Naruto: Konoha's Traitor

Breakout

Chi Yu had eliminated seven Hidden Cloud shinobi, leaving only one special jōnin alive.

As the special jōnin prepared to flee, a voice called out from behind him.

"Trying to escape? Is that how you honor your comrades' sacrifices?"

The special jōnin's pupils shrank. How had Chi Yu gotten behind him? He had clearly been right in front of him just moments ago...

A Shadow Clone!

Chi Yu, using his heightened sensory perception—honed from Ryūchi Cave techniques—had pinpointed the special jōnin's exact location.

The Cloud ninja raised his blade to counterattack, but it was too late. Chi Yu's ninjatō had already pierced through the back of his skull, killing him instantly.

He pulled the blade free, flicked off the blood in a swift motion, and sheathed it before returning to the main group.

Upon seeing the real Chi Yu return, the Konoha shinobi—who had been following his Shadow Clone—let out a collective breath of relief.

As competent as the clone had been, following an illusion always carried a sense of unease. With their true commander back, order was restored.

Chi Yu scanned the area and quickly noticed that Minato Namikaze and the five-man team he had led were still absent.

Closing his eyes briefly, Chi Yu extended his sensory field again. He could sense Minato's chakra signature and those of his team. Four Cloud shinobi had already been neutralized, but two Konoha shinobi were injured. The remaining battle had devolved into a deadlock—Minato was clearly buying time to protect the wounded.

Chi Yu withdrew his focus and pressed on. The mission had already been determined. Whether Minato's team succeeded or failed was secondary.

The primary goal had been accomplished.

An hour passed.

Minato finally rejoined them, but his numbers had been reduced—only four of the five shinobi returned.

The two Chi Yu had sensed as wounded were still alive; the casualty was one of the other three.

They had been delayed, and it had cost them.

Minato approached Chi Yu and reported in a subdued tone. "The seven enemy shinobi have been eliminated."

Without awaiting a reply, he quietly returned to his unit, visibly troubled.

Chi Yu's lips curled slightly in disdain. He said nothing.

Sacrificing a healthy combatant to protect two incapacitated shinobi...

It may have appeared noble, but it was strategically foolish.

The wounded couldn't fight. And now, Minato would have to protect them both in future battles—effectively dragging dead weight.

Sacrificing one effective ninja for two burdens... Ridiculous.

"Heh. Is this what they call the 'bonds of comrades'? Good thing I never bought into that crap."

Chi Yu scoffed quietly and moved on.

---

Having survived the Second Great Ninja War and amassed substantial battlefield experience, Orochimaru and Jiraiya operated at peak efficiency in the dense, obstacle-laden forests of the Land of Hot Water.

With sheer tactical brilliance and combat expertise, the two Sannin had managed to stall the advancing Cloud pursuit forces.

However, the situation was quickly worsening.

The sheer number of Kumogakure forces present in the area was overwhelming. Reinforcements from nearby stations had begun converging. The enemy had stopped relying on caution and started blasting their way forward with large-scale ninjutsu, destroying any hidden traps and rapidly gaining ground.

Their pace increased.

Simultaneously, squads from all directions began closing in, forming a coordinated pincer formation aimed at trapping Chi Yu's main unit.

Chi Yu's sensory prowess picked up on the tightening noose.

A decision had to be made—immediately.

This withdrawal battle had already dragged on for nearly twenty-two hours.

They were still at least fourteen hours away from linking up with Konoha reinforcements.

After a few seconds of calculation, Chi Yu made his call.

"All shinobi—cancel your Shadow Clones and Transformation Techniques. Regroup on me. We're punching through the encirclement."

He relayed the current situation to Orochimaru using a messenger snake.

At this point, illusions were meaningless. Once the trap fully closed, the Cloud shinobi would discover their deception.

Better to dissolve the clones now and conserve chakra for the actual fight.

Speed was critical. The longer they hesitated, the stronger the enemy's formation would become.

Upon hearing Chi Yu's command, the Konoha shinobi hesitated for a moment—but ultimately complied.

They didn't follow him because of camaraderie.

They followed him because he was their commander.

And his orders had never once failed them.

They advanced at full speed.

Soon, the advance squad caught glimpses of movement—Kumogakure shinobi had already arrived ahead of them.

Chi Yu's sharp sensory abilities activated once more. The enemy had moved faster than expected. A full team blocked the road ahead, and other squads were spreading to form the encirclement.

Chi Yu halted and turned to address the team.

"I'll open a path. Follow it at all costs. If anyone falls behind—hide. Escape if you can. Do not wait for help. Depending on others will only get you—and them—killed."

He glanced deliberately at Minato and the two wounded at his side.

Minato lowered his head. The injured shinobi looked away in shame.

Chi Yu turned forward again, inhaling slowly. A cloud of mist escaped his mouth as he exhaled.

He placed his hand on the hilt of his ninjatō.

"Lightning Release: Flash Step – Piercing Dragon Fang!"

In an instant, his body sparked with chakra-charged electricity, forming the illusion of a blue dragon swirling around him.

Chi Yu vanished in a blur.

The ground beneath him blackened, trees splintered and collapsed, and enemy shinobi barely had time to react before being dismembered in the blink of an eye.

A scorched trail stretched ahead as Chi Yu carved a brutal corridor through the enemy line.

Konoha shinobi immediately surged forward, staying within the safe path.

The enemy encirclement had not yet fully formed—and Chi Yu's precise timing had shattered their coordination.

---

Orochimaru, having received the update, glanced at Jiraiya.

"It's begun. Chi Yu is forcing a breakthrough."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "A breakthrough? Already?"

Orochimaru nodded. "The Cloud forces were closing in. He didn't have a choice. We need to fall back and regroup with him."

The two Sannin abandoned their current battle and retreated toward Chi Yu's position.

Chi Yu continued to press forward, determined to extend the corridor even further.

He believed his chakra reserves were still sufficient—until his senses suddenly spiked.

Dozens of chakra signatures flared up ahead. An ambush.

Chi Yu skidded to a stop.

He narrowed his eyes.

A large group—no fewer than eighty enemy shinobi—was waiting just beyond the clearing.

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