Captain, Your Skin Is So Thick

With Aburame Tetsumaru's arrival, the barrier along the defensive line was completed ahead of schedule, giving the Konoha Ninja responsible for defense a brief chance to rest.

It was nine in the morning. The rain had lightened somewhat, and the entire position was quiet. Every ninja was seizing the time to rest. Some held up rain gear alone, while others set up tents with their squads to shelter from the rain.

Most closed their eyes and dozed. The big-hearted members of the Akimichi and Inuzuka clans even started snoring, while some younger ninja stared wide-eyed at the treetops and blades of grass.

Thump.

Thump, thump, thump.

Low vibrations carried faintly through the air. At once, every Konoha Ninja sprang to their feet and stared intently into the rain mist to the northwest.

The ninja responsible for overall command was an Akimichi, with the standard pudgy build, a face full of beard, and an age of roughly forty. He listened carefully for a moment before making his judgment. "It's a combined ninjutsu from the Iwa Ninja. They should be here soon."

The Akimichi commander immediately shouted, "The enemy is Iwa Ninja! Prepare for battle!"

Everyone made their final preparations. Aburame Tetsumaru took out several Combination Insects. Using Summoning Thread and insects planted in advance, he had already seen the enemy's exact situation. After some thought, however, he put the Combination Insects away again.

They were not familiar teammates or a familiar commander. If he rashly launched a long-range attack, it was hard to say how much damage it would cause, but it would certainly create chaos on Konoha's side. How the commander would view him and what punishment he might receive were both unknowns. The risk was too great.

Aburame Tetsumaru reminded his subordinates, "Be careful. The first wave to appear should be Konoha ninja. Make sure you see clearly before attacking."

"Yes."

"Understood."

The first thing to emerge from the hazy rain mist was a patterned giant snake. Orochimaru stood atop its head, and when he saw the fully prepared hill, a trace of satisfaction appeared on his face.

Orochimaru immediately put the thumb and index finger of his right hand into his mouth and let out an extraordinarily sharp whistle. Before long, eight Jonin rushed out of the rain mist, each wounded and bedraggled.

After Aburame Tetsumaru and his group had routed the Rain Ninja and Iwa Ninja pursuers, they had withdrawn. Throughout the latter half of the night, it had been Orochimaru and eight Jonin who resisted the ever-growing number of enemies.

According to Orochimaru's plan, they were meant to hold out longer and had prepared to sacrifice several lives. Fortunately, they received news that construction on the first line of defense had finished early, allowing them to retreat intact at last.

To Orochimaru, this was the best possible news. The combat value of these eight Jonin had been fully displayed today. Saving even two more of them would be an enormous gain.

The eight Jonin had followed Orochimaru's command and achieved splendid results. From then on, they could be considered his subordinates, which would be an indispensable help to Orochimaru in gaining control of the ninja army. After all, among the more than four thousand ninja in Konoha's Land of Rain army, there were only around sixty Jonin, while all of Konoha had only three hundred Jonin.

After the two sides joined up, Orochimaru arranged for the Jonin to retreat first to the next defensive line and recuperate. He himself took over command from the Akimichi commander and prepared to resist the approaching Iwa Ninja pursuers.

After circling the hill once, Orochimaru had a clear grasp of the situation. When he saw Aburame Tetsumaru, he gave him an extra nod as a sign of friendliness.

"Fan Yun, why are you still here? Go catch up with the Jonin. The next defensive line needs your reinforcement as well."

Orochimaru was furious to discover that the entire Sealing Squad was still present, and he immediately drove this group of bookish ninja away.

These ninja were exceptionally difficult to train and had utterly poor combat power. Orochimaru absolutely could not accept them appearing on the front line of battle.

After gaining an initial grasp of the position, Orochimaru gathered more than three hundred Konoha Ninja and counted them.

"Those proficient in Wind Release, raise your hands. Not bad."

"Those proficient in Water Release, raise your hands. Very good, very good."

"Those proficient in Lightning Release, raise your hands. Well, that's really few."

Fire Release and Earth Release were out of the question. One did not suit the environment, while the other would put them at too much of a disadvantage against the Iwa Ninja.

"Those proficient in Water Release, stay. Everyone else, disperse and prepare for battle."

"Yes."

Orochimaru had plenty of ideas about defensive warfare. His battle preparations took only three minutes before the Iwa Ninja pursuers finally appeared. The first things to burst from the rain mist were a series of enormous boulders.

Earth Release: Rock Cannon Bullet Technique.

Konoha responded with combined Water Release against the Earth Release assault.

Water Release: Combined Water Formation Wall Technique.

A massive wall of water rose from the ground, encircling the entire hill and reaching forty meters high. The huge rock cannonballs were blasted into the air by the rushing water, unable to inflict any damage at all.

Konoha then launched a series of combined ninjutsu in counterattack.

Water Release: Combined Water Spear Assault.

Water Release: Combined Great Waterfall Technique.

