Overdrafting the Future, Starting in Naruto

"Found him."

Kinoshita Genichi opened his eyes. Troi hadn't entered the Land of Rain yet; he was still in the Land of Grass, but very close to the border, hidden extremely well and not using any chakra, which was why he hadn't been detected before.

However, even though he had found his target, Genichi didn't act immediately. He returned to the cave.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, after Genichi and his team had replenished their energy, they waited on Troi's inevitable path.

"He's coming," Sarutobi Mikage warned.

Troi approached rapidly, stopping several dozen meters away. He looked warily at Genichi's team of four. "Konoha Anbu?"

"Troi, surrender peacefully," Mikage said.

Troi snorted. "Let's see if you have what it takes!"

As soon as he spoke, he used the Body Flicker Technique, charging toward the four of them.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

As his figure flickered, a large number of shuriken flew out, spraying toward Genichi's team. These small shuriken were imbued with Troi's Magnet Release chakra, giving them magnetic properties. If they made contact, they could indirectly magnetize the object they touched. This application of Magnet Release was completely different from that of the Third and Fourth Kazekage.

Genichi had, of course, already informed Akimichi Tōdō and the others about Troi's Magnet Release. Therefore, when faced with the shuriken, they didn't use their own ninja swords to block, instead dodging or using their own shuriken to intercept.

Genichi himself was the exception. He drew his standard-issue Anbu ninja sword and stood his ground, deflecting all the incoming shuriken.

Under the light rain, amidst the forest, figures crossed paths. Evading the pounce from Mikage's team, Troi landed on a tree, a scroll in his mouth. With a poof, three large, custom-made square shuriken appeared in his hand.

"Die!" Troi hurled the square shuriken at Genichi. Two of them carved beautiful arcs through the air. Like poles attract, the shuriken, sharing the same magnetic properties, would automatically track Genichi, who was holding his ninja sword.

At that moment, Genichi flicked his left hand, sending a kunai shooting toward Troi. Troi twisted his head to dodge, but Genichi vanished, reappearing behind Troi. He caught the kunai with his left hand while placing his ninja sword against Troi's neck.

"What?!" Troi was terrified.

Just then, the shuriken in the air made a sharp turn, flying back toward both Troi and Genichi.

"Damn it!" Troi's pupils dilated.

Thunk! Thunk!

The two square shuriken embedded themselves in a tree branch as Genichi flickered away with Troi, reappearing on the ground. First, he applied the Evil Sealing Method, followed by a water-style seal. He then tossed the incapacitated Troi to Akimichi Tōdō. "Back to the village!"

Tōdō and the others were not at all surprised that Genichi had taken out a Kekkei Genkai-wielding jonin like Troi in an instant. They were already used to their captain's overwhelming strength.

Hoisting Troi onto his shoulder, the large-framed Akimichi Tōdō asked, "Captain, are we taking this guy back to Hōzuki Castle?"

Genichi shook his head. "No, take him back to the village." Sarutobi Shinnosuke hadn't said he had to be captured alive and returned to Hōzuki Castle. Since that was the case, how could he pass up such a good test subject?

The group headed south, out of the mountains, then turned east toward Konoha. But just as they left the mountainous region, Genichi stopped. "They have a welcoming party."

Sarutobi Mikage and Gekkō Ryūfū immediately flashed forward. "Captain, is it the Cloud-nin?"

Genichi didn't answer, instead giving an order. "Ryūfū, Tōdō, you two fall back first."

"Understood!" Akimichi Tōdō and Gekkō Ryūfū immediately leaped away to the east.

At that moment, three figures were already approaching rapidly through the misty rain.

"It's Troi! Damn it, he's been captured by Konoha!"

"Stop them!"

The three Cloud-nin split up. Two charged toward Akimichi Tōdō's group, while one went straight for Genichi and Mikage, his hands flying through seals.

Beneath his mask, Genichi's right eye activated its three-tomoe Sharingan.

CRACKLE!

Bolts of lightning descended from the sky, striking the ground where Genichi and Mikage stood.

Seeing the two of them fall, the Cloud-nin sensed something was wrong. "It's a genjutsu!" He formed a one-handed seal, dispelling the illusion, but Sarutobi Mikage was already upon him.

Leaping backward, the Cloud-nin spurted blood from his chest as Mikage's sword sliced him open. But the wound was only flesh-deep; the Cloud-nin's reaction was extremely fast, allowing him to dodge the fatal blow.

Mikage plunged his sword into the ground, his hands flying through seals. He opened his mouth and spewed a line of fire that converged into a ball, which then exploded with a roar. A dragon-shaped flame shot out, hurtling toward the Cloud-nin at high speed.

Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!

The airborne Cloud-nin endured the sharp pain and formed hand seals, spitting out a stream of water that collided with the fire dragon, creating a massive cloud of steam. Mikage burst out from the side, his attack swift and fierce, giving the Cloud-nin no time to breathe.

