"Enemy attack! Watch out from above and to the sides!"
The sharp warning cry of the Asuka, like a thunderclap, instantly shattered the deathly silence of the canyon!
Almost at the same instant the sound rang out, a sharp whooshing sound came from both sides of the rock wall! The poisoned hidden weapons were not random, but were concentrated on the most conspicuous targets - the guarding ninjas and the porters driving the camel!
"Defense!" Reppu roared, his reaction incredibly fast! His hands instantly Hand Seals, his speed leaving afterimages—" Earth Release: Earth Style Wall!"
A thick earthen wall suddenly rose from the ground, blocking most of the caravan's front and flanks. Most of the poisoned Kunai and Shuriken were hammered into the earthen wall, but a small number of them whizzed past through the gaps or above!
"Ah--!" A porter screamed as a dart struck his shoulder. His face turned pale instantly, and he collapsed to the ground convulsing, demonstrating the potency of the poison.
"Protect the caravan! Spread out! Find cover!" Reppu shouted sharply, then leaped up and faced the rock wall to the side, wielding his Kunai to deflect the incoming projectiles.
The Sada Sasori brothers made the right response the moment they were attacked—instead of trying to use their fragile puppets to block all the hidden weapons, they quickly manipulated their puppets " Vulture " and " Scorpion Needle " to lie low and stand in front of several frightened camels carrying cargo, using the puppets' relatively sturdy bodies as temporary cover.
"Thud! Thrust! Thrust!" Several poisoned darts struck the puppet's shell, scattering sparks.
The moment the Asuka gave the warning, Shira's muscles tensed up! He didn't need to activate his powers yet, but the reaction speed brought by the Seven Heavens Breathing Method allowed him to instantly detect the threat.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw three cold stars shooting towards him and a nearby fellow in a triangular formation. Before he could draw his sword, his left hand flashed out three Kunai, and he flicked his wrist to throw them out!
"Clang! Clang! Clang!" Three crisp sounds of impact rang out almost in a single line as Shira's Kunai accurately deflected the incoming poison dart in mid-air!
Without stopping, he slid sideways to close the distance to the terrified man, and with a flick of his right hand, deflected another arrow aimed at the man's back with his sword sheath.
"Quickly hide behind the camels!" Shira shouted in a low voice, her eyes flashing like lightning as she quickly scanned the battlefield.
The attack came from higher ground, giving the enemy a strategic advantage. Moreover, their objective was clear: the first wave of attacks was designed to create chaos and kill enemy personnel, especially the civilians in the caravan!
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!" Several more volleys of projectiles came from different angles, their targets still the caravan's people and livestock! The bandits had no intention of engaging the ninjas in a direct fight; they wanted the goods!
"Damn it!" Asuka cursed angrily. He leaped out of his hiding place and swung his hands, sending Shuriken raining down on several vaguely moving figures on the rock wall in an attempt to suppress their firepower. However, the opponents used the rocks as cover and retreated immediately after each attack, proving to be very slippery.
"We can't just sit here and take this beating!" Reppu's face was ashen. He deflected several hidden weapons and quickly assessed the situation. The enemy was hiding in the shadows, their numbers were unknown, the terrain was unfavorable, and the caravan was too conspicuous.
We must break the deadlock!
A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and his hands Hand Seals once more, moving even faster than before—" Shadow Clone Technique!"
Bang bang bang bang! Four Shadow Clone identical to Reppu instantly appeared beside him. The next second, the five " Reppu " simultaneously moved in different directions.
In particular, they charged towards the rock walls where hidden weapons were most concentrated and where enemies were suspected of lurking, throwing Kunai and Shuriken as they went to suppress the enemy!
"What?!" So many?!"
Several shouts of shock and anger suddenly rang out from the rock wall. The bandits had clearly not expected this Sunagakure Chunin to be so decisive, instantly conjuring several clones to launch a fierce counterattack. Moreover, the clones were almost identical to the original, making them indistinguishable! In an instant, the attack rhythm of several ambush points was disrupted.
