A Surprise Attack

"How... how could this happen?"

"Help!"

"Someone, please save me!"

"Run! It's an avalanche!"

Amid cries of panic, the Sand shinobi camp was flattened.

The truth was, the plan to attack from above had worked unexpectedly well. Bing San rode a massive block of ice down the mountain.

Learning from their last experience, Orochimaru had assigned Bing San a full twenty elite jōnin skilled in Wind Release.

The block of ice hurtled down Kikyo Mountain, which stood more than two thousand meters tall.

Nara Shikaku was frozen in place behind Bing San. He kept muttering, "Slow down, slow down! I'm going to die!"

The Wind Release jōnin behind them had gone glassy-eyed, their eyes full of spirals.

Even Aburame Torune, an elite jōnin, was trembling all over. Cold sweat poured down inside his ice armor, and he looked ready to shake apart.

When they were five or six kilometers from the camp, a white wave of snow came into view.

Within minutes, Bing San rode the block of ice down Kikyo Mountain, more than two thousand meters high, surfing the wind and snow.

The avalanche, more than forty meters tall, flattened everything that dared stand in its way.

The power of nature was truly something to behold.

Ebizo had just taken over the camp's defenses. He had spent his whole life at war, yet this was the first time he'd ever seen such a spectacular sight.

Ebizo's legs trembled, and he collapsed to his knees. "It's over. The Sand shinobi are finished. It's all over."

Bing San and the others barreled on for more than seventy kilometers, flattening two small villages and a hill along the way.

Toward the end, Bing San gritted his teeth and squeezed out every last drop of Chakra. Thin lines of blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, but he didn't even notice.

When Orochimaru arrived with the main force, even he was stunned.

Nothing could be seen below Kikyo Mountain. The place where the camp had stood was now a vast expanse of white.

When Orochimaru dug Bing San out of the snow, he had already lost consciousness.

Orochimaru looked at the unconscious group. Their bodies were flushed red and covered in blood vessels, with countless tiny wounds gaping open.

Several jōnin had died from internal bleeding, and the rest were in terrible condition.

Orochimaru gently stroked Bing San's head and murmured, "Why did you have to push yourself so hard?"

Orochimaru carried Bing San and the others back. At least the group of shinobi had been tough enough to survive.

An unlicensed rookie at the wheel—and not only had they broken the sound barrier, they'd been swerving all over the place. It was a miracle that the lousy vehicle hadn't crashed and killed everyone halfway there.

When Bing San woke up, he was in Konoha Hospital. Of the fifty-eight people who had gone up the mountain, only thirty-three had opened their eyes. Even Aburame Torune, an elite jōnin, had been so terrified by their speed that he tried to jump off. He ended up losing an arm.

Who knew what had happened to the guy? He was an elite jōnin, a top-tier figure in the Shinobi World, and yet he'd been scared out of his wits.

Because of his injuries, he'd fallen out of the elite jōnin ranks. Unless he had some extraordinary stroke of luck, he'd never climb back up.

Two Root Ninja and three ANBU had died from severe internal injuries.

A Wind Release jōnin and a Root Ninja assigned to protect Bing San had been lost along the way.

Among the others, some had died from the shock, some from lack of oxygen, and some from sheer terror.

Those who survived were all badly injured. Tanaka Hiroshi, the ANBU jōnin captain assigned to protect Bing San, had permanently lost the ability to be a ninja.

There was only one reason: he'd been scared out of his mind. Now, whenever he saw water or ice, he trembled, and any speed at all made him want to throw up.

By the time everyone woke up, more than a month had passed.

Bing San lay in bed as Asuma gesticulated wildly and talked for a long time. At last, he pieced together what had happened.

When Chiyo and Rasa arrived at the scene that day with their people, they were completely stunned.

More than eight hundred shinobi and all the supplies they'd gathered over the past month by robbing others had been buried in the snow.

For poor Chiyo, the blow was unbearable: her younger brother, Ebizo, had also been crushed to death in the snow. She went mad that very day.

That night, Chiyo led the Sand shinobi in a fierce assault on Konoha's camp, attacking for three days and three nights straight.

Orochimaru and Shin'nosuke Sarutobi held on with great difficulty. Fortunately, Fugaku Uchiha arrived with the Uchiha clan while transporting supplies; otherwise, the battle's outcome would have been uncertain.

The Sand shinobi's final assault failed, and they suffered heavy losses. Konoha's side was left in shambles too, and both sides withdrew to lick their wounds.

Seven days later, the Sand shinobi withdrew. Orochimaru's forces had suffered too many losses, and the weather was terrible, so they didn't pursue them recklessly.

The front against the Sand shinobi finally settled down, so Orochimaru sent the wounded shinobi back to Konoha to recuperate. Bing San and the others were sent back while still unconscious.

"Bing San, you're a hero of Konoha. The whole Shinobi World knows about you now. Your surprise-attack squad flattened the Sand shinobi camp and defeated them.

"Bing San, do you know? When the news came in, all of Konoha erupted with excitement. The old man even had an extra drink that day." Asuma shouted excitedly, drawing annoyed looks from those nearby.

Nara Shikaku threw an apple right at Asuma's face, making him yelp.

But the whole hospital room was filled with joy. The Sand shinobi no longer had the strength to fight, and whether to make peace or continue the war was up to the Third Hokage.

Another week later, Bing San could finally get out of bed. He hobbled out of the hospital and happened to run into his attending physician. The doctor, who wore small round glasses, had been specially chosen for Bing San by Orochimaru. He was Orochimaru's classmate, Hiruko.

Hiruko seemed a little insecure, timid and hesitant. But Bing San knew that this man would later create the Chimera Technique and was a brilliant scientist.

"Bing San, please don't move around. You still can't do any strenuous exercise." After speaking, Hiruko reached out and put an arm around Bing San.

Bing San said calmly, "Hiruko, I want to walk around and have a look. Help me walk a little."

Hiruko and Bing San left the medical unit together and walked along the streets of Konoha. The passersby hurried about, all looking pale and gaunt, their faces numb.

War brought people nothing but pain. At least, that was how things were in Konoha right now.

Just then, a woman dressed in Uchiha clothing walked toward the medical unit, carrying a small child.

The shinobi passing by all nodded to the woman in greeting. Bing San tilted his head, looking at her and the child in her arms.

"That's the wife of Fugaku Uchiha, the head of the Uchiha family. That's their child, too. I hear his name is Itachi Uchiha." After speaking, Hiruko straightened Bing San's coat, probably afraid he'd get cold. Bing San wasn't afraid of the cold, though. He was only afraid of the heat.

Bing San murmured, "He's already been born? Time really does fly."

Bing San had almost completely forgotten the memories he'd absorbed. After all, no matter how exciting someone else's life had been, it didn't leave as deep an impression. While Bing San was lost in thought, an ANBU appeared in front of him in a flash.

"Shimura Bing San, Lord Hokage requests your presence in the conference room at the Hokage Building." After speaking, the ANBU trembled, silent tears streaming down his face. He bowed to Bing San and said, "Thank you so much for what you did at the front. My elder brother and younger brother both died at Ebizo's hands. Thank you for avenging them."

Bing San weakly rose from the park bench and patted the man on the shoulder as he bowed.

The ANBU's faintly trembling voice made Bing San understand: some pain could only be released through blood.

Bing San tilted his head toward the sky and murmured, "All I wanted was to survive. What a cruel twist of fate!"