Rasa vs. Nightshade, Ankoku

Before long, the group arrived at the location of the wooden crate.

After undoing the Sealing Technique and making a simple comparison, they were delighted to discover that these two children were the targets of this mission.

Although all four of them sensed that something was strange, no matter what scheme the enemy had, they could not possibly abandon the two children.

Just then, they suddenly felt a faint tremor coming from the ground.

And as time passed, the vibrations grew increasingly pronounced.

After a moment of silence, Ankoku suddenly said to Kyosuke, "Snake, you and Lin protect these two children and return to the village. Nightshade and I will stay behind to cover your retreat."

Hearing Ankoku say that, Lin opened her mouth to object, but when she saw the scene behind them, she could not force the words out.

A "sand wave" dozens of meters high, formed entirely of Gold Sand, was sweeping toward them with overwhelming force.

Countless trees and boulders in the path of the sand wave were swept away, vanishing without a trace.

That was what had caused the tremors just now.

Seeing this, Kyosuke understood that an opponent of this level was far beyond what he could handle right now.

So, just like the silent Lin, he nodded at Ankoku and Nightshade before turning and swiftly leaving.

Ankoku withdrew his gaze from their retreating backs and turned to Nightshade with a smile. "They should make it safely back to Konoha, right?"

Nightshade looked at the approaching "tidal wave," his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Then he replied with a smile, "Not necessarily."

"So."

"We need to deal with the enemy quickly, then go protect them!"

Damn Black Zetsu, what other scheme do you have? Kyosuke suppressed the unease in his heart and ran swiftly toward the Land of Rain with Lin.

Kyosuke did not believe Black Zetsu would let the two of them return so easily. He must have had some other plot in store.

Moreover, they were far too far from Konoha, and there were too many chances for something to go wrong along the way. After briefly discussing it with Lin, he decided to head toward the Land of Rain.

Because that was where Orochimaru's Konoha ninja forces were stationed.

Only once they reached there could they truly be considered safe.

Even so, Kyosuke still did not feel that it was secure enough.

If Black Zetsu truly intended to target the two of them, then no matter how well they hid, they would not be able to escape his pursuit.

So, he used the Summoning Technique again, briefly described his current situation, then dismissed it and sent the small snake back to Ryūchi Cave.

That way, Orochimaru could learn of his situation immediately and hurry over to support them.

This method was normally used by the two of them to discuss experimental matters. Kyosuke had never expected it might become his lifeline this time.

But even if Orochimaru rushed over at full speed, it would take at least half a day before he could meet up with them.

And during that half day, the two of them would be at their most vulnerable.

An attack could come at any moment.

Water Release: Water Bullet.

With Ankoku's furious roar, the densely packed water droplets floating in the air suddenly shot toward Rasa like bullets.

This Water Release was the Second Hokage's prized Ninjutsu, and Danzo had rewarded it to him after he completed an S-rank mission.

Facing Ankoku's overwhelming attack, Rasa merely smiled faintly before using layers upon layers of Gold Sand to envelop his side.

Although the Gold Sand used for defense was battered until cracks spread across it, it ultimately blocked the Ninjutsu.

It had to be said that, in terms of defensive power alone, Gold Sand was truly far superior to Gaara's sand.

If it had been Gaara here, he could never have completely defended against this attack with merely a single layer of sand.

However, while Gold Sand's defensive power far exceeded that of ordinary sand, it was much less flexible and agile to control.

Especially when facing ninjas known for their speed, its flaws would be exposed without reserve.

For example... Nightshade, who had already reached Rasa's side.

Konoha-Style Swordsmanship Willow!!!

As the ninja sword in Nightshade's hand swayed, countless blade shadows appeared in the air. At a glance, they looked like innumerable willow branches floating overhead.

At the same time, his figure swayed faintly before disappearing completely.

Rasa and the others watched the willow branches constantly swaying above their heads, and their minds could not help but waver for a moment before they suddenly snapped awake.

But that instant of distraction was enough to make them ghosts beneath Nightshade's blade.

All except Rasa, who narrowly escaped disaster thanks to his Sand Armor.

"You're quite good." Rasa spoke coldly, then controlled the Gold Sand as it surged toward Nightshade and wrapped around him madly.

With Nightshade's speed, he normally would not have considered an attack like this worth his attention.

Even if he could not use his movement speed to get close to Rasa, escaping would not have been difficult.

However, he had already used the highly draining Phantom Body Technique twice today. At that moment, his lack of stamina made him a beat too slow while evading, and Rasa's attack unexpectedly struck him.

Seeing this, Rasa showed no mercy and unleashed his Ninjutsu.

Magnet Release: Glazed Shatter.

The Gold Sand encasing Nightshade suddenly compressed inward with terrifying force, crushing his body.

"Aah!!!" Nightshade's screams echoed continuously through the forest, making Ankoku, who was preparing his Ninjutsu, grit his teeth hard.

Unfortunately, Ankoku's Ninjutsu still required some preparation before it could be released, so he could only steel his heart and ignore his companion's screams.

After all, this Ninjutsu was still rather difficult for Ankoku to use at his current level.

Finally, after some more time passed, his Ninjutsu was ready.

As Ankoku released his Ninjutsu, a rising torrent of water suddenly erupted beneath Rasa's feet and launched him high into the air.

At the same time, a massive Water Vortex slowly formed beneath Rasa.

"Wait." Lin, who had been running, suddenly stopped.

She also raised a hand to stop Kyosuke, then shoved the wooden crate she had been carrying into the arms of the confused Kyosuke.

Seeing her actions, Kyosuke's heart sank.

Just as he was about to ask what was wrong, the figure that appeared ahead forced all the words he wanted to say back down his throat.

"Scorch Release: Pakura!" Kyosuke muttered quietly. At the same time, he shifted the crate behind him, preparing to face the powerful enemy together with Lin.

"You go first. Otherwise, if you stay here, she'll kill you." Lin stared fixedly at the enemy and spoke without turning her head.

"Heh, if I just leave like that, you'll be the one who dies." Kyosuke smiled, then looked at the silent enemy before him. "Besides, she's not Rasa. She isn't strong enough to make me run."

"...Tsk. If your strength were even half as impressive as your mouth, we wouldn't need to run today." After hearing Kyosuke's words, Lin was silent for a moment before she finally spoke slowly, stabbing him again with her words.

"..." Kyosuke stared seriously at Pakura, pretending not to hear Lin's words.