I, Konoha's Sage of Life-Chapter 88 - : Liquefaction? Just Separate It.

Kurenai, Asuma, and the rest of the squad continued their journey eastward toward the borders of the Land of Fire.

Along the way, Kyoichi noticed traces left by other shinobi.

They were faint...

But no matter how careful one was, every step left a mark.

Shinobi operated with precision, yet some minor details always betrayed them. For example—

Crushed leaves on the path.

"Sensei, is this left by Kirigakure shinobi?"

"Not sure yet. We'll need to observe further. Let's keep moving in this direction."

Kyoichi didn't jump to conclusions.

It could just as well be their own people.

They continued tracking.

Shisui, Asuma, and Kurenai maintained full alertness, scanning their surroundings for any signs.

Thanks to their experience in the "battle royale" exam, their coordination had improved significantly. As they moved, they instinctively kept formation, maintaining vigilance while ensuring they could support each other at a moment's notice.

Along the way, they found additional traces—

A slight disturbance on the branches above.

Following the trail, they advanced further.

Before long—

"Sensei, we've tracked them down, but... I think it's one of ours," Kurenai reported.

She sensed Might Guy ahead.

"Let's go ask him."

Kyoichi nodded.

He had a feeling things weren't that simple—Guy might also be tracking someone.

Further ahead—

Swoosh!

A blur of green shot out from the trees, launching a flying kick.

Bam!

With a single strike, Kyoichi sent Might Guy flying.

It took Guy a moment to realize what had happened.

"Kyoichi-sensei? I was hiding behind the tree and didn't see clearly—I thought you were an enemy!"

Guy scratched his head sheepishly.

Given his years of "tough love" training under Might Duy, Kyoichi's kick barely fazed him. He patted off the dust and stood up with ease.

Then, he turned to the others, his eyes slightly unfocused.

Guy recognized them but... couldn't quite recall their names.

"Were you patrolling this way, or were you tracking someone?"

Kyoichi cut straight to the point—

He knew Guy didn't need unnecessary pleasantries.

"Kyoichi-sensei, we were following a trail, but when we got here, the tracks were wiped clean, so we lost the lead."

As Guy finished speaking—

Rustling sounds came from the trees.

Moments later—

Hayama Shirakumo, Ebisu, and Genma Shiranui appeared.

Seeing the situation, Hayama sighed and rubbed his temples.

He had a good guess at what had happened.

"Guy, you need to confirm your targets before attacking. What if, in the future, you mistake an ally for an enemy when you're even stronger?"

"Hahaha, looks like this isn't the first time."

Kyoichi couldn't help but laugh.

In the Anime, it took Might Guy years to finally remember Kisame, nearly driving the Mist Swordsman mad. He had also failed to recognize Obito during their second encounter in the Chunin Exams.

It seemed—

His strength had come at the cost of his memory.

Nothing to be jealous of!

"Yes! I will do better next time!"

Guy scratched his head again.

Shisui and the others stifled their laughter.

This guy...

Even after making Chunin, he was still so unreliable. Compared to him, Kurenai seemed far more like a real Chunin.

"Hayama-san, let's focus on the situation at hand."

Kyoichi cleared his throat.

Guy's blunder wasn't a big deal. Most of the time, he was dependable enough, so there was no need to dwell on minor slip-ups.

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Hayama gave a brief report—

They had been tracking from the other side.

However...

The results were the same. The trail completely vanished at this location.

"The enemy is exceptionally cautious. It's likely that this is a rendezvous point for Kirigakure shinobi, which is why they were so thorough in erasing any traces."

Hayama had been in the Anbu before, frequently handling missions like this, so his assessment was experienced and precise.

"If we wait here, do you think they'll return to this spot?" Kyoichi asked after some thought.

He genuinely didn't know.

No shame in asking.

Hayama shook his head. "Assassination squads change infiltration and extraction points regularly to avoid ambushes. Waiting here would be fruitless."

"What a shame..."

Kyoichi frowned, channeling his chakra to scan the surroundings again. But just like before, the only chakra signatures belonged to their two teams—no additional presence detected.

However...

Chakra sensing wasn't foolproof.

Kirigakure shinobi could hide underwater and suppress their chakra, making them incredibly difficult to detect.

Not to mention—

The Hozuki Clan.

Their Hydrification Technique wasn't a Kekkei Genkai, yet it surpassed many bloodline abilities. Once liquefied, they were nearly undetectable. Finding them would be a serious challenge.

Kyoichi frowned. He needed a plan.

Looking around—

Two teams, eight people...

And not a single Lightning Release user among them.

He was screwed.

He should've borrowed Kakashi.

Then again—

That thought was fleeting.

Right now, Kakashi was still sulking from the Chunin Exam debacle. Talking to him was either met with cold silence or a sharp remark.

Not worth the trouble.

That said—

Dealing with the Hozuki Clan didn't necessarily require Lightning Release users.

He had the Raijin Sword, after all.

More importantly...

There were sealing techniques.

After some consideration, Kyoichi spoke: "Let's spread out and check for any overlooked clues. That way, we can strategize more effectively."

"Understood!"

Hayama responded with disciplined precision.

As a former Anbu member, his loyalty to the Third Hokage was absolute. Since the Third had appointed Kyoichi as a commander, he would treat him as such—by the book, without a hint of disrespect.

The two teams dispersed to search, but under Kyoichi's instructions, they stayed within reasonable range to support each other.

Hayama remained central, ensuring he could assist anyone at a moment's notice.

As for Kyoichi—

He moved alone.

More importantly, he wasn't wearing a Jonin flak jacket today—just a simple, casual outfit, making him look no different from a regular Chunin or even a Genin.

Before separating from the group, he even donned a mask. Combined with his silver hair, he now looked like a supersized version of Kakashi.

Hayama glanced at him and immediately understood Kyoichi's intent—

Bait.

Though the chances were slim, it was still worth a try.

Kyoichi thought the same.

If he could draw them out, great. If not, no harm done.

Of course—

He made it look natural, gradually veering from the team toward the river.

Kirigakure shinobi preferred to hide in water.

This was real fishing.

Kyoichi sharpened his senses, scanning for chakra fluctuations.

He followed the river for quite a distance.

Then—

A faint, nearly imperceptible disturbance in the water.

Almost undetectable.

But...

Kyoichi had extensive Water Release training, and his chakra sensing was formidable. He instantly locked onto it.

No one else was nearby.

Hozuki Clan?

Without hesitation, he formed seals at lightning speed.

Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!

Two walls of earth shot up from either side of the river, cutting it off completely.

But he wasn't done. His hands blurred through more seals.

Earth Release: Earth-Style Rampart!

With the two walls as boundaries, the entire section of the river—water, riverbed, and surrounding terrain—rose into the air, completely severed from the rest of the water.

"My god..."

From afar, Guy watched in shock.

That Earth Release...

Was absolutely insane!

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