I founded the "Bragging Cult" in Naruto.

Chapter 681 Those who only know how to fight and kill have courage, while those who understand human relationships have strategy.

"Lord Qing, why did you stop?"

In the rainforest, a group of Mist Ninja suddenly stopped in their tracks, and one of them looked at the Jonin Ao who was leading the group and asked a question.

Qing said, "There seems to be chakra ahead. Let me sense it more carefully first."

Upon hearing this, the other Mist Ninja also realized that the recent hunting down of reconnaissance teams had made some Mist Ninja uneasy, especially those ninjas who possessed sensory abilities but were not proficient in them.

They could be sent to fill vacancies in reconnaissance teams at any time, but the original reconnaissance teams with expertise in perception were easily hunted down, let alone these half-baked substitutes.

This squad was the same; they weren't originally sensory ninjas, they just knew a little bit of sensory techniques.

Therefore, they were all very nervous when the team was formed. They were only relieved after they heard that the Jonin leading the team was Ao, since Ao had a good reputation.

He was one of the few Mist Ninjas who had achieved commendable feats during the previous operation in the Land of Fire. Although he paid a price, everyone recognized his strength and ability.

Hearing Ao say that there is chakra ahead, it wouldn't be too late to let Ao sense it before making a decision, whether it's an enemy or a friend.

Ao formed hand seals with his back to the other Mist Ninja. They couldn't see Ao's seals clearly; they weren't seals that affected perception, but rather seemed more like a technique to release some kind of seal.

"Eye roll!"

The veins around the covered eye were bulging and pulsating, and strange waves of chakra were also emanating from it, but the ninjas behind him did not notice anything unusual.

However, Qing's perspective changed. He could even see the expressions on the faces of the temporary team members behind him, as well as the flow of chakra through their meridians.

The range of vision also continues to increase, and different scenes appear in Qing's field of vision, which are then converted into information and played in the brain for analysis.

In the distance, Shisui suddenly frowned. He had interacted with the Hyuga ninja quite a bit during this period, so he had observed and recorded the almost imperceptible chakra fluctuations of the Byakugan with his Sharingan.

At that moment, he felt a similar chakra fluctuation. A strange chakra surged from his brain to his eyes, and in an instant, the pupils of his clear black and white eyes turned crimson.

Within each Sharingan, two tomoe rotated, creating ripples in the air, much like the distorted ripples of air seen when looking into the distance in summer.

"Is that really the Byakugan? Kirigakure is actually..."

Shisui suddenly analyzed many possibilities in his mind, and the most likely one was that Kirigakure had stolen the Byakugan's power.

"Make sure you find out the truth, and report back to your teacher when you get back."

Shisui made up his mind, and the tomoe in his eyes spun faster and faster as he tried to catch the ripples of chakra and looked toward where it was emanating.

"not good!"

Despite the countless trees, rocks, and spatial distance separating them, at one moment, Qing and Shisui made eye contact, and Qing was able to see Shisui's appearance clearly.

Whether it was because he was not used to the power of the Byakugan after the seal was broken, or because he had discovered Shisui's presence, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

He quickly formed hand seals again, sealing his Byakugan once more. The veins around his eyes bulged, and his skin returned to its smooth state. He exclaimed, "It's Shisui of Konoha's Body Flicker Technique!"

"Shunshen Shisui?!"

The Mist Ninja were also taken aback. That was Shisui, whose talent was said to be no less than that of Sakamoto Tatsuma! Both of them were under ten years old and had killed the enemy Jonin.

Such a record is quite astonishing even in the history of the ninja world.

Moreover, given the example of Tatsuma, Kirigakure now assesses Shisui's threat level to an extremely high degree.

Although Shisui is still just a child, the Kirigakure ninja inexplicably associate him with Sakamoto Tatsuma when they hear his name, partly because of their similar talents and partly because Shisui was Tatsuma's student.

"Walk!"

Aoya decisively gave the order. Shisui might not be his match now, but Aoya had no desire to face Shisui.

Fighting Shisui is not just about fighting and killing; it also involves extremely complex human relationships and social interactions. If one is forced to fight Shisui, then to save one's own life, one must use all one's strength to kill Shisui.

But since we haven't really clashed yet, the smartest thing to do is not to clash.

Moreover, Ao knew that his Byakugan would definitely provoke Konoha's anger. If that forced Tatsuma to come to the Land of Water, then the war would be pointless.

Therefore, the most important thing now is to stay away from Zhishui, even if it means bearing some blame, you must never come into contact with Zhishui.

Qing was even somewhat relieved that what happened today happened today; if it had happened a few years later, he probably would have had a hard time even escaping.

The rest of the team turned and ran when they saw their captain. Although they were a little puzzled, no matter how great Shisui's reputation as a genius was, he should not be a match for Ao in his current state.

But the captain ran away, so they can't just stay behind, can they? Shisui might not be able to beat Qing, but he could easily take down a few of those half-baked guys.

On the other side, Shisui, who had just activated Body Flicker and was chasing after the Byakugan, was also stunned, because he also sensed that Ao and the others had turned around and left.

Shisui scratched his temple, somewhat puzzled. Was his reputation really that effective?

