At his command, the remaining puppets sprang into motion. Some swung long blades in savage slashes, some fired dense volleys of poisoned needles, while others lashed out with barbed chains, closing in on Shinku from every direction.
Aoba, watching from behind, felt his heart stop. He instinctively moved to rush forward and help, but Yuhi Kurenai grabbed him.
"Don't act rashly!"
Yuhi Kurenai's voice was urgent. "Going in now will only hold Shinku back! Watch the surroundings and make sure no other enemies sneak up on us!"
"But Sensei..."
Aoba stared fixedly at Shinku, who was surrounded by puppets, his eyes reddening slightly.
He could see Shinku weaving and darting through the puppet horde, Wind Release ninjutsu erupting one after another and knocking puppets back. But there were simply too many of them, and they coordinated seamlessly. Shinku gradually began to lose ground, and a shallow cut had already been opened on his arm.
"A ninja's battlefield was never something that could be won through passion alone."
Yuhi Kurenai's voice calmed somewhat, yet it carried an undeniable force. "Shinku telling you to protect yourself is the greatest trust he can place in you.
"If you can't even do that, then you'd truly be letting him down."
Aoba clenched his teeth, his nails digging deeply into his palms. The pain helped him calm down a little.
Yuhi Kurenai was right, but seeing his teacher in danger made guilt and unwillingness surge through his heart like a tide.
He gripped the Kunai at his waist tightly, his wary gaze sweeping across the surrounding woods. Even the rustling of leaves sounded especially piercing now, as though an enemy might leap from the shadows at any moment.
At the center of the battlefield, Shinku's breathing had grown somewhat ragged.
The continuous fighting had drained