Ambush

It was not only Yahiko who fell into deep thought, but also Konan; the girl was more meticulous in her thinking.

Could Rasa also be a member of the Celestial organization? If so, what identity did he use within the Celestial organization?

Himura Kenshin, or perhaps that mysterious person who attacked the Iwagakure unit last time?

If Rasa were truly a member of the Celestial organization, and he was already the acting Kazekage of Sunagakure, then the strength of this organization was far too terrifying.

Who else in the Shinobi World could possibly be a member of the Celestial organization? Was the goal of these people, who manipulated the Shinobi World from the shadows, truly to maintain peace?

Yahiko and Konan walked in silence, repeatedly pondering these questions until they had tied themselves in knots.

The Land of Rain and the Land of Wind could be considered neighboring countries, with a border region between them that perfectly blended the climatic characteristics of both.

High temperatures, frequent rain, and dense forests created a climate similar to the tropical rainforests near the equator on Earth in his previous life.

Rasa had long since changed into a black outfit, draped in a red and black cloak, and wearing a conical hat; his attire was already a cut above that of ordinary ninjas.

After all, he did not need to dodge or weave when cutting people down; as a human artillery platform, clothing that might restrict movement would not affect his combat power.

Walking deep into the rainforest, his boots stepping over clumps of grass and through puddles of water, Rasa suddenly stopped and gazed ahead.

"What's wrong?" Yahiko asked, confused by Rasa's sudden halt.

"Three hundred meters ahead, from nine o'clock to three o'clock, there is an ambush.

There are about 35 to 40 people, at least three of whom are jonin, and the rest are all chunin."

Rasa said slowly, then continued to walk forward calmly, voluntarily stepping into the enemy's trap.

Yahiko and Konan were horrified. That someone would actually ambush them—with over thirty chunin and three jonin—was definitely not a force that an ordinary village could muster.

Admittedly, the entire Akatsuki organization combined could barely field a team of that size, but few would commit their entire force to a single operation.

In the Shinobi World, apart from that paranoid and radical Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, no other leader would carry out an operation with such high risk.

Most people calculated the possibility of defeat before victory, hedging the risks of mission failure within a controllable range.

What was most terrifying was that Rasa could detect the enemy's tracks from three hundred meters away. Given that the ambushers were intent on hiding and suppressing their chakra fluctuations, it was already remarkable for most ninjas to detect them from thirty meters away.

Thirty meters was the standard effective range for shuriken.

Yet Rasa had not only increased this distance tenfold but could also accurately state the enemy's position and general strength.

Yahiko did not doubt that Rasa was speaking without cause.

Konan suddenly thought of something, hurried to catch up behind Rasa, lowered her head, and whispered in a flustered tone: "Lord Rasa, please do not misunderstand.

The ambushers have nothing to do with us; we were unaware of this. We truly only wanted to invite you to the Peace Conference in the Land of Rain."

Yahiko then realized: if Rasa thought they were in league with the ambushers, what would happen? Wouldn't he just kill them both on the spot?

They had promised an invitation to a meeting, only to be ambushed halfway; it was a classic case of having mud land in one's trousers—you couldn't explain it away even if you wanted to.

Before Yahiko could explain, Rasa reached out his fingers to smooth back the hair on Konan's forehead that had become messy from their hurried pace, and patted her head.

He said softly: "Of course I know this is not your fault.

I suppose our whereabouts were inadvertently leaked. There are still quite a few people in the Shinobi World who want me dead.

Now, act as if nothing has happened and follow behind me."

"Mm."

Konan nodded gently, following obediently behind Rasa, step by step, her eyes scanning the surroundings without leaving a trace.

Yahiko felt a bit disheartened, not because Rasa had flirted with Konan, but because Rasa was about to be attacked while on his way to attend the Peace Conference.

What an ironic story. Was it truly impossible for people to understand one another?

Yahiko followed closely, looking forward to what would happen next. He hoped Rasa's perception was wrong, but no matter how he thought about it, that was impossible.

If it weren't true, would he have spoken so confidently about the enemy's specific numbers and position?

Since that was the case, being able to see how the legendary Magnet Release Rasa, a recently rising Kage-level powerhouse, dealt with enemies would at least fill a void of regret.

The goal of the Akatsuki organization founded by Yahiko was to strive for peace without resorting to extreme violence, rather than opposing violence itself; the difference between the two was like that between an international women's rights organization and a radical internet extremist.

Now that Rasa was being assassinated and was countering in self-defense, there was no problem with him slaughtering all the enemies; Yahiko could still distinguish right from wrong.

The three remained silent, and after walking another two hundred meters, the hearts of Yahiko and Konan were almost jumping out of their throats.

Death was not terrifying; what was terrifying was waiting for death.

Several times, Yahiko wanted to persuade Rasa to take another path, but remembering the rumors about Rasa's abilities—that he was a match for ten thousand—he gave up.

"They're here," Rasa said indifferently.

From the direction he had indicated, a dozen ninjas suddenly lunged out, with kunai, shuriken, senbon, and various ninjutsu flying through the jungle toward the three of them.

It was a volley of a thousand arrows.

Yahiko and Konan were horrified; the position was exactly as described. As for the discrepancy in numbers, there must still be some people continuing to hide.

A multi-stage attack was a common tactic for ninja squads, allowing them to launch a thunderous strike when the enemy reacted to the first wave.

It seemed they were not some ragtag group; they must be ninjas from a major power, organized and disciplined.

Electromagnetic Force spread out, intending to manipulate the various flying ninja tools, but the feedback was quite weak. Rasa frowned slightly; they were not made of metal.

Targeting me to such an extent? The Electromagnetic Force is capable of far more than just controlling metal; all things and phenomena can be manipulated by it, though my current ability is simply too low.

It matters not.

Rasa narrowed his eyes slightly as a torrential surge of chakra erupted, transforming into countless grains of Gold Dust that carpeted the earth beneath his feet, forming an ocean of gold.

Magnet Release: Gold Dust still has its uses for the time being; at the very least, with my current Electromagnetic Force, I cannot yet achieve the mutual conversion between energy and matter.

Electromagnetic Force, activate!

Endless Gold Dust rose, coalescing into a canopy that shielded the three of them, blocking every incoming assault. Ninja tools and ninjutsu bombarded the surface incessantly, yet they could only stir up the slightest of ripples.

Impenetrable.

Yahiko and Konan marveled inwardly at such formidable defensive power. Most importantly, it required no hand seals, repelling the enemy's attacks in the blink of an eye.

Their hearts were no longer in a panic; a strange sense of peace washed over them, as if standing behind this man meant there was no need to worry about any hardship or obstacle.

The ninjas who had ambushed Rasa hesitated, seeing their first wave of concentrated fire blocked perfectly; the high-density wooden ninja tools had failed to have any effect at all.

What should they do now?