Naruto: Different Path

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In Konoha's outpost, Naruto's squad rests while Naruto focuses on sensing the location of the Mist Village's forces. 

When Naruto struck one of the Mist ninjas on the head during their first encounter, he did two things: first, he placed a Flying Thunder God mark, and second, he planted a Wood Release seed on the ninja. 

This was a jutsu Naruto had recently mastered. The seed could cling to an enemy's body and was so small it was almost impossible to detect. 

Like Naruto's Shadow Clones, he could sense the location of this seed at any time.

Naruto immediately pinpointed their location as the Mist ninja returned to their base. 

"It's far," Naruto sighed. "If we searched the area blindly, it could take us a year to find them."

Naruto gathered his team around a table and said, "I know where the enemy is, but I don't have much information about the area. We'll need a map." 

The team looked at him in surprise. "We didn't track them, so how does the captain know their location?"

"We went to so much trouble before and found nothing. Is this information reliable?"

Naruto replied, "I used my jutsu to tag one of the enemies. No matter where he moves, I can sense his position." 

Ashika was amazed. "Captain, you have such a powerful jutsu! Liuying and I will find a larger map."

Liuying nodded, and the two of them soon returned with several maps. The surrounding area was detailed. 

Pointing to a sea route on the map, Naruto said, "They're likely here." 

"This area rarely sees passing ships, and it's far from the port—an ideal hiding spot for a large force."

Suiko suggested, "Since we know their location, shouldn't we strike immediately? They won't expect us to find them so soon. If we act now, we'll catch them off guard."

Yamato countered, "No, one of the Mistninjasa just escaped back to them. By now, the enemy will be on high alert, expecting us to follow." 

"If we attack now, we'll likely fall into a trap. We must wait three days for them to lower their guard."

Naruto nodded and marked the enemy's approximate location on the map. 

"This is their position. For now, we'll rest and prepare. Think about possible strategies, and in a few days, we'll take action."

Meanwhile, on the Mist's large ship, tension filled the air. Rumours had spread that Konoha's ANBU might attack at any moment. 

Every Mist ninja was on high alert, ready for battle. However, three days passed with no sign of Konoha's forces. 

Some began to think that the Konoha ninja weren't coming after all. But no one dared disobey their leader's orders. 

He was a fearsome figure in the Mist's ANBU, known as one of the "Three Blood Brothers" for his ruthless methods, even toward his men.

By the third day, most of the Mistninjasa were convinced the Konoha forces wouldn't show up, and they began to relax. 

Even the Mist's leader started doubting his judgment. 

After days of heightened tension and vigilance, maintaining such strict readiness seemed pointless, and eventually, he rescinded his previous orders.

However, Naruto sensed this mission's high level of danger, possibly more serious than Konoha had initially anticipated. 

There was a good chance that reinforcements from the ANBU might be needed if the situation escalated. 

On the evening of the fifth day, Naruto and Hinata set out. They carefully approached the Mist's hidden base using Naruto's sensing abilities.

When they reached a certain distance from the ship, Naruto and Hinata, like the Mist ninja, abandoned their boat and quietly submerged themselves in the water, moving in closer. 

Naruto guided their direction while Hinata used her Byakugan to observe. 

From afar, Hinata eventually spotted the large ship, and Naruto, through his sensing, confirmed that the Mist forces were inside. By now, night had fallen.

Naruto and Hinata cautiously surfaced, keeping only their heads above the water. 

The waves and their distance from the ship provided some cover, but only someone with a dōjutsu like Hinata's Byakugan could observe from such a long range.

The two tried to minimize their chakra signatures, though Hinata, needing to use her Byakugan, could only suppress it to an extent. 

Despite the distance, there was still a chance they could be detected. Hinata observed the ship, her expression growing more complex. 

Sensing her unease, Naruto asked softly, "Hinata, what's the situation?"

