This Feeling Really Sucks!

Clap... clap... clap...

The last trace of the blast wave slowly dissipated into the air along with the final bits of charred leaves and dirt, which fell onto the grassy ground far from where they had originally been.

Was it over?

Chiba lowered his trembling, crossed hands and looked toward the fire and smoke that were already beginning to disperse. His tightly furrowed brows seemed to knot even more deeply.

Splash!

At that moment, the already thin wall of water swirling around Hirohiko and Yukina suddenly burst apart. Having completed its task, it cascaded down in a great mass of water at the center of the explosion.

Water Wall, released.

What about Yukina and Hirohiko!

Seeing the Water Wall disperse, Chiba hurriedly shifted his gaze to its center, where Hirohiko and Yukina had been standing before the explosion.

The water curtain had blocked the explosion just now. They probably hadn't moved and were still inside the Water Wall.

As his gaze swept over the area, Chiba pondered. Then his eyes settled, and he immediately let out a breath of relief. At the center of the ring of scattered water, Yukina and Hirohiko stood to the left and right. Their positions had only changed slightly from before. Yukina seemed to have retreated quite a bit, while Hirohiko had only taken a small step back.

At this moment, both had their backs to him, each vigilantly watching the center of the explosion as the fire and smoke gradually faded.

Clearly, they had not relaxed in the slightest just because their counterattack had succeeded.

I'm behind them now, and they're in front of me. I can watch their rear, while I can cover their front and flanks.

If that old Kumogakure shinobi is unharmed, then he probably won't launch a surprise attack from