Three Arrows in a Row

"As expected, the Sand ninja really came to intercept and kill the Rock ninja," Aburame Shibi murmured.

"Yeah, who would have thought that this so-called large-scale supply deal was actually staged by Sunagakure themselves?"

Hyuga Satoru raised a brow helplessly.

After using his method to gather intelligence, the results had shocked everyone.

The mysterious seller dumping massive quantities of supplies on the black market was actually Sunagakure, one of the Five Great Ninja Villages.

This deal was like bait on a fishing hook, drawing in unsuspecting fish. Once the time was right, those hiding behind the scenes would emerge and take both the money and the goods!

Hyuga Satoru could not help inwardly complain, This kind of thing can only be done at noon, because sooner or later it'll go wrong!

Sand Village ranked last among the Five Great Ninja Villages in strength, yet they had the nerve to do something like this. Hyuga Satoru could not help being surprised.

But on second thought, in the original story, the Third Shinobi War had begun because the Third Kazekage of Sand Village disappeared. They had stubbornly declared war on their big brother, Leaf Village, only to be beaten into submission and forced to cede territory and beg for mercy.

It was not surprising that they would do something like this now.

"Satoru, Sunagakure sent Pakura of Scorch Release and Rasa of Magnet Release. If we interfere rashly, our chances of winning probably won't be high."

Aburame Shibi's expression was somewhat grave. If there had only been one bloodline-limit ninja, he was confident he could hold them off. But if there were two, the outcome was hard to say.

"Don't worry, Teacher Shibi." Hyuga Satoru smiled at him. "We don't necessarily have to fight them. We just need to ruin their plan."

Aburame Shibi seemed to think of something. He suddenly smiled and scratched his head.

"I almost forgot you had that!"

In the forest, the battle continued.

But the Rock ninja's defeat had become inevitable. Under the combined slaughter of two bloodline-limit ninja, the remaining Rock ninja had no way to resist and died one after another in miserable fashion.

Watching his companions die before his eyes, Yamato's eyes turned bloodshot, and the corners of his eyes split with fury.

"Damn it! Even if I die, I'll make you pay!"

His hands rapidly formed seals before he slammed them onto the ground. Chakra surged wildly from his body into the earth through his hands.

"Earth Release! Yamato Technique!"

The ground beneath his feet split open with a thunderous crash, forming two enormous hemispherical walls that continuously closed toward the center. The crushing pressure seemed intent on grinding every Sand ninja into pulp.

"Useless."

Rasa spoke coldly. He slowly raised his hands, and countless waves of Gold Dust surged from beneath his feet, instantly filling the split earth. Several golden tentacles extended from the Gold Dust wave, firmly bracing the closing walls on either side.

Amid rumbling tremors—

The two began a fierce deadlock!

Chunks of stone continuously fell from the massive walls, while cracks spread like spiderwebs from where the Gold Dust tentacles held them back.

Yamato still had plenty of chakra remaining and could continue contending with Rasa, but this was not a one-man battle. He turned to look behind him.

In just a few breaths, under Pakura and the Sand ninja's combined assault, hardly any of his Rock ninja companions remained.

When the final Rock ninja collapsed beside him, a blood-soaked hand tightly gripped his pant leg. The man's pupils trembled as his Adam's apple bobbed.

"Lord Yamato, run..."

"Damn it!"

It was as though something inside him had shattered. A tremendous power surged through his body as Yamato threw back his head and roared. A streak of bloody tears ran from the corner of his eye.

The enormous walls that Rasa had been firmly holding back began to shake violently, closing toward the center without pause.

"Damn it! Are you still struggling before death?"

Seeing that he could no longer block Yamato's desperate counterattack, Rasa spat a curse and leaped backward, intending to escape the range of Yamato's attack.

"Get back! This technique is powerful. Don't take it head-on!"

Without Rasa sustaining them, the Gold Dust tentacles trembled only slightly before shattering violently. The enormous circular walls slammed shut like a gigantic tomb, swallowing the Sand ninja who had failed to escape in time.