Hinata responded, "The ship is packed with ninjas. Judging by their chakra levels, not a single one is below the rank of chūnin. 

There are about fifty jōnin-level shinobi and eight others whose strength far surpasses that. 

They seem on the same level as that powerful Mist ninja we fought before. In total, there are roughly 12ninjasja on board. 

The most troublesome part is that there are three ninjas with terrifying chakra. Judging by their positions, they must be the leaders."

Naruto was startled by the size and strength of the enemy force. 

While the Mist had already sent two squads of jōnin after them, Naruto hadn't expected them to deploy so many elite ninjas. 

In an all-out battle, these forces would prove decisive. Aware that, despite the distance, there was still a risk of detection, Naruto decided it was time for them to retreat. 

Sensing ninjas were also on the Mist's ship, but they generally only scanned the area immediately surrounding the ship. 

Long-range sensing was done less frequently. Just as Naruto and Hinata were about to retreat, a Mist sensor ninja suddenly spoke up, 

"Captain, I'm picking up two chakra signatures at ten o'clock, but they're far away, and I can't sense them."

The sensor division captain walked over and focused. "Yes, there are two people, but they're too far away to discern their chakra strength." 

"We'll need to close the distance to get more precise information. Report this to the higher-ups immediately."

Soon, a four-man Mist squad, including a sensor ninja, was dispatched to investigate. 

Naruto and Hinata were already retreating but remained cautious to avoid alerting the enemy.

Suddenly, Hinata spoke, "There's a four-man squad approaching quickly." 

"One of them seems to be jōnin-level, and the other three have chakra levels around chūnin. One of them is likely a sensor ninja. We might have been detected."

Naruto responded, "This situation doesn't look good. We need to get out of here as fast as we can. We'll be in serious trouble if they catch up to us."

Naruto used Water Release, and the two began moving rapidly through the water. 

However, the pursuing four-man team was also fast, turning their retreat into a high-speed chase across the sea's surface.

Naruto and Hinata led the chase, with four Mist Ninja in close pursuit. 

Without realizing it, they had already covered a long distance, far from the Mist's large ship. 

Naruto and Hinata stopped, standing on the water's surface. The four MisNinjasja quickly surrounded them, shouting, "Who are you? Daring to approach our ship—you're dead!"

The four Mist Ninjas surrounded Naruto and Hinata, and two Chunin charged at them directly. 

A flash of lightning appeared around Naruto's body, and the two Mist Ninjas sank into the water with disbelief in their eyes.

The sensor ninja among them suddenly shouted, "Captain, run! His chakra levels are insane—we don't stand a chance!" Naruto smiled calmly and said, "It's a little late to realize that, don't you think?"

The Jonin captain immediately tried to flee, and the sensor ninja ran in another direction. 

Naruto turned to Hinata and said, "You go after the sensor ninja; I'll handle the captain." Lightning flared around Naruto, and before the Jonin captain could get far, Naruto knocked him down with a single kick.

The captain struggled to rise from the water's surface and said, "When did Konoha get such fast Anbu, especially ones skilled in Lightning Style? Who the hell are you?"

Naruto's Lightning Blade glowed as he stepped toward the Jonin. 

The captain tried to form hand seals, but Naruto's blade pierced him, paralyzing him with intense lightning. 

Naruto said quietly, "Chasing this far without understanding your enemy—how have you survived this long?" 

After finishing the Jonin, Naruto turned his attention to Hinata's battle.

Hinata was fighting the sensor ninja. Though the sensor wasn't skilled in jutsu, his taijutsu was decent. 

Hinata had the upper hand but struggled to land a finishing blow. 

Seeing that Naruto had already ended his fight, the sensor ninja became even more desperate to escape, fumbling in panic. 

Hinata's Gentle Fist struck him, but her hits weren't as powerful as Neji's. After taking two strikes, the sensor ninja turned to flee again.

Naruto didn't intervene, allowing Hinata to finish the battle herself. It took a lot of effort, but she finally defeated him. 

