chsdbacks Chapter 28 Night Raid
Chapter 28 Night Raid
A few days later, the group entered the border area between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass.
The terrain gradually changed from flat to rugged, and the dense forest began to be replaced by undulating hills and exposed rocks. The tension in the air intensified as they got closer to the battlefield.
As dusk fell, the setting sun, like blood, dyed the valley a poignant red.
Orders came from the front, requiring the troops to set up camp and rest in a relatively secluded valley, and to continue their journey the next morning. They were expected to reach the fierce battle zone where the main force was located by the day after tomorrow at the latest.
Night fell quickly, and a few campfires were lit in the valley, but no one made a sound; only the occasional crackling of the burning firewood could be heard.
The exhaustion from continuous travel and the fear of the unknown road ahead had left most of the genin completely drained. They crawled into their sleeping bags, but they were unlikely to get a proper night's sleep.
Only the ninjas on guard patrolled the perimeter of the camp silently, their figures appearing and disappearing in the darkness.
Genma didn't rest immediately. He chose to sit on a relatively open rock away from the campfire and closed his eyes to concentrate.
His chakra perception ability spread out like invisible ripples from his center, subtly covering an area of several hundred meters around the camp.
The breathing of plants, the rustling of small animals, the slow movement of his patrolling companions—all these sounds sketched out blurry images in his mind.
This is both a nightly ritual for him to hone his senses and an instinct for ensuring safety in the perilous border region.
However, just as the edge of his perception swept across an unusually quiet area—
"Enemy attack!!! It's the Iwagakure demolition squad!"
Outside the camp, a short, piercing scream suddenly tore through the night sky, followed by a sharp, shrill alarm that shattered the brief silence.
The chaos erupted like a boulder thrown into a still lake, bursting forth with a deafening roar.
Countless kunai, each bound with an explosive tag, were hurled from the darkness in different directions, their deathly shrieks echoing as they rained down on the edge of the camp, exploding into bursts of dazzling fire and deafening roars.
Tents were overturned, flames shot into the sky, and screams, shouts, and reprimands rose and fell, plunging the once orderly camp into chaos.
"Don't panic! Genin, form a defensive formation! Chunin and above, follow me to engage the enemy!"
Tsunade's calm and authoritative voice acted like a stabilizing force, instantly drowning out the noise.
She herself transformed into a golden lightning bolt, rushing straight towards the area with the most concentrated explosions and the heaviest casualties; the wind pressure generated by her punch was enough to disperse the smoke.
"Squad 10! Triangular defensive formation! Quickly!"
With a clang, Shirokumo Yeyama drew his katana from his waist. The gleaming blade reflected a cold light in the firelight. He shouted sharply and instantly entered battle mode.
Genma, Kai, and Ebisu reacted extremely quickly, almost instinctively moving closer together and forming a stable triangular formation back to back.
Genma's eyes were sharp as an eagle's, and his hands moved in rapid succession, creating afterimages.
Bai Yunyeshan glanced at Xuanjian out of the corner of his eye and saw a cold glint flash between his fingers as his sword poured out like a storm.
The poisoned senbon needles and kunai bound with explosive tags fell to the ground with the boy's fluid movements, exploding into a dazzling wall of sparks around the triangular formation.
"Class 10 is in your hands now."
Hayama slashed horizontally with his katana, cleaving aside the three shuriken that shot towards him. As he left those words for Genma, the blade reflected the boy's calm profile.
Genma didn't even turn around; a flash of silver light appeared at his fingertips, forcing back the Iwagakure ninja who was trying to ambush him from the crevice in the rock: "Understood."
The katana hummed softly in the night, and Shirokumo Hayama's figure transformed into a white rainbow, plunging into the most fierce part of the battle.
The first wave of intense treacherous attacks, like a tide of death, had barely receded when a more brutal close-quarters battle erupted, colliding like rocks crashing together, turning the edge of the camp into a bloody grinder.
