The enormous wooden shield rumbled as it pushed straight upward.
The earth pressed against its outer walls, producing a piercing creak.
I could feel the temperature of the surrounding soil dropping little by little.
The aftershocks of the explosions outside were clearly almost over.
"Sen, can you put a window in this big hunk of wood? It's suffocating in here."
Tsunade covered her nose and grumbled beside me.
"A window? Auntie, want a lungful of Explosive Tag fumes?"
I shot her a sidelong glance and loosened my hand seal slightly.
"It's hot in here, sure, but at least there's no soot."
"All right, we're at the surface. Hold on, everyone."
I shouted and abruptly spread both hands upward.
Boom!
The enormous log punched straight through a hundred meters of earth.
Chunks of mud and charred wood chips sprayed in every direction.
Standing steadily on the log, we emerged from underground.
A fierce wind hit us head-on, carrying thick black smoke that made us choke.
"Cough, cough... cough! This smoke's awful. It's tearing up my throat."
Leaning on his crutch, Jiraiya couldn't help coughing loudly.
White paper ash instantly settled all over his white hair.
"Well, damn. That whole forest from earlier is completely flattened."
I stood atop the log and surveyed the surroundings.
As far as I could see, everything for miles around had become one enormous black canyon.
The soil had been baked red and cracked, and it still gave off a pungent sulfurous smell.
Not a single living weed remained. Everything was scorched earth.
"Six hundred billion Explosive Tags... that power was downright freakish."
Kakashi supported himself against a broken piece of wood, his mouth twitching.
The hem of his green vest had been scorched through and kept shedding flakes.
"This is what we call unscathed? My coat