Water Release: Combined Water Barrage.

The techniques complemented one another in height and force, battering the large group of Iwa Ninja until they could only join forces to perform defensive ninjutsu.

Earth Release: Myriad-Mile Earth Wall.

They continuously poured Chakra into it and struggled to hold on, yet gradually began to feel unable to sustain it.

This was the greatest advantage of combined Water Release: the more it was used, the more water accumulated in the environment, the stronger Water Release became, and the lower its consumption grew. It could even break through the natural suppression of earth overcoming water.

As the ninjutsu continued to strike, the ground gradually became a lake. Orochimaru summoned two more giant snakes, and the three snakes flickered in and out of sight beneath the water, occasionally ambushing the Iwa Ninja and ramming the Earth Style Wall, creating pressure for the enemy.

Just as the Iwa Ninja began to show signs of collapse, two enormous rocks beneath the water flipped over and suddenly slammed together, trapping one giant snake between them. Flesh and blood flew everywhere.

Earth Release: Mountain Earth Technique.

This was a large-scale B-rank ninjutsu. The ninja capable of completing such a technique without warning had to be an extraordinary powerhouse.

The Iwa Ninja shouted in celebration. "Lord Qingyan has arrived!"

Several hundred Iwa Ninja, now under effective command, immediately formed a powerful combined-ninjutsu formation.

First came an Earth Style Wall jointly cast by two hundred people. Its thickness and height were astonishing, forcefully creating a twenty-meter-high earthen platform.

Next came the Earth Release: Rock Hail Bullet Technique, jointly used by three hundred people. The rainstorm of rubble that filled the sky battered the two giant snakes until blood spurted all over their bodies. White smoke immediately enveloped them as the summoning was released.

What followed was an all-out assault against the hill occupied by Konoha.

Earth Release: Combined Rock Cannon Bullet Technique.

Earth Release: Combined Earth Rising Boulder.

The large and small rock cannonballs surged toward the Konoha Ninja, repeatedly smashing through Konoha's water barrier and immediately causing considerable casualties.

They could not continue. The Iwa Ninja had greater numbers and more diverse Earth Release techniques. With both sides using combined ninjutsu, earth's advantage over water was functioning normally. There was no hope at all in a large-scale confrontation.

Orochimaru shouted, "Now, execute Tactic Six."

Others loudly relayed the order as well. "Tactic Six!"

"Six!"

All one hundred and forty Konoha Ninja participating in the combined Water Release turned and ran. They carried the wounded, even shouldering the corpses of fallen ninja.

"Everyone, take note. After the next round of attacks, pursue them in squad-sized units." Qingyan saw that the Konoha Ninja appeared to be retreating, but he still cautiously decided to launch one more attack.

This time, every Iwa Ninja participated in the largest-scale combined ninjutsu. A total of fifty rock cannonballs were created and slammed into the frantically fleeing Konoha Ninja, sending flesh and blood flying.

Seeing that Konoha continued fleeing despite suffering such tremendous casualties, Qingyan no longer hesitated. He ordered the formation disbanded and the pursuit launched in squad units.

More than four hundred Iwa Ninja jumped down from the earthen platform, waded through puddles, and climbed the hill, only to discover in surprise that the frantically fleeing Konoha Ninja had turned around and charged back.

Just as the Iwa Ninja intended to form up again, Konoha Ninja leaped out from pre-dug holes scattered around the hill and mixed in with them. Fierce close combat immediately erupted.

This time, the Iwa Ninja realized they had suffered a huge disadvantage. This hill was not a position Orochimaru had prepared for defense, but a battlefield for close combat—a battlefield where Earth Release could not be used.

Cunning Orochimaru had never intended to defeat the Iwa Ninja with combined ninjutsu from the very beginning. That technique was one of the Iwa Ninja's specialties, and they had greater numbers besides. Konoha also lacked enough Lightning Release ninja. No matter how they fought, they would lose.

Their only chance of victory lay in close combat. Close combat could slightly narrow the gap in numbers, and more importantly, it tested individual combat ability and courage. Orochimaru believed Konoha was not inferior to anyone in that regard.

That was why he had prepared for close combat from the start. He had driven away the Sealing Squad early and sent the Jonin away in advance, all to prevent valuable ninja from dying inexplicably in the melee.

Ninja had fought in close-quarters brawls for over a thousand years. They were all too used to such scenes. Ninja from both sides howled as they unleashed their strongest moves, and the battlefield grew increasingly chaotic. Most casualties came from accidental damage.

Aburame Tetsumaru also unleashed his strongest move from the outset, scattering half of the several hundred attacking and explosive insects on his body.

Secret Technique: Giant Insect Storm.

It knocked down more than a dozen Iwa Ninja in one stroke, clearing out a large open space.

He seized the chance to drag Uchiha Kei and Kurama Yun to the front of a steep rocky slope. Protecting his two subordinates behind him, he relied on the defense of the two layers of beetles covering his body and engaged the Iwa Ninja in fierce hand-to-hand combat.

