Iwagakure Corps

Arata felt somewhat uneasy.

It was not physical discomfort, but a feeling.

It was like being in a light sleep with an irritating fly constantly buzzing by his ear.

Several times, he used Tekuno's chubby body as cover to search the surroundings, yet he found nothing.

There were undoubtedly only two possible reasons for this: first, his nerves were too tense, creating an illusion. After all, no one could endure such prolonged, uninterrupted missions. Second, the watcher was simply too powerful, possessing scouting abilities comparable to the Hyuga's Byakugan!

Naturally, Arata leaned toward the latter.

He trusted his instincts.

The light suddenly intensified as they moved. They were about to leave the forest!

"Captain."

Still unable to identify anything unusual, Arata decided to proceed cautiously and suppressed the unease in his heart.

After all, in this squad, the only one with more combat experience than him was Hayama Shirakumo. That plump Tekuno was fairly good at setting up defenses, but he lacked in other areas.

As for Kimura Kai, also a Genin, he had completely become dead weight after Arata's arrival and rarely spoke.

Hearing him, Hayama immediately made a hand signal to halt the squad.

The Sharingan was the eyes of this team. He could not ignore its owner's words.

Of course, even if Kimura Kai had spoken up, he would have done the same. That was the greatest difference between Shirakumo, a Jonin, and the ninja who had previously led them.

Powerful, dependable, and good at listening to his comrades' opinions.

"This forest doesn't feel right to me," Arata said quietly.

"The forest? Not the plains?"

Hayama Shirakumo's expression tightened slightly.

They were currently at the edge of the forest. They had already crossed the area where danger might have been concealed, and their next step was to traverse the plains before them, not return to the forest.

"What did you find?"

Still, out of caution, he asked.

Arata shook his head.

If he could find the clue behind that uncomfortable feeling, he would have already gone to eliminate the source of danger.

Besides, the Sharingan could not conduct ultra-long-range scouting like the Byakugan.

"Murakami Kai, what about your sensing?"

Captain Shirakumo turned his gaze toward the team's original scouting ninja.

The young man being questioned was clearly startled. He quickly closed his eyes and continuously spread his spiritual energy outward.

Arata's arrival had made him nearly forget his original responsibilities.

"I found nothing."

A moment later, he opened his eyes and replied.

"Keep moving forward. Withdraw immediately once we finish scouting."

"Murakami Kai, don't belittle yourself and rely on your companions for everything. Arata isn't omnipotent either."

Having received his response, Hayama Shirakumo ultimately chose to put the mission first. That was also the mindset of many older-generation ninja: absolute obedience to orders from above.

At the same time, he took the opportunity to remind this low-profile companion.

"Yes, Captain Shirakumo."

The quiet Murakami Kai's cheeks reddened slightly, and he dared not slack off again.

"Move out. I'll take point. Arata, follow me. Tekuno, cover the rear. If we encounter danger, retreat immediately and run toward where we laid our traps."

Just as they set off again, an inconspicuous black insect fluttered its wings and flew up.

Traveling across the plains felt far worse than moving through the forest. Though the ground was flatter, grass only waist-high could not conceal the squad's figures.

Even if they lowered their bodies or crawled forward, as long as the enemy occupied high ground, the swaying grass would expose everything.

For example, from Iwagakure's current vantage point!

A voice came from an inconspicuous rock.

[Earth Style: Rock Stealth Technique]: Uses rocks and soil to conceal and move. The user can travel freely through rock walls.

"So it really is Hayama Shirakumo and Arata Uchiha. The intelligence was correct."

"Then let's do it! There's no need to delay any longer. They should be about to enter the Sharingan's detection range."

"Hehehe, Blood Asura Arata? Those Kirigakure trash really think too highly of the Uchiha. Let's teach him a proper lesson!"

Blue!

Everything was blue!

It was not the sky falling to the earth, but countless Earth Release ninja lurking beneath the ground!

"Run!"

Arata suddenly roared.

Yet he himself did not flee at once. He wanted to see just how many enemies were lying in wait.

Besides, when it came to speed, not even assassination-specialist Kirigakure could match him and his Body Flicker Technique!

Hayama Shirakumo did not hesitate. He instantly retreated, even carrying along Murakami Kai, who was still frozen in shock. Tekuno was half a beat slower, but he still demonstrated what it meant to be an agile fat man.

However, the enemy's assault came too quickly!

By the time the ground was torn open, countless Iwagakure ninja had already completed their hand seals.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow!"

Their unified chant erupted in an instant. The ground shattered, and a torrent descended.

The Earth Flow created by more than a hundred people was like a world-destroying divine punishment sent down by the gods, rapidly swallowing every living thing upon the earth.

And this was open plains. There was nowhere to gain leverage or evade!

This was the power of the Iwagakure Corps!

Hayama Shirakumo's expression was grave, but he still fled at full speed with Murakami Kai in his arms. Given his strength, if he threw aside the burden he carried, he might have had a chance to escape.

As for Tekuno, not a trace of color remained in his face. His chubby body rolled and ran frantically across the plains as he cursed those damned Iwagakure ninja in every direction.

"Captain, leave me behind!"

Kimura Kai twisted his body. In his field of vision, the raging torrent was already close. If this continued, they would all die!

Leaving him behind was the correct choice.

Once the captain and the others escaped into the forest, they would at least have somewhere to gain leverage.

Yet Hayama Shirakumo did not answer. He continued sprinting forward alone, even as the deafening roar closed in around him!

At that moment, he did not think about why so many Iwagakure ninja had appeared. He only regretted not listening to Arata's instincts.

But where was Arata now?

He remembered that when Arata gave the warning, he had not fled immediately. Could that guy have no means of escape either? In an instant, overwhelming guilt surged through him.

But at that moment, a familiar voice sounded by his ear.

"Captain, blast a hole in the ground."

It was Arata!

For some reason, the moment Hayama Shirakumo heard that voice, he felt an inexplicable urge to rely on him.

Perhaps it was because of the reputation Arata had only recently earned.

Perhaps it was because of his refusal to abandon his companions.

Or perhaps it was the approval that had somehow formed over these past dozen days!

In any case, he immediately drew his sword.

"Vacuum Sword!"

Surging wind-nature chakra erupted in that instant, and the soft ground was instantly torn open into a pit large enough for four people to stand in.

Almost at the same moment, Arata appeared behind the three of them. With both hands pressed against the ground, he roared, "Earth Release, Earth Style: Earth Wall."

As his words fell, a hard stone barrier instantly surrounded and sealed the pit. Guided by Arata's chakra, it was tilted at an angle to disperse the force.

"Boom!"

The dull impact echoed through the rock into the narrow shelter. As gravel shook loose, the air grew thin.

But on the utterly exposed plains, this was the only method he could think of.

Besides, the true danger they faced was not the collapse of the barrier or the increasingly thin air, but four people standing against an Iwagakure corps nearly a hundred times their number!