"An opportunity!" The Sada Sasori brothers exchanged a glance, their understanding perfectly synchronized. The elder brother, Sada, manipulated the " Vulture " to suddenly open the mechanism in its beak, and "whoosh whoosh whoosh" shot out more than a dozen poisoned Senbon, covering a rock wall depression that was slightly flustered due to the approaching vortex of the Reppu.
The younger brother, Sasori, then manipulated the venomous stinger at the tail of the " Scorpion Needle " to shoot out with a "snap," like a nimble whip, lashing out at another crevice in the rock where the hidden weapon had just been fired!
"Ah!" Watch out for the poison needle!
Two screams rang out almost simultaneously. One bandit tumbled down from behind a rock wall, clutching his neck and his face turning black rapidly. The other bandit, whose thigh had been pierced by a Scorpion Needle, screamed as he lost his balance and fell. Although it wasn't a high fall, he still got a bad thud.
Reppu's tactics worked! He used his Shadow Clone to create chaos and pressure, giving his puppet master brothers an opportunity for a precise strike!
"Well done!" Asuka's spirits lifted, and he seized the opportunity to leap out from behind cover. His movements were as fast as lightning, and he quickly maneuvered around the enemy, attempting to approach them from the flank.
Shira wasn't idle either. He protected several of his men and hid behind a Giant Rock, saying in a deep voice, "Stay here and don't move!" He took a deep breath and quickly locked his eyes on a rock wall—where a bandit had just peeked out, seemingly trying to lasso a frightened camel that was running towards the rock wall! The camel was carrying valuable medicinal herbs!
"Hmph!" Shira pushed off with his feet, his figure suddenly leaping out at incredible speed! He didn't charge in a straight line, but instead used rocks and camels as cover, advancing in a zigzag pattern.
As he approached the bandit, the bandit spotted him and, grinning maliciously, threw out two kunai (traditional Japanese Kunai) with Explosive Tag attached!
Shira's pupils contracted, but his sprinting momentum did not diminish. At the last second, he made an extreme side slide, and two Kunai flew past the hem of his clothes and exploded on the sand behind him with a "boom"!
The shockwave whipped up sand and dust, but Shira had already used the momentum of her slide to get close to the rock wall. With a sudden push of her feet, her body shot upwards like a raccoon!
The bandit hadn't expected Shira to be so fast, and hurriedly drew his sword to slash. Shira was in mid-air, with nowhere to grab leverage, but she suddenly twisted her waist, and her long sword was drawn with a clang. In a flash, the sword light accurately pierced the weak spot on the side of the opponent's blade!
"Clang!" A clever force struck, deflecting the bandit's knife and leaving him wide open! As Shira landed, her shoulder sank, and she delivered a fierce Iron Mountain Lean into her opponent's chest!
"Crack!" A tooth-chilling sound of bone breaking rang out. The bandit screamed, spitting out blood, and was sent flying like a broken sack, crashing into a pile of sharp rocks several meters away. He was probably not going to make it.
Having secured this position, Shira immediately became a nail driven into the rock face, protecting a corner of the caravan below to some extent and also having the opportunity to threaten the flanks of the bandits above.
"Damn it! Concentrate our firepower and take out that sword-wielding brat and that Chunin!" A furious roar came from the rock wall; it was the bandit leader, " Viper."
Reppu's Shadow Clone tactic and the Sasori brothers' precise strikes, coupled with Shira's swift surprise attack that eliminated one of their members, instantly reduced their numbers. As expected, the plan encountered an unexpected turn of events.
More hidden weapons, and even several Kunai with Explosive Tag attached, began to target the location of Reppu's Shadow Clone and Shira!
" Shira, watch out!" One of Reppu's Shadow Clone disappeared with a "bang" after throwing out the last smoke bomb, providing cover for the main body.
Using the smoke as cover, Reppu quickly moved to the other side, deflecting the Kunai a series of darts. He shouted to Shira, "Hold on! Asuka, Sasori, cover Shira's side! Sada, keep an eye on the caravan!"
In the narrow canyon, roars, the clash of weapons, explosions, and screams filled the air...