Encountering an Ambush

For example, if a normal person uses Chakra to assist their running, and their muscle speed is 20 kilometers per hour, they would need to expend 110 units of Chakra to reach 130 kilometers per hour. The two combined result in a speed of 130 kilometers per hour. Xing Ran is different; his muscle speed already reaches 90 kilometers per hour, so within the same timeframe, he only needs to expend 40 units of Chakra to reach 130 kilometers per hour, naturally reducing his Chakra consumption by a significant amount.

Although everyone had been traveling for a long time, Xing Ran, with his powerful stamina and recovery abilities, was still full of energy, completely a physical specimen.

It was also for this reason that his sensory ability and alertness were much stronger than his two Chunin teammates.

"Enemy attack! From the 9 o'clock and 1 o'clock directions, multiple shuriken, this is—Explosive Tags, evade!" Ever since Xing Ran graduated from the Ninja Academy, his role in the squad had been that of a Sensor Ninja. Those from the Yamanaka Clan were often very skilled in this, though Xing Ran's sensory ability was only average. However, since awakening his Superman-level auditory and visual abilities, his own original sensory capabilities had unexpectedly become much more effective.

Just as Xing Ran leaped over another treetop, habitually activating his super vision and hearing to observe, he heard a whistling sound through the air.

Combining his X-ray vision and super vision, he easily spotted the surrounding enemies through the dense leaves. At this distance, his original sensory ability would have absolutely been unable to detect the enemies this early. The newly awakened abilities were proving useful in actual combat for the first time, and Xing Ran hadn't expected them to be this kind of support-oriented ability.

Indeed, no ability is inherently strong or weak; being able to use it makes it a divine skill. To Yamaki Atsushi and Junpei, Xing Ran's ability to predict the attack so accurately and in advance was surprisingly impressive and reliable.

After all, in the ninja world, being able to react for even one second during a surprise attack was already a good situation, and to even know the enemy's attack method was like having a pay-to-win player guiding you through a dungeon; you could just strike a pose and let them handle everything.

Scatter!

The three people who had been traveling at a steady pace suddenly scattered behind trees according to the direction of the attack.

Immediately after, three explosions from the Explosive Tags rang out, completely destroying three spots along the three people's original path.

Near the explosions, a large number of shuriken were scattered haphazardly.

"Damn it, we've been discovered, Water Release: Water Colliding Wave." A furious voice echoed from the forest, followed by a torrent of water rushing through the trees. This was one of the basic Water Release ninjutsu, a C-rank jutsu, with the scale of the water flow varying depending on the amount of Chakra used.

Xing Ran had never fought an opponent like this before and couldn't determine what level of ninja could produce such a volume of water that covered their small forest. However, someone soon provided him with the answer.

"Not good, this volume! It's a Jonin, everyone be careful, there's more than one enemy..." Yamaki Atsushi's voice from afar hadn't even finished when the ground where Xing Ran stood began to shake violently.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall."

The others hidden in the shadows suddenly launched a combined ninjutsu, completely encircling the previous Water Release ninjutsu. They formed a wall of earth and stone, simultaneously trapping Xing Ran and his two companions. As the water level continuously rose, it instantly changed the landscape, forming a giant fish tank that confined the three of them.

"Quick, the enemy hasn't formed a complete encirclement yet, break through in the 6 o'clock direction." Xing Ran, with his super vision and hearing, understood their current predicament. Although they were trapped by ninjutsu, the enemy was still some distance away. As long as they could break the fish tank, they could escape.

What, why not escape from above the fish tank? That was the enemy's trap. As soon as they exposed themselves in the air, they would be met with a torrential downpour of attacks. In the air, unable to gain leverage, they would be nothing but targets.

If they tried to break out from above, perhaps only those who could briefly fly, like Xing Ran, could escape, while the others would die in the air.

"Earth Style: Earth Pillar Spear."

Upon hearing Xing Ran's warning, Yamaki Atsushi turned and unleashed an attack. An earth spike shot out, piercing the rock wall behind them. It not only broke through the fish tank but also used the surging water flow as a boost for Xing Ran and the others to accelerate their escape. Riding the water that rushed out of the gap, the three of them successfully broke out of the trap before the enemy could complete their encirclement.

"Don't engage, retreat!" Perhaps worried that Xing Ran, with his lack of combat experience, might misjudge the situation, Yamaki Atsushi urged Xing Ran to retreat as soon as they were free.

Xing Ran pouted. He hadn't planned on turning back to fight the enemy anyway. Others might not know, but he had clearly seen that the enemy had six people, double their number, and at least one Jonin. He had no intention of throwing his life away.

"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique."

After Junpei confirmed that all of them had escaped, he unleashed the ninjutsu he had prepared for a long time. This was an A-rank ninjutsu, not easy to learn, and even rarer to perform in actual combat. He didn't expect Junpei, who looked so ordinary, to have such a hidden trump card.

The Great Waterfall Technique made full use of the abundant water source at the scene, its power clearly amplified. Soon, the immense impact force scattered both friend and foe.

The three of them took this opportunity to flee.

Five minutes later.

"No pursuers, we should be safe." Xing Ran's role was that of a Sensor Ninja; he provided the squad with time to prepare before encountering enemies, and after escaping, he was responsible for counter-reconnaissance to ensure their safety.

"Rumble—" Just as Xing Ran finished speaking, thunder and lightning rumbled in the sky again. A falcon, nearly electrocuted, flew past Xing Ran's head with a cry of alarm.

"Whew, good thing you detected that in time, or we would have been in real danger. I didn't expect there to be Jonin-level enemies; this isn't the strength of ordinary bandits." Junpei seemed to have put all his skills into that Great Waterfall Technique and was now somewhat exhausted, leaning entirely on Yamaki Atsushi's back. However, his spirits were good, and he was still in the mood to analyze the enemy's origin.

"Who were they? Did you see how many there were?" Yamaki Atsushi was a man of action with few words, asking Xing Ran for information about the enemy.

"They looked like rogue Stone Ninja, but it should be the same situation as last time. Lord Naruto said they were disguised. There were six of them, at least one Jonin. Wait, damn it, they've found us." Xing Ran had only been answering Yamaki Atsushi's question when he trailed off, as his super vision and hearing detected the enemies they had just shaken off closing in on them again.

"What the hell do these bastards want! We shouldn't have left any traces here; I checked thoroughly." Junpei, though lacking stamina, had good eyesight. The three of them had meticulously covered their tracks on the way here, with him overseeing the counter-reconnaissance, ensuring that footprints and scents were masked.

To be continued, please recommend.