In Naruto with the Flame-Flame Fruit

Chapter 51: Chapter 51: Reclaiming Lost Ground



As the eldest son of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shinnosuke might not possess the same legendary strength as the Sannin, but he was still a formidable jōnin in his own right. Alongside his wife, they were known as "Hiruzen Sarutobi's right and left hands."

Shinnosuke sprinted and leapt across the rooftops without a hint of caution, openly charging through the battlefield, completely ignoring the presence of the Sunagakure shinobi.

One of the Suna-nin posted on the clocktower spotted him and immediately shouted,

"Enemy attack! A Konoha ninja—only one of them!"

"Let me take care of him!"

A puppeteer stepped forward, one puppet in each hand, and launched both toward Shinnosuke.

"Fire Style: Great Flame Technique!"

A thick column of fire burst out and ignited the puppets. Ahead, two more Suna-nin sprang out to engage him.

Above their heads, a rift in space opened. A massive green pot lid dropped from it, slamming down onto the two Suna-nin with a thunderous crash, collapsing the building beneath them.

Three more puppets jumped up mid-air to intercept him, forcing Shinnosuke to halt and land atop a rooftop. Now surrounded, three puppeteers closed in on him.

"You Konoha ninja are pretty bold, huh? Coming at us all alone? Overestimating yourself much?"

"Hmph! Let's show him the might of Sunagakure's puppet technique. Don't you dare underestimate us Suna-nin!"

Shinnosuke scanned the three of them and sneered.

"You think you third-rate hacks can take me on? Don't make me laugh. Earth Style—"

Suddenly, a blade pierced through his chest. One of the puppets had driven a sword straight into him.

The puppeteer, who had been silent until now, smirked mockingly.

"Wow, that was easier than I thought. Konoha shinobi really are pathetic."

"Oh? So you're feeling brave now, huh?"

"Of course! I'm super brave—what the...?"

Before he could finish his sentence, a blade burst through his own chest. Blood sprayed from the wound as his body went limp. Meanwhile, the wounded Shinnosuke turned into a puddle of mud.

Earth Style: Mud Clone!

Squelch!

Shinnosuke yanked the blade free and tossed it aside.

"Never underestimate a Konoha ninja, you Suna bastards."

He kicked the dead puppeteer aside and rushed toward the remaining two.

"You're dead meat!"

"Kill him!"

The two puppeteers charged in, engaging Shinnosuke in a fierce close-quarters battle.

...

Meanwhile, Kiyosuke and his team had already reached the base of the clocktower.

"I'll go in from the outside," Kiyosuke said. "You two take the main entrance. Asuma already took out two Suna-nin earlier. Three puppeteers went after him, so that leaves only two Suna-nin and a medical-nin inside. Be careful—got it?"

"I know. Watch yourself too," Asuma replied. "And hey, when you blow up the tower, give us a heads-up."

Kiyosuke nodded. "Got it. I'm heading up."

He planted his feet against the side of the tower and ran straight up the wall.

"Let's go," Asuma said. He and Kurenai entered through the door and began climbing the stairs the conventional way.

As for Kiyosuke, he swiftly scaled the clocktower and flipped over the railing. But the moment he stepped inside, he triggered a hidden tripwire.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!

A storm of kunai flew at him. He couldn't dodge in time—his body was riddled with punctures. Holes tore through his limbs and torso. Fire ignited from within, sealing up the damage. A Suna-nin rushed over to investigate and was horrified by what he saw.

Before the man could even scream, Kiyosuke reached out, grabbed his face, and unleashed a surge of fire straight into his mouth. The flames scorched his windpipe and esophagus, ending his life instantly. Kiyosuke carefully laid the body aside.

Without making a sound, he slipped into the tower interior.

...

Elsewhere, Asuma and Kurenai had also infiltrated the clocktower without drawing any attention. To remain undetected, they kept close to the walls under the staircase, using chakra to adhere to the surfaces and move quickly. Their ninja footwear muffled their steps.

"Hmm?"

One Suna-nin stood on the stairs, something gnawing at his instincts.

"What the hell...? Something feels off. Wait a second—where's Tarō? He's been gone too long. Don't tell me... something happened to him?"

Below, Asuma gestured to Kurenai, who gave a small nod in response. Asuma sprang to the opposite wall and launched himself across the gap, rebounding midair straight toward the unsuspecting Suna-nin.

"Crap!" the Suna-nin realized, trying to react.

But Kurenai had already pinpointed his position from the footsteps above. She threw a kunai that pierced the man's foot, pinning him in place.

The sudden pain broke his focus. Though he had been ready to fight Asuma, the ambush caught him off guard. Asuma seized the moment and kicked him hard in the chest. As the man reeled, Asuma flung another kunai—

Thwack!

Right between the eyes.

Confirmed kill.

Kurenai stepped forward. "Let's go. The medical-nin's all that's left."

The tower wasn't very big. Before long, the two reached a door—Kiyosuke was already waiting there, having finished his part cleanly.

"Capturing him alive shouldn't be a problem," he said.

"I'll open the door." Kiyosuke motioned for the others to step aside in case of traps. Then he charged forward.

BAM!

Like a rampaging bull, he smashed through the wooden door and entered what appeared to be a lab lined with test tubes.

The Suna medical-nin inside jumped in surprise and immediately slammed his palm down on a trigger beside him.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz!

Dozens of steel needles shot out from the corners of the room, embedding themselves in Kiyosuke's body and the wall behind him. Drops of purple poison began to drip from the tips.

"This kind of thing doesn't work on me."

Kiyosuke charged in. The medic quickly dodged, the desk behind him shattering on impact.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

A swarm of venomous snakes burst toward the medic.

The Suna medical-nin wasn't some pushover. He avoided capture and even sliced through the snakes with a chakra scalpel.

"Don't underestimate medical-nin, you brat!"

"Genjutsu!"

The moment the word left his lips, the medic's vision was flooded with drifting cherry blossoms. He found himself under blooming sakura trees, bathed in warm spring wind, feeling sleepier by the second.

In the next moment, he realized it was an illusion. He bit the tip of his tongue, using the pain to dispel it.

Unfortunately for him, that split-second delay was all Kiyosuke needed.

Crack!

A solid punch to the face dropped the medic to the floor. Snakes slithered from Kiyosuke's pant legs and bound the man tight.

"Tch. Seriously?" Asuma complained. "Not even a chance for me to shine?"

"Oh, you'll have your moment," Kiyosuke said as he tossed the captured medic toward him. "You're in charge of getting him back to camp."

"You're kidding, right? You want me to carry him the whole way?"

"What, you expect me or Kurenai to do it? This one's all you. Let your big bro see how strong you've gotten."

"Hah! Fine! I'll carry him!" Asuma quickly hoisted the medic onto his back, eager to show off.

Kurenai let out a long sigh.

"...This guy's totally being used and doesn't even realize it. Kiyosuke's probably laughing on the inside."

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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