The earth shook, and dust flew everywhere.

Rasa narrowed his eyes and stared fixedly at Yamato's position.

"After using that technique, he has completely lost the ability to resist."

After considering it, the cautious Rasa did not choose to strike personally. Instead, as the dust was about to settle, he looked toward one of the Sand ninja in the group.

"Cang, go kill him!"

"Yes!"

The Sand ninja named Cang took a kunai from his robes and cautiously approached Yamato.

As he drew closer, he indeed saw Yamato kneeling on one knee before the giant hemispherical tomb, gasping weakly for breath. He had clearly lost the ability to fight back.

"Die!"

A vicious gleam flashed through his eyes as he viciously stabbed the kunai toward the back of Yamato's head.

A sudden change occurred!

Before the kunai could fall, goosebumps erupted across Cang's body. A chill exploded from his tailbone and raced up his spine to the back of his head. Before he could react at all, a blue flash streaked past, and his head exploded, brain matter spraying everywhere.

This gruesome scene shocked everyone.

The Sand ninja stood frozen in place.

In that instant, they had not seen what had happened at all.

After a brief moment of blankness, Yamato's eyes contracted. He immediately formed seals and directed the faint trace of chakra he had just recovered into the ground.

"Damn it! Don't let him escape!" Rasa's heart lurched.

The Sand ninja immediately came to their senses and rushed toward Yamato's position.

However.

The second arrow arrived!

This arrow was even more terrifying, shooting straight into the unprepared Sand ninja crowd.

Accompanied by the sound of flesh tearing and shrill screams, the arrow first pierced through one Sand ninja's chest, then sliced open a second Sand ninja's abdomen.

Finally, it pierced through the base of a third Sand ninja's thigh, pinning him firmly to the ground.

Three in a row with one arrow!

"Who is it?!"

Rasa's pupils abruptly contracted as he roared in fury.

At the very moment his roar left his mouth, every hair on his body suddenly stood on end. That horrifying chill had appeared behind him!

His intense desire to survive forced him to halt his advancing step and summon Gold Dust with all his might to defend himself.

A blue flash swept past in front of him, pulverizing the lower body of a Sand ninja beside him and scattering his organs and intestines across the ground.

The air was deathly silent, save for the screams of the Sand ninja on the ground who had not died immediately.

No one dared make a careless move. Adam's apples bobbed as the sound of swallowing repeatedly echoed.

That intense chill continued to shroud them. Afraid that the blue light representing death would descend upon their heads the next second, they could only watch helplessly as Yamato escaped right before their eyes.

Only after a long while, when no blue flash appeared again, did they finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"He... he should be gone, right...?"

One Sand ninja swallowed and spoke with a stutter.

"I don't know." Another Sand ninja looked terrified as he cautiously wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Rasa dispersed the Gold Dust defense surrounding him and coldly ordered, "Go investigate. The enemy should have already left."

"Yes." Seeing even Rasa abandon his defenses, the remaining Sand ninja could only force themselves to go investigate.

"It's an arrow!"

One Sand ninja held up what he had found: a long metal arrow with a flat shaft, somewhat different from an ordinary arrow.

An arrow???

Rasa narrowed his eyes. What kind of ninjutsu could give an arrow such power? Moreover, throughout the battle, they had been watching the changes around them. There had been no ninja within at least a kilometer.

Could the attack have come from beyond a kilometer away?

How was that possible?

"Rasa, I think you need to consider carefully how you'll explain this to Lord Kazekage. This mission has completely failed!"

Beside him, Pakura looked at him coldly. The two had never gotten along. If the Kazekage had not ordered Rasa to lead the team, she would never have followed his command.

Rasa's expression was extremely ugly. Yamato had escaped, which meant the Tsuchikage would definitely learn what they had done today. Sand Village would likely suffer badly for it.

"Who was it?" He clenched his teeth tightly.

On a large tree a kilometer away, Hyuga Satoru lowered the metal bow in his hand, a faint curve lifting the corner of his lips.