The diffuse white steam slowly dissipated like the last curtain before the end of a stage play.
The sight of Jonin finally penetrated the hazy atmosphere of water and fire. He had just heard the voice of his companion, who must have captured the other party's member, and he was overjoyed for this.
But what he saw now was not the expected grin of his companion's triumph, but a picture that froze his soul.
His companion, Jonin, whose strength was comparable to his own, looked like a tattered doll that had been randomly discarded, tied into a weird "cocoon" by countless ferocious wooden vines, with a bone-deep wound on his neck, and blood flowing all over the floor.
But the perpetrator, the old man, stood aside unharmed.
How could it be...
What happened?
His brain fell into a brief stagnation due to this sudden change that subverted common sense.
He couldn't understand. Wasn't it just a few seconds? Wasn't his eyes covered by the mist? Why was the situation reversed so drastically?
His gaze subconsciously scanned the battlefield.
The old man covered in blood, carrying a scapegoat and holding a long sword, Maruboshi Kosuke.
That Uchiha kid with short breathing but sharp eyes, Shisui Uchiha.
And... the Senju kid standing next to the old man, with a sickly pale face, Senju Chen.
Three people formed a loose "pin" shape, faintly surrounding him in the center.
There were no cheers of victory, no moment of relaxation.
Those three eyes were like three hungry wild wolves, looking at the last prey that was forced into a desperate situation.
Fear, like the cold tide, instantly flooded the heart of this Kusagakure Jonin.
"Gudong."
He swallowed hard, and the sound of his Adam's apple rolling could be clearly heard in the dead forest. His hand was holding Kunai tightly, but his palm was covered with slippery cold sweat.
Mission failed! Run!
This was the only thought left in his mind.
Without any hesitation, Chakra suddenly erupted under his feet, and his body turned into an afterimage, rushing towards the weakest one in the circle of three, which was Senju Chen!
In his opinion, this kid who had just performed some weird secret technique and was hit hard by his companions must be at the end of his game, and this is the only way to break through!
However, what greeted him was the fleeting, cold and mocking arc at the corner of Senju Chen's mouth.
Want to break through from me? You really... know how to choose.
"Little Chen, be careful!"
Maruboshi Kosuke shouted a reminder. Then his seemingly aging body burst out with a speed and strength that was completely inconsistent with his age, like a cannonball from the barrel, and instantly hit him from the side! The short knife in his hand gave up all superfluous moves and turned into the simplest and most direct straight line of death, going straight to Kusagakure Jonin's waist!
The attack of Shisui followed closely.
Several Shuriken, like birds with eyes, blocked all his evasion routes from all tricky angles.
Kusagakure Jonin could only roll on the ground in embarrassment, dodging these Shuriken at tricky angles.
The moment he rolled to his feet and lost his footing.
"Poof! Poof! Poof!"
Without warning, several sharp wooden thorns shot out from the ground under his feet, stabbing hard at his ankles and calves!
"Wood Release!"
Kusagakure Jonin let out a scream of terror. He activated Chakra frantically, condensing a protective body Chakra under his feet, and retreated backwards, narrowly avoiding the sneak attack from underground.
But he just took two steps back.
"Wow--"
A thick vine, like a poisonous snake lurking in the grass, suddenly wrapped around his ankle. The huge force made him lose his balance instantly, and he fell backwards!
Opportunity!
Maruboshi Kosuke and Shisui's eyes sparkled at the same time!
Maruboshi Kosuke's figure follows him like a shadow. The short knife in his hand moves from top to bottom, and with great power, it cuts the opponent's head straight!
Shisui is holding Hand Seals in the distance, and a Great Fireball that is even bigger than before is rapidly taking shape!
It's over!
Kusagakure Jonin's eyes reflected the light of the slashing sword and Kakkō rising in the distance, and his heart was filled with endless despair.
"Ahhhhh!"
Under the stimulation of death, he unleashed his full potential. He suddenly exerted force on his waist and abdomen. The moment before the dagger fell, he used Substitution Technique to turn it into a wooden stake, and the main body appeared ten meters away.
He didn't even dare to look back and ran away deep into the forest with all his strength.
He was scared, completely scared.
An extremely experienced frontal attacker, a highly talented long-range turret, and... the elusive Wood Release as a support player!
There's no way to fight this, okay...
"Want to leave?"
A cruel smile appeared at the corner of Senju Chen's mouth. He slowly raised one hand and aimed at the back.
"In front of me, you don't even have the qualifications to escape."
"Wood Release·Cutting Technique!"
As he finished speaking, countless extremely sharp wooden thorns shot out in front of, on the left and right of the Kusagakure Jonin's escape route, and even on the tree trunks above his head, like a heavy rain!
The speed of these wooden spines far exceeds Shuriken, and the angle covers the sky and the earth, forming a true dragnet!
"No--!"
Kusagakure Jonin He only had time to let out a scream that was too shrill to be human, before his body was penetrated by dozens of wooden thorns from all directions!
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
The sound of sharp blades piercing flesh resounded intensively, and his whole body was firmly nailed to the ground. Blood instantly soaked the ground beneath him. His body twitched twice, and then there was no more sound.
There was still extreme fear and disbelief in those wide-open eyes.
[Ding! An effective kill was detected, and a small amount of Chakra and combat experience were stolen.]
The system prompts sounded in his mind one after another, and Senju Chen's body, which was somewhat empty due to the continuous use of Wood Release, was once again filled with a warm current.
The battle is finally over.
The only sounds left in the forest were the rustling of the leaves in the wind and the heavy breathing of Shisui and Maruboshi Kosuke.
Maruboshi Kosuke leaned on the broken black pot and walked step by step to Senju Chen and Shisui. He looked at the two children in front of him with extremely complicated eyes.
There is relief, pride, and shock, but more importantly, it is a kind of fear and happiness that comes from the heart.
He stretched out his big hand covered with blood and scars and patted the two children's shoulders heavily.
"Well done... beautifully."
The old and hoarse voice was trembling with the trembling of the rest of his life.
Then Maruboshi Kosuke said to Senju Chen and Shisui Uchiha
"Let's get rid of the traces and leave here quickly. The smell of blood is too strong. Be careful of the enemy's follow-up troops."
Several people separated and quickly cleaned the battlefield, Senju Chen pressed his hands on the ground again.
Along with the surge of Chakra, the ferocious wooden thorns and vines on the ground, along with the corpses, slowly sank into the ground and were covered by soil and new vegetation. Soon, this tragic battlefield returned to its original state, as if nothing had happened.
Wait until all this is done.
"Let's go!"
Maruboshi Kosuke gave a low drink, and the three of them dodged a few times and completely disappeared into the depths of this Forest of Death.