On the other side, Genichi moved at extreme speed, intercepting the other two Cloud-nin. The moment their eyes met, one of the Cloud-nin was instantly frozen by the Binding God Technique.

"The Sharingan!" The other Cloud-nin was shocked and quickly grabbed his mesmerized comrade, leaping backward.

However, Genichi was too fast. In an instant, he appeared in front of the Cloud-nin, almost face to face.

So fast! The Cloud-nin had no time to react. Genichi's hand was already clamped onto his face.

Boom!

Genichi slammed both Cloud-nin down from mid-air. The head of the one whose face he held was driven deep into the earth, blood spraying from his ears.

Pfft!

He raised his hand and activated the Water Gun Technique, blowing a hole in the head of the ninja caught in the genjutsu.

Having dealt with the two, Genichi looked up and saw that Sarutobi Mikage was still fighting the other Cloud-nin. By now, that ninja was horrified. In less than a minute, two of his comrades had been eliminated without any ability to fight back.

Retreat! Without any hesitation, the Cloud-nin turned to flee.

Swoosh!

Genichi vanished. Under the effect of the Art of Pyo, his speed was boosted by two-thirds. His already superhuman Body Flicker became even faster. Seven or eight seconds later, he suddenly appeared in front of the fleeing Cloud-nin.

So fast! The Cloud-nin screeched to a halt. His eyes met Genichi's, and his body, which had been about to move sideways, froze.

"Sharingan… genjutsu!" The Cloud-nin's body trembled as he tried to break free from the Binding God Technique, but it was impossible.

Genichi raised his hand and finished the enemy with another shot. He then quickly collected the bodies and retreated with Sarutobi Mikage, clean and efficient.

About half an hour later, a Cloud-nin unit of over a hundred ninja appeared on the battlefield. After carefully examining the signs of battle, one of them quickly came to a conclusion. "It's almost certain that Troi was taken by Konoha, and he's likely alive. This must be where our team sent to meet him encountered that Konoha squad. There are only signs of two fighting here, but the Konoha squad has four members. The other two must have retreated first with Troi."

The faces of the other Cloud-nin turned ugly. Someone immediately shouted, "The tracks here are still fresh! If we chase now, we should be able to catch them!"

Many of the Cloud-nin nodded, but they all looked to the leader of this reinforcement unit, Dodai.

Dodai considered it for a moment, then gave an order. "Rei, Kuru, each of you take a squad and pursue the enemy. Be careful, this Konoha squad could be an elite Anbu team. If you encounter a strong enemy, retreat immediately. Don't take unnecessary risks. The most critical front right now is the Land of Rain!"

The two jonin, Rei and Kuru, nodded immediately. "Understood!"

Swoosh swoosh swoosh~

Eight Cloud-nin vanished, while the rest of the unit headed deeper into the Land of Rain.

On the border of the Land of Fire.

While resting, Genichi performed his routine check, placing two fingers on the ground to sense the area.

"Hmm?" Genichi raised an eyebrow. "Pursuers… 1, 2… 8 of them in total!"

Gekkō Ryūfū was startled. "Captain, is it the Cloud-nin?"

Genichi stood up. "Most likely. But they should be reinforcements from Kumogakure. Tōdō, rest for another five minutes, then you take the prisoner and go first. Ryūfū, go set up traps. Mikage, use this time to recover your stamina!"

The three immediately acknowledged the order and got to work. Akimichi Tōdō and Sarutobi Mikage took out nutritional supplements and administered them via IV push, while Gekkō Ryūfū, who hadn't used much chakra, went to set traps.

Five minutes later, Akimichi Tōdō took the prisoner and bypassed the trapped area, retreating first.

Genichi stood on a branch, quietly watching in the direction of the Land of Rain. Sarutobi Mikage and Gekkō Ryūfū were positioned on his left and right flanks behind him, also on branches.

Before long, the figures of the Cloud-nin came into view. Mikage and Ryūfū simultaneously placed their right hands on the hilts of their swords, while their other hands held Genichi's Flying Thunder God kunai. As for Genichi, he had already activated the Arts of Pyo, Kai, Jin, and Zai, his chakra continuously draining.

Across from them, the Cloud-nin also spotted the three masked figures.

"It really is an elite Konoha Anbu squad! Be careful!" Rei shouted.

The Cloud-nin didn't stop; instead, they sped up. When the two sides were still twenty or thirty meters apart, the ninja at the very back formed hand seals.

Lightning Release: Thunder Light Pillar!

Because his comrades were in front of him, even Genichi didn't see the ninja forming the seals. But the moment the Thunder Light Pillar erupted, Genichi reacted with incredible speed. He raised a single hand and instantly cast the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique. It was a wide-area cast, an indiscriminate attack on both friend and foe, sealing everyone's vision.

Genichi then leaped from the branch, landing on the ground and clapping his hands together with a loud smack.

Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!

Water gathered around him, spiraled upwards like a gyroscope, and then surged forward with a massive roar, forming a ten-meter-high torrent that swept away the giant trees in its path.

