Chapter 32: The Bridge of Heaven and Earth
Within the Land of Grass.
In the damp, shadowy forest, countless ninja shadows darted through the trees, leaping swiftly. Finally, a single blinding ray of sunlight pierced through.
"The bridge ahead is the Bridge of Heaven and Earth."
Emerging from the humid forest, the Konoha ninja squad saw a wide bridge made of steel and concrete. The red pillars bore the characters "Bridge of Heaven and Earth."
The deep canyon below, over a hundred meters down, held rushing waters that sent up the sound of roaring winds.
"Stay alert!"
At Jiraiya's serious command, the thirty Konoha ninjas immediately tensed and prepared themselves.
This terrain was an ideal spot for an ambush.
"Byakugan, Activate!"
Without hesitation, the Hyuga clan member in the squad activated the Byakugan, veins bulging around his eyes as he surveyed the surroundings.
Suddenly, Hyuga Hizashi's face changed. "Everyone, be careful! There are explosive tag traps on the bridge!"
"And there's a large chakra presence in the forest on the other side!"
Immediately, the Hyuga clan ninja raised his voice in warning, and the entire team brandished their kunai and swords, assuming defensive positions.
Jiraiya, standing at the front, suddenly burst into a loud, hearty laugh, then formed a summoning jutsu sign with his hands.
With a puff of white smoke, a massive toad with red skin and black streaks appeared.
Jiraiya, standing on the toad's back, laughed boisterously, striking a dramatic pose.
"The Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku has found you all!"
This humorous, theatrical entrance made the Konoha ninja exchange looks of exasperation. Understanding his cue, Uchiha Yosuke barked, "Positions!"
Hyuga Hizashi pointed and shouted, "Ten o'clock, most of them are clustered there!"
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
In an instant, Uchiha Yosuke formed a series of hand seals and spat out multiple large fireballs that shot toward the forest, each spreading in different directions.
Meanwhile, the surrounding Konoha ninja followed suit, unleashing their own Fire Style jutsu or throwing kunai fitted with explosive tags.
"Not good, we've been discovered!"
"Damn it! It's the Byakugan again!"
Under the sudden barrage of jutsu and explosive tags, the enemy ninjas cursed as they scattered or shielded themselves.
*Boom!*
In the blink of an eye, the forest across the bridge erupted into flames. As the opposing ninjas revealed themselves, the comical Jiraiya's eyes flashed with deadly seriousness, and his hands completed a complex jutsu.
"That's...Jiraiya of the Konoha elite!"
One of the enemy ninjas recognized Jiraiya and cried out in panic just as he unleashed his prepared technique.
"Fire Style: Toad Oil Flame Bullet."
The toad beneath him spewed oil, and Jiraiya breathed fire, creating a horrifying mixture that not only ignited but stuck to surfaces with intense, concentrated heat.
This large-scale attack had been carefully set up from the beginning, timed perfectly with the initial assault.
Shrieks echoed through the forest as the enemy's retaliation began.
*Boom!*
Explosions erupted as both sides exchanged explosive tags, filling the air with smoke and debris on either side of the bridge.
As the dust cleared, the Konoha shinobi gasped as they saw their foes.
"Jiraiya-sama, that's the infamous mercenary force of the Land of Lightning."
A Konoha jonin recognized the dark-skinned, muscular enemy ninjas, their foreheads emblazoned with the symbol for "Plunder." Eighty strong, they loomed across the bridge.
Seeing the tension in his own team, Jiraiya laughed.
"So it's the infamous mercenary band from the Land of Lightning. Seems you brought a lot of deadweight with you."
Among the eighty enemy ninjas, only about thirty bore headbands indicating status, while the rest seemed to be mercenaries or rogue ninjas.
"Kushina!"
Suddenly, Minato Namikaze shouted in alarm. Uzumaki Kushina's pupils had dilated, her eyes bloodshot as she stared fixedly at the figures across the bridge.
"I know them! They're the ones who invaded my home and killed my family!"
Upon recognizing the enemy, intense rage filled Kushina's face, and memories of the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools resurfaced.
"Stay focused! I've already called for reinforcements!" Jiraiya's voice rang out, inspiring the Konoha ninjas. The enemy laughed derisively at the mention of help.
"Kill! Kill the Konoha ninja and earn a big bounty!"
"These are big targets—many of them are from Konoha's noble clans."
"Charge!"
Eighty enemy shadows surged forward, and the ninja battle erupted in full force.
"Kushina! If they're your enemies, kill these beasts!"
Uchiha Yosuke drew his sword, his Sharingan spinning to reveal a single tomoe.
Time seemed to slow, and kunai, which normally appeared as blurs, became visible in their flight paths under the Sharingan's gaze.
"Kill!"
*Boom!*
Ninjutsu and taijutsu clashes turned the Bridge of Heaven and Earth into a battlefield. The chaos of the melee—different from one-on-one or small-unit skirmishes—brought unique dangers.
"Give me back my family!" Kushina's voice, low and hoarse, erupted as her eyes flashed blood-red.
"Not good!"
All the ninjas sensed the ominous chakra of the Nine-Tails leaking out. The sheer dread of the chakra was so potent that even animals in the distant forest scattered.
"It's happening now?"
In the midst of combat, Jiraiya's eyes widened as he saw the red chakra surrounding Kushina, her pupils turning into beastly slits as her fangs elongated.
Facing the dark-skinned enemy ninja across the bridge, her face twisted in fury.
"Give me back my family!"
Her roar echoed through the forest, leaving all who heard it in shock.
Uchiha Yosuke, witnessing the intensity of her power, was filled with awe.
This was the power of a Jinchuriki!
***
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