socalfunplaces Chapter 342 Retreat!
Chapter 342 Retreat!
Chapter 342 Retreat!
"Split into teams and give chase," Shikamaru continued. "Some will continue to surround the village, while others will go into the woods to find us."
Chi Quan nodded.
Shizune frowned: "But we weren't exposed, were we? How did they know you were in the woods?"
Chi Quan said calmly, "They don't know."
"That-
'
"So we need to make them 'doubt'."
Shikamaru smiled: "I understand."
He stood up and brushed the bits of grass off his pants.
"Leave some traces so they think someone has evacuated from this side."
Kakashi put the book away, his tone relaxed: "I'm good at this kind of work."
Tianzang has already begun arranging for people to disperse.
Several members of the secret service were identified and deliberately left shallow footprints and broken branches on the edge of the western slope, and made traces of a hasty retreat a little further away.
Everything was subtle, yet enough for an experienced person to notice.
Neji stood on high ground watching the commotion, and after a while whispered, "They've moved."
"Which way?" Shikamaru asked.
"From the west," Neji said, "there's a group—about fifteen people—coming this way."
My heart tightened as I listened to the silent message.
Kakashi whistled softly: "They've taken the bait."
Chi Quan didn't say anything, but turned and walked deeper into the woods.
"Everyone should evacuate to the second layer of forest," he said.
Night fell completely.
It was darker inside the woods than outside, with the intertwined branches blocking out the already limited light. The ground beneath our feet was damp, making almost no sound when we stepped on it.
The group quickly dispersed.
Instead of gathering together, they followed several pre-selected lines, disappearing into different thickets and behind slopes.
Jingyin stopped behind a large tree and whispered to Tianzang beside her, "Are we... going to ambush them?"
Tianzang nodded, but didn't say anything more.
Shikamaru crouched behind a low bush, gently parting the leaves to look outside.
"They're here."
In the distance, there was a faint commotion.
It wasn't a large-scale rush, but rather deliberately lowered footsteps and the soft rustling of branches being parted.
That coalition squad was clearly also being cautious.
"They're spread out," Neji reported in a low voice. "Three people are scouting ahead, eight are in the middle, and four are bringing up the rear."
Shikamaru said softly, "Standard forest search formation."
Kakashi leaned against a tree trunk, his eyes crinkling into a smile: "It's a pity they don't know that this forest doesn't belong to them."
Shizune couldn't help but ask, "Are we going to fight here?"
Chi Quan shook his head.
"No."
"That"
"Wait a little longer."
The time was stretched out for a long time.
The fifteen-person team advanced slowly but steadily. Every few steps, someone would stop to observe, and some would even use simple detection techniques to check for any chakra fluctuations in the surroundings.
"Very cautious," Neji said.
Shikamaru replied in a low voice, "But you still came in."
Chi Quan watched them but did not make a move.
They waited until the team had completely entered the first layer of the forest and even began to explore deeper into it.
Shikamaru suddenly realized something and whispered, "You're not going to fight those fifteen of them."
Chi Quan glanced at him: "No rush to fight."
Shikamaru laughed: "You're waiting for more people to come in."
As if in response to his words, Neji said the next moment, "There's more movement behind us—another group, even more than twenty."
Silent breathing tightened.
"They really did catch up—"
Kakashi said softly, "If the first team is safe, we'll be even more willing to follow."
Shikamaru sighed: "That's human nature."
The second team was faster than the first, clearly reassured by the "safety" of the team ahead.
Soon, the distance between the two teams was closed.
Further away, there were still scattered figures moving about.
Neji reported every sound in a low voice, his voice as steady as if he were reading a picture.
Chi Quan remained motionless.
It wasn't until the third and fourth teams entered the forest belt one after another.
Shikamaru finally couldn't help but whisper, "Isn't that enough?"
Chi Quan then nodded.
"That's about it."
He looked up, gazing deeper into the woods.
There, in the darkness, another group of people was already lying in wait.
Hundreds of ninjas.
They were scattered in the more distant mountains and forests, each person as quiet as a tree trunk, even their breathing was extremely low.
The only thing they had in common was the chakra they secretly possessed.
Fire Release.
It wasn't until this moment that Jingyin suddenly realized something.
She suddenly looked at Chi Quan.
"What do you want?"
Chi Quan raised his hand.
"Get ready."
The sound was very soft, yet it felt like a thread being pulled taut at the same time.
All the hidden ninjas in the forest moved at the same instant.
Chakra gathered in his palm.
The air seemed to have become a bit drier.