Naruto walked across the water and supported the panting Hinata without saying anything. 

Hinata understood that Naruto had allowed her to prove herself but knew she needed more training. 

Defeating a sensor ninja had taken too much out of her. Naruto and Hinata returned safely to their small boat to the hideout. 

Yamato and the others were waiting anxiously for them. 

As Naruto and Hinata entered, Hikari exclaimed happily, "Captain, you're finally back! We were all so worried! Did you bring any good news?"

Naruto sat down in the centre as Hikari bombarded him with questions. Hinata also found a seat. 

Naruto said, "The enemy discovered us, but they underestimated our strength. The ninja that tracked us have been eliminated."

Though Naruto spoke calmly, everyone knew the situation had been extremely dangerous. 

Naruto and Hinata would have been in serious trouble if the enemy had sent out their entire force. 

Even though they were back safely, the others couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.

Naruto continued, "The enemy has a large force, all stationed on a single big ship." 

"The sea around it is open with no obstacles, so sneaking up on them will be nearly impossible."

"Fighting on the water—that's the Mist's speciality. A frontal assault would be a huge disadvantage for us."

Yamato asked, "How strong are they?"

Naruto sighed, "This is the tricky part. Based on Hinata's Byakugan, eight incredibly strong ninjas are on that ship." 

"They're probably as powerful as you, Yamato. More importantly, the strength of the three individuals far surpasses that of the eight. They're on a completely different level from normal Jonin."

Everyone looked grim. The strength of the Mist was terrifying. 

After thinking for a while, Yamato signalled Naruto to join him in a smaller room for a private discussion. 

Once inside, Yamato closed the door and said, "Captain, I don't think our current team is strong enough to complete this mission. Should we request reinforcements from Konoha?"

Naruto nodded. Given the situation, it was time to report to Konoha and let them decide on the next steps. 

Just then, Yuden arrived with thirty Konoha Anbu, all wearing their masks. 

The leader handed Naruto a sealed message from Tsunade and said, "Lady Hokage understands the urgency of the situation and has ordered us to assist as quickly as possible. I'm the temporary captain. From now on, we'll follow your lead."

Naruto read the secret message from Tsunade, confirming that the reinforcements were indeed Anbu sent by her. 

He nodded and invited them to rest inside the hideout. One of the Anbu quickly said, "There's no time to rest—we've brought important intel with us."

Naruto gathered everyone together as the Anbu began to share their information. 

It turned out that Konoha's interrogation unit had extracted memories from the prisoners they had captured earlier. 

Although they couldn't decipher the strongest enemy's memories, they retrieved valuable information from the others.

Though these prisoners didn't hold high positions in the Mist, they had revealed something crucial: 

The Mist's operation involved three incredibly powerful ninjas known as the "Blood Brothers." 

These three had killed countless enemies and were notorious for their cruelty, each with unique abilities and nicknames.

The eldest was called "Bloodstorm," and it was known for missions in which no enemy bodies were ever found. 

The battlefield would be filled with the smell of blood as a rain of blood had fallen.

The second was called "Blood Demon." He was infamous for tearing enemies in half. 

Once, during a mission, he slaughtered a large number of enemies single-handedly, covered in their blood, and continued his rampage until everyone was dead.

The third, "Bloodless Blade," was rarely seen in action. His enemies would be killed instantly, with only a single wound on their bodies. 

Unlike his brothers, he never smelled of blood. These three were never known to operate together, and the reasons for that were unclear. 

However, their power was undeniable. Tsunade, recognizing the urgency, had immediately sent reinforcements. 

The Anbu had travelled day and night to arrive just in time. 

Hearing this for the first time, Naruto realized that the Mist's three elite ninjas must possess unique and dangerous jutsu. 

Even with Konoha's Anbu reinforcements, a direct attack would be unwise, and even a surprise assault might not work. It was clear they needed a more strategic approach.

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