socalfunplaces Chapter 352 Jonin Raid Team
Chapter 352 Jonin Raid Team
Chapter 352 Jonin Raid Team
The situation has completely reversed.
The story changed from "Allied Forces Jonin launch a surprise attack on Konoha" to "Allied Forces Jonin are trapped and killed by Konoha Jonin in the mountains".
Yun Jun looked up at the firelight, then back at Chi Quan, and suddenly said, "You won't let me go back alive."
Chi Quan pressed the blade against his chest, his voice icy.
"You're only finding out now?"
Yun Jun smiled, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"pity."
"What's a pity?"
"It's a pity we didn't come together."
These words made Chi Quan's heart sink.
Before he could ask any further questions, the Sand Village Jonin behind Yun Jun, who hadn't really made a move, suddenly ripped open the cloth covering his chest, revealing a row of explosive tags strapped tightly to his body.
The deer's eyes widened in surprise.
"Damn it! Step back!"
The moment he uttered that word, Chi Quan slashed Yun Ji's throat with his sword, and at the same time, he lunged at Shikamaru, slamming him against the outside of the ridge.
Tianzang isn't here, so no one can immediately lift the entire earthen wall.
Shikamaru was hit so hard that his back slammed against the rock, and his vision went black for a moment. The next second, he heard a loud explosion on the ridge.
"boom-!!"
Firelight, rubble, thunder, and the stench of blood all shot into the night sky in an instant.
Half of the mountain ridge was blown up and a corner collapsed.
Shikamaru tumbled several times before getting stuck on a piece of overgrown rock. His ears were ringing, his mouth was full of the taste of dirt and blood, and it took him a few breaths to clear his vision. His first instinct was to look for Izumi.
"Chiquan!"
No one answered.
"Chiquan!!"
Further away in the pile of rubble, there was finally some movement.
A hand emerged from the ashes first, the back of the hand covered in blood and stone powder. Then Chi Quan knelt up, coughing up a mouthful of blood mixed with ash. His shoulder, arm, and forehead were all scraped and lacerated, but he was still alive, the knife still in his hand.
Shikamaru finally let out a long, hard sigh of relief.
"You fucking—"
Chi Quan looked up at him, her voice completely hoarse.
"Are they still alive?"
Shikamaru almost laughed out of anger.
"I'm alive, but you're about to die."
Chi Quan looked down at the gash on his left arm, torn open by the rubble and the blast, and moved his fingers as if to confirm it.
"It can still move."
If you still dare to say "then continue" now...
"Then let's continue."
"I knew it," Shikamaru closed his eyes.
But after saying that, he still managed to stand up.
Because the explosion didn't kill everyone.
Cloud Falcon is dead, as is the Sand Ninja who self-destructed. Another Lightning Ninja had half his shoulder blown off and is crawling out, dragging blood along. There's also an Earth Ninja and a Jonin from an unknown faction, trying to use the smoke to escape to higher ground.
"Don't release it," Chi Quan said, only two words.
Shikamaru cursed, and the shadow had already given chase.
"You should worry about yourself first!"
Chi Quan ignored him and charged forward with his knife.
What happened next happened even faster.
Without their captain, without the initiative, and without the meaning of a "silent surprise attack," the remaining few had no chance of continuing to push forward when the Konoha reinforcements began to close in. The earth ninja was pulled down halfway down the slope by Shikamaru's shadow, and before he could even get up, he was pinned to the rock by Izumi's sword. The lightning ninja with the severed shoulder tried to struggle, but just as the lightning arc in his hand lit up, Akamaru pounced from nowhere and bit his throat.
"Well done, Akamaru!" Kiba's voice came from further away.
He and Tianzang finally arrived.
Ya was covered in ash and blood, and Akamaru's mouth was stained red. Tenzo wasn't in much better shape; half of his sleeve was torn, and there was a fresh wound on the side of his face, but his eyes remained steady.
"The fighting has broken up at the choke point." Tenzo's voice wasn't loud, but it was very clear. "The Wind Priest is seriously injured and is retreating towards the Broken Valley with two people. Kiba and I didn't manage to take them all, but they can't get into the Leaf Village area."
Upon hearing this, Chi Quan didn't immediately ask why he didn't eat, but instead asked, "Where is he injured?"
He gasped for breath and grinned.
"The cut on his left shoulder was already deep, and then I and Akamaru bit him, and his right abdomen was pierced by the Tenzo wood. He won't be able to jump around with a knife for at least ten days to two weeks."
Chi Quan nodded.
That's enough.
The deer approached, clutching its ribs, looking rather unwell.
"Enough my ass. If we hadn't stopped them in the mountains beforehand, they could have really gotten close to the outskirts of Konoha and landed a fatal blow."
"But they didn't touch it," Chi Quan said.
"That's because we were here." Shikamaru looked at him, unable to suppress his anger and lingering fear. "And we almost got taken away by that madman! Didn't you see that row of explosive tags again?!"