Shikamaru muttered under his breath, "—You're too ruthless."
Kakashi, however, laughed.
"It suits you well."
Neji's eyes flashed with a white light: "They've all come in—at least forty people."
Chi Quan looked at the seemingly peaceful forest in front of him.
The wind blew by.
The leaves rustled softly.
The next second, he spoke.
"Let's do it."
The sound wasn't loud.
But it was like a spark falling into dry grass.
moment.
The entire forest was illuminated.
It's not just in one place, it's happening simultaneously from all directions.
"Fire Release:!"
Almost simultaneously, hundreds of flames shot out from different directions.
It wasn't a series of scattered fireballs, but rather a continuous stream of fire.
The already dry branches and leaves of the trees were ignited in an instant, and the flames spread wildly along the branches, fallen leaves and grass roots.
call--!
The wind fanned the flames.
The fire was started by the wind.
In just a few breaths, the flames that were originally just specks had merged into one.
A sea of fire.
The coalition squads that had just advanced into the forest were already surrounded by a wall of fire before they could even fully react.
"There's an ambush!!"
"Fire Release!! Fire Release techniques are coming from all four directions!!"
"Retreat! Retreat outwards!!"
Where is the way out?
The direction they came from had already been blocked by the following teams and the fire.
Fire was everywhere, from the sides and the front.
The trees were set ablaze, their branches crackling, and the firelight illuminated the entire forest as if it were daytime.
Thick smoke quickly spread out.
Someone tried to use wind magic to disperse the flames, but found that the fire was too dense to be contained.
Someone formed hand seals and used water escape techniques, but the scattered water columns were like pouring a ladle of water onto an iron plate in the face of such a massive sea of fire.
"There are too many! We can't wipe them all out!!"
"Spread out! Move to lower ground!!"
Where is the lowland?
They were unfamiliar with this forest.
Standing on high ground, Shikamaru looked down at the raging flames and couldn't help but mutter, "This is no longer an ambush, it's a slaughterhouse."
Kakashi didn't reply.
His gaze also fell upon that sea of fire.
The allied ninjas, who had been cautiously searching, were now forced to scatter in all directions by the flames.
Someone was caught in the flames, letting out a short scream before being swallowed by the smoke.
Some people tried to climb trees to escape the fire on the ground, but were forced to fall by the flames higher up in the next instant.
Some people tried desperately to rush outwards, only to find that there were also fire-style attacks pressing down from the outer edge.
Shizune's face turned pale.
She had seen fire-style techniques before, but never on this scale.
"How long will this burn?"
Chi Quan looked at the sea of fire, his voice calm.
"Fever until it subsides."
Neji was still observing: "The people on the outside are retreating—but the people inside—can't get out."
Shikamaru let out a soft breath.
"They'll remember this for the rest of their lives."
Time passed little by little.
The fire did not subside; instead, it grew larger and larger as the wind propelled it.
Finally, someone on the coalition side realized what was happening.
In the distance, a more urgent commotion came from outside the forest.
Neji immediately said, "A new group—a large group—is approaching, but hasn't entered the forest yet."
Kakashi nodded: "We're here to put out a fire."
Sure enough, the sound of water escape was heard soon after.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
"Water Release·Water Formation Wall!"
Several huge streams of water rushed in from outside the forest and crashed hard onto the fire line.
hiss-!
When water and fire collide, steam suddenly rises up.
A white mist instantly filled the air.
The fire was contained to some extent, but it quickly reignited from other areas.
"Again!!"
More water-style ninjas have joined.
Wave after wave of water crashed into the forest.
The fire was finally being pushed back little by little.
But the price is already there.
By the time the fire was completely extinguished, a large part of the forest had turned black.
The trees were charred black, and smoke was still rising from the ground.
The air was thick with a pungent, burnt smell mixed with a stuffy, watery atmosphere.
The original coalition squads in the forest had become disorganized.
Neji slowly withdrew his gaze.
"—Not many are still alive."
Shikamaru didn't speak, but just looked at the Allied Shinobi Forces ninjas in the distance who were busy rescuing people.
Kakashi sighed softly.
"Now, they're really going crazy."
Chi Quan stood still, without moving.
The wind blew through the burned forest, stirring up some of the lingering ash.
He looked at the scene of devastation in the distance, his expression remaining largely unchanged.
"Let's go," he said.
"Back outside the village."
White smoke billowed through the forest, and the steam kicked up by the water escape not only obscured the view but also carried a scorching heat.
