Reinforcements!

The surging vines crashed toward them like a flood bursting through a dam. Even the earth seemed to groan, trembling without end!

Amid the sea of trees, a colossal purple skeletal warrior stood firm, roaring as it tore through tree after tree like a reef facing down the waves!

Beside the purple skeletal warrior, the roar of Rasengan explosions rang without pause!

Every blast sent a shock wave surging outward, scattering splinters through the air and slowing the rushing sea of trees!

On the other side.

The circular vortex of Rotation, the howl of the Eight Gates, and all manner of weapons—some familiar, others unrecognizable—made the entire battlefield seem like hell!

In the middle of the battlefield, Suigetsu, who had been calm and carried himself like a Jonin just moments ago, was now trembling like a quail.

"What kind of monsters are these?!"

He wailed inwardly.

If he had another chance, he would never pick a fight with these little brats from Konoha. He'd flee the Land of Hot Water and lie low like the other rogue ninja.

Shikamaru and the others felt the same way.

Back at the Ninja Academy, those prodigies had held back when sparring with one another. Now, in a foreign land, their competitive spirits seemed to have been unleashed all at once. The battle had grown so massive that the few of them were huddled together with nowhere to stand.

Ino asked, "Shikamaru, what do we do now?"

Shikamaru looked helpless. "Just wait!"

In a battle like this, there was nothing they could do. All they could do was wait quietly for the brawl to end. Fortunately, Yakumo and the others had kept clear of their side, so they hadn't been caught up in the fighting.

It wasn't just Shikamaru and the others in the