Nights at the border are never for peaceful sleep, especially in this canyon camp permeated with tension.
Shira leaned against the rock wall, closed her eyes and regulated her breathing. The rhythm of the Seven Heavens Breathing Method was still flowing smoothly in her body like the tide, amplifying every sense of her body to the extreme.
He was not asleep; his consciousness was like a fish suspended beneath the surface of still water, keenly sensing every unusual ripple in the outside world.
Just past midnight, it is the time when people are most tired and most likely to let their guard down.
The wind continued to howl, but Shira's ears picked out an extremely subtle, discordant noise in the sound of the wind—not a change in the sound of the wind itself, but an almost imperceptible turbulent disturbance produced when the wind passed through some objects that should not have been there.
It appeared simultaneously in multiple locations, in the rocky areas to the northwest and northeast of the camp, and is slowly and patiently infiltrating into the important areas of the camp.
He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze shining like stars in the darkness.
Almost simultaneously, on the outskirts of the camp, the first faint, almost drowned-out "ding-a-ling" sound rang out from the "spider web" warning traps set up by the Sada Sasori, with tiny bells connected by Chakra Threads! Then came the second, and the third!
"Enemy attack--!! Northwest and northeast directions!!"
Captain Reppu's suppressed yet urgent shout instantly shattered the silence of the camp. He had already been lying down fully clothed, but now he sprang up like a cheetah, his Chunin sword already drawn.
"Hiss hiss hiss--!"
His response was a barrage of Kunai and Shuriken that pierced the air! They weren't a blind barrage, but rather precise shots aimed at the newly lit campfires and the shadowy spots where the sentries were most likely to be hiding!
Clearly, the enemy's reconnaissance team had already ascertained part of the camp's perimeter layout and the patterns of personnel activity.
" Earth Release · Earth Style Wall!"
" Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Almost simultaneously with the arrival of the projectiles, the Sunagakure demonstrated the professionalism of the border troops. The two Chunin on duty instantly Hand Seals, and a low but thick earthen wall rose from the ground, blocking most of the ranged attacks. At the same time, a strong gust of wind stirred up sand and dust, deflecting the trajectory of the remaining projectiles and briefly obscuring the attackers' vision.
But this is just the beginning.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Several muffled thuds were heard, and several seemingly ordinary sandy areas or piles of rocks on the outskirts of the camp suddenly exploded. Seven or eight figures, camouflaged in ochre and almost blending into the rocks and sand, darted out like groundhogs!
They moved swiftly and with a clear objective—three people in a group rushed straight for the largest tents in the center of the camp, while other groups fiercely attacked the two Chunin who had just used Ninjutsu and the other Sunagakure who had rushed over upon hearing the news!
It's the Iwagakure assault team! They actually used Earth Release to infiltrate so closely! The previous reconnaissance and probing were all to figure out the early warning setup and night watch patterns, paving the way for this precise nighttime attack!
"Ready for the enemy! Three-man formation! Don't spread out!"
Baki's calm voice rang out amidst the chaos. He did not rush to make a move, but instead stood on a slightly higher rock in the center of the camp, scanning the entire area and taking control of the situation.
Ryoma and Iwa, the two Jonin, have also appeared, protecting the two flanks from the left and right.
Shira entered combat mode the instant the enemy attack broke out.
He didn't activate his powers, but the heightened senses he gained from enhancing his physical abilities before the Seven Heavens Breathing Method: First Activation allowed him to "see" the situation earlier than many of his companions.
The attacking Iwa ninja numbered around twenty, slightly fewer than our own, but they were all agile and coordinated perfectly, clearly elite.
Their tactical intentions were very clear: to create chaos by attacking from the center, while using multiple small groups of troops to tie down and divide the Sunagakure's defensive forces, thus creating opportunities for the groups that were attacking the main tents.
"Dream on!"
Shira's eyes flashed, and she stomped her feet, her figure shooting out like an arrow. Instead of rushing towards the nearest enemy, she cut diagonally, her target a Rock Ninja who was trying to bypass the frontal blockade and pounce on the supply tent from the flank!
His movements were quick and abrupt, perfectly timed to coincide with the gap between his opponent and his partner's coordination.
The Iwa ninja reacted extremely quickly. Seeing Shira rushing towards him, he immediately abandoned his original target and threw a powerful punch at Shira's face. The wind from the punch was howling, indicating considerable power, and it was a standard Iwagakure Taijutsu style.
