Red Shoal Island Beach
Swarms of Sea Wolves surged towards Sakura and her team.
"Protect yourselves! Don't let them sneak up on you!" Sakura yelled to the others.
"Got it!" Kiba formed a hand seal, facing the oncoming wave of monsters. "Akamaru!"
"Woof woof!"
"Four Legs Technique!"
"Poof!"
Akamaru transformed into a perfect replica of Kiba. However, instead of preparing Fang Over Fang, Kiba himself dropped into the feral stance of the Four Legs Technique.
"Heh heh, so you're wolves, huh? Let's see who's tougher!" Kiba roared, charging headfirst into the Sea Wolf pack.
Meanwhile, Shino had already sprung into action, releasing swarms of his kikaichū beetles. Soon, the area around him was blanketed by a dense cloud of insects. Hinata activated her Byakugan, settling into the Gentle Fist's opening stance, ready to engage the incoming Sea Wolves.
Seeing her team respond, Sakura felt a measure of relief. Even though their opponents lacked chakra, Hinata's Byakugan could still distinguish enemies visually, Kiba could track them by scent, and Shino... well, Shino was never one to worry about. His insects could clearly sense the strange energy these creatures emitted, even if it wasn't chakra.
Sakura herself couldn't sense the Sea Wolves' chakra, but that didn't matter as long as they couldn't break through her defenses.
"Earth Style: Hardening Jutsu!"
Activating the technique she hadn't used in a long time, Sakura focused the hardening effect primarily on her back. She didn't need as much defense head-on; the main danger was a sneak attack from behind.
Ordering her Gale Style clone forward, she charged into the fray alongside it. The Sea Wolves' defenses weren't particularly high; Sakura's Gale Style lasers sliced through them easily, cutting them in two. The only problem was their sheer number.
As Sakura joined the battle, a foul stench quickly filled the air – the smell of Sea Wolf blood. Sakura soon realized she wasn't the fastest killer on the field; that title belonged to her Gale Style clone.
Against numerous enemies with relatively low defenses, the clone truly showcased its terrifying potential as a one-person weapon. A blue-white blur flickered relentlessly across the battlefield. With every flash, another Sea Wolf was sliced apart or impaled, its severed limbs scattering across the beach.
Compared to Sakura and her clone's relatively easy slaughter, Hinata, Shino, and Kiba were locked in a grueling struggle. Because the Sea Wolves lacked chakra, sealing their tenketsu points to disrupt chakra flow had little effect. At her current level, Hinata still lacked powerful offensive techniques suitable for this situation.
The Sea Wolves weren't much of a threat to Sakura, thanks to her Gale Style easily bypassing their defenses. But for Kiba and Shino, it was a different story. Although Kiba had charged in first, he quickly realized his Four Legs Technique wasn't causing significant damage. He and Akamaru switched to Fang Over Fang, managing to take down quite a few wolves, but the chakra consumption was substantial.
Shino fared slightly better. His insects could apparently devour this unknown energy, but their efficiency couldn't match Sakura's clone.
Seeing Hinata struggling, Sakura moved to her side to ease the pressure. Her Gale Style clone was handling the mass killing much faster than she could anyway.
Time passed. Eventually, Kiba and Shino's chakra reserves began to run dangerously low. Sakura gathered the three of them together, forming a protective perimeter. Her Gale Style clone, taxed by the high-intensity combat, had visibly shrunk in size.
Just as Sakura was about to dismiss the weakened clone and create a fresh one, the remaining Sea Wolves on the battlefield suddenly threw back their heads and let out series of piercing howls. The ear-splitting sound assaulted their eardrums.
"Sakura, they're probably calling for backup," Kiba panted. "I don't know their habits, but this is exactly what wolves do."
"Understood. How are you guys holding up?" Sakura asked.
"I'm okay for now, but if this keeps up, I'll run out of chakra eventually. Things will get ugly then," Kiba reported grimly.
"Same here. There are just too many," Shino added, also breathing heavily.
"Me too... My chakra is almost gone," Hinata murmured, her Byakugan already deactivated.
"Here." Sakura pulled four custom-made military ration pills from her pouch, handing one to each of them. "Take these. If something big shows up next, don't charge in. Just hold the line here and make sure nothing gets past you towards Red Shoal Town." She popped one into her own mouth; the intense fighting had taken a toll on her chakra as well.
Taking advantage of the lull, Sakura dismissed the depleted Gale Style clone, recovering a bit of chakra before immediately creating a new one. She watched the remaining Sea Wolves on the beach; they had stopped howling and were now just staring towards the team.
Suddenly, a path opened through the middle of the Sea Wolf pack. The water behind them churned, and then, a Sea Wolf distinctly different from the others emerged from the sea.