The two sides were completely mixed together, and the distance between them was too close. At such a time, killing mainly relied on Ninja Blades, Kunai, and Explosive Tags. There was simply no time to form hand seals for ninjutsu, and their attack range was too wide, making friendly fire far too likely.

At this moment, Aburame Tetsumaru wielded a Ninja Blade picked up from the ground, while his left hand held a Locust as a concealed weapon.

His swordsmanship was truly mediocre, but fortunately, he did not need to worry about defense and could focus solely on offense. With the two Genjutsu experts behind him providing support, he took down three Iwa Ninja within a few exchanges.

His performance also attracted a swordsmanship expert among the Iwa Ninja. A tall, lean Iwa Ninja flashed toward him and opened with an overhead slash.

Aburame Tetsumaru blocked with a backhand swing. Just as he managed to parry it, his opponent spun his Ninja Blade, shaking out a ring of blade shadows. His hand suddenly grew hot, and his Ninja Blade was knocked from his grip.

The Iwa Ninja then used the hilt to block the Locust in Tetsumaru's left hand. He raised the long blade level with his brows, gripped it with both hands, and thrust it straight toward Tetsumaru's nose.

"You think wearing armor all over means you're safe? How naive."

The Iwa Ninja noticed several round objects appearing in Aburame Tetsumaru's right hand. He sneered. He was quite tenacious, still struggling even at death's door, but it all ended here.

The long blade instantly reached Aburame Tetsumaru's nose, then slid away—slid away in a shower of sparks.

The violent impact snapped Aburame Tetsumaru's head ninety degrees backward and threw the Iwa Ninja off balance. The Iwa Ninja was greatly shocked, unable to understand what had happened.

Uchiha Kei, standing behind Aburame Tetsumaru, reacted. He used his Sharingan to cast Genjutsu on the Iwa Ninja.

Sharingan: Body Immobilization.

Aburame Tetsumaru took the chance to nail the explosive insects in his right hand to the Iwa Ninja's neck. The ensuing explosion blew away half his neck and claimed the swordsmanship expert's life.

Only after the explosion did Uchiha Kei notice that more than a dozen beetles were clinging to his captain's face. He was so frightened that he nearly cried out.

It turned out that after returning to the battlefield, Aburame Tetsumaru had placed enormous importance on defense and had not left any vulnerability on his face. In battle, he let beetles cover his face, protecting himself without a single gap.

At the same time, he used the Transformation Technique to make his face visible. He also paid special attention to dodging with his head, deliberately creating the illusion that his face was unprotected, all to trap and kill swordsmanship experts or close-combat specialists like this one.

Uchiha Kei quickly understood the whole sequence of events. Trembling, he pointed at his captain. "Captain, you always say I'm afraid of death, but you... you too..."

"I'm not afraid of death, Kei. This is the wisdom of battle, the art of the mind."

Aburame Tetsumaru repositioned the beetles and used the Transformation Technique again to restore the appearance of his face. He continued, "You should study it seriously."

"Captain, your skin is way too thick." Kurama Yun could not help mocking him. It really was thick—both physically and mentally.

"Heh." Aburame Tetsumaru laughed. "No, no, you're wrong."

My skin wasn't thick. It was so thick it was practically nonexistent.

The melee ended quickly, and Konoha ultimately did not win. On one hand, Konoha had more than a hundred fewer people than the Iwa Ninja. More importantly, the Rain Ninja reorganized and caught up, forcing Orochimaru to retreat early.

The brief melee caused enormous casualties on both sides. In only a few minutes, nearly a hundred people on each side were killed or wounded, leaving blood and severed limbs scattered across the ground.

The victorious Iwa Ninja were frightened by the massive casualties that had erupted in such a short time and had no desire at all to pursue the retreating Konoha Ninja.

Afterward, the two sides temporarily broke contact and ceased fighting.

Of course, they would continue fighting later that day. This was merely a brief period of rest.

The ninja from Aburame Tetsumaru's group who had participated in the melee went directly to the third defensive line to rest. Only after everything had been settled did Aburame Tetsumaru release the Transformation Technique, move aside the beetles, and tend to his face.

Although the beetles had blocked the Iwa Ninja's thrust, they had not fully dispersed the impact. The tremendous force turned the beetles and the sunglasses resting on Aburame Tetsumaru's nose into weapons, seriously injuring his face.

The sunglasses had cut deep wounds on both sides of his brow, while the beetles had struck his nose badly enough to leave severe bruising. The most serious injury was that his front teeth had been knocked loose. By criminal-law standards, that counted as a standard minor injury.

A little bleeding meant nothing to a ninja, but loose front teeth had to be handled carefully. If he could not keep them, it would be disastrous. His speech would whistle, rice would spill from his mouth when he ate, and even food would lose its flavor.

For a foodie, what difference was there from the end of the world?