Without dodging or avoiding, at the very moment the fist was about to strike, Shira slid to the side with incredible flexibility. At the same time, his right hand, fingers pointing like a sword, did not attack vital points, but instead, with even greater speed, precisely struck a spot on the inside of the elbow joint of the opponent's swinging arm—a non-fatal acupoint that he had repeatedly studied and tested on his own body over the past few days, based on acupoint charts, and that could cause temporary numbness and weakness in the arm!
"Well!"
The power in the rock ninja's fist instantly dissipated by more than half, his entire right arm went limp, and a look of horror appeared on his face. He had never encountered such a strange fighting style that didn't rely on brute force and crumbled at the slightest touch.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shira, who had already gripped the Kunai with her left hand, swung it upwards, aiming straight for her opponent's throat!
The Iwa ninja barely managed to dodge by turning his head, but was struck in the lower body by a whip kick from Shira. He staggered backward and Genin immediately seized by another Sunagakure who arrived from the side. Kunai pierced his ribs, ending the fight.
"Acupressure really works!"
With a firm resolve, Shira moved even faster. Like a fleeting ghost, he moved through the chaotic battle, not seeking head-on confrontations, but relying on his faster speed, more cunning angles, and keen perception of airflow to "detect" the air disturbances caused by his opponent's exertion in advance, specifically targeting the weaknesses in the Iwa ninja's attack transitions and the joint pressure points at the moment of exertion.
Although he couldn't kill the enemy immediately, he was able to interrupt their attacks repeatedly, creating opportunities for his comrades to deliver the final blow. Before he even drew his sword, he had already restrained two Iwa ninjas with his bare hands and Kunai, and helped his teammates take down one of them.
"Hmm?" In the distance, Ryoma, who was Special Jōnin Iwagakure, caught a glimpse of Shira's fighting style. A hint of surprise flashed across his usually cold face. "This kid..."
The commander of Iwagakure had clearly also noticed Shira as an "unstable factor." With a sharp whistle, two Iwagakure ninjas who were originally rushing towards the Reppu Squad suddenly turned around, flanking Shira from the left and right!
The two worked together seamlessly. One used a short sword to launch a fierce attack on the upper body, while the other lurked in the lower body, using the Earth Release Double Suicide Decapitation Technique to approach from the ground. Clearly, they wanted to block Shira's space to maneuver and force him to fight head-on.
"Well done!" A sharp glint flashed in Shira's eyes; instead of retreating, he advanced! Just as the opponent's short sword was about to strike, he took a deep breath—
Seven Heavens Breathing Method - Second Activation, Activation!
A violent surge of heat exploded outwards! Skin flushed red, body temperature soared, and the surrounding air distorted slightly due to the sudden increase in life energy! Shira's speed and power surged instantly!
"Whoosh!"
His figure slid away from the pincer attack like a ghost, not retreating in a straight line, but in an unnatural arc, circling around to the side and rear of the Iwa ninja wielding the short sword!
Nayan Shinobu felt a blur before his eyes as his target vanished, followed by a sharp pain in his ribs! Shira's Kunai had already pierced deep inside, while at the same time, the fingers of her other hand accurately struck an acupoint on the side of his neck.
Before the Iwa ninja could even scream, everything went black and he collapsed to the ground. The Iwa ninja who had just surfaced was stomped heavily on the head by Shira, who had anticipated this, and was forced back down, presumably unconscious in the ground.
In an instant, she dispatched two well-coordinated enemies! Under her Second Activation, Shira displayed explosive power and combat strength far exceeding that of an ordinary Chunin!
"Beautiful!" Sasori, who was using Puppet Strings to entangle an enemy not far away, couldn't help but exclaim.
But Iwagakure's tactical wisdom didn't stop there. Their frontal assault stalled, they immediately changed tactics. Several Iwagakure ninja suddenly Hand Seals simultaneously:
" Earth Release ·Rock Stealing Stick!"
Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spear!
Several hard stone clubs and sharp stone spears protruding from the ground were not intended to kill the enemy, but only to disrupt and divide the Sunagakure's formation to the greatest extent possible, and to delay their reinforcements and movements.
Meanwhile, among the Iwa ninja squads that were attacking the tents, someone suddenly threw Kunai with Explosive Tag attached to it!
"Protect the supplies!" Reppu roared, slashing two Explosive Tag Kunai away with his sword, but the third one still landed on the edge of a tent.
