The attacker, who had been hiding in the shadows, was instantly pulled out, tumbling clumsily onto the water's surface and splashing mud all over his face.
"Damn it! How are the Uchiha Clan's people so strong!" The man had thought that his Kage-level strength might allow him to contend with the Uchiha Clan's ninja, or perhaps even kill her. Unfortunately, after only a single exchange, he realized he was nowhere near the Uchiha's opponent. He couldn't even break through the Susanoo.
"Are you the Kage-level ninja responsible for this area?" Naori sized him up. She then sounded slightly disappointed. "Your strength is pretty ordinary. To rely on a sneak attack to win, even as a Kage-level ninja, is truly pathetic."
The man's clothing was tattered, which fit the description of a rogue, so he was definitely the one guarding this place. Hearing Naori look down on him so much, he immediately flew into a rage. "Cut the crap! What is there for the Uchiha Clan to brag about besides your bloodline? You're just a bunch of lucky bastards!" He then laughed maniacally. "You and I are both Kage-level ninjas! How much stronger can you possibly be than me? Watch, I'll kill you right now!"
The man fiercely lashed out with the steel whip and began forming hand signs. With a surge of chakra output, the single steel whip lashing out at Naori multiplied into three. Furthermore, they seemed to be freely controllable by the man's will. One whip struck Naori from the front, while the other two rapidly closed in from her blind spots. As if to ensure the steel whip's sharpness could tear through the Susanoo, the man also coated it with a large amount of chakra.
It was safe to say that this attack was perfectly executed. Had the target been an Elite Jonin or a ninja who had just entered the Kage-level, they might genuinely have been injured. But Naori was a veteran Kage-level ninja and a genius of the Uchiha Clan. This strike was simply not enough to faze her.
With a wave of her hand, the Susanoo's skeletal claw caught the steel whip directly in front of her. Naori paid no mind to the other two. She could clearly see that the jutsu the man unleashed was not a technique that created weapon clones but a genjutsu, cast by rapidly vibrating the steel whip. The idea was sound, and the execution was quite good, but the laughable part was that he had attempted to use genjutsu on an Uchiha Clan ninja.
Naori felt a smile tugging at her lips. "Should I call you foolish? Or should I say you're reaching too high?"
Naori gripped the steel whip, pulling it taut and eliminating the vibrations, which immediately caused the other two whips to vanish. Torifu was about to yank the man over again but realized he had already abandoned that steel whip. Seeing that neither his weapon nor his genjutsu worked, he prepared to use a ninjutsu.
The man's courage was commendable. A normal person, upon seeing a Susanoo, would already be plotting an escape. Seeing that he neither fled nor stopped attempting to defeat Naori with various ninjutsu was ridiculously foolish, but his spirit was certainly excellent.
"Fire Release: Fire-Wind Technique!" The man quickly formed hand signs while Naori was momentarily distracted by the steel whip in her grasp, then spat out a blast of raging, burning wind toward Naori.
"Great Fireball Technique." Naori clapped her hands together, and a fireball nearly the size of the Susanoo erupted from her mouth!
The ninjutsu the man unleashed was like an egg against a watermelon compared to the Great Fireball Technique. The moment they connected, there was virtually no struggle; his technique was instantly consumed by Naori's fireball.
"No, how is this possible! Who are you!" The man's face was a mask of disbelief. No matter how weak he was, he was still Kage-level! How could he be defeated so easily? Not even an Uchiha Clan ninja should be able to do this!
The fireball rushing toward him completely crushed any thought of resistance, and he didn't even know where to dodge.
"I have to say, you have some backbone. My name is Uchiha Naori. Don't cross my path in your next life." Naori left the faint statement hanging in the air, then tossed the steel whip into the fireball, where it instantly melted into nothingness. She then dispelled the Susanoo, ready to go help elsewhere.
The man, in his final moments, heard Naori's name clearly. "Uchiha Naori... isn't that the Hokage's wife's name? I... I'm really that unlucky..."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the enormous fireball completely engulfed him, followed by an explosion. When everything had settled, nothing remained of the man. All that could be inferred was that a battle had occurred here, based on the broken trees and scorch marks surrounding the area.
The gracefully departing Naori wore a small smile. Although her opponent's strength was weak, she felt she had made a great exit, so his weakness didn't matter.
This immediate success put Naori in a good mood. Logically, she could now return to the city, as her mission was complete. There should have only been that one Kage-level enemy in the vicinity, or else the enemies would surely have ganged up on Naori. However, Naori wanted to fight another match, so she sent a message to their group chat.
[I'm finished here. Do any of you need assistance?]
A few seconds after she sent it, the Nara Clan head replied: [We are manageable here. Only two enemies. We can handle them easily.]
The Hyuga Clan head also reported his status: [Naori-sama, I'm also finished here. No assistance required.]
The remaining clan heads were either close to finishing or currently in combat and had not replied.
Naori's spirits immediately sank. There was nowhere she was needed... What was she supposed to do? She had wanted to fight for a little longer. If she had known the mission would be this simple, she wouldn't have recommended so many people to Torifu.
Just as Naori was preparing to return to the city, feeling thoroughly unenthusiastic, a private message popped up.
[Big Sister, this is Minato. How are things on your end? Jiraiya-senpai has run into four Kage-level enemies! We need help!]
Minato sounded incredibly anxious, using many exclamation points, which worried Naori. Although Jiraiya was powerful, if he had to distract four Kage-level enemies alone, he might not have the energy to protect the children. If another Kage-level ninja appeared, wouldn't they all be wiped out?
[Minato, tell me your location. I've finished up here. I'm coming right away.]
In just a few seconds, Minato sent the precise location to Naori. Judging by the speed of his reply, Minato must have been constantly checking his phone.
Upon receiving the location, Naori did not dare to delay for a moment, immediately beginning to sprint at full speed, supplementing her movement with the Body Flicker Technique. She planned to reach Minato as quickly as possible to protect them.