The Root Squad in close pursuit
A vast expanse of yellow sand swept across the sky, and the howling wind drowned out all other sounds; the Sandstorm, ironically, became the best camouflage for these ruins.
Beneath the low wall, three figures huddled together, whispering furtively.
Karin possesses Mind's Eye of the Kagura, allowing her to sense the immense chakra overflowing from the battle between those monsters instantly.
"The enemy has been stopped, what is there to be afraid of?"
"Kisame and Sasori might not go all out; once they show signs of defeat, they will definitely prioritize getting away."
Kimimaro frowned; he was not optimistic about the current situation.
Scorpion is very powerful, though others may not know it, but Kimimaro, as the chief disciple of Tōka, does know a little about it.
The Third Raikage, the Third Kazekage, the Third Tsuchikage, and the Fourth Mizukage.
Each of the Human Puppet possesses extremely strong combat power. Scorpion can control hundreds of puppets simultaneously, and even if all four Human Puppet are summoned, he can still handle them.
While Orochimaru, one of the Legendary Sannin Orochimaru, is strong, he is clearly inferior to Sasori.
Kimimaro was unaware that Orochimaru's Impure World Reincarnation was also extremely powerful.
In silence, the three of them pondered deeply.
"Yakumo, how much of a chance will your Genjutsu Trap hold those two off?" The disparity in strength between them in a direct confrontation is too great; Kimimaro decides to outsmart them.
Since we can't win, we'll stall for time!
Tōka has been inside the ruins for three days.
During this time, if Karin hadn't been able to sense that familiar chakra deep underground, the three of them probably would have already been unable to resist heading deep into the ruins to find Tōka.
Three days have passed; it should be out soon.
"It's said that Kakuzu five hearts, and he can use different chakra to change his disordered body. Genjutsu might not be effective." Yakumo's face was grim, and he was equally pessimistic about the current situation.
"Is that so..." Kimimaro frowned slightly upon hearing this.
Faced with absolute power, no schemes or tricks are effective; the feeling of being helpless is truly frustrating.
Just as the three of them were pondering other possible solutions with their heads down, Karin's expression suddenly changed.
"What's wrong?" Kimimaro and Yakumo were standing nearby and naturally noticed Karin's drastically changed expression. An ominous premonition immediately welled up in their hearts.
"Someone is approaching, quite a few people, about twenty in number. Judging from their chakra levels, they should all be Jonin!"
Upon hearing this, both Kimimaro and Yakumo's expressions changed drastically.
The two of them wouldn't question Karin's words. Twenty Jonin heading straight for them; even a fool could tell that this group was coming for them!
Such a grand undertaking, and within the Land of Wind, is something that only Konoha and Sunagakure would even consider.
The Sunagakure in the Land of Wind can be ruled out first.
Therefore, the person who came could only be Konoha Ninja!
"What should we do?" Karin and Yakumo both looked at Kimimaro, their faces filled with unease.
"How far are they from the Genjutsu Trap set by Yakumo?" Kimimaro asked in a deep voice, his calm demeanor slightly calming the two of them.
"At the current rate, the Genjutsu Trap will be triggered in about three minutes," Karin estimated in her mind, giving a fairly accurate answer.
"Three minutes? That's very close." Kimimaro muttered to himself, then turned and walked away.
The Battlefield can only be located near Genjutsu Trap!
Rustling...
More than a dozen dark figures darted swiftly across the yellow sand, their speed as fast as the passing Wind and Sand, howling past.
Sudden!
Puff puff puff!!
A sharp gust of wind whistled through the air, but in the howling gale, it was like a drop of water falling into the ocean, leaving no ripples.
However, as an elite member of Root, he still sensed something was amiss.
"Take cover!" A squad leader raised his fist and made a gesture, and the group of Elite Ninja behind him immediately slipped into the shadows.
On sand dunes or in soil and rocks.
Bang bang bang!!
A series of muffled explosions rang out as Bone Bullets pierced through the broken rocks in the sand.
"The pattern on the leaves... are they Konoha ninjas?" Kimimaro didn't approach, but instead stood in front of the Genjutsu, squinting at the figures moving in the distance.
"Unlike ordinary animal masks, these are ugly, monstrous masks belonging to the Root of Konoha."
Kimimaro pondered for a moment and then came up with an idea.
The swirling Sandstorm served as his best camouflage, deterring the enemy from advancing rashly if they couldn't ascertain the exact number of men lying in ambush.
It's absolutely impossible to move forward until we deal with him.
