You Can't Escape!

He rolled away from the sneak attack, only to see a streak of purple lightning graze his clothes and strike the tree trunk. Amid the rising smell of scorched wood, a ninja wearing a metal mask slowly emerged.

"Lightning Release: Purple Lightning?"

Aoba's pupils contracted slightly. This technique required extremely precise Chakra control; it was definitely not something an ordinary rogue ninja could master.

While dodging the iron fan's attacks, Natsume Ryo still found time to crack wise. "I'm saying, Captain Shinku, your intel was a little off! Weren't they supposed to be wandering ninjas? Why are Kage-level techniques showing up too?"

He flung out an Explosive Tag, only for the gust from the iron fan to blow it back toward him.

Yuhi Wakana suddenly grabbed Aoba by the corner of his clothes. "Brother Aoba, I can sense several streams of Chakra moving underground!"

The girl closed her eyes and focused, a pale blue mark appearing on her forehead. "Southeast, thirty meters from us—at least five of them!"

Aoba immediately formed hand seals. "Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!"

An earth dragon burst from the ground, forcing the lurking ninjas to emerge.

One of the masked female ninjas swung out a chain that wrapped around his ankle. The sharp barbs on it instantly pierced his flesh.

Aoba endured the pain and spat flames, but the other side neither dodged nor retreated. The chain suddenly expanded, coiling around his neck.

At the critical moment, Samehada's blue glow flashed before his eyes as Yuhi Shinku cut the female ninja in two with a single stroke.

"Don't lose focus!"

He shook the blood from the blade, but his expression suddenly turned grave. "Everyone, fall back! That iron fan—"

The burly man's iron fan suddenly erupted with a dazzling red light, and the ground began