Naruto: The Scientific Ninja

"Is something wrong?"

The spiky-haired Sand jōnin halted his men's impending retreat. A cold, calculating glint appeared in his eyes. His gaze seemed to become piercing, trying to see through the visual barrier of the Iron Gate to confirm if the monkey-masked Konoha ninja's revelation was true.

Seeing that the Suna-nin were about to uncover the truth, Ye, the Gekkō chūnin, was overcome with anxiety. However, his face showed no expression as he smiled calmly and said, "Kagejirō, you've gotten smarter. You know how to use false information for tactical deception. It's a good play, but there's no need, they won't believe it."

When Ye uttered the word "false," his voice seemed to pause for a fraction of a second, an intentional nuance that only a cunning ninja could catch.

Sarutobi Kagejirō: ??? Why am I not aware of my own plan?

"Yes, that's the expression. You acted so well that even I believed it," Ye continued, unfazed. "But it's useless. The masterful tool handling, the speed of five seals per second, and a tactical level that surpasses a jōnin's are irrefutable proof of this Uchiha jōnin's true identity. With such obvious information, how could they possibly believe your bluff?"

Hiding behind the iron gate, Sasuke touched his chin, feeling a little embarrassed. 'Wow, this Ye is good. His logic is so twisted that he almost convinced me. A real talent for manipulation.'

"Captain!" Tekudō whispered, giving him a thumbs-up in the "Nice Guy Pose" popularized by Might Guy. Hearing Ye's high praise for his captain, he felt immensely proud.

After the confusing exchange, the Sand ninja found themselves in a dilemma. The doubt they had just suppressed resurfaced with a vengeance.

"This..." the bald chūnin, Iwago, was even more confused, his mind a mess. He could only look to his jōnin captain, hoping for tactical guidance.

"Yanlang, don't be fooled again. This has to be a Transformation Jutsu bluff. It's not the Uchiha's usual style to hide their head and show their tail like this," the puppet master whispered to his captain.

The spiky-haired jōnin, whose name was Yanlang, had vast experience. He had already sensed something was wrong, but the frantic pace of the battle had prevented him from thinking clearly. Now, reflecting, he saw it all. 'With that sealing speed, he should have completed hundreds of them, yet the jutsu we imagined hasn't appeared. What kind of jutsu takes that long? It has to be fake, it's all fake!'

"We've been tricked again," he muttered, feeling as if he could almost vomit blood. They had been led by the nose from the very beginning, falling into one huge trap. If the other side was really bluffing and wasn't an Uchiha jōnin, then their initial guess was correct: they were facing a Konoha jōnin who specialized in traps and tools, but was likely weak in direct combat. And after their initial barrage of attacks, he must have used up most of his supplies. They still had a chance!

"What do we do?" Tekudō gestured, asking Sasuke if it was time for a strategic evacuation. Their best tactics were spent and their supplies were nearly gone.

Sasuke shook his head and signaled for them to wait. Kagejirō was useless, but Ye was strong and reliable. He decided to wait a little longer.

"I want to see who you really are!" the puppet master jōnin shouted. He formed hand seals and launched another jutsu.

"Wind Style: Sand Dust Dance!"

Suddenly, two spiraling vacuum winds, carrying a large amount of sand and dust, split and went around the Iron Gate, heading for the rear to force them out.

"Let's go!" Sasuke said.

He grabbed Tekudō and, with chakra at their feet, they both ran up the surface of the gate and leaped just as the two sand tornados collided behind them. They landed on the huge rock, revealing themselves at last.

"A Konoha patrol chūnin?" the Suna-nin exclaimed, looking at each other with shock and doubt. They were all too familiar with that uniform; they had just annihilated an entire squad wearing it. It was precisely because it was so familiar that they became suspicious.

"Another Transformation Jutsu," Yanlang concluded, refusing to believe that an ordinary chūnin could have cornered them so completely. "Konoha jōnin, when it comes to transformation techniques, I consider you the strongest!" he shouted, convinced it was another deception. "Everyone, don't let your guard down! This must be another tactical ploy!"

He explained his theory to his subordinates: "First, he transformed into an Uchiha to make us overestimate him and waste our chakra and weapons. Now, he transforms into a common chūnin to make us underestimate his strength and fall into another trap. Don't be fooled!"

"Understood, captain. We won't be careless again," the Sand ninja nodded, praising their captain's sharp insight and reasoned analysis. The ninja before them was despicable and shameless, a master of deception.