Chi Quan looked at him for two seconds, then suddenly said, "I saw it."
Shikamaru was startled.
"Then why did you hit me?!"
"Because you're closer," Chi Quan said.
Shikamaru was speechless for a moment.
The night wind swept through the group, carrying the lingering smells of smoke, blood, and gravel. Further away, the torches of the reinforcements arriving from the outer layers of Konoha were already lighting up, receding along the edge of the mountain towards them. Some were calling out coded signals, some had begun treating the wounded, and others were redeploying defenses below, wary of a second layer of cover among the Allied Forces' Jonin.
Kiba picked up Akamaru and patted its head.
"It's so annoying. Every time I finish, it feels like I've been rolling around in a pile of rocks all night."
Akamaru was perched on his shoulder, its tail still wagging.
Tianzang walked over to Chiquan and looked at his left arm and shoulder.
"I'm so angry about the mute mode."
Chi Quan said calmly, "Let her treat the person first, then get angry."
"She'll do both things at the same time," Shikamaru added.
Chi Quan turned her head to look at him, and suddenly asked, "Are you still able to stand?"
Shikamaru said expressionlessly, "Thanks to you, I won't die for now."
"Then don't let them fall yet." Chi Quan looked up into the distance. "Search all the bodies and their belongings. Yun Jun wouldn't have come without intelligence and a target."
Ya immediately perked up.
"Yes, search!"
By the lingering smoke and the firelight from the Konoha outposts, they turned over the bodies one by one. Yun Jun didn't have the complete blueprints with him, only a thin piece of leather sewn close to his inner armor, with three locations marked on it with extremely fine needlepoints. Shikamaru took it, looked at it by the fire, and his expression darkened again.
"It wasn't just random poking."
"Which three places?" Tianzang asked.
Shikamaru spread out the thin skin and tapped it with his fingertip.
"The western granary outside the village, the backup document station on the east side, and—this place."
When Chi Quan saw the third spot clearly, his eyes turned cold.
"Old medical supplies warehouse".
He gasped for breath.
"They only target the most dangerous cases."
"We're not picking the most valuable things, we're picking the things that will cause us the most chaos," Shikamaru said. "Burn the warehouses, cut off the documents, destroy the medical supplies. If they manage to sneak into one place, the border and the village will tremble."
Tianzang whispered, "The main force from Guihua Village is buying time for this sword."
"Yes," Chi Quan said.
Shikamaru suddenly looked up at him.
"What Helian really wants isn't 'who can infiltrate Konoha.' What he wants is for Konoha to turn around and pull back on its own."
"It's a pity it didn't work out," Chi Quan said.
"Just because it didn't work once doesn't mean it won't happen again." Shikamaru put away the thin sheet. "The Wind Priest is still alive, and Helian is still in Osmanthus Village."
Chi Quan stood on the ridge and glanced into the distant night.
From here, you can't see Osmanthus Village or the border outpost; all you can see are layers upon layers of black mountains pressing down into the night, like someone had piled the bones of the entire Land of Fire's border onto the horizon. The wind is stronger than before, making your clothes flutter wildly. In the distance, the torches lit by the Konoha reinforcements are illuminating the blasted mountain ridge, casting flickering light on and off.
"Then let's continue," Chi Quan said.
Shikamaru tilted his head: "You don't seem to mind getting tired at all."
"You complain?"
"I dislike it," Shikamaru answered quickly, "but I have to do it even if I dislike it."
Chi Quan hummed in agreement.
"Then let's stop talking nonsense. Let's go down the mountain first and take everything and everyone back. Since Helian is willing to use the Cloud Falcon and the Wind Priest's swords separately, it means he no longer wants to just guard Osmanthus Village." He paused, his voice growing colder in the wind, "Next, it's our turn to teach him that if a sword is stretched too far, it will be chopped off piece by piece."
Shikamaru looked at him for a moment, but didn't say "You're starting again." He just lowered his head and pressed the thin sheet of leather with needle marks back into the roll's interlayer.
"Fine," he said. "Go back and get yelled at by the silent mode, then keep chopping."
With Ya hoisting up Akamaru, Chongtianzang nodded.
"Did you hear that? They're going to chop it up again."
Tenzo dragged the body of a Jonin from the Allied Forces to a flatter spot, his voice calm.
"Let's take these bodies back first. We'll deal with the rest tomorrow."
The mountain wind swept by, carrying smoke and blood, blowing further and further along the rocky ridge.
The group began collecting the bodies, searching for belongings, bandaging people, and sending back signals. Konoha's reinforcements had arrived at a closer location, and the firelight illuminated the ash and wounds on everyone's faces. Someone recognized Ikezumi and was about to speak when Shikamaru cut him off with "Get to work."
By the time the mountain breeze had swept away the last whiff of burning smell, it was almost dawn.
The news from Qingniao Ridge was sent back to the Allied camp even before the people arrived.
