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After the smoke from the explosion cleared, only scorched earth remained.

Was the ambush a failure?

Tsuchiya Sanzo stared coldly at the large courtyard, raising his arm to signal the surrounding ninjas to be on guard. He twitched his nose slightly, catching a faint scent of blood mixed with the smell of burning, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Go!"

With his command, he didn't intend to give Orochimaru and his group any room to breathe.

Following his order, numerous enemy ninjas transformed into shadows in the night, leaping over the high walls.

On the street outside the wall, Bei Xingye clutched his bloody right leg, his face contorted in pain. Just as Kushina thought of healing him, she saw enemy ninjas leaping from the wall, her expression changing.

In this planned ambush, Ye Zi, Kushina, Kotoha, and Orochimaru managed to dodge the attack with their quick reactions. However, Bei Xingye and Miki were not so lucky; both suffered severe injuries to their legs. It wasn't a matter of physical fitness, but simply that their reactions weren't fast enough.

Orochimaru's gaze swept coldly over the pursuing enemies. He immediately suspected that this ambush might have been orchestrated due to a leak of information. But he had no time to dwell on it. He glanced at Miki and Bei Xingye, who had lost their mobility, and frowned deeply.

This was the most perilous situation in a deep penetration assassination mission: being surrounded and having injured teammates. Generally, abandoning injured teammates was the best option, and at this moment, he entertained the thought.

Swish, swish, swish!

The pursuing enemies immediately spotted the injured Miki and Bei Xingye and unceremoniously threw kunai at them.

"Gather together."

Orochimaru shouted coldly and quickly formed hand seals.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall Jutsu!"

A thick earth wall erupted from the stone and brick, instantly forming a semi-circular barrier that enveloped Ye Zi and the others. Numerous projectiles struck the earth wall, creating a series of clinking sounds.

"You guys go, don't worry about us." Miki gritted his teeth, looking at them. They had truly fallen into a trap this time. The opponent clearly knew of their presence and had prepared an unexpected ambush. The Yomi Marsh combined with Explosive Tags wasn't meant to kill, but to cripple. The enemy had succeeded, so he was prepared to stay behind.

Bei Xingye, sweating profusely from the pain, trembled slightly at Miki's words. He lowered his head, hiding the fleeting panic in his eyes. He didn't want to stay; staying meant death. He opened his mouth, but only his lips moved silently.

If he spoke, he might implicate the others.

He lacked Miki's decisive resolve and feared death, but because he didn't want to burden the others, the words remained stuck in his throat.

Bei Xingye's silence stood in stark contrast to Miki's resolve.

However…

"We can't!" Kushina and Kotoha said in unison.

Kotoha couldn't abandon her father, and Kushina couldn't abandon Bei Xingye.

Orochimaru looked at the earth wall and said coldly, "Do you want to stay and die together?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the earth wall protecting them let out a thunderous roar. After a violent tremor, it split in two.

Orochimaru's pupils constricted slightly. He looked at the Rock Ninja leading the enemy in front of him and said calmly, "Tsuchiya Sanzo."

"Orochimaru," Tsuchiya Sanzo said, his eyes cold as he looked at Orochimaru, then at the injured Miki and Bei Xingye. A smirk played on his lips as he said coldly, "I'm not confident I can keep you here, but they are dead for sure."

Orochimaru fell silent upon hearing this. If Tsuchiya Sanzo hadn't been among the enemies, he might have fought back. But seeing Tsuchiya Sanzo, he felt he didn't have much of a chance.

The intersections on both sides of the street were now crowded with soldiers wielding weapons. Ninjas were gathered on the wall in front and the rooftops behind. At this moment, they were like turtles in a jar.

Zzzzzz…

A sound like chirping birds suddenly broke the deep silence of the night.

Ye Zi, crackling with lightning, silently drew the blade hanging at his waist and pointed it forward, asking, "Stay or go?"

He was asking Orochimaru.

If Orochimaru said go, then they had to go, because staying meant death.

