Through those white eyes, it was easy to tell the origin of this young Ninja.
Hyuga Clan.
"I am Hyuga Hizashi, a member of the Hyuga Branch Family."
The Byakugan youth spoke to Uchiha Gen with a steady demeanor.
Uchiha Gen glanced at Hyuga Hizashi in surprise, then smiled slightly and nodded slowly.
As fellow Dōjutsu clans and top noble families in the Ninja World, the Hyuga Clan and the Uchiha Clan inevitably had various overt and covert struggles.
Although both sides tacitly limited these contests to a reasonable scope, their relationship was not particularly good on a daily basis.
Hyuga Hizashi's willingness to proactively cooperate on the mission was a good sign for Uchiha Gen.
"Everyone, our squad will handle the most troublesome enemies."
"The rest of the team will be centered around Ino–Shika–Chō, coordinating with Inoichi Yamanaka's sensory abilities and Shikaku Nara's crowd control for command and combat."
"The Hizashi Squad will use their Byakugan to assist in cordoning off and blocking any enemies who might try to escape."
"Aside from the Hizashi Squad and the Ino–Shika–Chō Squad, all other teams will provide support and cooperation according to the formation at all times."
"How does that sound?"
At the front of the forest, Uchiha Gen stood on a tree, addressing the surroundings.
His squad, plus the Ino–Shika–Chō and Hizashi squads, accounted for nearly half of this team.
Coupled with his early eloquence, the tactical arrangement was simple yet reasonable, and for a while, no one raised any objections.
"Alright, then the hidden sentries will be left to us Dōjutsu users."
Uchiha Gen nodded slightly to Hyuga Hizashi.
Then, both their figures vanished in an instant.
The former possessed a Sharingan and excellent short-range sensory abilities, while the latter had a Byakugan of considerable purity.
Almost all alarms and traps could be easily avoided by the two of them.
Drawing a Kunai, Uchiha Gen used the Body Flicker Technique to land silently onto a treetop.
He covered a Rogue Ninja's mouth from behind and slit his throat.
Just as another Rogue Ninja below was about to turn around, he struck.
He shot several Kunai with the Uchiha Style's special throwing technique, precisely hitting the forehead and throat of the Rogue Ninja patrolling the forest.
Another figure appeared, catching the falling Rogue Ninja and pointing in another direction, giving Uchiha Gen an "OK" gesture.
The hidden sentries there had also been dealt with.
These Ninja roaming into the Land of Fire could be from Sunagakure, Kumogakure, Iwagakure, Amegakure, or even just hired hands.
Their identities were unknown, and they were collectively categorized as Rogue Ninja.
A few minutes later.
All the peripheral enemy sentries were eliminated, and even some nearby traps had been marked by the two.
In the distance, Inoichi Yamanaka formed hand signs.
He activated the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique, the Mind Body Transmission Technique.
He systematically transmitted Nara Shikaku's commands into the minds of every Konoha Ninja, and also contacted Uchiha Gen and Hyuga Hizashi.
Although he was not yet the Inoichi Yamanaka of thirty years later, this was not the battlefield of the Fourth Ninja World War.
It was merely the connection of a few squads within this enemy stronghold.
The information transmission was unidirectional, without the need to constantly maintain mutual contact.
Therefore, although somewhat simple, Inoichi Yamanaka still played a crucial role in connecting the entire team.
Knowing that Uchiha Gen and Hyuga Hizashi had already cleared the path, with the commands of the Ino–Shika–Chō, the Konoha Ninja skillfully dispersed their formation.
Following the footsteps of the three trailblazers, they charged towards the known enemy positions.
Suddenly, the enemies in the stronghold were caught off guard.
But after reacting, they all emerged and resisted.
Soon, Uchiha Gen's two teammates also arrived beside him.
The three exchanged a knowing glance, then bit their fingers, formed hand signs together, and slammed their hands on the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Three magnificent giant snakes, over ten meters long, appeared in front of the trio.
The snake summoned by Uchiha Gen was Ketsuhan.
Uzuki Ruri's was a large emerald green snake.
Sarutobi Enjun's was precisely the two-headed giant snake he was so fond of.
The snakes hissed.
The three giant snakes rolled forward like road rollers, clearing a path for the trio.
Inside a cave, three Ninja without headbands were also startled by the commotion outside.
"It seems Konoha has tracked us here. It's time to break out," a burly man with a full beard on his chin said in a deep voice.
"No time to lose, let's retreat immediately."
"These people are just Rogue Ninja who can be abandoned at any time."
"As long as we can escape, we can apply for funds from the Village and quickly recruit enough manpower from the underground bounty station."
Another tall, thin Ninja at his side added.
A few seconds later, the three arrived at the cave entrance.
Then, they saw three giant snakes, and three young people on top of the snakes' heads.
"Quickly take them out and rush through!"
The last person shouted.
With so many Konoha Ninja outside, at this scale, there must be a strong leader.
To survive, they had to break out quickly.
However, before they could even make a move, a massive fireball flew out.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
Sarutobi Enjun's Flame Bullet still contained oil, and Uchiha Gen's Wind Release: Gale Palm was much more powerful than before.
This composite Ninjutsu, a triple combination of wind, fire, and oil, was almost a youthful version of Goemon.
Its power was strong and its range wide, instantly engulfing the three enemies.
"Earth Release: Earth Shore Return!"
A thick earth wall rose but was immediately breached.
But this at least provided them with a momentary obstruction.
Aside from the Ninja who actively stepped forward to use Ninjutsu to block the attack, the other two took this opportunity to flee rapidly to the sides.
"Konoha-Style Kenjutsu: Shadow of the Dancing Leaf!"
A slender, agile figure flashed in mid-air.
Her long, thin Tachi flew towards the bearded Ninja like a willow branch swaying in the wind.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Gen, relying on his superior explosive power and the Sharingan's formidable insight, seized the opportunity.
He drew his Ninja Sword and charged forward.
"Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Slash!"
Clang!
The crisp sound of clashing blades rang out.
Uchiha Gen adjusted the hand holding his sword, precisely deflecting the opponent's attack with the Sharingan's dynamic vision.
Then, he delivered a direct kick, sending him towards Ketsuhan's location.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wave!"
Slender arms made of earth and stone, like ropes, blocked Ketsuhan's path.
Uchiha Gen took this opportunity to also form hand signs.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
A rain of fire fell as Uchiha Gen once again surged forward, charging at the tall Ninja with his sword.