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  The air around the base was filled with killing i. The faint rustling of the leaves in the wind made a poor disguise for the brutal fight that id ahead.

  Jonin Asuma Sarutobi stood at the forefront of his team. His sharp eyes sed the meraries gathered before them. He let out a deep calm breath and it formed steady small clouds in the air. His ever-present cigarette was ched between his teeth.

  Asuma could feel it. The pulse of hostile chakra, twisted and unnatural, emanated from the ehat stood between them and Orochimaru's ir.

  The son of the Hokage quickly assessed the situation. 'Acc to the scouting team's report, there are a total of 26 enemies in this location proteg that base. And it looks like out of those 26, 14 of them came out to greet us. Judging from the mutation and strange protrusions on their bodies they're not doubt Orochimaru's experiments. o capture a few alive.'

  Asuma's team, six strong, spread out around him in a loose formation, prepared for the onsught. His team was banced.

  Genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu specialists, all well-trained. But the meraries were different. These weren't proper ninjas but they also weren't ordinary fighters. They had tasted Orochimaru's twisted power, and it had ed them into something monstrous.

  Asuma locked eyes with the three men roached him, their bodies bulging and t with the activation of the curse seal.

  One had grotesque arms, nearly twice the size of his body, covered in bone-like protrusions. The sed, a wiry figure, was crouched low to the ground, his limbs elongated unnaturally, moving with an uling i-like grace. The third had a face half-transformed, one side human, the rotesque mass of scales, his fiwitg with dangerous chakra.

  Asuma held a cool face even as he realized he was about to face 3 strong oppos at once.

  "You!" The oh the grotesque arm spoke pointing at Asuma.

  "What?" The Leaf Jonin was curious as to what the man wanted with him.

  "That waist cloth you have has the Fire emblem etched into it. That means you were once a Guardian Twelve ninja weren't you?"

  Asuma cocked an eyebrow. "So what? That information won't help you here."

  "Haha! I've never killed anyone as famous as you. Oake your head everyone will know my name."

  The arrogance of the enemy surprised the Leaf nins. They knew just how strong Asuma is and were insulted.

  "Hant. It seems these guys have severely uimated you captain." One of the Leaf ninjas standing behind Asuma spoke.

  "Yeah." Asuma nodded as he looked at his enemy. "Out of curiosity, what is your name?"

  "Thunderhead!" The oh the rge hand shouted proudly.

  A few seds of silence filled the area as everyone processed that name.

  "Pfft- HAHAHAHAHAAA…"

  Nobody was sure who cracked first but the sed everyone in the Leaf ninjas and even some of Orochimaru's men started ughing hard.

  "SHUT UP!" The man roared in anger and embarrassment.

  "That sounds like the name of a hooker who's great at giving heads." One of the Leaf ninjas ented.

  Even Asuma was chug despite the seriousness of the situation. "Really? Out of all the names, you couldn't have e up with somethier."

  "STOP LAUGHING! I'm gonna kill all of you." The man was getting ready to attack.

  The ughter died down and Asuma got serious. "Alright. Enough with the games. Remember the mission. Pick your targets and attack. I'll hahese three s." He gave the order and the 5 ninjas behind him immediately sprung into a.

  "You're not leaving here alive, Leaf scum," growled the oh the massive arms, his voice thundering with rage.

  Asuma didn't reply. His grip tightened around his trenives, the familiar hum of his chakra flowing into the bdes, making them crackle with energy. He exhaled slowly, fog. There was no room for hesitation now.

  Without warning, the man with the oversized arms charged. His speed was unnerving for someone so massive. He swung one of his grotesque limbs toward Asuma with enough force to break a rge tree in half.

  Asuma sidestepped just in time and he felt the wind from the strike whipping past his face.

  'Close.'

  Before Asuma could ter, the seerary—the oh elongated limbs—darted in from the side. His movements were quick, almost i-like, and his legs whipped out at impossible angles, striking toward Asuma's ribs.

  The Leaf Jonin blocked with one of his trenives. His jaws ched as the impact sent a shockwave through his arm. Asuma's eyes narrowed as he looked at the man. 'That kind of force from a leg strike. It's unnatural. This guy is much strohan his nky frame suggests.'

  The third merary hung back for the moment, his scaly hand twitg as he began weaving hand signs.

  'Damn it.' Asuma cursed under his breath. 'I 't afford to get caught in whatever jutsu that one is preparing. I o finish this fast.'

  With a sharp exhale, Asuma parried arike from the i-like merary, spinning to avoid the massive arms of the first. In a fluid motion, he eled wind chakra into his trenives, the bdes glowing brighter with an almost visible sharpness. With a single swing, he sshed across the massive arm of his first oppo. The bde cut through the cursed flesh with ease, sending a spray of blood into the air.

  "Aaarg!" The merary howled in pain, stumbling back.

