anxious. At this moment, she knew that she had been discovered in advance, and the plan to ambush and capture the daimyo had failed. If she continued to fight, she and the last few dozen Sunagakure ninja would be buried here when the daimyo's reinforcements or Konoha ninja arrived. She had to retreat!

Just as she feinted and forced Kagawa Momoyo back with a scorching fireball, preparing to break through the encirclement by force.

"Fellow villagers of Sunagakure! Hold on! We're here to help you!"

Three hoarse shouts rang out, followed by three figures leading six grotesque puppets, who stormed into the battle from the flanks like a whirlwind. The leader, controlling two puppets wielding sharp scythes, moved with incredible speed. He was none other than Umino Sasuke's shadow clone disguised as the "Dual-Machine Puppet Master".

The moment these three "Sunagakure Puppet Masters" joined the fray, the tide of battle turned instantly.

The "Dual-Machine Puppet Master's" objective was extremely clear. The two scythe-wielding puppets, like leeches clinging to a bone, relentlessly entangled the strongest, Kagawa Momoyo. The puppets' attack angles were cunning and ruthless, and their coordination was impeccable. The scythes sliced ​​through the air with a shrill shriek, and every move was aimed at Kagawa Momoyo's vital points.

Kagawa Momoyo's defenses were easily torn apart by the scythe, and her kunai, which she used to block, was also shaken by the enormous force, leaving her arms numb. For a moment, she was forced to retreat repeatedly, looking disheveled, and was soon cornered in the courtyard by a wall covered with vines.

"An opportunity!" A cold glint flashed in the puppeteer's eyes, and the two puppets simultaneously opened their arm mechanisms.

"Puppet Technique: Like a Thousand Raindrops!"

Chi chi chi——

Countless poisoned senbon needles rained down on Kagami Hyakuyo like a deluge!
"Water Release: Water Wall!" Kagawa Momoyo gritted her teeth, her hands rapidly forming hand seals, and a thick water wall instantly rose up, directly blocking the dense rain of senbon needles.

However, just as he was focusing all his efforts on defending himself, a scorpion's stinger, gleaming with a dark purple light, silently emerged from the crack in the stone slab beneath his feet, moving with lightning speed!

puff!

A sharp pain shot through my ankle instantly.

Kagawa Momoyo groaned and looked down to see a thin scorpion stinger deeply embedded in his ankle. Purple venom was spreading at a visible speed, instantly numbing his entire right foot and turning an ominous blackish-purple.

"Damn it!" Kagawa Momoyo was both shocked and furious. He tried to find an antidote, but how could an ordinary antidote cure the high-level puppet's deadly poison? The poison was spreading extremely quickly, and he had already lost feeling in his right leg.

The loyal and fierce leader of the guardian ninjas had a resolute look in his eyes. He suddenly drew the short sword from his waist and, without hesitation, slashed it down hard on his poisoned right calf.

puff-

Blood spurted out; a lower leg was severed at the knee.

Kagawa Momoyo's face was ashen, the excruciating pain nearly made him faint. He could barely stand by leaning against the wall, completely incapacitated.

The remaining two disguised puppeteers then joined forces to attack Ehiko and Shiranui Masami. Although Umino Sasuke's shadow clones deliberately suppressed their strength and frequently "held back," the exquisite skills of the "Sunagakure puppeteers" and the puppets' fierce attacks still left Ehiko and Shiranui struggling to defend themselves, constantly facing danger and incurring more injuries.

"Damn it!" Ehiko was enraged. Seeing that defeat was inevitable, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes. He suddenly pulled out a yellow pill that emitted a spicy smell from his pocket. This was the yellow curry pill that Umino Sasuke had once given him. He was preparing to fight to the death.

At this critical moment!
"Art fire escape ho fireball!"

"Shadow Mimicry!"

Two figures arrived just in time, accompanied by the whooshing sound of ninjutsu. The newcomers were Uchiha Mikoto and Nara Shikaku.

The massive fireball repelled the puppet that was attacking Ehime, while Nara Shikaku's shadow coiled around the joints of another puppet that was trying to ambush Shiranui Mama like a serpent, instantly freezing its movements.

Ehiko was taken aback, looking at the two who had suddenly appeared and joined the battle with great momentum. In particular, he saw that Uchiha Mikoto, who was usually gentle and quiet, now had a fierce look on her face, her three-tomoe Sharingan was spinning wildly, and she was wielding her ninja sword more desperately than he was, as if she wanted to perish together with the "Sunagakure Puppet Master". Nara Shikaku, who was known for his wisdom and cautious behavior, was now controlling his shadow and fighting with an unusually tough and fierce style, which was completely unlike his usual fighting style.

"Miss Mikoto? Shikaku? Watch out!" Ehiko was a little confused; something seemed off about this situation.

Uchiha Mikoto and Nara Shikaku, of course, knew who the "Sunagakure Puppet Master" in front of them was. They felt no pressure at all, and even wanted to laugh a little. Since it was the Commander's shadow clone, what was there to be afraid of? If you're going to act, you have to go all out. Where else can you find such a good sparring partner?
Thus, with the two men's "fearless" attacks, coupled with the shadow clones' perfectly coordinated "cooperation" to hold back, the battle suddenly turned into a fierce and evenly matched fight, with sand and stones flying everywhere, creating a lively and exciting scene, and neither side could gain the upper hand for the time being.

At this moment, taking advantage of the great opportunity presented by Kagawa Momoyo's serious injury and the fact that the main force of the Guardian Ninjas was tied up by three "powerful reinforcements", Yekura had already used his superb movement skills and Scorching Release to forcefully break through the guards' obstruction. Like a crimson lightning bolt, he was unstoppable and rushed directly into the "Tranquil Pavilion" where the Daimyo was located!

Inside the Tranquil Pavilion, the daimyo of the Land of Rivers was deathly pale. He was being tightly protected by Tekugami and another guardian ninja named Huang Yan. Huang Yan's left sleeve was charred black from resisting Ye Cang, and his entire arm was abnormally shriveled and withered. He had obviously been grazed by a scorching release. Although he managed to cut off some of the dried-up necrotic tissue in time, his combat power was greatly reduced, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

(End of this chapter)