Having left Sunagakure for a day, the group has gradually ventured deeper into the desolate Gobi Desert in the northern part of the Land of Wind.
Looking out, all that remains in the world is boundless yellow sand, jagged rocks, and rock layers riddled with holes by wind and sand erosion.
The scorching air distorted my vision, accompanied only by the howling wind and the crunching of the sand beneath my feet.
The group moved forward in efficient silence. I Fūgetsu led the way, her figure swaying as if she had become one with the wind and sand.
The three Chunin formed a loose diamond-shaped protective formation, shielding the newcomer, Shira, in the middle to the rear.
Shira had no objection to this, but silently adjusted her breathing, maintaining a cruising rhythm with minimal energy expenditure to ensure that her physical strength was always at its peak.
Suddenly, without warning, I Fūgetsu, who was at the front, raised her right fist and made a warning gesture.
Everyone stopped instantly, silently crouching low and disappearing into the shadow of the nearest rock, their presence instantly concealed.
Shira's heart skipped a beat, and she looked in the direction I Fūgetsu was staring.
Just a hundred meters away, on the sides of two huge sand dunes, sand was unnaturally rising and sliding down.
Immediately afterwards, two enormous creatures burst out of the sand.
They were two giant scorpions, each the size of a small house. Their exoskeletons were a dark yellow that blended into the desert, as hard as iron, and reflected a ghostly light under the blazing sun.
Most terrifying of all are their menacing, hook-like tail spines, the tips of which gleam with a chilling, eerie blue, clearly indicating they are highly venomous.
Oh dear, Ma Hai died in my mouth!
Their enormous pincers opened and closed, making a teeth-grinding "click" sound.
"They're desert giant scorpions!" Kui whispered, speaking rapidly. "These things have hard shells, immense strength, and their stinger venom can paralyze the nerves, killing within ten minutes. They're usually solitary, but this time we encountered two at the same time!"
"Prepare for battle, a swift and decisive one, to avoid protracted fighting and further complications." I Fūgetsu's instructions were concise and cold. " Tetsuo, engage one head-on. Arai, roam and break through armor. Kui, set traps to restrict movement and analyze weaknesses. Shira, you provide support, prioritize self-preservation!"
The order was given, and the four men sprang into action instantly.
" Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!" Tetsuo shouted, slamming his palms into the ground. A thick earthen wall rose up with a roar, precisely blocking the path of a giant scorpion.
Bang! The giant scorpion's pincers slammed against the earthen wall, sending shards of stone flying. Tetsuo groaned, clearly struggling to defend himself, but he had successfully drawn the scorpion's attention.
The other giant scorpion suddenly swung its tail, its stinger flashing like lightning as it pierced the approaching Arai from its flank.
"So fast!" Arai's pupils contracted, and he retreated rapidly, simultaneously drawing his twin swords and crossing them to parry!
Clang! The piercing sound of metal clashing was deafening! The immense force sent Arai sliding backward, his arm holding the knife slightly numb. "This thing's outer shell is too hard!"
"The venom sac is connected to the third joint of the tail segment, and the eyes and pincers are relatively weak points where they connect to the body!" Aoi calmly reported her analysis while quickly throwing Kunai with Explosive Tag attached to harass the enemy. At the same time, her hands flew, quickly laying down steel wire tripwires on the sand.
The battle instantly reached a stalemate. Tetsuo could barely hold off one, but Arai and Aoi were struggling to inflict effective damage on the other.
Just then, the giant scorpion that had been entangled by Arai and Aoi seemed to be enraged. It suddenly raised its forebody, casting a huge shadow, and its two terrifying pincers slammed down like heavy hammers!
Its coverage area was extremely large, and it was about to bring the slightly slower-moving Aoi into its attack range.
"Watch out!" Arai shouted urgently, but it was too late to help.
That's right, it's time for "The Critical Moment" to make its appearance again.
At the critical moment!
A figure slashed in from the side and rear like a ghost; it was Shira.
He didn't activate his active abilities, but instead maximized his normal speed and body control.
He accurately predicted the trajectory of the giant scorpion's fall and the route Kui would take to retreat, narrowly cutting through the gap between them.
He didn't attack the hard carapace, nor did he try to block the terrifyingly powerful pincers. Instead, his target was clear: the relatively soft area where the giant scorpion's abdomen and thorax were exposed when it raised its forebody!
"Hah!" Shira roared, her body releasing like a taut bowstring! Her right leg channeled all her strength, delivering a precise and ruthless high kick, like a battle axe, striking that weak spot!
Bang!
With a dull thud, the giant scorpion's massive body was slightly momentarily stunned by the force concentrated in one point, its downward motion momentarily deformed and slowed.
A teeth-grinding "crack" sound came from the junction of the carapace, clearly indicating that it had been injured.
It was that momentary slowness!
Kui seized the opportunity, performed a swift backflip, and narrowly escaped the attack range, breaking out in a cold sweat.
A glint of light flashed in Arai's eyes. How could he let such a golden opportunity slip by? His figure moved like lightning, instantly advancing! His twin blades transformed into two cold beams, precisely piercing the joint of the giant scorpion's abdominal armor along the crack created by Shira's kick!
"Hiss--!" The giant scorpion let out a sharp, painful hiss, and green blood spurted out! Its movements instantly became unsteady.
"Hey, good!" Tetsuo, seeing this from the other side, couldn't help but shout, his morale soaring.
"Explode!" Kui simultaneously Hand Seals!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Explosive Tag that had been placed around the giant scorpion exploded one after another! Although they failed to completely shatter its hard shell, the shockwaves and smoke from the explosions perfectly disrupted its senses and balance!
The injured giant scorpion went completely berserk, leaving it wide open.
"Gana~" Arai shouted coldly, his figure rushing forward again, his twin swords striking the same wound repeatedly like a whirlwind.
Pfft!
With a flash of light, the giant scorpion's head was cleanly severed from its body! Its massive body crashed to the ground, twitched a few times, and then lay still.
On the other side, Tetsuo roared and smashed the head of another giant scorpion with a heavy " Earth Release: Rock Fist Technique ".
The battle is over.
Only two enormous scorpion carcasses and the lingering stench of blood remained on the sand.
Kui breathed a sigh of relief, looked at Shira, and her eyes showed a hint of approval. "Precise attack on the weakness, excellent timing. Thanks."
Arai flicked the green blood off his sword, sheathed it, and looked at Shira. Although his face remained expressionless, the aloofness and suspicion in his eyes had largely dissipated. "Not bad."
Tetsuo walked over, laughing loudly, and patted Shira's shoulder forcefully. "Good lad, your kick was powerful! That kick was awesome!"
Even I Fūgetsu, who had been observing silently, nodded slightly. Shira's performance just now far exceeded the level of an ordinary Genin. She was calm, decisive, and efficient, perfectly integrated into the team's rhythm, and even played a key role.
Shira calmed his breathing and shook his head. "It's because everyone cooperated well." He wasn't arrogant; his gaze swept over the huge scorpion corpse, and he was thinking about how he would deal with such a monster if he were to face it alone.
After this unexpected encounter, the subtle sense of estrangement within the team noticeably lessened. The three Chunin began to truly and slowly regard Shira as a trustworthy teammate.
After examining the scorpion carcass and confirming it had no other value, I Fūgetsu ordered, "Clean up the traces and leave this place as soon as possible. The smell of blood might attract other things."
The group acted quickly, covering the bloodstains and signs of battle with sand.
When they set off again, the atmosphere within the team was different. Shira remained silent, but he could feel that he had truly been accepted by this small group.