  Watg this se, the oh the half-transformed faeered. 'You fool. This is what happens when you attack with no pn in mind.'

  He had no sympathy, even for the person on the same side. His focus quickly shifted to the fuardian twelve ninja.

  Meanwhile, before Asuma could take advantage of his opening, the elongated limbed merary was on him again. His limbs were moving in a flurry of kicks and punches, each strike ing faster tha. Asuma blocked and dodged, but the attacks were relentless. His oppo's movements were too erratic, too uable.

  Asuma tilted his head and avoided a brutal strike ing for his eyes. 'This guy is not only fast but he has unusual strength behind his attacks. Moreover, his movements are too erratic, too uable.'

  But despite these challehe Leaf ninja kept a cool head and waited for his opportunity. Several moments ter, Asuma saening.

  As the merary swung a looward his head, the Leaf Jonin ducked low and sshed upward, slig through the man's calf.

  "Aaaahhh!" A scream tore from the merary's throat as he colpsed, blood spurting from the wound. But even on the ground, he still reached out with those unnaturally long limbs, trying to cw at Asuma.

  It was then, the third merary attacked.

  "Rhaaa! Take this you bastard!" With a guttural shout, the half-scaled man unleashed a wave of crag chakra from his palm.

  It shot toward the leaf ninja like a bolt of lightning, fast and deadly. Asuma's instincts kicked in, ahrew himself to the side, rolling just in time to avoid the brunt of the attack.

  The ground where he had been standing exploded in a shower of earth and debris.

  But even as Asuma dodged, the first merary, his arm bleeding but still funal, charged in again with his rage fueling his power. His oversized fists smmed toward Asuma in a brutal overhead strike.

  A mad grin was on his face as his massive fist came closer and closer to its intended victim. 'This is it. He has no time to dodge. He doesn't even have time to think. I'm going to kill him. This is your punishment fhing at me.'

  Asuma stood his ground and chakra flooded into his trenives. Just before the massive fists could ect he swung both bdes upward in a cross ssh, unleashing the full force of his wind-infused chakra.

  The impact created a shockwave that sent the merary stumbling back, his arms sliced deeply by the wind bdes.

  Before the third merary could unleash another jutsu, Asuma flicked his trenife forward, sending a bde of wind straight toward him.

  The man's eyes widened as he saw the speed with which the wind bde was ing. 'Too fast. 't dodge.'

  The sharp wind attack sliced through the air and hit its mark, cutting through the man's chest. The scaled merary gasped, clutg at the wound as blood poured from it.

  Asuma didn't give him a sed gnce as he fell. He had no time to waste. The elongated-limbed merary was still trying to crawl toward him, his eyes wide with desperation, but Asuma stepped forward and drove his trenife into the man's chest, ending it swiftly.

  That left the oh the massive arms. He was bleeding heavily now, panting, his body barely holding together after the chakra-infused sshes from Asuma's knives. But his eyes still burned with fury.

  "You… you're nothing… pared to Lord Orochimaru's power!" the man snarled, raising his oversized arms for o desperate strike.

  Asuma's eyes hardened. "Orochimaru 't save you now."

  With a final burst of speed, Asuma lunged forward, his trenives bzing with wind chakra. The merary swung his fists down, but Asuma was already inside his guard. With one swift, decisive movement, he sshed both knives across the merary's chest, cutting deep.

  The man staggered, his eyes wide in disbelief as his body gave out. He colpsed to the ground with a heavy thud, the curse mark fading from his skin as life left his body.

  Asuma straightened, his breathing heavy but trolled. He looked around at the age—three cursed meraries y dead at his feet. But there was no time to rest. His team was still locked in battle with the others. He wiped the blood from his trenives and goward the entrance of the base.

  'Has the other team ehe base?' Asuma asked the Yamanaka ninja ected to him.

  'Yes. They're currently disabling traps and dispelling illusion barriers. Their team is on the west side and is engaged with 4 enemies.' The unications ninja replied.

  'They'll be fine. Focus oeam going inside. Make sure they do a thh sweep from top to bottom.' Asuma ordered.

  'Yes captain.'

  Asuma then focused ohers of his team. 'Time to see if I plete the other part of my mission.'

  —-

  The csh of steel and the crackle of jutsu echoed through the forest as Asuma's team ehe remaining Orochimaru meraries. The battle was chaotic, bodies moving in a deadly dance of violend skill. The cursed seal-enhanced enemies fought like rabid animals, but the Leaf ninjas were well-trained, precise aheir ground.

  Asuma ehe party and the pressure on the Leaf ninjas lessened. Among the five Leaf ninjas fighting alongside was Jogan Himaki. Asuma had beely pushing a few stronger enemy ninjas towards Jogan.

  The Leaf Jonin was secretly keeping an eye on the man's abilities and as more time passed Asuma became shocked.