This one wasn't particularly large or muscular; in fact, it was noticeably smaller than the average Sea Wolf. Its dark fur was streaked with white, giving it a grizzled, aged appearance.
"Is that their leader?" Sakura wondered aloud, uncertain. "This one looks... old."
"Sakura, my insects indicate that creature possesses the highest concentration of energy," Shino reported.
"Is that so? Alright, I understand. You guys hold the line here. I'll go test it out," Sakura said, drawing a kunai. She began walking towards the old Sea Wolf, her new Gale Style clone flanking her protectively. Having witnessed the clone's power, the other Sea Wolves seemed hesitant to charge recklessly again.
Standing on the beach, Sakura studied the old Sea Wolf. Surprisingly, it didn't seem eager to attack. It appeared to be observing her just as intently. Is it intelligent?
Might as well test it. Their positions were undeniably hostile. Sakura abruptly flung the kunai at the old wolf, immediately following it up with two shuriken.
Pth! Pth! Pth!
Sakura watched as a curtain of water suddenly materialized in front of the old Sea Wolf. The kunai and shuriken embedded themselves in the barrier, their momentum completely absorbed, before clattering harmlessly to the ground.
Seeing its defense, Sakura raised her hand and fired a Gale Style laser. She expected it to pierce straight through the wolf, but surprisingly, it missed. Without any obvious movement of its limbs, the old wolf's body had simply shifted sideways with uncanny speed.
Sakura's eyes widened slightly. Definitely different from the others. No longer hesitating, she ordered her Gale Style clone to attack.
Strangely, the surrounding Sea Wolves didn't take the opportunity to attack Sakura. Instead, they silently retreated, clearing a wide space in the middle of the beach for Sakura and the old wolf. Are they expecting us to duel first?
What happened next astonished Sakura even more. The old wolf dodged every single one of the clone's attacks. Even when Sakura had the clone morph its limbs unexpectedly, the wolf evaded each strike with fluid grace.
Its movements were elegant, almost predictive, as if it knew exactly where the clone would strike before it happened. Not a single attack landed.
Watching the Sea Wolf effortlessly evade, Sakura started to feel anxious. It hadn't even launched an attack of its own yet. She decided it was time for the classic ninja specialty: a sneak attack.
Maneuvering the clone to force the old wolf's back towards her, Sakura unleashed another Gale Style laser. What followed left Sakura baffled once again. It was as if the wolf had eyes in the back of its head; immediately after dodging the clone's attack, it seamlessly evaded Sakura's laser coming from behind.
The old wolf's reaction speed was incredible. After dodging Sakura's attack, it spun around instantly, spitting a compressed bullet of water straight at her.
Sakura, surprised that her sneak attack had failed and unprepared for a counter faster than her own follow-up, saw the Water Bullet closing in. With no time to form seals for a defensive jutsu, she crossed her arms in front of her to block.
BANG!
The force of the Water Bullet was immense. Sakura was blasted backward several dozen meters, her arms numb from the impact. The shockwave rattled her insides, knocking the wind out of her and leaving her gasping for breath, her face flushed red.
"Strength of a Hundred Seal!"
No more testing, Sakura decided grimly. This Sea Wolf was too strange. Best to end this quickly. Activating her forehead seal fully and simultaneously enveloping herself in Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Sakura surged forward, charging the old wolf at blinding speed.
It turned out her previous inability to hit the wolf was simply a matter of speed. When she moved fast enough, prediction became useless. Her fist, cloaked in monstrously enhanced chakra-strength, slammed into the old Sea Wolf's side.
The wolf went flying without making a sound. However, Sakura felt the impact hadn't been solid. Her fist had seemed to hit water first – likely the same water barrier it used against her projectiles – before connecting with its body. Is that defense automatic...?
Seeing the old wolf thrown aside, the surrounding Sea Wolves let out whimpering sounds, but none dared to attack Sakura.
The old wolf lay crumpled on the ground, struggling to rise. Sakura dashed forward, ready to deliver a finishing blow.
Her fist stopped just a centimeter from the downed wolf. She froze, not because she'd changed her mind, but because she heard it speak.
"Stop!!"
An ancient, raspy voice echoed from the Sea Wolf's mouth.
"Huh??" Sakura was completely dumbfounded.
In the moment Sakura hesitated, the old Sea Wolf pushed itself back onto its feet. It stared at her with ice-cold eyes. "Merely a mortal."
"What did you say? Are you looking to die?" Sakura retorted, wondering if the wolf had lost its mind.
"Hmph," the wolf scoffed, uttering incredibly infuriating words. "Just an ape-like creature. Not even of the Tsugami clan. How dare you speak to me."
Sakura barely registered the insult. Her mind latched onto something else entirely, something shocking. Tsugami Clan? Tsugami... Tsugami is a CLAN?!