"Boom!"
A burst of Kakkō erupted, setting the tent ablaze and igniting some of the supplies and ninja tools stored inside.
" Water Release: Water Chaos Wave!" A Sunagakure barely Chunin to use Water Release to extinguish the fire, but at the edge of the desert, the power of Water Release was still limited.
The chaos escalated further. It seemed the Iwagakure commander had been waiting for this moment. The whistle blew again, and all the Iwagakure ninja, including those who were engaged in combat, suddenly began to retreat in an orderly fashion, taking turns providing cover. Their movements were swift and decisive, without any lingering fighting.
Their objective has been partially achieved—they tested the strength of the Sunagakure's new reinforcements, especially the unexpected incident with Shira, which caused chaos and resource losses in the camp, allowing them to retreat unscathed.
"Trying to leave?" Baki, who hadn't moved until now, finally moved. He quickly Hand Seals, his movements so fast they left afterimages.
" Wind Release · Vacuum Great Sphere!"
Several highly compressed vacuum shells, launched later, struck with astonishing speed from behind several Iwa ninja who were retreating slightly slower. The Iwa ninja turned around in horror to defend themselves, but were blasted away by the vacuum shells, coughing up blood and instantly losing their fighting ability.
Ryoma also snorted coldly, his figure shooting out like lightning. His Chunin sword brought a shrill whistle, and he instantly caught up with an Iwa ninja who seemed to be the leader, slashing down with a blade of light like a bolt of lightning.
The Iwa ninja was quite strong. He hurriedly used Kunai to block, but the sharp wind-attribute Chakra added to the Ryoma sword sent him flying along with the Kunai, leaving him severely injured and lying on the ground.
Iwa was even more straightforward and brutal, smashing a boulder blocking his path with a single punch, causing a hidden Iwa ninja to cough up blood.
Under the Jonin attack of three top-tier Jonin, Iwagakure's retreat turned into a rout, leaving behind seven or eight corpses and four or five seriously wounded, before disappearing in disarray into the night and among the rocks.
On the Sunagakure side, several people were injured, but no one was killed. Some supplies were lost, but the core area was intact.
The battle, from its outbreak to its end, lasted only a few minutes, yet it was incredibly intense and dangerous.
The camp fell silent again, save for the crackling of burning tents, the stench of blood and acrid smoke mingling in the night air. The Sunagakure swiftly treated the wounded, extinguished the remaining fires, and redeployed their defenses.
Everyone's face was solemn. The elite level of Iwagakure, their tactical execution, and their fearless, one-strike-and-retreat style that Iwagakure had just displayed cast a shadow over their hearts.
Shira deactivated his Second Activation, slightly panting, a few drops of enemy blood splattered on his body. He looked at the Iwa ninja on the ground whom he had easily dealt with by striking his pressure points, and then at his own hands, which had easily dodged the attack and instantly killed two enemies while under the Second Activation.
Confidence, like a red-hot iron, grows ever stronger and hotter in the chest.
Seven Heavens Breathing Method, perception of airflow, basic mastery of acupressure, and steady improvement in swordsmanship and Taijutsu...
All of this was tested in the battle just now, and it has become part of his real combat strength.
But the fangs of the Iwagakure also showed him the cruelty of the border. This was far more than just a probing attack.
He walked up to Baki and reported in a deep voice, " Jonin Baki, the enemy's formation remained intact during their retreat, and they covered each other, clearly indicating they were a well-trained elite squad."
"Their objective is clear: to probe, harass, and cause sabotage, not to annihilate the entire enemy force. I suspect this is just the beginning, or perhaps the prelude to a larger operation."
Baki glanced at him, his gaze lingering for a moment on Shira's still bright eyes and composed expression, then nodded. "Good analysis. Pack your things and prepare for the trouble ahead. Tonight, I'm afraid no one will be able to sleep."
He looked up at the northern darkness where Iwagakure had disappeared, his eyes cold.
"The rocks have bared their fangs... Let's see if your teeth are harder, or if the winds of Sunagakure are sharper!"
Under the night sky, the cold moon over the border silently watches over this land that has just been briefly cleansed by blood and fire, as if foreshadowing an even more violent and cruel storm that is about to come...
Dear readers, the author is finally on vacation!
To commend the top student in each class, the school gave each student a fish weighing over three pounds (¯▽¯)ゞ