At the other end of the Genjutsu Trap, the four Root Squad dispersed, and just as Kimimaro had predicted, the twenty men were scattered and hidden in various areas of the sand.
Two of the men who appeared to be the commanders of this operation huddled together.
"Can the wind sense how many people are there?" Danzo's confidant, and one of the few elite members of Root, Aburame Torune low voice.
"There's only one enemy, but there seems to be a faint chakra fluctuation ahead. It's not a good sign."
Yamanaka Fu's strength is between that of Jonin and Elite Jonin. With the help of the Yamanaka Clan's Secret Technique, he can even fight against Kage Level opponent.
The Yamanaka Clan's Mind Body Switch Technique Secret Technique cultivates Yin Release power, which in turn gives rise to Genjutsu.
Although Yakumo's Kekkei Genkai is strong and its concealment is exceptionally powerful, Yakumo is still very young and her control over her Jutsu Formula is not yet perfect.
It was expected that the Genjutsu Trap would be detected by Yamanaka Fu.
"You've detected the Genjutsu Trap, haven't you? It's good to buy some time." Kimimaro gazed expressionlessly through the Genjutsu Trap at the shadowy figure flickering in the Wind and Sand.
Genjutsu Trap serve two main purposes: when the enemy is stronger than Kimimaro, they will not easily fall for them.
Of course, such a powerful individual would never rashly intrude before figuring out how to break the Genjutsu.
The primary function of Genjutsu Trap is to buy time.
Secondly, if the newcomer is not as strong as Kimimaro, then Genjutsu Trap will become a barrier to protect this ruin.
Even Kimimaro, who was almost invincible among his peers, would inevitably fall victim to Yakumo's three terrifying blood-stained Secret Technique.
However, just when Kimimaro thought things were still under control...
Chirp chirp chirp~~
A soft, ringing sound suddenly rang in my ears.
He subconsciously looked down, only to have his expression drastically change!
Hundreds and thousands of black rats scurried frantically towards him from his feet and in front of him, their dense, shadowy forms sending chills down his spine.
Kimimaro slowly raised one hand, and a cracking sound of bones breaking rang out from his fingertips.
Puff!
A piece of Finger Bones broke through the skin and flesh and shot straight away.
Snap! All the little mice in a straight line were strung together into a gourd.
"Ink?" Kimimaro was slightly taken aback. It was not unusual for all sorts of strange Ninjutsu to appear in this vast world, but these rats were clearly some kind of reconnaissance Secret Technique.
The little mouse is only the size of a thumb, small and agile, and extremely fast.
After noticing Kimimaro and making a few squeaking noises, the swarm of rats scattered like birds and beasts.
The dense black dots receded like a surging tide; as long as even one rat that had detected the intelligence escaped, the mission was accomplished.
"Have we been discovered?" Kimimaro his lips, a hint of seriousness appearing on his usually slab-like face.
Genjutsu are mysterious and silent, relying on surprise; they are most effective when activated when the enemy is unprepared.
Now that the enemy has noticed the unusual nature of this place, Genjutsu Trap can no longer achieve their intended effect of striking first.
Kimimaro, expressionless, exuded a massive amount of chakra, as the Yang Release seal between his eyebrows was released.
The Yang Release power sealed within Tōka was intended to delay Kimimaro's life loss when using the Shikotsumyaku.
At this moment, Kimimaro couldn't care less about anything else.
"As long as I stand, you shall not take another step forward," Kimimaro thought to himself, his eyes devoid of sorrow or joy, only displaying a calm indifference.
Gaa gaa gaa...
As chakra surged forth like a tide, Kimimaro's skin gradually turned an unhealthy pale, and his strong bones broke through the flesh to expose his bones.
Kimimaro's body suddenly swelled up, looking like a balloon about to burst.
Sudden!
The cracked skin revealed layers of pale bone, like sturdy armor worn beneath the skin.
At the same time, bright white Bone Spur stood upright on Kimimaro's arms, chest, back, and even the front and back of his calves.
Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Larch!
By utilizing the Kekkei Genkai the Shikotsumyaku, dozens of bones can grow on the body, allowing for high defense that can withstand impact while also striking the opponent in close-quarters combat.
Swish, swish, swish!
A dozen or so kunai with Explosive Tag attached to their tails Kunai the air; Genjutsu could trap ordinary people, as well as ninjas.
But this did not confuse the dozen or so Kunai that shot towards them.