If Orochimaru said stay, then they would stay, because they might not die.

If they could only go, he would abandon Bei Xingye without hesitation. Although he would feel apologetic, compared to death, an apology was just a hollow space with a missing piece, never of great importance to him.

Orochimaru didn't want the mission to fail. He glanced at Ye Zi, his mind racing. He said in a hoarse voice, "Stay. Kushina and Kotoha will stay to protect. I will distract Tsuchiya Sanzo. Ye Zi, you go assassinate Haihara."

He paused and continued, "Don't push yourself."

A flicker of hesitation crossed Ye Zi's eyes, but it quickly vanished. He gripped Raiya tightly, his figure shooting through the night sky like lightning, piercing the darkness and heading towards the wall.

"You wish!" Tsuchiya Sanzo's eyes widened. Just as he was about to stop Ye Zi, he saw Orochimaru bite his thumb, his expression changing instantly. He ordered other ninjas to stop Ye Zi, then bit his own thumb.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

"Summoning Jutsu!"

With two voices sounding from front and back.

A massive cloud of white smoke suddenly erupted on the street, and two colossal dark figures flickered within the smoke.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind easily dispersed the white smoke, its residual force nearly extinguishing the surrounding torches. It was caused by the tail of a giant snake swinging.

It was Orochimaru's summoned beast – Manda.

On the other side, Tsuchiya Sanzo's summoned beast was a giant lizard covered in rocky bumps.

They each stood atop their summoned beasts, towering over the rest.

The soldiers lining the streets, weapons in hand, watched the two colossal monsters, frozen in fear.

"Orochimaru, it seems you're in quite a predicament," Manda hissed, its cold eyes sweeping across the scene. It flicked its greedy tongue and said chillingly, "Don't forget our agreement. This time, I want double."

Orochimaru replied indifferently, "If you have the ability."

"Tch," Manda snorted, turning its gaze to the giant lizard.

Neither side made a move immediately. Because their summoned beasts were so massive, any movement was like an earthquake, easily capable of harming their own allies.

Tsuchiya Sanzo stood atop the lizard's head, arms crossed, staring coldly at Orochimaru. He said sternly, "Haihara has my three students protecting him. Are you sending that brat in alone to die?"

"Heh heh..."

Orochimaru glanced at Ye Zi, who was charging into the wall, and said with anticipation, "We shall see."

***

"Earth Style: Rock Prison Jutsu!"

Just as Ye Zi broke through the wall, a cold shout echoed, and the ground beneath his feet began to tremble.

Ye Zi's eyes narrowed, and he immediately leaped. With a boom, several stone walls erupted from the spot where he had been standing, intertwining tightly. Had his reaction been a moment slower, he would have been crushed into a pulp by the rocks.

"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"

While Ye Zi was still in mid-air, the rock ninjas, under Tsuchiya Sanzo's command, rushed over. Seeing Ye Zi leap into the air to evade the Rock Prison Jutsu, they unhesitatingly launched their attacks at him.

Seven or eight dragon heads made of earth and mud tore through the air, lunging at Ye Zi.

Ye Zi retracted his blade with his backhand and calmly formed hand seals.

Boom!

The earth dragons bit down on Ye Zi simultaneously, exploding into a shower of mud in the air.

"Did we hit him?" Several ninjas who had launched the Earth Dragon Bullet Jutsu stared intently at the scattered mud in the air. Just as they spoke, a buzzing sound reached their ears.

"Careful!"

One ninja saw lightning crackling at the edge of his vision. He only had time to shout a warning before his throat was slit.

After swiftly killing an enemy, lightning seemed to dance in Ye Zi's eyes. Up close, this was his domain.

"Scatter." Seeing Ye Zi's terrifying speed, the leading ninja issued the correct command. But in the very next second, Ye Zi appeared before him.

"You..." The ninja's eyes widened in terror.

Ye Zi, expressionless, plunged Raiya into his heart.

Before dying, the ninja realized that this young man's strength was immense, so strong that they were utterly incapable of dealing with him.