The Remnants' Despair, Qian Ye's Arrival from Above

On the border of the Land of Hot Water, torrential rain had turned the entire forest into a quagmire.

A dozen or so Konoha ninjas staggered through the woods at a desperate run.

Their green flak jackets were caked with muddy water. Several had broken arms and could only move forward with their comrades hauling them along.

Behind them, dull thuds of feet striking branches kept coming from the canopy.

Dozens of Assassination Corps ninjas wearing Hidden Mist breathing masks pursued them relentlessly.

"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"

At the shrill command, three high-pressure streams of water came roaring toward them from behind.

Tree trunks were severed one after another, crashing into muddy pits and sending filthy water splashing two meters high.

A Konoha chunin with a broken leg lost his balance and fell headlong into the standing water.

"Leave me!"

"Captain, get out of here!"

The wounded man spat out a mouthful of muddy blood and shouted as he pushed his teammates away.

The Konoha Remnant Squad Captain stopped and reached back to draw the ninja sword on his back.

His eyes reddened as he watched the Kirigakure Assassination Squad closing in behind them.

"What the hell are the village higher-ups doing?"

"They promised reinforcements, but we haven't seen a single one!"

"We've all got families! What gives them the right to leave us here as bait?"

The captain spat out bloody foam, his chest heaving.

For three days and nights, they had been retreating from the outskirts of Blackwater Marsh. Their chakra had long since run dry.

His teammates had fallen one after another. Now only these few wounded men with broken limbs remained.

Branches shook, and more than thirty Kirigakure ANBU landed on the muddy ground, surrounding the remnants.

The Kirigakure ninja leading them tilted his head,