A thunderous explosion erupted from the trap behind them.
In the dense forests of the Land of Rivers, where two opposing forces clashed, a trio of Konoha shinobi had been fleeing at full speed—until one of them suddenly stopped.
"You two, keep going. I'll hold them off…"
Without hesitation, he turned and rushed toward the explosion.
"Ichizō…"
The two remaining shinobi from Root spoke with heavy voices, but they didn't stop.
Originally, their mission had been simple reconnaissance, a routine advance to gather intelligence. But they had never expected to run into two Sunagakure jōnin.
Abandoning the mission was an easy decision—they immediately retreated at full speed.
But the Suna shinobi weren't about to let their prey escape so easily.
Despite the traps set along their route, the pursuers pressed on relentlessly. The difference in strength was clear, and the traps alone weren't enough to shake them off.
Not long after, another explosion echoed from behind them. But the sound died down just as quickly.
They knew.
Ichizō was dead.
Swallowing their grief, the remaining two pushed forward, their expressions grim.
...
Half an hour later—
Swish, swish, swish!
A barrage of shuriken embedded themselves into the trees ahead, cutting off their path.
The two shinobi leapt down from the branches, choosing a relatively open space to make their stand.
Back to back, they took defensive positions, scanning their surroundings.
"…Looks like we won't be making it back."
"Yeah. I know."
A brief exchange. No hesitation, no fear—only quiet determination in their eyes as they braced for the inevitable.
High above, perched on a thick tree branch, a sinister voice rang out, laced with sadistic glee.
"Well, well… you little rats actually made us chase you this far. And you even wrecked my puppet. I'm going to carve you up… piece by piece…"
"Ōkura, focus."
Another voice came from a nearby tree—calmer, more composed. This Suna shinobi didn't let his guard down.
The Konoha shinobi who had stayed behind to cover their escape had been utterly relentless, willing to drag them to the grave. If not for the sheer difference in power, things might have gone differently.
But Ōkura wasn't listening. If anything, the warning only seemed to excite him further.
"Carve you up… piece by piece… Hehehe…"
With a crazed laugh, he sent his puppet lunging forward, spewing a storm of senbon toward the two Konoha shinobi.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
One of the Root shinobi formed a rapid series of hand seals, and a solid earthen wall rose from the ground, kicking up dust as it blocked the incoming needles.
"Tch. An Earth Release user?"
The Suna shinobi narrowed his eyes as the dust settled, revealing the two Konoha shinobi still standing behind the wall.
"Ōkura, watch yourself. They're coming your way."
"Shut up and mind your own business," Ōkura snapped, clearly irritated.
But then, his lips curled into a twisted grin as his gaze flicked to the ground.
Found you.
His puppet suddenly sprang into the air, its bladed limbs extending as it came crashing down—its razor-sharp weapons stabbing deep into the soil below.
"…Huh?"
His grin faltered.
There was nothing there.
The ground beneath the tree transformed into a muddy quagmire. Ōkura barely managed to retract his puppet in time, leaping to safety before he was caught.
Landing some distance away, he remained wary, his eyes scanning for the enemy.
And yet, despite his caution, he couldn't resist taunting them.
"Hmph. You Konoha shinobi really are just rats."
The earth suddenly bulged beneath him.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"
Sharp stone spears erupted from the ground, forcing Ōkura to leap away, landing atop a large boulder to avoid the attack.
Then—
Boom! Boom!
The boulder beneath his feet exploded in a fiery blast.
A chain reaction of explosive tags hidden within the stone sent shockwaves tearing through the forest, shattering nearby trees and hurling debris in every direction.
Coughing amidst the dust, the other Suna shinobi called out, "Ōkura, are you alright?"
"Cough… I'm fine."
A rasping breath. A grimace of pain.
Ōkura pushed himself up, leaning against a tree. His right hand, the one wielding his blade, trembled—charred by the explosion.
His expression had lost its earlier arrogance.
"Tch. These bastards…"
Meanwhile, the two Konoha shinobi weren't in much better shape. One was clearly running on fumes, barely able to hold his kunai steady.
The other—
Blood dripped onto the ground.
A deep wound to the chest, pierced straight through.
The lightning-infused kunai had done its job, sealing his wound with burns, but breathing was still a struggle.
The cautious Suna shinobi took in the state of their opponents.
These masked Root operatives… they were a problem. If he'd been even a little less careful, he might have fallen into their trap.
But the battle was over.
"It's time to finish this." His voice was cold, final.
"Wind Release!"
Dozens of razor-sharp wind blades sliced through the air, streaking toward the exhausted Konoha shinobi.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A sudden surge of water formed a barrier, intercepting the attack.
Three masked figures landed between the injured shinobi and their enemies.
Konoha reinforcements.
The cautious Suna shinobi's expression darkened.
"Ōkura. Puppet master, aggressive, cruel. Taijutsu: moderate. Weak in direct combat. Right arm—heavily injured…"
One of the injured Root operatives began listing off details about them.
"…Wind Release user. Taijutsu: moderate. Cautious, methodical. Weakness unknown."
The Suna shinobi's frown deepened.
They're analyzing us.
And worse—Ōkura's right arm was in bad shape. He could still fight, but his puppetry would be much weaker now.
After a moment of silence, he made a decision.
"Ōkura, we're pulling back. We've chased too deep."
For once, Ōkura didn't argue. He simply nodded.
Without another word, the two Suna jōnin withdrew.
The Root operatives didn't pursue. Ensuring the safety of their wounded took priority.
Just another skirmish.
One of countless battles across the vast, shifting warfront.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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