The group-wide genjutsu wasn't very precise. Rei and the others broke free from the darkness in an instant.

"Scatter!" Rei yelled. The torrent was too large; they had no time to form hand seals.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

The Cloud-nin leaped into the air, avoiding the rushing water and jumping between the trees. The Thunder Light Pillar jutsu could no longer be maintained.

As the darkness lifted, Genichi used a water-based Body Flicker, moving at high speed across the water's surface. Two Cloud-nin who had just landed on the water hadn't even finished their hand seals before Genichi took them out with a punch and a kick, sending them flying as they coughed up blood and died. His monstrous strength was too much for them to handle.

At the same time, Mikage and Ryūfū threw the kunai in their hands. A flash of lightning erupted, and Genichi's figure vanished.

Boom! Boom!

A series of explosions rang out as two more Cloud-nin were blasted into the water by Genichi's Wind Release: Rasengan.

"So fast!"

"Damn it!"

The two jonin, Rei and Kuru, were shocked and enraged. Genichi was so fast that even their lightning ninjutsu couldn't keep up. In the blink of an eye, half of their eight-man squad was gone.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Genichi flickered, causing the two jonin's attacks to miss again.

Suddenly, Genichi moved sideways, appearing in front of Rei. The Sharingan appeared beneath his mask. The moment their eyes met, Rei was inwardly alarmed. He instinctively closed his eyes and shouted, "Sharingan!"

But it was too late. The Binding God Technique activated, and Rei's body was instantly immobilized. Kuru, who had missed his target, immediately turned to attack Genichi's back in an attempt to save his comrade.

Pfft!

Genichi raised his hand, his palm knife coated in wind chakra slicing through Rei's neck, sending blood flying. In the next moment, Kuru arrived, his sword striking Genichi's shoulder.

Poof!

Genichi's body exploded into a spray of water.

"A water clone, damn it!" Watching Rei fall, Kuru was furious. He plunged his sword into the water, his entire body erupting with electricity.

Lightning Release: Scatter Kill!

In an instant, currents of electricity shot out from him like a spider's web. Genichi, who had just reappeared on the water's surface, was struck by the lightning, but his body once again dissolved into water.

Kuru pulled out his sword, searching for Genichi, but his ears were met with the screams of his comrades. This was followed by a series of explosions. He looked and saw one of his comrades had entered a trapped area, surrounded by wires hung with numerous explosive tags. In an instant, he was engulfed in flames.

He was the only one left! Cold sweat poured down Kuru's forehead. Even as a jonin who had been through countless battles, he couldn't help but feel a sense of terror.

The water's surface rippled. Kuru could even see his own reflection. Suddenly, his body stiffened. In the reflection, he saw a person suddenly appear behind him.

"Are you looking for me?" Genichi appeared behind Kuru.

"This is… a genjutsu!" Kuru realized something was wrong.

"You guessed right…" Genichi's voice drifted on the wind. The surrounding scenery rippled and then collapsed, including Genichi's figure.

The genjutsu broke, and Kuru found his enemy standing right in front of him. All he had to do was thrust his sword forward to finish him. But his body was already immobile, bound by streams of water.

"Genjutsu… You're Kinoshita Genichi!" Kuru was in despair.

"Congratulations, you guessed right again." Genichi removed his mask.

Now, Kuru's fear was gone. "The Raikage will avenge us!"

Genichi couldn't be bothered with trash talk. He said to Sarutobi Mikage behind him, "Mikage, take this prisoner."

"Yes, Captain!" Mikage stepped forward, knocked Kuru out, and hauled him away.

Although the previous scene had been an illusion, the other two Cloud-nin were truly dead. While Kuru was trapped in the genjutsu, Genichi had targeted him with another illusion, allowing Mikage and Ryūfū to finish him off. The traps hadn't been needed at all.

Genichi collected the bodies and retrieved his Flying Thunder God kunai, while Gekkō Ryūfū collected the traps.

Because they were now carrying two prisoners, it wasn't until dusk the next day that Genichi's team returned to Konoha. Mikage and the others took the prisoners to the Anbu prison, while Genichi went to the Hokage's office to debrief.

After giving a general overview of the mission, Genichi concluded, "Lord Hokage, the fact that the Cloud-nin reinforcements decided to pursue us means they've confirmed it was us. The Third Raikage will very likely use this as a pretext for war."

Hiruzen nodded. "Given the Raikage's personality, that possibility is very high. Genichi, take that Cloud-nin reinforcement to the Intelligence Division immediately."

Genichi nodded and left.

Hiruzen then summoned the on-duty Anbu and issued a series of orders. First, a message to the northern border defense force to be wary of a surprise attack from the Cloud. Second, assemble the first wave of reinforcements to head north to respond to a potential war. Third, dispatch advance teams into the Land of Hot Water, the Land of the Moon, and the Land of the Sun to gather intelligence on Kumogakure and provide early warning.

(End of Chapter)

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