Beneath the Ground

Underground.

Rukawa Oguri estimated the time, opened his eyes, and looked at his teammate, Kawatani Mori.

Kawatani Mori was a Jonin and the sensory ninja on their squad. Inside Konoha's defensive line, the burden on him was heavy. He had to sense the area every five minutes to avoid running into enemies.

So Rukawa Oguri was responsible for reminding him when it was time and, along with the others, keeping watch to spare his energy.

But this time, Kawatani Mori had started sensing without being reminded.

Sensing took a great deal of energy, especially when done every five minutes. Usually, unless Rukawa reminded him, Kawatani Mori would make the most of every chance to rest and recover.

Something was wrong!

Rukawa Oguri's gaze sharpened, and his nerves immediately went taut.

When Kawatani Mori finished sensing, Rukawa asked in a low voice, "What is it? Did you notice anything?"

The other Sand Ninja turned to look at them, silently watching as they prepared for battle.

"No. There are no Konoha Ninja outside. I just have this constant, ominous feeling," Kawatani Mori said with a frown.

"You're too wound up," Rukawa Oguri said with a reassuring smile. "The trap has already been triggered. Those Konoha Ninja should all have been reduced to scraps. As for the patrols that come later, unless every one of them has a Hyuga Clan ninja, there's no way they'll find us."

"True." Kawatani Mori rubbed his brow.

"Being deep behind enemy lines is stressful. Just hold on a little longer. We can withdraw in three days." Rukawa Oguri patted him on the shoulder.

Rumble!

Crack!

A sudden noise came from overhead. The seven Sand Ninja looked up at once as dust and bits of stone began to rain down. Cracks raced across the ceiling.

Kawatani Mori jolted in alarm and immediately used the Perception Technique. The moment he saw what was happening outside, cold sweat broke out across his forehead.

The next second, he jumped up and shouted, "Run!"

"Earth Style: Earth Splitter Palm!"

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Split!"

"Earth Style: Rock Shelter Collapse!"

Rumble!

As soon as the agreed time came, Sen Chisato, Sarutobi Hakuba, and Maruboshi Kosuke attacked.

The ground split apart and the hillside collapsed. The low hill turned into a mass of boulders, then sank into the space below, burying anyone hiding there.

A few faint screams came from underground.

But the three didn't let their guard down. They remained alert as Hyuga Hihi's warning came at the same time.

"Captain, below you!"

Sarutobi Hakuba leaped high into the air without hesitation.

At the same moment, a Ninja Blade thrust up from the ground beneath him.

The attack had missed, and the surviving Sand Ninja finally emerged.

"So there really is a Hyuga Clan ninja. What rotten luck!"

Rukawa Oguri cursed darkly. He kept his eyes fixed on Sarutobi Hakuba and said without turning around, "Mori, take Tanijo and go. I'll cover you."

Kawatani Mori looked at his teammate, who was barely conscious and half draped over his shoulder. He wanted to say something but ultimately held back. Instead, he warned, "Just buy some time. Don't get caught up fighting."

With that, he hurried off in the opposite direction, carrying his teammate.

He had only managed a hurried scan earlier, but vaguely remembered that besides this adult ninja, there was an old man and a kid among the attackers.

Since the end of the Warring States period, the Shinobi World had already seen three great ninja wars. Any old man who had survived until now and was still active on the battlefield was bound to be dangerous. So...

"Don't blame me, kid!"

Looking at the kid in front of him, Kawatani Mori let go of his teammate, abruptly picked up speed, and closed the distance in an instant. His Ninja Blade came slashing down.

Even if the enemy in front of him was a kid, he was still a real Konoha ninja. Mori wouldn't show an enemy any mercy, and the situation left him no room for mercy anyway.

But he had still misjudged the kid's strength.

Clang!

With a light ring, Kawatani Mori's Ninja Blade was blocked. His pupils contracted.

He had expected the kid to retreat, dodge, use a ninjutsu to defend himself or force Mori back. He simply hadn't expected him to draw his blade and meet the attack head-on.

Anyone who could go to war at that age had to be a prodigy, but the difference in their physiques was impossible to overcome. Meeting the blow head-on was the stupidest response—and the last one Mori had expected.

"Surprised?"

Sen Chisato, forced into a half crouch by the blow, flicked his short blade. A sudden burst of strength knocked Kawatani Mori's Ninja Blade aside. Relying on his explosive speed and small frame, Chisato darted forward, ready to land a vicious strike.

But Kawatani Mori reacted quickly and kept his cool. He retreated straight to his teammate's side, catching him as he stumbled.

"This is bad."

Kawatani Mori sighed softly, his expression dark.

If they couldn't break through quickly, they were done for.

Sen Chisato had no idea what his opponent was thinking. He was bent low, weaving forward, and as soon as he got close enough, he began forming Hand Seals.

He had let the enemy approach as bait, hoping to find an opening and kill him with a counterattack. Since that hadn't worked, he had no intention of fighting with blade techniques or Taijutsu.

He knew all too well how much their physiques differed. Why attack his opponent's strength with his own weakness?

Besides, his body was his weak point. Ninjutsu and chakra were his strengths.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

He spat out a massive fireball. As it surged forward, it carved a trench through the earth, turning the soil on either side into something like molten rock.

"How can it be that powerful?!"

Kawatani Mori had planned to channel chakra into his Ninja Blade, slice through the fireball, and seize the chance to rush in and catch his opponent off guard. Now, all he could do was grab his teammate by the shoulder and dodge quickly.

He glanced at the teammate in his grasp, a hint of concealed disdain flashing through his eyes.

The guy was dead weight. If Rukawa Oguri hadn't spoken up, Mori would have abandoned him long ago.

They might be teammates, but what were teammates compared to the mission and his own life?

At that moment, Tanijo broke free of his grasp, rapidly formed Hand Seals, and pressed his hands against the ground.

"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"

A wall of earth rose quickly, shielding the two of them from behind.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Fireballs streaked overhead and past them on both sides, with even more crashing into the wall. It cracked and crumbled in an instant, leaving only half standing.

"What kind of kid is this? How can his ninjutsu be so powerful?" Kawatani Mori cursed under his breath, crouching behind the wall.

As a Jonin, he had seen all kinds of ninjutsu. He recognized the technique Sen Chisato had used, but he almost wished he didn't.

There was no way the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique could be this powerful!

The ninjutsu stopped, and footsteps rang out. Kawatani Mori knew the kid was charging toward them.

"If I keep fighting this kid, the other Konoha Ninja will arrive, and I'll die here too. I have to finish this quickly and get out of here!"

With that thought, he turned and said, "Tanijo, distract the kid. I'll kill him!"

"Yes, Lord Mori!"

Without a second thought, Tanijo took his Ninja Blade and vaulted over the half-collapsed wall, bringing it down on Sen Chisato. "Die, kid!"

Sen Chisato sidestepped the attack, raising his blade to block as he stepped back. But the Sand Ninja in front of him seemed to have gone mad, slashing left and right without a care for anything else.