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In the Land of Rain.
"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" "Swoosh!"...
On the massive trees, several figures dashed through the gigantic branches!
This was a team from the Hidden Leaf Village, primarily responsible for reconnaissance near the Leaf's stronghold to detect any enemy shinobi attempting to disrupt their operations.
Among the team, one young face stood out, though his little face appeared tense, there was still a glint of fear and excitement hidden deep in his eyes.
Is this a battlefield? Will we encounter enemies later? I hope not... I'm not mentally prepared yet...
Nawaki took a deep breath and thought as the team treaded lightly on the branches.
Just as the team had crossed a few tree branches...
A faint glow emerged from a concealed seal beneath the tree branches not far ahead.
In the forest just ahead of them, a group of weary-looking shinobi suddenly grew alert.
"Captain! Someone has breached the boundary of our barrier!"
One of the shinobi licked his parched lips and said with a solemn tone.
Looking at the headband on his forehead, one could tell that he was a team of Suna shinobi.
Upon hearing his words, the captain of the Suna shinobi team's expression darkened slightly, and he spoke softly.
"Prepare to face the enemy. Whether or not they've discovered our presence, we must eliminate them all here!"
"This mission is crucial and directly affects Suna's success or failure in this war!"
His voice was low and hoarse, and his red bloodshot eyes betrayed his exhaustion.
Yet, he carried an unwavering conviction within him at this moment.
Hearing his words, the Suna shinobi did not speak, but they all nodded solemnly, their eyes showing a determination to fight to the death.
"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" "Swoosh!"...
As the sound of several figures moving through the forest gradually drew near.
Upon hearing this sound, the Suna shinobi concealed in a hidden corner of the trees all wore a slightly cold expression and revealed a cruel look on their faces.
"Crack!"
When one of the Hidden Leaf shinobi in the group stepped onto a massive tree trunk with his foot!
A series of explosive tags attached underneath it suddenly emitted a brilliant light.
"Boom!"
With a massive explosion, that Hidden Leaf shinobi disappeared in an instant within a blaze of fire and thick smoke.
At that very moment.
"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" "Swoosh!"...
A group of Suna shinobi who had been prepared for some time already immediately sprang into action!
Their hand seals had already been completed.
"Wind Release: Thousand-Faced Wind!"
"Wind Release: Wind Net!"
"Earth Release: Rock Theft Blade!"
With the fall of their words, under the cover of the thick smoke from the earlier explosion, numerous Thousand-Faced Wind blades suddenly cut through the air towards the Hidden Leaf shinobi!
"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" "Swoosh!"...
Alongside the Thousand-Faced Wind, powerful and violent winds swiftly engulfed the Hidden Leaf shinobi, creating a strong gale that surrounded them within a few dozen meters.
The tightly-bound airflow, like a net, tightened and hindered the movements of the Hidden Leaf shinobi who reacted in time, increasing the pressure on them.
Leading the Hidden Leaf team was Captain Morino, who had a history of conflict with Sozuke in their childhood. He looked solemn and said softly,
"Protect Young Master!"
As he spoke, he rushed towards the group of Suna shinobi who were charging towards them.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
His body suddenly split into four, and he was confronted by the rock blades and the Thousand-Faced Wind blades that were approaching the team head-on. Once again, he formed hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu: Aye Dark Electric Cat!"
He slapped his palm against the ground. Suddenly, a giant contraption, similar to a beckoning cat, appeared on the field and rushed toward the Suna shinobi's jutsu.
"Swoosh!" "Bang!" "Thud!" "Click!"...
Almost all of the Suna shinobi's jutsu attacks were blocked by the cat-like mechanism, creating sparks, and a cacophony of metallic noises.
Seeing this scene, one of the Suna shinobi suddenly jumped out.
He extended his palm, causing several strands of chakra threads to scatter from his fingertips.
"Crack! Crack!"
At the end of those chakra threads was a colossal puppet!
The Suna shinobi stared intently at Morino but had a faint smirk on his lips.
"Leaf shinobi, you don't use puppets like this! Your methods are too crude!"
"Watch closely! Secret Technique: Flowing Blade on a String!"
As the Suna shinobi finished speaking, the colossal puppet suddenly moved!
"Swoosh!"
Behind one of the Morino shinobi, a massive figure abruptly appeared from the sky!
"Splurt!"
Bright flashes of blade light filled the air, and the colossal mechanical blade had already sliced through him at the waist!
"Bang!"
Smoke billowed!
Seeing this scene, the Suna shinobi immediately turned his gaze towards the remaining Morino shinobi, his eyes slightly chilling, but in his mind, he was thinking:
Was the previous one a Shadow Clone?
It seems like this guy is the captain on the Leaf's side. For the sake of caution, I should eliminate him first!
At the same time, the Leaf shinobi suddenly found themselves ambushed, and their faces became extremely grim!
After all, they had just begun the battle, and they had already lost two comrades. It appeared that the enemy's numbers far exceeded their own. In this situation, every Leaf shinobi felt a heavy weight on their shoulders.
The situation was far from optimistic!
And behind them stood Nawaki, with a pale face.
He was staring in wide-eyed astonishment at the scenes before him.
The sudden explosions, the brilliant fiery flames, and a Leaf shinobi losing his life instantly!
Following that were the jutsu attacks pouring in from the thick smoke, and another Leaf shinobi was killed. His body was reduced to shreds by the dense Wind Blades!
Protected by the group of Leaf shinobi, Nawaki watched with a dazed expression. His young face turned extremely pale, and his mind kept replaying the words he had once spoken.
"I'm already a man!"
"I want to become a great shinobi like my grandpa and protect this village!"
"Sis, I can protect myself now. How can I call myself a man if I don't participate in the war!"
...
War... Is it really this terrifying?
War... Can it cause a once lively life to be extinguished in the blink of an eye?
Hidden behind the Leaf shinobi, Nawaki's face turned pale, and his eyes grew blank.
At this moment, he was terrified, and after experiencing the cruelty of the word "war," he genuinely feared and abhorred it.
The battle on the field continued, with the sounds of trees breaking and exploding tags echoing everywhere.
The Suna shinobi also noticed that the Leaf shinobi seemed to be guarding a young shinobi at the center and immediately understood what was happening.
When they released their jutsu again, their targets were the brown-haired boy who looked pale and had trembling legs.
In the sunny sky above, the forest below was embroiled in intense combat.
Under the bright sunlight, the boy's neck was adorned with a gleaming green necklace, incredibly beautiful.
...
"Hmm?"
In the same forest area, a tall figure turned slightly to look in the distance and lightly exclaimed.
"Do you see something, Captain Aizen?"
The person with pale eyes behind him approached and asked softly.
Hearing the question, Sozuke had a slight smile on his lips, gently shook his head, and said warmly:
"A fledgling will eventually spread its wings, eager to explore this beautiful sky. Yet, it doesn't realize that when it takes to the sky, it's in the crosshairs of lurking wolves."
"It seems there's a little guy who can't wait to prove that he's grown up..."