The Location of the Ore Vein

When the flames finally dispersed, everyone stared blankly at the wrecked metal husk on the ground, their heads mechanically turning towards Yamei.

"Ahem, well... I didn't know it would be this strong!" Yamei scratched his head.

This was the first time he'd used this Ninjutsu! That's why he got carried away and didn't control the amount of Chakra...

"..."

Everyone fell silent. What do you mean, you didn't know it would be this strong?!

Was that really necessary to discourage them so much!

"Ahem, well... let's hurry into the fortress and rescue Naruto!"

Only Yūhi Kurenai had some psychological preparation and wasn't shocked for too long. She quickly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention back.

They rushed into the fortress, but it was empty. It wasn't until they reached the top floor that they discovered a huge chamber was missing.

"No good! Shikamaru and the others are in danger!" Everyone immediately reacted and rushed out of the fortress.

A short while later, they found Shikamaru and his group lying on the ground, unconscious.

After waking them up, Shikamaru said with some helplessness, "Rank and Timsi were rescued. The old man was taken with them."

"Oh, and Naruto was there too."

"Shino, Kiba, can you track them?" Yūhi Kurenai quickly asked.

"Akamaru can smell their scent," Kiba replied with a nod.

Shino: "My insects can also continue tracking."

"Alright! Then let's hurry and follow!"

Everyone knew the urgency of the situation. Led by Shino and Kiba, they quickly pursued.

Inside a massive underground cave, Heide, Timsi, and the three great female knights walked slowly. Several soldiers followed behind them, along with a bound Naruto.

"You bunch of scoundrels! Let me go!" Naruto struggled and roared.

"Naruto, just stay put. Once I become stronger, you'll teach me those energy-using skills of yours, and I'll take you with me to build a perfect world," Heide placated Naruto.

"You wish! I will never agree to that!" Naruto fiercely refused.

What perfect world? After seeing the red book Yamei gave him, all other so-called ideal worlds were just lies!

Heide didn't care about this. He was very interested in Naruto's mysterious Ninjutsu and the power of Chakra, but Naruto wasn't cooperating.

However, once he obtained the power of the Gelel Stone mine, whether this kid cooperated with him or not wouldn't be up to him!

Heide's gaze shifted to Timsi, then to the old man behind him: "Thanks to you, Timsi, our perfect world is about to succeed."

"It is my duty, Lord Heide," Timsi said respectfully.

Heide nodded with satisfaction and looked at the elder: "Then, please, would you activate the Source of Life?"

The old man was silent, his gaze fixed on Timsi: "He needs to come with me."

Heide heard this and nodded, signaling Timsi to follow the old man.

The two walked to a pillar at the very front, and Heide's expression grew increasingly excited!

"So it's here!"

Suddenly, a few voices made his smile freeze. He turned his head and saw Yamei and the others arriving.

"You are Naruto's companions, aren't you?" Heide spoke calmly.

"Are you Heide?" Kakashi, as the commander for this mission, stepped forward.

"Hehehe, I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly," Heide sighed helplessly. "I was originally planning to find you after I obtained the Source of Life."

He was interested in the techniques on Naruto, so naturally, he was also interested in Yamei and the others.

However, Heide's face soon broke into a smile: "But it's good that you're here! It saves me the trouble of looking for you!"

Rumble!

As he spoke, the ground suddenly trembled, drawing everyone's attention. The pillar where Timsi and the old man were standing moved forward, separating from the corridor.

"What are you doing!?" Timsi stared at the old man with a grim expression.

"I will not allow you to awaken the Source of Life! I'm going to destroy it!"

With that, the old man stomped his foot, and the massive pillar, carrying the old man and Timsi, sank into the ground. At the same time, a thick stone slab covered it again.

Heide's expression changed. He quickly took out a book from his pocket and flipped through it several times: "There is no record of how to destroy the Source of Life in here!"

He angrily threw the book to the ground and slowly walked to the giant stone slab, punching it and destroying it.

"Deal with them quickly and follow us!" Heide said, and with a few soldiers behind him, he jumped into the deep pit.

"Damn it! Stop him!"

Kakashi cursed under his breath and was about to jump into the pit when a massive bolt of lightning suddenly struck in front of them, forcing them to take two steps back. They looked at Rank and the others with grim expressions.

"We are your opponents."

Rank, Camilla, and Feng Wai, the three female knights, transformed into monstrous humanoids and blocked their path with cold smiles. Several soldiers stood behind them, glaring menacingly.

"Rasengan!"

Furious energy drew everyone's attention. Naruto sent a soldier flying with a Rasengan and quickly moved to Kakashi and the others' side.

Rank, who had transformed into a giant ape, flashed his eyes, lightning crackling around him as an electric barrier suddenly appeared!

"Thunderous Lightning Roar!!"

The moment Rank launched his attack, Camilla simultaneously took flight, a cloud of pink smoke trailing behind her!

The last female knight, Feng Wai, was not to be outdone. Transforming into a werewolf, she unleashed waves of sound:

"Sonic Howl!"

The three of them attacked in coordination, catching everyone completely off guard.

Kakashi immediately unleashed his Wind Style Ninjutsu, continuously fending off the mist while dodging the lightning attacks. He pulled up his forehead protector, revealing his Three Tomoe Sharingan.

"Sasuke, Naruto, Choji, coordinate with me to deal with Rank!"

"Got it!" Sasuke and Naruto nodded, kunai in hand.

"Expansion Jutsu!"

Choji's body suddenly grew massive, colliding fiercely with the charging Rank!

On the other side, Ino, Hinata, Sakura, and Kiba were facing Feng Wai!

With the Byakugan's powerful perception and Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu for disruption, they fought with ease.

On the final battlefield, Shino controlled his insects, coordinating with Shikamaru to corner Camilla in the sky!

Yūhi Kurenai instantly broke through Camilla's Genjutsu and was about to take her down when Yamei's voice echoed in everyone's ears.

"You guys handle the ones above; I'll go below to stop them."

Hearing Yamei's words, everyone present felt a sense of relief.

With Yamei going down, they only needed to focus on dealing with these three enemies.

Kakashi and Yūhi Kurenai simultaneously eased their offensive slightly!

This was a valuable practical combat experience, and it would be a shame to miss it. It was the perfect opportunity to hone these young ones!