Naruto Card King

Thirty-two thousand reputation points...

For reference, Tsunade's reputation value is less than twenty-two thousand, and Jiraiya's is about the same. Even the leader of Konoha's Anbu, White Fang, has only thirty-seven thousand reputation points!

This guy named Teridou might not have as much reputation as White Fang, but being in the thirty-thousand range means the gap between them is only about five thousand—not a huge difference!

Teridou was examining footprints—traces left behind by Haruto Saito and his group earlier. In the muddy environment of Amegakure, shoes constantly pick up water and sludge, leaving imprints on tree branches.

Though the rain was heavy, the footprints wouldn't be washed away immediately. After all, the thick branches were partially shielded by other foliage, preventing the rain from directly erasing the tracks.

The distance was only six kilometers!

If this guy followed the trail, it wouldn't be long before he found Haruto Saito and the others' hiding place.

"Damn it, how did this guy track us?" Haruto Saito immediately turned and leaped from the tree, dashing toward the cave.

Inside the cave, the sound of rapid movement in the wind caused Jiraiya and Tsunade to open their eyes instantly.

"Something's up. We need to move now," Haruto Saito rushed into the cave and spoke quickly.

Tsunade and Jiraiya immediately jumped up.

"What's happening?"

"How many people?"

"Let's go first, I'll explain on the way!"

A few minutes later, Teridou arrived outside the cave where Haruto Saito and the others had been hiding. He examined the footprints nearby, then stepped inside to inspect the area…

Someone had definitely been hiding here. The traces were everywhere.

"Heh! You won't escape!" Teridou grinned menacingly before leaving the cave and vanishing into the forest.

…

Elsewhere in the forest.

Tsunade led Haruto Saito while Jiraiya followed closely, all moving at high speed.

"What exactly did you detect?" Tsunade pressed for details.

"People. Many people. You know my sensory abilities are far beyond normal—I can feel their presence. I don't know exactly who they are, but it's better if we keep moving," Haruto Saito replied naturally, deliberately omitting some details, such as the precise distance of the sensed presence.

Tsunade wasn't surprised; she already knew Haruto Saito had extraordinary perception. Compared to his ability to seemingly "predict the future," having a strong sensory ability wasn't unusual at all.

"Better to be cautious," Jiraiya chimed in.

"Hmm, not bad. Well done," Tsunade nodded in approval, acknowledging Haruto Saito's good judgment for once.

He was usually a troublemaker, but he finally made a smart decision.

"Should we avoid traveling through the treetops? Jumping from tree to tree leaves too many traces. If we could find a river, moving across the water would make us harder to track…" Haruto Saito suggested.

"That's a good idea! You're starting to think like a proper shinobi," Tsunade complimented him, flashing a rare approving smile.

Soon, they discovered a narrow river hidden within the forest. Running along the water's surface left no footprints at all. Additionally, the thick trees on either side provided cover, making it harder for airborne reconnaissance to spot them.

Half a day passed.

By dusk, the sky had darkened.

The trio slowed down, as no pursuers had caught up with them in the past several hours. It seemed they had shaken off their tracker. It didn't matter who had been following them; escaping was always the best course of action.

They were approaching the edge of the mountain range. Beyond it lay an open plain, leaving them vulnerable. Caution was necessary—once they entered the grasslands, there would be no turning back, and the risk of being discovered would increase dramatically.

"Let's stop for a moment and check the map. We're only about a hundred kilometers from the First Army's base in Amegakure. They must have received orders by now. We need to figure out their likely strategy. If they conduct a wide-scale search, we'll have to detour…" Jiraiya suddenly said.

The three stopped in the forest. Jiraiya pulled out a scroll containing a map and unfolded it, pinpointing their current location. He then began discussing possible routes with Tsunade, aiming to minimize the risk of encountering enemies.

Haruto Saito, however, felt uneasy. The man tracking them was a high-level shinobi with over thirty thousand reputation points. Had they truly lost him? Had he really lost their trail? If not, every second they lingered here increased their danger.

But how could Haruto Saito explain how he knew their pursuer's strength and identity?

"Lady Tsunade, how many elite shinobi does Amegakure have? Aside from Hanzo, who else do you and Lord Jiraiya consider a major threat? Are there many strong individuals? Is it necessary to be this cautious?" Haruto Saito suddenly asked.

"Amegakure may not be one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, but it comes close. Saying it's full of powerful ninjas wouldn't be an exaggeration," Tsunade responded while studying the map. "Besides Hanzo, Amegakure has over a dozen well-known elites. None of them are weaker than Jiraiya or me, but there may be others hidden too deeply for us to have intelligence on."

"That many?" Haruto Saito was taken aback.

"Is that surprising? Amegakure has over seven thousand shinobi. While that's only half the number Konoha has, the brutal environment of Amegakure and the harsh conditions of the Land of Rain produce powerful fighters. Hanzo didn't earn his title as the 'Demi-God' for nothing—he became the strongest by surviving war after war and slaughtering countless enemies. Plus, many infamous rogue ninja from the Five Great Villages have defected to Amegakure."

"Then…" Haruto Saito hesitated before asking, "After Hanzo, who is the second strongest?"

"The second? That's undoubtedly Amegakure's Anbu Commander—the one known as 'Thirteen.' He's a complete enigma, and very little is known about him, but his battlefield record is terrifying."

"He's called Thirteen?" Haruto Saito was surprised. That meant Teridou wasn't the second strongest.

"Yes! That's his codename—he has no real name. There's even a legend about it. Years ago, when Hanzo first took control of Amegakure, he gathered ninety-nine talented children under the age of ten. He provided them with resources, trained them ruthlessly, and forced them to fight each other to the death. Only one survived… That sole survivor is now the leader of Amegakure's Anbu, codenamed Thirteen! Without a doubt, he's the second strongest in the village."

"And who's the third strongest?" Haruto Saito pressed further.

"That's harder to say. There are a few candidates—the First Army's Supreme Commander, the Captain of Amegakure's Defense Corps, and the Leader of Hanzo's Personal Guard are all possibilities. But in my opinion, it's likely the Leader of Hanzo's Personal Guard. That guy also has no real name, only a codename—Teridou."

Haruto Saito's heart skipped a beat. That was exactly who he had been worried about.

"Teridou? That's a strange codename. What makes him so strong?" Haruto Saito asked.

"He's Amegakure's number one assassin," Tsunade said gravely.

"What?!" Haruto Saito's eyes widened.

The number one assassin?

That was a terrifying title!

Suddenly, Haruto Saito had a sinking feeling…

He might not survive the night.