Counterattack

Amid the fierce battle, Uchiha Lan dodged the enemy's attacks with nimble movements while studying them closely.

He realized with a jolt that they worked together with the precision of interlocking gears.

Their Earth Release techniques raised walls as solid as fortresses, serving as both shields and weapons.

"Sakumo!" he shouted. "Their defense is ridiculous. It's like an iron wall. We'll never break through like this—we're just throwing ourselves against it!"

Hatake Sakumo parried an attack and searched the enemy line with a hawk's eye. "Don't panic! I'm looking for an opening!"

A moment later, his eyes lit up. "Hit their right flank, Lan! There's a small gap. That's their weak point!"

"Got it!" Uchiha Lan called back.

He adjusted his approach at once and unleashed a fiercer Fire Release attack on the right flank. Flames surged toward the enemy like molten lava.

Their seamless coordination drove the squad back, and the enemy retreated like a receding tide.

"Well done, Lan," Hatake Sakumo said between breaths, admiration clear in his voice.

"You weren't bad yourself, Sakumo. But we can't let our guard down. This is only the beginning. Stronger enemies are bound to be waiting for us." Uchiha Lan wiped the sweat from his brow. It glinted in the sunlight like pearls.

And it truly was only the beginning.

As time passed, the fighting grew fiercer, churning like water at a rolling boil.

While scouting, they blundered into an enemy encirclement like deer caught in a trap.

Ninjas from the Land of Earth closed in from every direction, as numerous as a pack of hungry wolves.

They looked like battle-hardened elites, their eyes as cold as blades.

Sakumo and Lan stood back to back, bracing themselves for a grueling fight.

"Lan, we're in trouble. They've surrounded us," Hatake Sakumo said,