  Jogan was an average-looking shinobi, typically quiet, unremarkable in most ways, a background figure in many missions. On paper, he was just another in—nothing more, nothing less. But as the battle unfolded, something became gringly clear.

  'His movements. They're too sharp, too refined. His strikes hit with deadly precision and his reas are faster than what I'd expect from someone of his Rank.

  Even Asuma, who had alrided himself on his ability to read people, felt a flicker of surprise. 'It's not obvious unless someone is closely. He's making it look like he's having a difficult fight but he's in plete trol.'

  "You won't defeat us Leaf ninjas that easily." Jogan shouted as he stepped forward to ewo meraries, his hands weaving through rapid hand seals. A torrent of fire erupted from his mouth, bsting the two cursed seal users backward, their twisted bodies alight with fmes.

  Asuma's eyes narrowed as he observed Jogan. His suspi had been correct. Jogan wasn't just an ordinary in—he was far more dangerous tha on.

  'He's showing just enough skill and a bit more. This is an important mission. Maybe he's looking to gais and a higher position. Root training, no doubt.'

  Asuma was given a simple yet grim task: ensure Jogan didn't e back from this mission.

  No one else oeam knew. And as Asuma watched Jogan slice through two meraries with deadly efficy, he could feel the weight of that burden pressing down on him.

  The Leaf Jonin had read the man's file aernally sighed.

  'He's secretly a Danzo loyalist and fanatic. If I hesitate or show merow, it could cause problems ter.'

  Around him, the rest of the team fought hard against the curse-seal enhanced meraries. One of his teammates, a kunoichi specializing isu, had trapped a group of enemies in a visual illusion.

  It allowed aeammate to break through with a flurry of taijutsu strikes. Another Leaf ninja used earth jutsu to defleing projectiles, keeping the others covered.

  But Jogan was to the side and away from the team. He was effit even as he battled the enemies on his own. Asuma could feel his heart race with the urgency of the situation.

  'Dad made his move against Danzo. If Jogaurns to the Leaf and he finds out what happehen there is no telling what he might do.'

  Asuma quickly steeled his heart and made the decision. The chaos of the current battlefield presehe perfect opportunity for him to act.

  'Sorry, Jogan.' Asuma thought, his expression unreadable as he observed the battlefield. His hands moved subtly, weaving a quick, discrete set of seals. His attack hit Jogan just as the Root agent prepared to strike at the two meraries.

  Suddenly, the Root sleeper agent faltered. His attack slowed as fusion clouded his features. His eyes widened slightly, just a flicker of uainty crossing his usually cold demeanor. 'Genjutsu?'

  It was a genjutsu—quick, subtle, nothing fshy, but enough to throw Jogan off bance for just a few precious seds. A well-pced distortion of his perception, so small that no one else would noti the chaos of battle.

  The two meraries, oh jagged spikes protruding from his forearms and the other with elongated cws, didn't waste the opportunity.

  They lunged forward with savage grins, sensing blood. "Yes! Die you Leaf bastard."

  Jogan tried to recover, but it was too te. The spiked merary smmed his arm forward, the sharp, bone-like protrusions tearing through the Root ninja's chest with a siing ch.

  Blood sprayed across the forest floor. The other merary followed up, raking his cws across Jogan's throat in a brutal finishing move. His body stiffened, his eyes wide with shock, and then, slowly, he crumpled to the ground in a lifeless heap.

  Asuma's expression remained ral as he watched it unfold, the meraries pulling back, grinning with victory as they returo the fray. None of the other Leaf shinobi noticed anything unusual; in the heat of battle, it looked like Jogan had simply been overwhelmed by the enemy.

  The kunoichi, still engaged with a cursed merary in the distance, shouted in frustration wheiced Jogan fall. "Jogan! No!"

  Aeammate rushed to cover her as she tried to refocus, but there was no time to mourn. "Don't get distracted!"

  The fight raged on around them, but Asuma felt a strange sense of calm settle over him. He had done what o be done. 'Hokage's orders Jogan. It had to be done.'

  Jogan Himaki, the Root sleeper agent, was gone.

  The battle tinued and Asuma's trenives fshed as he ehe remaining meraries, his focus shifting back to the mission at hand. The team would mourn Jogan ter, perhaps over sake and quiet words. They would speak of his bravery, his skill in battle, how he had fought fiercely against Orochimaru's cursed soldiers.

  But only Asuma, the Hokage and a few high level ninjas in the Leaf vilge would know the truth.

  That Jogan and others like him were never meant to return.

  Author's Note

  I'm not sure how the humor at the beginning of this chapter will work out. I'm trying out a few things. Tell me your thoughts on the chapter. I wont show the battle of the other 6 teams too. That would be to.

  But Jiraiya, Tobirama and Ox are about to go into battle. Try and guess who their enemies will be...

  If you enjoy my story then please take a moment to review and rate. A thumbs up always helps.

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