In the center of the battlefield, the golden figure was the most eye-catching.
Tsunade, one of the legendary Sannin, is now the strongest bulwark for the Konoha ninjas and the most terrifying nightmare for the Iwagakure ninjas.
Each flash of her figure was accompanied by a thunderous roar and a violent tremor of the earth.
With sheer, unrestrained, monstrous strength, wherever his fist passed, solid earth-style barriers, massive rocks, and even the Iwagakure ninjas themselves crumbled and disintegrated like paper.
A piercing scream abruptly stopped as an Iwa ninja, weapon and all, was slammed into the rock wall, turning into a mangled mess of flesh and blood.
The horrifying sight finally broke down the defenses of another nearby Iwa ninja, who screamed in terror, "It's Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha! Retreat!"
This cry of alarm not only failed to save his life, but also exacerbated the chaos and fear among the Iwagakure side. As the golden lightning flashed by, the roar fell completely silent.
In other areas, the Jonin and Chunin of Konoha also found their own opponents. The explosions of ninjutsu, the clash of blades, and the dying screams intertwined to create a cruel symphony.
Baiyun Yeshan moved like the wind, his katana drawing a cold arc. With a move called Vacuum Sword, a sharp wind blade swept past in an instant, and two Iwagakure genin who tried to sneak up on him had blood streaming from their throats and fell to the ground without uttering a sound.
However, Ye Shan's advance was also halted.
A figure as steady as a mountain blocked his way. The eyes beneath the rock-covered forehead guard were as sharp as an eagle's, and the pressure of chakra emanating from his body clearly indicated his status as a Jonin.
"A technique that combines ninjutsu and swordsmanship, that's interesting."
The Iwagakure Jonin's voice was hoarse, carrying a hint of solemnity.
Baiyun Yeshan stood holding a sword, his eyes equally sharp.
Although he is only a Chunin-ranked ninja, his actual combat strength has already reached the level of a Jonin.
Neither of them made a move rashly. Their auras were tightly intertwined, like two ferocious beasts facing off, searching for even the slightest flaw in each other amidst the deafening battle cries.
The air around them seemed to freeze, the clamor of battle becoming a distant background, with only their heartbeats and breaths clearly audible.
This is a battle between evenly matched opponents, where even the slightest mistake could instantly determine life or death.
At the same time, the defensive formation of Class 10 was also under pressure.
Despite Genma's incredibly precise use of his senbon to intercept a large number of ranged attacks, some enemies still managed to break through the outer defenses amidst the chaos.
A ferocious-looking Chunin from Iwagakure suddenly burst out from the ground near the three of them using Earth Release: Earth Dive Technique, his kunai pointing directly at Might Guy, who seemed the most hot-blooded.
"Leaf Whirlwind!"
Kai reacted incredibly quickly, letting out a roar and launching a swift spinning kick that created a whistling sound.
A cold smile of triumph flashed in the eyes of the Iwagakure ninja.
His seemingly fierce charge was actually a feint. At the last second, his body twisted at an odd angle, perfectly avoiding Kai's powerful kick. At the same time, the kunai in his hand, like a viper's tongue, stabbed towards Kai's heart, which was wide open from the kick.
"We succeeded!"
Iwa ninja's gaze turned cold, and Gai's pupils suddenly contracted. His old strength was exhausted, and new strength had not yet been generated. It seemed that he could not avoid this insidious attack.
However, in the next instant, the cold smile on the face of the Iwa ninja froze, turning into extreme shock and pain.
His thrusting motion suddenly froze, and an indescribable pain exploded in his chest, instantly stripping him of all strength.
He lowered his head with difficulty and disbelief, only to see a dark blue sword blade formed from pure chakra protruding from his chest, right at the heart. The tip of the blade was spotless, yet it exuded a deadly chill.
"Wh...when!?"
He let out a hoarse, escaping sound from his throat; these were the last words he could utter.