Don't Come Over!!!

Nara Motonari's planning had secured an absolutely favorable tactical position for Konoha, and the ad-hoc squad formed by Yamada Soji and Akimichi Todo had indeed successfully eliminated the formidable Sand Ninja infiltrators.

However, this did not mean that every other team could smoothly complete their pursuit missions.

Facing this ultimate game of life and death, the slightest interference from an unexpected factor could reverse the outcome, not to mention that the Sand Ninja participating in this mission were mostly seasoned experts with impressive combat prowess. From a rational perspective, the occurrence of an extreme counter-kill was not actually strange.

--What truly surprised Yamada Soji was the location where the distress signal had been sent.

The tacit understanding between Soshi and Todo had allowed their battle to reach a swift conclusion.

Even counting the preceding pursuit and probing, the site of the clash was only a kilometer or two away from Rock-Pipit Desolate City, just past the riverbank with its clear line of sight and into the dense forest cover.

In other words, in terms of troop strength, the Konoha ninja—who had not yet fully dispersed—possessed an absolute numerical advantage in this vicinity.

If one were to think from the perspective of the Sand Ninja, even if the fugitives had the confidence to counter-kill their pursuers, they should have prioritized widening the distance and only sought battle after the personnel were sufficiently scattered.

To provoke a fight in such a hurried manner was no different from giving the Konoha side ample time to provide support; if luck were poor, it might even draw in Nara Motonari, who had been slaughtering everyone in his path. That was practically suicide!

Soshi could not fathom the logic behind it.

But as someone who truly upheld a materialist worldview, the youth knew well that one must always modify theory to fit reality, rather than twisting reality to fit theory.

Therefore, no matter how many thoughts raced through his mind, the only choice he could actually make was to immediately commit to support!

--Todo was right beside him; if he hesitated now, it would be the same as branding himself a coward.

Soshi certainly understood the risks of providing support, but during this critical period of accumulating political capital, he was even less willing to leave behind a stain that could be criticized by others.

"Move! 7 o'clock direction, distance approximately 600!"

"Understood!"

Pulling himself together, the duo that had just finished a life-and-death struggle immediately closed in on the second battlefield.

Compared to his anxious state of mind when supporting Nara Motonari earlier, Soshi, who was once again actively approaching danger, appeared significantly calmer than before.

He realized that there was a possibility the teammate who had sent the distress signal had already been killed by the Sand Ninja. Therefore, as the commander of this temporary squad, the youth specifically adjusted their route while traveling, cutting diagonally into the depths of the forest to approach the incident site, thereby blocking the enemy's path of retreat.

However, the development of events once again exceeded the youth's expectations.

As they rapidly closed in on the battlefield, the traces left by the previous struggle became increasingly dense!

This meant that both sides had been fighting along a path completely opposite to the direction of flight, and the combat zone was gradually moving toward Rock-Pipit City.

This was undoubtedly very strange.

Because if the Sand Ninja held the upper hand, they would have no reason to move toward the center of the encirclement while knowing they were being ambushed.

Conversely, if the Konoha side held the advantage, they would have no need to release a distress signal.

The two men currently executing the reinforcement mission were racing against time, and Soshi had no leeway to discuss these irrational details with the chubby boy.

But as the contradictory clues continued to mount, it caused the youth to silently raise his vigilance to the maximum!

He consciously began to adjust his chakra circulation mode, preparing everything for the trump card he had only recently learned from Nara Motonari.

"Enemy intentions unclear, maintain vigilance!"

"Yes!"

His palms were sweating, his heart racing.

While Soshi reminded his teammate, he was also using this form of psychological suggestion to help himself focus, terrified of missing any slight movement in the surroundings.

As their pace continued to quicken, the dense forest was soon left behind them.

On a pitch-black riverbank, only the starlight reflected by the Amber River provided a faint light source for the bloody slaughter.

Soshi squinted, vaguely seeing an intense, close-quarters brawl unfolding beside a pile of boulders!

The tall, muscular figure on one side had streamlined muscles bulging all over his body, and every transition of movement brought with it a strange, frame-skipping illusion.

That rapid offensive, which exceeded the comprehension of ordinary people, suppressed his opponent to the point of being completely overwhelmed; often, after one or two sparks-flying clashes of blades, a blood-stained wound would be left on the opponent's body.

If he were in that position, Soshi did not believe for a second that he had the ability to survive two rounds under the Muscle Man's rapid assault, so almost the moment he made this judgment, he slammed on the brakes.

But the next second, the youth's heart was shrouded in new doubt.

--He himself was certainly no match for the muscular man, but that Konoha ninja, who was struggling to hold on, was also continuously weakening as his injuries worsened. By all logic, a struggle of such high intensity should have been decided long ago!

Yet, the side at a disadvantage had not only failed to fall, but even the frequency of his injuries remained constant. It was as if the Muscle Man's attack intensity was self-adjusting in response to the changes in his opponent's strength.

Combined with the previous string of irrational signs, the seeds of doubt began to take root and sprout in Soshi's mind!

He began to suspect: could the "precarious" Konoha ninja be a trap disguised by the enemy using a Transformation Technique?

Or perhaps the Muscle Man had used some peculiar technique that required maintaining the battle in this bizarre form?

If that were truly the case, blindly intervening in the battle was definitely not a wise move.

Soshi, who usually gave his enemies a "first-move kill," had no intention of falling into a similar predicament. At least until he figured out the specific principles, Yamada-kun—with his fragile build and short health bar—could not risk his own life.

But within the few seconds he spent thinking of a countermeasure, the situation on the field changed once again!

--Akimichi Todo lunged forward rapidly, striking with ferocity!

...All of fate's gifts were indeed marked with a price in the dark.

Having just enjoyed the convenience of a two-on-one, the moment he turned around, Soshi was forced to bear the drawbacks of team combat!

"He can't hold on! Cover me!"

"Wait... don't!"

Before the words of persuasion could even finish, the anxious Todo had already surged his chakra, causing his entire body to swell under the effects of the Multi-Size Jutsu.

Perhaps the experience of instantly killing the Head-Wrapped Man moments ago had given him the courage to face the enemy head-on; without even waiting for Soji to formulate a strategy, Todo launched his Meat Tank and hurtled directly toward the Muscle Man!

In an instant, the rapidly rolling ball of flesh shoved aside the gravel at his feet, charging toward the two entangled figures with an unstoppable, overwhelming momentum!

The grinding "clatter" combined with the slight tremors felt beneath his feet rendered Todo's assault with extreme grandeur!

Even the worried Soji couldn't help but feel a flicker of anticipation for the destructive power of the Akimichi secret arts.

Yet, bafflingly, the Konoha ninja caught in the fray did not take the opportunity to break free and avoid the path of the Meat Tank; instead, he chose to endure a blade to his abdomen, wrapping his arms tightly around the Muscle Man as if determined to drag him down into the grave together!

"Don't come over!!"

"Run!!"

The blood-choked roar echoed across the riverbank!

In the next heartbeat, the Muscle Man abandoned his previous style of dragging out the fight and snapped the ninja's throat!

Following that, the man turned, raised his hand, and actively met the unstoppable, massive ball of flesh head-on!