The Captain's Head Rolled to My Feet

Qian Ye slowed his pace, trailing neither too close nor too far behind at the very back of the group.

He had always been afraid of dying, and after transmigrating here, survival had been carved into his bones.

The Genin ahead were still chattering about what to eat that night, completely unaware that danger might already be nearby.

That sort of popping champagne at halftime was practically a guaranteed death flag in every movie and TV show.

Qian Ye quietly reached for the Ninja Tool Pouch at his waist, hooking two Shuriken rings with his fingertips.

Chakra flowed slowly through his body, ready to gather beneath his feet at any moment.

Just then, several extremely faint whistles of something cutting through the air came from the dense woods to the right.

The sound was quiet, but it seemed especially piercing on the silent dirt road.

"Enemy attack! Scatter!"

Jiro's rough voice suddenly exploded through the air.

But his warning came half a beat too late.

Several Kunai bearing Explosive Tags shot from the treetops and landed precisely between the two supply carts at the front of the convoy.

Several thunderous explosions erupted, and blinding flames instantly swallowed the Genin at the front.

The enormous shockwave overturned the heavy wooden supply carts, scattering Explosive Tags and medical supplies everywhere.

Screams mingled with the cracking of wood as the once-relaxed convoy became a living hell in an instant.

Since Qian Ye had been hiding at the rear, the blast wave had weakened considerably by the time it reached him.

He immediately dropped to the ground, covered his head with both hands, and hid behind the wooden wheel of the last supply cart.

Dirt and splinters pattered against his back, striking hard enough to make him ache.

"Form up! Protect the supplies! Medical ninja, save the wounded!"

Captain Yamada shouted himself hoarse.

He drew the short blade from his back, coated its edge with chakra, and stared fixedly at the woods to the right.

The leaves shook violently as several ninja in khaki vests and Sunagakure forehead protectors leaped down from above.

They did not waste a single word. The moment they landed, they drew their weapons and charged at the Hidden Leaf group.

This Sunagakure squad was clearly an elite unit sent specifically to cut off the supply line.

Their coordination was flawless. They worked in pairs, targeting the Hidden Leaf Genin who had yet to react.

Blood quickly stained the dirt road red, while severed limbs rolled through the mud.

Jiro's eyes turned bloodshot as he brandished his Kunai and charged straight at a Sunagakure Chunin.

The two engaged in a brutal close-quarters fight beside the supply carts, sparks flashing continuously as their weapons collided.

"Don't panic! Fight back! Blow them up with Explosive Tags!"

Jiro roared as he fought.

But the newly graduated Hidden Leaf Genin had already been frightened senseless by the bloody scene, their hands trembling too badly even to form seals.

Qian Ye hid behind the wheel, scarcely daring to breathe.

So this was a real ninja war. Human lives here were worth less than grass.

Just as the Hidden Leaf group fell into a bitter struggle, an overwhelmingly oppressive chakra fluctuation suddenly descended from above.

A mass of dark golden sand gathered in midair, forming a circular platform.

A young ninja with short dark-red hair stood steadily atop the gold-dust disc, his arms crossed over his chest.

He looked down at the battlefield below, his eyes filled with indifference and contempt.

"This batch of Explosive Tags won't reach Kikyo Pass."

Yamada looked up at the young ninja standing on the gold dust in midair, and his face immediately turned deathly pale.

"Magnet Release... You're Rasa of Sunagakure!"

Yamada's voice carried undisguised terror.

The name Rasa was infamous along the Kikyo Pass front.

He was one of Sunagakure's rising leaders, his Magnet Release gold dust wielded with uncanny mastery. He had killed many Hidden Leaf elites.

Rasa ignored Yamada's cry and casually raised his right hand.

The gold dust in midair rapidly split apart, becoming more than a dozen sharp spears that floated around him.

"With guards like this, you dared take this route?"

Rasa gave a cold assessment.

With a flick of his finger, more than a dozen gold-dust spears shot toward the Hidden Leaf ninja below with piercing shrieks.

Several dull thuds rang out as three Hidden Leaf Genin who failed to dodge were pierced straight through the chest by the gold-dust spears.

They did not even have time to scream before collapsing stiffly into pools of blood.

Relying on his extensive combat experience, Jiro rolled several times in succession to evade the fatal strike, but his thigh was still gouged open.

"Bastard! Don't get so cocky!"

Jiro roared and rapidly formed hand seals.

Jiro's hands flew, the seals so fast that only afterimages could be seen.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive orange-red fireball erupted from Jiro's mouth, carrying scorching heat as it shot toward Rasa in midair.

