Chiba Surrounded by Five Hunters in a Mine

"Five bottles?"

Bai Ye tossed the pack back onto the table.

"You're planning to capture five people?"

"Maybe."

"I'm going with you."

"You can't leave the village."

"I'll go underground."

"The Cursed Seal hasn't been removed. Once you leave the root network, Hidden Sound Village can find you."

Bai Ye pulled open his collar. The layer of insulating wood beneath his collarbone had already fused against his skin, with only half of the black markings showing along the edges.

"It hasn't moved in three days."

"Three days isn't enough."

"You're afraid I'll steal your target?"

"A little."

"Then we'll each kill our own."

Chiba tightened his pack.

"This time, I have to defeat a quasi-jonin myself."

"Your tree needs to eat again?"

"Yeah."

"I'll hold him down for you. Who gets the credit?"

"I do."

"Then I should go even more."

Chiba placed a map of the root network west of the clan grounds on the table.

"Guard this place after I leave."

Bai Ye did not touch the map.

"What if Root's people come in?"

"Don't kill them. Break their legs and throw them out the front gate."

"What about Hidden Sound Village?"

"Kill them."

"What about the one who delivers food?"

"Let him in."

"Iruka?"

"Let him in too."

"Who's Naruto?"

"Throw him out."

Only then did Bai Ye put away the root network map.

"What if you're still not back on Monday?"

"Keep waiting."

"What about Tuesday?"

"Go to the school and find Shikamaru."

"Why him?"

"He knows who to notify."

"I can't remember faces."

"Find the one who looks the most drained."

After dawn, Chiba left Konoha with an out-of-village training permit issued by Iruka.

The permit only covered the old Senju training grounds. The gatekeeping chunin checked it twice, then pointed out the deadline again.

"Be back before the Hour of the Rooster tomorrow night. If you're overdue, the patrol will treat you as missing."

"Got it."

"Don't cross the southern river valley."

"Got it."

"If you encounter unfamiliar ninja, retreat immediately."

"Got it."

The gatekeeping chunin handed the permit back to him.

"You answered so fast that I'm even less reassured."

"Then I can listen again."

"Forget it. Go."

After entering the training grounds, Chiba first had a Wood Clone leave chakra traces along the southern side. His real body crossed the river valley through underground root tunnels.

Iron Claw had last appeared on a trade road seventy li away.

The attacked caravan had not yet been cleared away. Three cargo wagons lay overturned by the roadside, their axles all twisted apart by bare hands.

Chiba crouched beside a wheel and brushed aside the wood chips.

Metal dust remained on the break, yet the footprints in the mud were not deep.

Steel transformation increased body weight, but the opponent could still spread chakra beneath his feet.

His assessment of a quasi-jonin had been correct.

The sound of a wooden board shifting came from the other side of the road.

An injured driver crawled out from behind a cargo crate, clutching half a wagon shaft in his hand.

"Don't come closer. I don't have any money left."

"Which way did Iron Claw go?"

"You're a bounty hunter?"

"A student."

"What's a student doing here?"

"Training."

The driver glanced at the broken axle, then at Chiba's ninja tool pouch.

"Konoha uses rogue ninja to train children now?"

"Direction."

"North. They stole ore and took two miners who know explosives."

"How many?"

"Five."

"What weapons do they use?"

"The leader's hands can turn into iron. A woman uses thin wires. There's also a short guy carrying a barrel of gunpowder. I didn't see the other two clearly."

Chiba took out some hemostatic medicine and tossed it over.

The driver failed to catch it steadily, and the medicine bottle rolled beneath a wheel.

"You're really going after them?"

"Yeah."

"Those five killed Yaqu. Not even a corpse was left of Yaqu's men. What can you do if you go?"

"Collect samples."

"What?"

"Change the medicine once a day. Don't let the wound touch water."

After leaving the trade road, the traces Iron Claw had left behind became chaotic.

There were three groups of footprints in the northern woods. Two led toward the river, while one curved around toward the hillside. Fragments of ore were scattered along every path.

Chiba did not follow the footprints.

Roots drilled into the soil, spreading outward along the crushed grass roots.

The soil by the river had been disturbed, with two explosive tags buried beneath it.

There were no footprints on the hillside, but fresh iron filings clung to the inner sides of the tree trunks.

The real route ran west along the cliff face.

At noon on the second day, the roots found five bowls at an old campsite.

Four had been washed. The bottom of the remaining bowl still had dried meat gravy stuck to it.

Chiba reached out and touched the stove ashes. They still held warmth.

"They left less than four hours ago."

