Explosion Is Art

There was something else.

At the very back of the warehouse was an area enclosed by moisture-proof cloth. The dark green cloth hung from the ceiling to the floor, completely concealing whatever was inside. But its lower edge did not quite touch the ground, leaving a narrow gap with light spilling through it.

Sakumo gestured to Bai Ye, then slid out along the ground like a gecko. His body was nearly transparent beneath the dark green fluorescence, his shadow scattered by the diffuse light of the fluorescent ore until it no longer resembled a human shape. He moved swiftly between the pillars, each step falling in the darkest patches of light as he leaped from the shadow of one stack of crates to another.

Bai Ye followed behind him. Being much smaller than Sakumo, he could move between the crates more easily.

Sakumo stopped behind a stack of metal boxes.

The boxes stood right beside the area enclosed by the moisture-proof cloth. Voices came from the other side, muffled through the fabric. The words were hard to make out, but the tones were urgent, as if they were handing something over. Now and then came the clash of metal and the scrape of crates being dragged.

Sakumo poked his head through a gap between the metal boxes and glanced inside the moisture-proof cloth.

When he pulled back, his expression had not changed at all, but Bai Ye noticed his pupils contract.

Bai Ye moved closer to the narrow gap.

Inside the moisture-proof cloth was an open space. Several metal cases sat there, their lids open. Bai Ye did not recognize what was inside—not weapons, not ninja tools, but black spherical objects unlike anything he had ever seen. Their surfaces had a metallic sheen, each one the size of a fist, lying quietly in the foam lining of the cases.

Each case held six. There were five cases in total.

Thirty.

A Hidden Rain Village ninja crouched beside the cases, holding a chakra detector and examining the black spheres one by one. Every time he tested one, he made a note in a notebook beside him. The atmosphere was grave. Another ninja, dressed in robes and seemingly the commander, stood nearby with his arms folded across his chest and his brow tightly furrowed.

Sakumo withdrew from the gap and pulled Bai Ye back with him.

His lips were nearly against Bai Ye's ear, his voice so low it could only be felt against the skin. "Those are Alchemical Bombs. Each one has an explosion radius large enough to cover at least a basketball court. Thirty of them could wipe Konoha's outpost in the Land of Rain off the map."

"Destroy them."

"I'll draw away the guards and the people inside. You stay here and destroy the sealing cores of every bomb. Not a single one can be left behind."

"How do I destroy them?" Bai Ye asked.

"The core of an Alchemical Bomb is a chakra sealing array. Open the case and you'll see a fist-sized circular indentation on the bomb's surface. Three grooves inside it converge at the center. Use your Lightning-nature chakra to pierce in through the center and pour chakra into the sealing array. The array will self-destruct."

Bai Ye memorized every word.

"Begin."

Sakumo rose and walked out from behind the metal boxes.

He did not hide or lower his body. The way he walked out was exactly the same as on the training field—back straight, steps steady, right hand hanging naturally at his side, his fingertips just able to touch the hilt of his blade.

"Who is it?!" The robed commander was the first to react.

He did not get to finish.

The sound of Sakumo's short blade leaving its sheath was magnified several times over in the enclosed underground warehouse. Its gleam became a straight white line in the dark green fluorescence, cutting from Sakumo's right to his left.

Before the robed commander's body could even fall, Sakumo had already swept past him. His short blade spun in his hand and struck another Hidden Rain Village ninja's wrist. The sound of the kunai falling from his grip rang out almost at the same time as the crack of bone.

The warehouse erupted into chaos.

"Enemy attack!"

"White Fang of the Leaf!"

"Spread out! Don't bunch together!"

Sakumo weaved through the crowd, every draw of his short blade bringing up a spray of blood. He did not linger to fight or chase anyone down. He merely cut down or shoved aside everyone blocking his way at the fastest possible speed, carving his way from inside the moisture-proof cloth to the center of the warehouse, then to its eastern side.

The voices, footsteps, and metallic clangs around Bai Ye suddenly all receded into the distance.

He did not move.

He counted silently. Ten seconds.

