For now, things were still going smoothly!
Whether it was the Chakra consumption or Obito's reaction, that punch had changed the terrain as well. He should be much warier now.
But the stamina drain was far too great. Relying solely on specially made Ration Balls—even though their effect was nearly twice that of ordinary special Ration Balls—was not enough to restore his stamina right now.
Moreover, seeing my current condition, he probably would not let me stand here and recover slowly.
Or perhaps...
His eyes, flickering with faint emerald flames, swept through the towering earthen stone forest around him. Chiba drew a slight breath, and the emerald flames in his eyes swayed faintly.
At this moment, with the stone forest blocking his view, Chiba could not see Obito. But instinctively, he knew that Obito was still here, watching him under the cover of the stone pillars.
An attack could come at any moment.
As the thought crossed his mind, the trace of emerald flame flickered again before slowly vanishing from his eyes.
Gate of Pain Mode, released! "Hm?"
At the very instant the emerald flames in his eyes went out, Chiba's gaze flashed, and he abruptly looked toward a chunk of earth and rock diagonally ahead to his right.
"Boom!"
The chunk of earth and rock about a meter ahead to his right flashed with firelight and suddenly exploded.
In an instant, fragments of dirt and stone, mixed with the lingering force of the explosion, shot toward him and struck Chiba's body in a rapid series of impacts.
"No!"
Yet at that moment, Chiba seemed to let out a low cry. His eyes abruptly turned behind him, and a cracking sound came from beside his face.
"Whoosh!"
Almost the instant his gaze shifted, a cold gleam slashed in, already beside