They didn't come back alive.
It was a grey-feathered messenger hawk, its wings still damp with the cold dew of the mountain night. As it landed, its claws scrambled fiercely against the wooden frame, producing a piercing scraping sound. The messenger from the Land of Thunder, who was guarding the outside, saw the urgent markings on the bamboo tube and his expression changed instantly. Without even having time to consider his report, he threw open the curtain of the main tent and rushed inside.
The lights inside the tent were still on.
Helian stood before the sand table, his cloak only half-undone. The old layers, talisman boards, cellars, rosaries, and rendezvous points unearthed last night at the well courtyard were all tangled together; he'd barely slept a wink. The middle-aged man in grey armor was bent over, smoothing out several newly copied village defense maps. Hearing footsteps, he didn't even raise an eyebrow, only coldly asking, "What's the matter? Why are you in such a panic?"
The messenger's lips turned pale, and he knelt down on one knee, offering the bamboo tube with both hands.
"Qingniao Ridge - Urgent report."
He connected it, pressed his finger, and the bamboo tube opened.
The strip of paper was very short.
So short was it that after watching it, the entire tent was so quiet that only the occasional crackling of charcoal in the brazier could be heard.
The middle-aged man in the gray armor was the first to notice something was wrong. He looked up and saw that Helian's already cold eyes were gradually sinking, like frozen well water.
"General?"
Helian handed over the note.
The middle-aged man took it and looked at it; his expression changed as well.
There are only three lines of text above.
The Cloud Falcon team has lost contact, and the Wind Priest team has suffered heavy losses.
The night battle on the ridge of Qingniao Ridge was successfully intercepted by Konoha.
The surprise attack failed, and the enemy's outer perimeter was not reached.
The tent became even quieter.
It wasn't fully light outside yet, and the wind made the edges of the tent sway back and forth, like someone slowly patting the fabric from outside.
The middle-aged man crumpled the paper, his voice strained: "All wiped out?"
Helian did not answer immediately.
He slowly raised his eyes and looked towards Guihua Village outside the tent. The wooden frames, earthen walls, fire-fighting posts, and flagpoles that had been added to the village last night should still be standing. There was still some soil under the half-collapsed wooden planks near the well courtyard, and the patrol teams in the main alley had already changed twice. The perception board and talisman he had nailed down in the southwest should be at their most stable in the morning breeze.
Ke Yunjun is dead.
The Wind Priest was severely injured.
That Jonin raiding squad, specifically tasked with cutting off Konoha's throats, was stopped and killed in the mountains by Izumi.
Helian remained silent for a long time, so long that the messenger knelt on the ground, his forehead covered in cold sweat, thinking he would be dragged out and beheaded at any moment. But Helian suddenly laughed.
It's very light.
So softly that even the middle-aged man next to him thought he had misheard.
"General?" The middle-aged man frowned. "Yun Junyi is dead, so be it," Helian said indifferently.
The middle-aged man was taken aback.
"But that's... I know who that is." Helian turned his head, the smile in his eyes not fading but deepening, though devoid of any warmth. "I also know that after the Wind Priest lost half his body, he won't be able to take the main sword position for at least half a month. But did you see that?"
The middle-aged man didn't immediately grasp what he meant.
"What do you see?"
Helian pulled the note back and lightly tapped one of the lines of text with his fingertip.
The night battle on the ridge of Qingniao Ridge was successfully intercepted by Konoha.
"Interception successful," Helian said. "Who intercepted it?"
The middle-aged man stared at the line of text, then suddenly understood, and his eyes narrowed.
"Chiquan."
"Yes." Helian's voice was very low. "It's Chiquan."
The fire inside the tent leaped.
Helian slowly folded the paper strip, once, then again, until it was very neat.
"He really is in Konoha," he said, "and even faster than I guessed."
The gloom on the middle-aged man's face did not lessen in the slightest because of those words.
"But we paid for an entire Jonin raiding squad."
"It's worth it," Helian said.
This one word silenced the other two people in the tent.
Not only the middle-aged man, but even the messenger on the ground froze, not daring to raise his head.
Helian, however, did not look at them.
He walked back to the sand table and reached out to brush aside the small flags planted around the Bluebird Ridge. The Land of Lightning, the Sand Village, the Land of Earth—various colored markers were planted among the wooden ridges. He pressed down the smallest black flag, Cloud Falcon's, with his fingertip, and it fell over.
"The Cloud Falcon team wasn't meant to enter Konoha," Helian said. "Never from the beginning."
The middle-aged man looked up at him.
"That's for finding people," Helian replied quickly.
The wind outside the tent picked up a bit.
The curtain was suddenly flung open by the wind, revealing a sliver of gray sky. A figure walked past outside, then quickly retreated, not daring to approach the main tent even a step closer.
The middle-aged man stared at Helian for a moment before whispering, "So you anticipated that Chi Quan would intercept us?"
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