But a moment later, the Grass ninja who had been lucky enough to dodge that wave of attacks began trembling all over.
An explosive tag was attached to the end of the kunai that had pierced his body.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"
The explosive tag ignited too quickly for him to react. A thunderous blast echoed through the woods, throwing him through the air and leaving half his body numb.
Only when he hit the ground did his wide-open eyes catch the figures flickering rapidly into view on the branches.
One ninja, wearing a forehead protector marked with a water droplet, glanced coldly down at him, then looked away and vanished in a flash.
"E-enemy attack!!"
The Grass ninja murmured.
At the same moment, the jōnin leading the Grass ninja, his body covered in wounds and his face twisted with terror, turned and fled.
But barely two breaths later, four kunai struck him in the back. His body jolted to a halt as his strength rapidly drained away.
Gritting his teeth, the jōnin triggered the signal flare tucked against his chest.
"Whoosh!"
Trailing a long plume of flame through the rain, the signal flare shot into the sky and exploded with a bang.
At that moment, the ninja of the Hidden Grass Village all looked up, their expressions changing sharply.
"An enemy attack?!"
The sudden signal flare left them struggling to react.
The Rain Ninja, however, had already completed every deployment and plan for their assault.
"Ninjutsu squads, go!"
Yahiko shouted as he darted through the forest.
The moment he spoke, several squads surged out from either flank, joining together in an unusual formation. They passed the kunai squads and raced toward the Land of Grass.
A few breaths later, the kunai squads returned to formation.
They glanced back at their