The sound of pebbles rolling came from nearby.

An old miner carrying a bamboo basket stood on the slope, his hoe already held across his chest.

"You can't go that way."

"Why?"

"The mine collapsed. People are still living inside."

"Iron Claw?"

The old miner took a step back.

"I didn't say that."

"Where are the miners they captured?"

"Who are you?"

"A Konoha ninja."

"Konoha sent a child to save people?"

"Just tell me where."

The old miner's hand slid down the hoe handle, concealing the bloodstains along the side of his bamboo basket.

"The abandoned mine to the west. They make me deliver food. If I miss a meal, they cut off a finger."

"How many exits does the mine have?"

"Three. The north entrance collapsed, the south entrance is flooded, and only the east entrance can still be used."

"What about ventilation shafts?"

"How did you know there's a ventilation shaft?"

"A miner would leave himself a way out."

The old miner squatted down and drew the mine's layout in the dirt.

"The ventilation shaft is on the mountaintop. It's too narrow for an adult."

"A child can fit."

"There are tripwires inside."

"What else?"

"The east entrance is rigged with gunpowder. There are hidden pits on both sides of the tunnels. Iron Claw stays in the furnace room at the very back."

"What about the captives?"

"Beside the explosives storehouse."

Chiba memorized the route and took the food from the bamboo basket.

"Go wait by the trade road."

"You're going in alone?"

"Once the food is delivered, they won't change locations."

"At least wait for Konoha reinforcements."

"They won't make it in time."

Before sunset, Chiba entered the mine through the ventilation shaft.

Bone Wood vines grew alternately along the shaft walls, lowering his body to the third level of the mine tunnels.

People were talking below.

"Why's the old man so slow today?"

"The meat's still hot. Who cares?"

"Iron Claw, there are still two survivors from that caravan to the east. Should we go back and finish them off?"

"Tomorrow. Have the miners finish mixing the explosives first."

"We already collected Yaqu's bounty. Why are we still guarding this dump?"

"Konoha recently released news about a batch of graduation exams. Someone's willing to pay for children with bloodline limits."

"Who?"

"The buyer left no name."

Chiba set the lunch box at the fork in the tunnel. Roots crawled through the cracks toward the furnace room.

Five chakra signatures.

One at the entrance, one at the explosives storehouse, and three in the furnace room.

They were spread out more than expected.

The sensory type was hiding in the middle section of the mine tunnel. Gunpowder Hand guarded the hostages. The woman using wires stood to Iron Claw's right.

The fifth person's chakra flowed along the rock layers, responsible for sealing the route with Earth Release.

Kill the sensor first, cut off the explosives storehouse, then soak the gunpowder with water roots.

The remaining three could be trapped in the furnace room.

Just as Chiba was about to retract his roots, two knocks came from inside the mine wall.

The ninja hidden in the earth spoke.

"A rat touched my rock needles."

Stone walls dropped at both ends of the mine tunnel.

The ventilation shaft overhead was sealed by Earth Style as well.

The short ninja guarding the middle section removed his ear protectors, his nose pointed toward where Chiba was hiding.

"Little rat of Konoha, come out. Your wood was moving too loudly underground."

Chiba stepped out from behind a rock pillar.

The five had already shifted positions.

Fine wires sealed off the ceiling, gunpowder barrels rolled behind him, the sensory ninja stood against the wall, and the Earth Style ninja had both hands pressed to the ground.

Iron Claw sat before the furnace, his right arm turning dark gray from the wrist onward.

"A child?"

"He's wearing a Konoha forehead protector."

"The latest graduation exam hasn't even begun yet, has it?"

"Maybe he's merchandise delivered early."

Iron Claw raised his hardened index finger and pointed at Chiba.

"Kid, who sent you?"

"No one."

"Then what are you here for?"

"You."

"Revenge?"

"Evolution."

The others exchanged glances.

The wire woman laughed first.

"Is something wrong with your head?"

Chiba let Bone Wood vines spread along both arms, their white inner frameworks locking together one after another.

"All five of you. Together."

Gunpowder Hand removed the wooden barrel from his back.

"Iron Claw, this brat's looking down on us."

"Don't touch his head. The buyer wants an intact blood sample."

Iron Claw rose from beside the furnace. With every step he took, the ore beneath his feet sank inward.

"Kneel, and I'll leave you both legs."

Bone Wood vines burst through his sleeves, toxic patterns lighting up along their tips.

Chiba looked at the five gradually closing in, then pressed his palm to the ground.

"Weak."

As Iron Claw raised his hardened arms, two evolutionary branches on the World Tree lit up at once.