It wasn't that he was belittling himself, but he didn't deserve such "grand" treatment. After all, the privilege of being able to immediately abandon a mission without guilt upon seeing someone was reserved for his teacher, Sakamoto Tatsuma, and his teacher's close friend, Namikaze Minato.

Shisui looked in the direction where Qing and the others had left and hesitated whether to continue the pursuit, but he only hesitated for a second before stopping.

Those people left at a fast pace, even though their average speed was slower than Shisui's. But Shisui understood that this was because the team was taking care of the weaker ninjas in their ranks.

If pushed too far, they might abandon one or two team members. Besides, he has been venturing deeper into the Land of Water these past few days. Although it is still some distance from Kirigakure, it is not a safe distance.

After he catches up, he will most likely encounter enemy reinforcements during the battle, at which point he probably won't be able to escape.

After stopping, Shisui sorted out the events of the day. The fact that Kirigakure might have a Byakugan ninja was something that absolutely needed to be communicated; secondly, the identity of this ninja needed to be determined.

"唳~唳~"

At that moment, the cries of eagles suddenly came from the sky above the rainforest. Shisui looked up in confusion and, after listening to the rhythm of the cries, realized that the message was to assemble. He then headed towards the Konoha headquarters.

Regardless of the village's arrangements, he does need to return to the headquarters, since he might be the only Konoha ninja who knows about the Byakugan.

However, there is always a risk in him acting alone. Once he returns to the camp and tells the others the news, even if something happens to him, the information can still be relayed back to the village.

As he approached the headquarters, he encountered some Konoha ninjas. After exchanging words, none of them knew the reason for the gathering.

Shisui even wondered if Kirigakure might send a tailed beast to attack their headquarters. If so, what would be the best course of action for the village?

He had similar premonitions many times along the way, but when he returned to the camp, he found it to be perfectly safe.

"Brother Shinnosuke, what brings you here?"

Back at the camp, Shisui spotted a familiar figure and landed beside him, asking what was wrong. Shinnosuke smiled and straightened Shisui's collar, saying, "I've come to deliver the Hokage's orders."

"The teacher's orders?"

Although he didn't know what the order was, Shisui nodded, then leaned closer to Shinnosuke and said, "Brother Shinnosuke, there seems to be a Byakugan ninja in Kirigakure. I just discovered this today."

However, I didn't catch up with them, so I don't know exactly who it was.

"Byakugan ninja. I'll remember that."

Shinnosuke's face was solemn. He nodded, knowing how important the news was, but the most important thing right now was Tatsuma's orders.

Seeing that the information had finally been shared, Shisui breathed a sigh of relief, chatted with Shinnosuke for a few more minutes, and then went to rest.

After waiting for half a day, no more Konoha ninjas finally returned. Minato also appeared and communicated with Sento, Nawaki, and others, seemingly confirming the number of people. Minato's expression was somewhat heavy.

War inevitably leads to death, and Minato couldn't possibly ensure the safety of every ninja, especially since it was an away game, making them more vulnerable to attack.

Of the original three thousand men, only about two thousand remained. Fortunately, the decapitation strike on the Mist Ninja reconnaissance team resulted in even greater losses for the Mist Ninja, which could be considered an advantage. However, there was still no reason to be happy.

"Shinnosuke, that's enough for now. I'll leave a special team behind to pick up any Konoha ninja who might not have returned yet."

Minato walked over to Shinnosuke and said that Sento and Nawaki were to mobilize the Konoha ninjas who had returned to their camp and explained the order to return to the village immediately.

Although some were puzzled by the decision to retreat when they clearly had the advantage, no one strongly objected. They began to assemble in the prescribed formation, with Shisui among them.

"Ninja Art! Summoning Jutsu!"

Shinnosuke formed hand seals, and a cloud of smoke rose and dissipated, revealing a monkey with a somewhat deformed ear. Shinnosuke nodded at it and said, "Six-Eared Monkey, transform."

"Iron Pole Free-Range Stick!"

"Bang!"

The monkey transformed into a staff. Shinnosuke grasped the end of the staff and swung it. The staff extended again and became flexible, like a rope, allowing all the ninjas to reach out and climb on it.

"Six ears! Two minds, one body!"

The staff emitted light, enveloping everyone. Shinnosuke also formed hand seals to cancel the summoning jutsu. In an instant, only Shinnosuke, Minato, and the Konoha ninjas who had been specially left behind remained in the arena.

"The rest is up to you."

After giving instructions to the remaining people, Minato left the Land of Water with Shinnosuke. The Konoha ninja team that had been summoned by reverse also returned to the village via a transfer point and were dismissed to rest.

Minato, Sento, and the others reported the details of their trip to Tatsuma. Shisui didn't go back to rest but waited outside the Hokage's office. Once Minato and the others finished their report, he eagerly went in and said:

"Teacher, I've discovered that there may be Byakugan ninjas in Kirigakure."

Tatsuma raised an eyebrow, but wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he said, "Shinnosuke, could you please inform the Hyuga clan head and have him come here?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

Shinnosuke's voice came from the darkness.

(End of this chapter)