Crisis

In the summer of Konoha 49, the sky was clear and cloudless. Kirigakure had been quiet for many days, which made the Konoha Ninjas feel much more relaxed.

Along the coast, Shuichi leads Ishikawa Tatsuki and two others on their daily patrol mission.

As the leader of multiple teams, he was responsible for many things, and often monitored the surrounding situation from high altitudes.

To ensure the safety of Asuma and the others, he didn't go too far, hovering roughly above this area. Each of his companions carried the Flying Thunder God Spell Formula, so he could fly over at any time if anything happened.

"Whoosh..."

After checking the condition of the nearby river, Shuichi and his group heard someone rushing towards them, but they were not surprised. This was a routine communication between several Captain Commanders from the Eastern Front.

A ninja appeared Body Flicker Technique and handed Scroll of information to Shuichi, saying, "Lord Shuichi, this is Lord Minato's latest order."

After he took it, the messenger left. Shuichi opened it and deciphered all the contents through the coded message.

"The Anbu who infiltrated the Land of Water have made a new discovery, and the village plans to end the war with Kirigakure as soon as possible."

The Konoha High Command seems to have grasped the key point. Minato mentioned that he will soon go deep into the Land of Water to cooperate with the Anbu in operations, so the defensive strategies of the other units need to be more conservative.

Although the method for stopping the Kirigakure invasion wasn't mentioned, Shuichi already had his own guess. "If nothing unexpected happens, they'll probably target the ships."

Having been attacked so many times, Konoha has discovered Kirigakure's weakness: ships are just as important to the Land of Water as logistics are to the Land of Grass Stone Ninja on the battlefield.

Once a large number of enemy ships are destroyed, the Kirigakure's offensive capabilities will be greatly weakened. If they want to continue their attack, they will have to send a small number of elite troops to forcibly cross the sea, which is a dilemma.

"Could this be a diversionary tactic?" Shuichi muttered to himself. Once Minato left, Madara would have a chance to make his move, and he seriously doubted whether this was the real situation.

A few days later, the three members of Ishikawa Tatsuki's team were on patrol along the river as usual. They were feeling a bit tired because they hadn't encountered anyone else for a long time and were bored.

"Sigh, when will this war end?" Ishikawa Tatsuki sighed, and Asuma beside him also looked listless.

The war with Kirigakure has put Konoha in a very passive position, as the sea makes it difficult for them to counterattack, while their opponents can launch attacks at any time. Of course, this situation will soon change.

"We can only do our own job well, and the village should figure something out," Yūhi Kurenai comforted her.

Asuma smirked, thinking he'd look even cooler with a cigarette in his mouth, and casually remarked, "If only I could run into Mist Ninja sneaked into the Land of Fire, I could really show off my skills..."

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..." Heaven seemed to be very kind to him. Before he could finish speaking, a large number of ninja tools shot out from the side of the forest. Judging from the sound of the wind breaking, they were obviously very powerful.

Before he could even complain about Asuma's Crow, Ishikawa Tatsuki, as the team's main defensive force, immediately began forming hand seals. "Earth Release: Earth Release: Earth Return!"

The earthen wall rose just in time, and various Hidden Weapons struck it with a clanging and clattering sound. Seeing that they were being attacked, Hong did not hesitate to launch Signal flare into the sky. As the team's strategist, she felt that things were not so simple.

As expected, the enemy's offensive continued. Two bolts of lightning, mixed with numerous Hidden Weapons, swiftly blasted the earthen wall to smithereens.

The three members of the Ishikawa Tatsuki sensed something was wrong when they heard the crackling sound. Although the Lightning Release was no longer very powerful, a large amount of water rushed in afterward, forcing them to retreat quickly and eventually reach the surface of the water.

When Shuichi saw the support signal, he moved immediately. He rode the Ink Bird and swooped down from the sky. With his excellent eyesight, he saw three black dots being driven to the river surface by the current. Instead of using Flying Thunder God Technique, he pushed off in the opposite direction and crashed to the ground like a cannonball.

But Asuma and his companions' crisis was far from over. Kurenai, skilled in Genjutsu, also possessed keen senses; the moment she reached the water, she detected someone beneath her feet. "Watch out underwater! Get out of the way!"

"Splash..." As two people emerged from the water, Ishikawa Tatsuki and the other two scattered simultaneously. Their long-term training with Shuichi had given them reaction speeds that surpassed those of ordinary ninjas, preventing them from being instantly killed by the enemy.

Before he could even celebrate that his training had saved his life, a large number of figures rushed out from both sides of the riverbank, and a quick glance revealed more than a dozen people.

One of them was the first to approach Ishikawa Tatsuki, his gaping maw revealing a ferocious smile, as Kubikiribōchō down, about to cleave him in two.

Shuichi sensed something was wrong when he saw a large number of enemies appear, and his chakra surged wildly.

When Ishikawa Tatsuki was attacked, he first threw a Flying Thunder God Senbon at a speed that was invisible to others, towards the deserted area on the riverbank, and then immediately activated the Flying Thunder God and appeared in the field.

"Click!"

Shuichi raised his left forearm, which was wrapped in White Sand and looked thicker. The Kubikiribōchō struck it, making a strange sound that startled Juzō Biwa, who was making the move.

"What tremendous force!"

Even with the combined force of both hands and the weight of the Kubikiribōchō, the Purple Aurora couldn't be moved in the slightest, demonstrating the vast difference in strength between the two.

As Shuichi blocked the opponent's slash, his other hand moved like a phantom, and two Shadow Clones instantly appeared beside Asuma and Kurenai.

The Hidden Mist Ninja present were all on high alert upon witnessing such terrifying speed of technique casting and chakra control.

"The enemy is coming for me, and secondly, they may want to capture Asuma. It's possible that White Zetsu passed the information to Kirigakure. Is this Madara's doing?" Shuichi's mind was like lightning. After landing and completing his movements, he used his X-ray vision to see the situation clearly.

There are a total of 5 people underwater, plus all the enemies on the shore, making a total of over 20, all of whom are Chunin or above.

The two Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, hiding underwater and using Samehada, were definitely using it as a trump card against him. The other Hozuki Clan were probably trying to use their Water Transformation Secret Technique to entangle him and create an opportunity for the others.

As he was thinking these things, the enemy's attack didn't stop. Several Mist Anbu used Water Whip to bind Asuma, while a white-haired, sharp-toothed youth emerged from the water, extending his index fingers to aim at the Shadow Clone and Red, intending to pierce them directly.

"Water Release: Water Bullet!"

Shuichi had been watching his movements closely. The Shadow Clone X-ray vision, were unaware of the perilous situation. "Flash!"

Upon hearing the main body's command, the Shadow Clone beside Kurenai reacted instantly, lunging forward to grab her and activating the Flying Thunder God to escape. At the last second, it dodged the Water Bullet and reappeared on the riverbank at the Senbon Bridge.

Asuma's situation was rather dire. Shuichi's Shadow Clone tried to carry him away, but found that his chakra was rapidly depleting. At the last moment, he could only unleash the Chidori Stream to disperse the surrounding Water Whips before disappearing.

The Mist Anbu remained calm despite the Ninjutsu failing to work. Another group attacked again, sending a large number of Senbon followed by the clanging of iron chains flying in. It seemed they were determined to capture Asuma.

Meanwhile, Shuichi himself was being attacked from both sides. A Hozuki Ninja surfaced and launched a slashing attack, trying to kill Ishikawa Tatsuki along with him.

Suikazan Fuguki brandished Samehada and approached him, while even more Mist Ninjas swarmed in, each exuding murderous intent.