Poison Mist Deadlock

After several days of relentless downpour, the rain finally began to ease, but the sky remained overcast.

The damned weather of the Land of Rain had always made it hard for Leaf Village ninja to acclimate.

Now, it had become the Rain ninja's natural cover.

At the frontline camp, a piercing alarm tore through the curtain of rain.

On the watchtowers, red signal flares rose one after another, signaling full engagement with the enemy.

"Enemy attack! They're attacking from all directions!"

"The Rain ninja main force is assaulting the eastern defense line!"

"Elite ninja have appeared on the western side!"

The entire camp erupted into motion. Ninja rushed out of their tents and quickly assembled in the mud.

They raced toward their respective defensive positions as the air filled with the scent of rainwater and wet earth.

Hinata Tianyi followed Nawaki and Moonlight Kaede out of the tent.

His Byakugan had already been activated. Within his field of vision—

countless chakra lights surged in from three directions like a tide.

Moonlight Kaede's expression was grim, his right hand already resting on the hilt of the short blade strapped to his back.

"Hanzo finally couldn't sit still anymore."

"The front line isn't our concern. Our mission is to protect the Medical Corps!"

Tianyi spoke rapidly as the three of them moved toward the medical area.

Along the way, injured Leaf Village ninja were continuously brought over by their companions, either supported or carried.

The stench of blood mixed with rainwater, sharp and nauseating.

The moment they reached the outskirts of the medical area, a violent explosion sounded ahead.

The ground shook. Through the Byakugan, Tianyi could see several enormous summoned beasts fighting within the rain curtain.

"That is..." Tianyi's pupils contracted.

Even from several kilometers away, the Byakugan could clearly capture those four massive chakra signatures.

They were like four moving hills, every collision causing the earth to tremble.

Katsuyu, Gamabunta, Manda, and the Salamander beneath Hanzo's feet.

As time passed, Leaf Village gradually began to gain the upper hand.

Even though the Rain ninja held the advantage of terrain, before Leaf Village's overall strength—

and tactical coordination, that advantage was being worn away bit by bit.

But everyone knew that the true outcome would be decided by the battle between the higher-ups in the distance.

"Give up, Hanzo!" Tsunade's clear voice pierced through the battlefield.

"You'll never get past us today! You've lost!"

Hanzo, who was being held back by Tsunade and the others—

curled his lips beneath his mask into a cold smile.

"Hehehe..." He laughed hoarsely and took out a dark-purple signal flare, firing it into the sky.

At that moment, in a rain-flooded depression at the southeastern corner of the battlefield—

five Rain ninja who had long been lying in wait swiftly took their positions.

They formed a circle, and on the ground at its center—

a complex summoning array had already been drawn.

"Summoning Technique!"

Bang!

White smoke burst forth, and a Salamander nearly ten meters long appeared within the array.

Its skin was an unhealthy purplish black, while the poison glands on its back throbbed violently with a gurgling sound.

In the distance, the Little Sansho Fish raised its head and opened its jaws wide.

Thick, deep-purple poison mist gushed from its mouth!

It spread across the center of the battlefield, engulfing all the Leaf Village and Rain ninja locked in chaotic combat!

"Poison mist! It's Hanzo's deadly poison!"

"Retreat! Retreat now!"

The Rain ninja had already put on gas masks and rapidly withdrew toward the outskirts of the battlefield.

But the poison mist was far more potent than anyone had imagined. Even with their masks on—

many Rain ninja still began coughing violently.

As for the Leaf Village side...

"Cough, cough—"

"My eyes... they hurt so much!"

"My chakra... I can't circulate it..."

Large numbers of Leaf Village ninja fell in waves like harvested wheat.

They clawed at their throats in agony as their skin blackened at a visible rate.

Chakra rampaged through their bodies, completely out of control.

In an instant, the battlefield's center became a living hell.

Tsunade's eyes reddened with fury as she turned to rush over.

"Your opponent is me!" Hanzo sneered.

The giant Salamander's tail lashed out like a steel whip, forcing Tsunade to turn back and block.

