Cloud Ninja Suffer Repeated Setbacks

Beneath his feet was a layer of yellow, gelatinous substance with powerful adhesive properties. It was the product of melted rubber.

During Dodai's battle with the others, some of it had flowed into the surrounding area. At first, due to the heat, it had not solidified.

But once it cooled, it became sticky in the process.

"This isn't the outcome I wanted."

The adhesive slowed Muzan down, but his opponents would not give him an opportunity.

Although most of the Cloud Ninja were busy putting out the fires, they had no intention of letting Muzan, the culprit, get away. Several ninja immediately stepped in front of him.

"Konoha bastard! We've finally caught you!"

"Take him alive! Let him learn the consequences!"

The ninja surrounding him held kunai and shuriken. Muzan even saw one of them gripping an Explosive Tag.

"This glue is only troublesome. It isn't deadly."

He looked down at his shoes, firmly stuck in place, then at the ninja charging toward him with an Explosive Tag.

"Crack!"

He directly used the Substitution Jutsu to leave the scene, leaving the ninja petrified where they stood. As the white smoke dispersed, they could not believe someone had escaped from the glue.

Then they looked down!

"What! You can do that?"

"Even Lord Dodai probably never imagined someone would escape the glue like this!"

"Stop standing around! Hurry up and chase him!"

What remained on the ground were two shoes. Fortunately, Muzan's shoes had no laces; he could simply force his feet out of them.

As a veteran procrastinator, he could kick off his shoes in less than a second.

Muzan had switched places with a nearby rock. Watching the ninja search the area, he knew they would not find him anytime soon. He had to use this chance to leave the battlefield.

Of course, Muzan was not afraid of these ninja. He was merely worried that Dodai might break free of the three men ahead. If he got wrapped in a large amount of rubber, recovery alone would not be enough for Muzan to escape.

Up ahead, Aburame Koji noticed that Muzan had already left the battlefield. Their mission to destroy the supplies had been completed, so there was no need to fight the Cloud Ninja to the death.

"Everyone, prepare to leave the battlefield. I'll take Muzan with me."

With the order given, they stopped blocking the Cloud Ninja. Two team members tossed Explosive Tags around them, then used the smoke and dust from the explosions to swiftly leave the battlefield.

Only the wrecked supplies remained. Dodai's face darkened, and his heart trembled.

Thinking about how he would explain this to the Third Raikage after returning, even getting beaten up would be getting off lightly.

"Damn Konoha! I will never rest until one of us is dead!"

The rapidly retreating Konoha ninja did not waste any time on the road.

Aburame Koji met up with Muzan on the outskirts. Since Muzan was slower, and to prevent powerful Cloud Ninja from catching up, Aburame Koji grabbed Muzan by the shoulder.

The scenery rushed backward before his eyes. In only half a day, they had left the Cloud Ninja's defensive zone.

After escaping danger, Aburame Koji relaxed for a rare moment. Seeing that Muzan's expression remained calm, he felt even more lingering fear. If they had not held the enemy back then, and powerful Cloud Ninja had reached Muzan's side, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

"I truly didn't expect you to come support us at the most critical moment. We were already planning to abandon the mission. Thanks to you this time, their supply convoy suffered devastating losses."

As the person in charge of this mission, he added Muzan's name to the list of those who had completed it.

"Since this mission involved enemy ninja, including several jonin, its final rating will be S. I'll report it to Lord Sakumo."

An S-rank mission could only be completed by the village's strongest ninja. Even with teammates working together, one had to at least be a jonin to undertake it.

"Very good. But be careful for a while. The Cloud Ninja already hate you to the bone."

Aburame Koji spoke to Muzan in a half-joking tone. As long as Muzan remained in Konoha's camp, even if the Third Raikage came in person, he would not be able to harm him.

After returning to camp, they went through the usual handover process. When Sakumo heard their report of the mission, he thought he had misheard.

After confirming it again and again, Sakumo's expression underwent a complete transformation in just a few seconds.

"I never expected Muzan to be the one who completed this mission."

Supplies concerned the Cloud Ninja's stomachs. If a group of people who could not eat enough were sent into battle, their fighting strength would inevitably decline. Even the headstrong Third Raikage would not go to war with Konoha at such a time.

That gave them more time.

"The Cloud Ninja suffered severe losses this time. They won't attack again anytime soon, but the surrounding defensive lines must be properly arranged."

Sakumo did not want to fight them at this time either. According to Muzan's report, the A-B Combo had already appeared on Konoha's front.

With Dodai, the Third Raikage's right-hand man, added to the mix, if they launched an attack, it would be like lightning, relying on direct frontal warfare.

At the same time, Dodai looked at the supplies strewn across the ground and felt a pounding headache.

"Lord Dodai, the losses have been counted."

"We lost half our food. Some was also soaked in water because of Water Release and needs to be dried immediately. Otherwise, once the grain gets damp, it will mold and spoil."

The succession of blows nearly gave Dodai a fatal cerebral hemorrhage. He quickly used Earth Release to alter the surrounding terrain and disperse the pooled water.

In the end, only one-third of the original food supplies were salvaged.

These supplies could last at most a week. Dodai first had to join the forces at the front, then return to the Hidden Cloud Village and find a way to gather another batch of food.

This was not before the war had begun. At a time like this, food prices would make the Hidden Cloud Village bleed heavily once again.

"I hope I won't be killed..."

Sure enough, when the news reached the Cloud Ninja camp at the front, it caused quite a stir. The hot-tempered A nearly came to blows with Dodai.

"Damn it, Dodai! You actually lost the most important food supplies!"

"Isn't it because of you? You let so many Konoha spies infiltrate!"

Killer B grabbed A and hurriedly tried to persuade them. If this continued, there would be no need to fight this war at all.

Because of what had happened at their camp some time ago, they were already overwhelmed. Coupled with not having enough food, negative emotions had spread throughout the entire camp.

On Konoha's front, the Hidden Cloud Village did not force a war with Konoha. Instead, they stationed themselves around the area to prevent Konoha's invasion.

Their positions had silently reversed once again.

Yet Konoha's army had already assembled near the Land of Lightning. The Hidden Cloud Village could not withdraw its troops either and could only remain locked in this stalemate.

No major unexpected developments would occur for the time being.

As the greatest contributor to this mission, Muzan was troubled by something.