Then he crawled out from behind the metal boxes and made his way to the area enclosed by the moisture-proof cloth.

He lifted a corner of the fabric and slipped inside sideways.

Bai Ye picked up a black sphere and turned it over. Sure enough, there was a circular indentation on the bottom, with three grooves converging at its center.

He gathered chakra in his right hand. Lightning-nature chakra flowed from his fingertips into the sealing array. The instant it entered, the sealing patterns lit up. His Lightning-nature chakra pierced through them like red-hot wire through butter. Wherever the lightning passed, the patterns melted apart, collapsed, and vanished. There was no visible change on the bomb's surface, but Bai Ye could feel that it had become an empty shell.

The first. The second. The third.

His hand was steady, but cold sweat had already soaked his back. Every bomb required exact control over the amount of chakra he injected. Too little would fail to penetrate the sealing core; too much would destabilize the remaining sealing energy. This degree of precise chakra control consumed immense mental focus.

The fourth. The fifth. The sixth.

The first case was done.

Bai Ye took a deep breath and opened the second case.

The battle on the other side of the warehouse continued. The sound of Sakumo's short blade traveled from east to west, then from west to north. That man was holding off every guard in the warehouse by himself, leaving them no time to return to this area enclosed by moisture-proof cloth.

Bai Ye did not think about how he was doing it. He focused only on the task before him.

The third case. The thirteenth...

Bai Ye's hand began to tremble. The high-intensity precise chakra control had started to fatigue his muscles, while his chakra consumption was several times greater than usual. More than half his chakra had already been used up. Gritting his teeth, he began dismantling the sealing array of the eighteenth bomb. This time, the depth of his thrust was off by the slightest bit. The instant the array was pierced, the remaining sealing energy clashed with his chakra. A tiny shockwave burst from the bomb's surface and knocked Bai Ye's right hand away.

He staggered back a step, his fingers numb from the impact.

He lowered his head and glanced at his right hand. The web between his thumb and forefinger had split open, blood covering his hand, but his fingers could still move. His joints were fine.

The nineteenth. The twentieth...

The fourth case was done.

When Bai Ye stood, his legs nearly gave out. He braced himself against a nearby case and took two breaths. Sweat dripped from his forehead onto the ground, mixing with blood.

Only the last case remained.

The sounds of battle had faded. Sakumo had drawn the remaining guards elsewhere, and the noise had become distant. Very distant.

But Bai Ye knew Sakumo could not hold out much longer. No matter how strong one man was, this was a heavily guarded warehouse deep in enemy territory. Aside from the guards stationed throughout the warehouse, reinforcements from other experts could arrive at any moment. The slower Bai Ye was, the greater the danger Sakumo faced.

The twenty-seventh.

The twenty-eighth.

The twenty-ninth.

For the last one, Bai Ye picked it up and headed straight for the warehouse entrance. As chakra from his hand poured into its sealing array, the sealing patterns began to flicker. Then Bai Ye casually tossed the bomb beside the pile of explosive tags.

Flash Step!

Flash Step!

Flash Step!

The Sharingan activated, enhancing his dynamic vision. Chakra surged wildly beneath his feet as Bai Ye ran for his life.

Boom!!!

A few seconds into Bai Ye's mad dash, an enormous explosion thundered from the warehouse. Immediately afterward, a giant Patrick Star shot straight into the sky. Several hundred meters away, Bai Ye was staggered by the blast wave. Good thing I only used one. If I'd detonated a few more just to save trouble, I'd probably have been blown to death.

He then straightened, turned around, and continued fleeing outward. He knew Sakumo did not need him to go back and help fight. Escaping as quickly as possible was the greatest help he could give him.

Sure enough, before long, he saw Sakumo following the markers to find him.

Sakumo's short blade was covered in blood, as were his clothes. His breathing was a little faster than usual, but his steps remained steady and his back remained straight.

"You little brat, you're ruthless!"

"You taught me well!"

The two moved swiftly through the undergrowth. At least for the moment, there were no pursuers behind them. The rain and night concealed their tracks.