The instant the poison mist erupted in the distance—

Tianyi grabbed Nawaki and Moonlight Kaede and retreated rapidly.

"Fall back!"

But the poison mist spread too quickly.

In the blink of an eye, it had filled the entire battlefield. Even the Medical Corps could not escape it.

Tianyi reached for the tactical pouch at his waist.

There were still ten doses of antivenom serum inside.

But ten doses... were a drop in the bucket for the dozens of fallen Leaf Village ninja.

They had to eliminate the source of the poison first. Otherwise, with the poison mist pouring out without end, they would be far too passive.

"Nawaki, Moonlight Kaede, listen carefully," Tianyi said at a rapid pace.

"Drink the antivenom serum now. It'll last for thirty minutes.

During that time, the Salamander's poison will be ineffective against you.

But after thirty minutes, the effects will start to weaken. Keep track of the time."

He took two doses of serum from his pouch and handed them over.

"You two go to the center of the battlefield and drag our fallen comrades to the high ground here.

Prioritize the Medical Corps, especially Deputy Squad Leader Mitarai Aoi and Aoi."

After saying that, he handed over another two doses of serum.

"These two are for them. Inject them immediately.

Remember, only if the Medical Corps survives can they save more people."

Nawaki accepted the serum, concern filling his eyes. "Tianyi, you..."

"I'm going to deal with that Little Sansho Fish." Tianyi cut him off.

"Give me all the Explosive Tags you have."

Nawaki gritted his teeth and handed over all seven remaining Explosive Tags from his ninja tool pouch. "Be careful!"

Tianyi took the Explosive Tags without saying more, then turned and began sneaking toward the Little Sansho Fish.

The rain curtain was the best cover. He moved quickly through the mud.

He arrived at the edge of the depression, one hundred and fifty meters from the Little Sansho Fish.

Within his Byakugan vision, five Rain ninja stood in a fan-shaped formation before the Little Sansho Fish.

One of them possessed powerful chakra fluctuations. Judging from the intensity flowing through his chakra pathways, he was likely a Jonin.

The other four were weaker, but still stronger than Tianyi. They were undoubtedly Chunin.

One Jonin and four Chunin. If he attacked head-on against such a lineup, Tianyi had no chance of winning.

He hid behind a tree that had been blown apart halfway up its trunk, his mind racing.

Seven Explosive Tags, three smoke bombs and three flash bombs still in his pouch.

Two grenades, several Kunai, and shuriken.

Brute force was impossible. He had to outwit them. His goal was to kill the Salamander, not the five ninja.

Tianyi moved quickly. He first took out an Explosive Tag.

He set it as a tripwire trap and concealed it beneath the muddy water.

Then, he tied two Explosive Tags onto Kunai.

Finally, he took out a smoke bomb and tied it to the end of another Kunai.

He took a deep breath and calculated the angle.

Whoosh—

Whoosh—

The Kunai carrying the smoke bomb arced through the air toward the five Rain ninja.

Bang!

Thick gray smoke instantly burst forth, blocking their vision.

The Explosive Tag Kunai came right after it.

But the Jonin directly knocked them away with his own Kunai.

Boom!

The Explosive Tags did not injure them.

"Enemy attack! Three o'clock!" the Jonin shouted.

The five reacted with remarkable calm and did not recklessly charge into the smoke.

Instead, they quickly tightened their formation and shielded the Little Sansho Fish behind them.

The Rain Jonin formed hand seals. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

A gust swept through, blowing away most of the smoke.

Then they saw Hinata Tianyi standing beside the broken tree, seemingly flustered.

"A Leaf Village Genin? And from the Hyuga Branch House?" The Jonin narrowed his eyes.

The Byakugan and the Caged Bird curse mark on his forehead were far too conspicuous.

"There's only one of him!"

"I'll take care of him!" A Chunin on the left volunteered.

"I'll go too!" Another Chunin followed.

The Jonin hesitated briefly, then nodded.

"Finish this quickly. Don't go farther than a hundred meters from the summoned beast."

"Yes!"