The Great Fireball was enormous, baking the surrounding leaves until they curled and blackened.

Rasa stood in the air without even making a motion to dodge.

He merely raised his right hand casually, and part of the gold dust beneath his feet immediately separated, gathering before him into a thick dark-golden shield.

A thunderous boom rang out.

The Great Fireball slammed into the gold-dust shield, flames scattering in every direction, yet not even a spark penetrated that defense.

Rasa lowered his hand, and the gold-dust shield dispersed once more, turning into specks of golden light around him.

"Boring trick."

Rasa's voice drifted down from above, filled with contempt.

He could not even be bothered to continue acting personally, merely signaling to the Sunagakure ninja behind him.

"Finish this quickly."

Three Sunagakure elites in khaki vests immediately obeyed, turning into three black shadows as they dove toward Captain Yamada below.

Yamada had just dodged two Kunai tied with Explosive Tags, and his feet had not even regained their footing.

The ground behind him suddenly burst apart. A Sunagakure ninja sprang from the earth, driving a Kunai straight through the top of Yamada's right foot.

Blood immediately gushed out, and Yamada let out a miserable scream.

Enduring the agony, he swung his short blade, trying to counterattack.

But the other two Sunagakure ninja had already closed in simultaneously from both sides.

The ninja on the left kicked Yamada in the knee, forcibly interrupting his attempt to exert strength.

The ninja on the right gripped a ninja blade with both hands, drawing a cold arc through the air.

The blade rose and fell without the slightest hesitation.

Yamada's head flew straight off, spinning several times in the air before crashing heavily into the supply cart beside him.

A mist of blood sprayed from his severed neck, splattering the cart and muddy ground everywhere.

The entire process took less than ten seconds.

A dignified Hidden Leaf Chunin had died so miserably in the chaotic battle, without even managing to unleash a complete ninjutsu.

Qian Ye hid behind the wooden wheel of the last cart and saw everything clearly.

The severed head rolled down along the edge of the cart and stopped less than two meters away from him.

Yamada's eyes were wide open, filled with terror and unwillingness.

Qian Ye thought he would throw up.

He had not even seen a chicken being killed in his previous life. Now, with a living person dismembered before his eyes, he should have been scared enough to wet himself.

But he did not.

His hands clawed into the mud, his heart pounding wildly in his chest, his blood racing at an astonishing speed.

Of course he was afraid, and terribly so.

But beneath that fear, there was also an indescribable thrill.

Qian Ye cursed himself fiercely in his heart.

What the hell is this?

Had this body developed an instinctive reaction from the battlefield's stimulation?

Or did an energy like chakra naturally amplify a person's urge to fight?

Screams rose and fell all around him. Of the transport team of more than ten people, over half had fallen in the blink of an eye.

Those Genin who usually bragged and joked around in the village had now all become chunks of flesh on the ground.

Qian Ye took deep breaths, forcing himself to look away from Yamada's head.

This was not the time to study psychology. Staying alive was his first priority.

Blood from Jiro's thigh ran down his pant leg, dyeing the mud beneath his feet red.

He stared fixedly at Yamada's headless corpse, grinding his back teeth until they creaked.

He had called Yamada weak before, accused him of favoring his own people, but deep down, he knew Yamada had been a qualified comrade.

Sunagakure's slaughter continued. This was a completely one-sided massacre with no suspense at all.

"Don't kill me! I surrender!"

A Hidden Leaf Genin completely broke down, threw away his Kunai, and fell to his knees screaming.

The answer he received was a sharp ninja blade piercing through his chest.

The Sunagakure ninja pulled out the bloodstained blade and casually shook the droplets of blood from it.

"Hidden Leaf's ninja are really getting more and more useless."

The man sneered and turned to look at the supply cart at the very back of the convoy.

Qian Ye's heart skipped a beat as he silently cursed.

That bastard's gaze landed right on the wooden wheel where he was hiding.

From several meters apart, their eyes met directly.

Qian Ye could even see the scratches on the other man's forehead protector, as well as the cruel smile on his face.

"So there's a little rat hiding here."

Holding his ninja blade upside down, the Sunagakure ninja walked toward Qian Ye step by step. His footsteps were unusually clear amid the chaotic battlefield.

Qian Ye's scalp went numb, his palms drenched in sweat.

He knew he could not hide any longer. Staying curled behind the wheel meant certain death.

"Big brother, if I said I was just a passing civilian, would you believe me?"

Qian Ye forced a stiff smile, trying to stall for a little time with nonsense.

"Do you think I'm blind?"

The Sunagakure ninja sneered, suddenly quickening his pace.