The sizzling smell of burning food filled the air, Kimimaro seemed unaware of the approaching danger, and simply slowly raised his arm.
Puff puff puff!!
The fingertip bone broke through the skin and flesh and emerged, followed by more than ten other Bone Bullets out.
A series of clanging and banging sounds rang out as all the Kunai that shot through the air were deflected, and the Explosive Tag tied to Kunai tails exploded at that moment.
The deafening roar continued, sending sand and dust flying everywhere.
"Yakumo's Genjutsu Trap aren't so easy to break." A cold glint flashed in Kimimaro's eyes.
Just as expected!
As the Explosive Tag detonated, the two squads of eight Elite Ninja swiftly broke through the yellow sand and rushed straight into the Genjutsu Trap set by Yakumo.
"Huh? Nobody here?" A member of the Root Squad with a bluish-green face looked around but didn't detect anyone's presence.
"We clearly detected someone here just now, there can't be no one here, everyone be careful!" The other man with the black face had an even stronger aura, clearly the leader of the two squads.
As soon as the black-faced man finished speaking, the two Elite Squad of eight ninjas quickly dispersed, forming pairs to support each other.
Standing within the illusion array, Kimimaro could clearly see the ninjas moving around him.
"As expected of Yakumo's Genjutsu, it completely concealed my presence, and the surrounding illusion posed no obstacle to me whatsoever."
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed, and he flicked out his bone sword. He had to kill all of them as quickly as possible!
Puff!
Bone Spur pierced his chest, and fresh blood flowed down the bright white bone, filling the air with the stench of blood.
The Root Squad members nearby immediately noticed the unusual situation.
At that moment, a cold, eerie female voice rang out.
"Nightmare Genjutsu!"
Trapping the enemy in an illusion, where they are completely unable to use Ninjutsu, is similar in effect to Tōka's Sage Art: Five Dragon Forbidden Domain.
However, the underlying principles are completely different.
Yakumo accurately pinpointed the locations of the two Root Squad members through Karin's senses.
The moment they entered the Genjutsu, they were already under Yakumo's control.
"Fire Release..."
"Secret Technique..."
When Kimimaro killed two Root ninjas from one group, two people from the nearest other group immediately formed hand Hand Seals, preparing to unleash Ninjutsu to kill Kimimaro.
But...
Buzz!
The Mask-faced Ninja took a deep breath, gathering his chakra in his chest. Just as a burst of intense heat was about to escape his lips, he suddenly found that the flame at the edge of his mouth had abruptly gone out!
"Ninjutsu cannot be activated?"
Both of them were stunned. Not only could they not activate ordinary Fire Release Ninjutsu, but they could not even activate the other person's Secret Technique!
Kimimaro's body swayed, and he appeared between the two of them.
He crouched down, Bone Spur pierced straight into their lower abdomens, blood flowing freely and staining Kimimaro's white hair red.
"A duel between ninjas cannot tolerate even a moment's distraction."
Sizzle!
Kimimaro withdrew his hand, drew his bone sword, and leaped high into the air. Thud thud thud... a series of Shuriken pierced through the air and attacked.
It landed right at Kimimaro's feet.
The dust was stirred up by the rapidly spinning Shuriken, revealing a clearly visible outline, but within moments countless more grains of Wind and Sand gathered and buried it.
Invisibility?
"Wait, that guy's presence has vanished again!"
"What should we do? Should we exit first?"
The two scattered squads quickly regrouped. Looking at the corpses of the two ninjas lying on the sand, the black-faced squad leader's aura became even colder.
An enemy you can't touch or see; you can only sense their presence the moment they strike.
In this situation, retreat is the best option, but...
"No, we can't retreat. Leaving two people behind without any intelligence" the dark-faced man shouted at the group preparing to leave.
"But Captain, we can't spot the enemy. What should we do?" one of the team members asked tentatively.
"We can send out decoys!" The squad leader, wearing a black Oni Mask, coldly swept his eyes over the group.
The ninjas who were seen immediately looked away; no one wanted to be bait, especially such dangerous bait.
The black-faced squad leader squinted, his gaze finally settling on a slender figure.
"You, go ahead and scout out the way out." The ninja who was called upon paused, but reluctantly obeyed and left the group.
Amidst the swirling yellow sand, a chilling aura permeated the air; the seemingly light Wind and Sand concealed a cold, deadly intent.
Rustling...
As the Root Squad members moved forward, Kimimaro, hidden in the shadows, also gripped his pale bone sword tightly.
The battle is about to begin...