The sudden scene made the Rock Ninja and Sand Ninja present go pale.
"Retreat!"
The Rock Ninja in charge of the squad shouted in a low voice.
However, even with his order, the branches spread too quickly for them to escape.
"Thwack!" "Thwack!" "Thwack!"...
In the blink of an eye, several Rock Ninja who hadn't dodged in time were struck by the thick branches. Their bodies slammed into the ground, and they went still.
The Rock Ninja who had narrowly evaded the sudden attack hurriedly took refuge on distant tree trunks. They glanced at the wreckage shrouded in dust, still shaken, their faces deathly pale.
The rest of the Rock Ninja looked equally grim, staring intently at the dust-filled area.
Within the area defended by the thick trees that had suddenly surged up from underground, the surviving Konoha Ninja stared up in shock at the massive, dragon-like trees before them.
"W-what is this!?" a young Konoha Ninja stammered.
"I don't know, but there's no doubt about it—Ninja from the village must have come to save us!"
A slightly older Konoha Ninja beside him spoke up, making a fairly composed guess.
The other Konoha Ninja also stared in shock at the thick trees that had saved their lives, unsure what to make of them.
As the dust slowly cleared, the scene gradually came into focus for everyone.
In the pale moonlight, at the center of the field where countless trees had burst up from the ground, a huge, semicircular cage made of thick trunks sheltered the Konoha Ninja.
Deep marks from the earlier attacks by the Rock Ninja scarred the sturdy trunks.
A tall figure standing not far from the wooden cage came into view of the Rock Ninja.
"Look over there!"
The Rock Ninja in the distance paled and hurriedly