Chi Quan crouched behind a charred tree trunk, wiping the moisture from his goggles. A dozen meters ahead, several stumbling figures were trying to break through the fog.
"Three on the left front, sliding down the slope." Neji's voice came from above, carrying a hint of coldness.
Chi Quan didn't speak, but tapped his fingers lightly on the hilt of the knife.
Kakashi's figure flashed past the treetops above the group, the creaking of Raikiri mostly masked by the thick fog. Immediately afterward, a heavy thud followed by a short scream came from below the earthen slope.
"Two taken care of, one left." Kakashi landed back on the ground, blood dripping from the kunai in his hand. "That person is holding something in their arms."
Chi Quan crouched low, like a black cat, and slipped in instantly under the cover of the mist.
The surviving Sand Village ninja had half his leg burned off and was desperately clutching a black leather satchel. He saw Izumi rushing over, and with trembling hands, he pulled a smoke bomb from his pocket. Before he could even remove the fuse, Izumi's blade had already sliced across his wrist.
The leather bag fell into the muddy water with a dull thud. Chi Quan took the opportunity to kick the man in the chest, and his long knife pierced the man's heart with precision.
"Neji, are there any survivors around here?" Izumi asked, sheathing his sword and picking up the bag.
"Fifty meters to the right, there are two hiding behind a pile of rocks. They have a box of military rations and are planning to take advantage of the chaos to run towards the village entrance." Neji closed his eyes, the veins in his Byakugan pulsating violently around them.
"Holy crap!" Tenzang emerged from the shadows of the trees, his hands rapidly forming hand seals, "Earth Release: Great River of Earth!"
The already muddy ground ahead collapsed instantly, forming a small mudslide that mixed with charred ash and accumulated water. The two allied ninjas behind the pile of rocks were swept into the mudslide before they could even cry out in alarm.
Ikezumi and Shikamaru quickly arrived, standing on either side of him.
"Hurry up." Chi Quan pointed to the half-corner of the wooden box that was sticking out of the mud.
Shikamaru flicked his shadow and pulled the wooden box out of the mud. He pried open the lock, revealing a dense array of white porcelain bottles, each bearing a seal with runes from the Land of Lightning.
"These are all high-concentration soldier pills." Shikamaru opened a bottle, smelled it, and his brow twitched. "With this level of purity, one pill can last for three days. It's a special supply from the Land of Lightning headquarters."
"Take them with you." Chi Quan looked around. "Keep sweeping, leave no one behind."
The scattered squads in the forest began to harvest in an orderly manner. Because the fire had been forcibly extinguished, the forest was filled with suffocating thick smoke, and the defeated Allied soldiers stumbled around like headless flies.
Shizune was leading two ANBU members to clear a shallow pit. Five corpses lay sprawled in the pit, and two Iwagakure support ninjas, still alive, were reaching for a package nearby.
"Pfft."
The daggers from the shadows swiftly and cleanly ended their struggle.
Jingyin opened the package, her eyes lighting up: "Chiquan! Look at these!"
Chi Quan walked over and saw dozens of brand-new explosive tags rolling out of the package, along with rows of specially made thousand-books that glowed with blue light.
"These senbones are coated with paralyzing toxins." Shizune picked one up with tweezers to examine it. "They're specially made; they not only paralyze the nerves but also interfere with chakra flow."
"Take them too." Ikezumi looked at Neji. "How far is the main force from the village entrance?"
Neji stood on high ground, his face grim. "We've entered the village. The daimyo's banner has been raised, and leading the way are the Land of Earth's demolition squad and the Land of Lightning's heavy armor squad. They're splitting up towards the forest; they should be at the edge of the forest in three minutes at the fastest."
"That's enough for me." Kakashi emerged from the thick fog, carrying a huge bag on his back, stuffed with captured scrolls and ninja tool pouches. "If we don't leave now, we'll be all taken over."
Chi Quan stared towards the village entrance. He could vaguely see a dense line of torches forming a long dragon, rapidly filling the alleyways of Guihua Village. The sounds of heavy armor clashing and orderly footsteps carried on the wind, drowning out the sounds of the fires burning in the woods.
"Everyone, take your spoils and retreat!" Chi Quan shouted in a low voice.
The crowd quickly gathered. Everyone was carrying loads of luggage, and some were even holding bundles of fine steel kunai they had just stolen.
Just as they were preparing to retreat into the western forest, a dark red chakra wave suddenly swept across from outside the forest.
"boom!"
A row of charred trees was cut off at the roots.
"You've collected so much interest, and you think you can just walk away?" A cold, hard voice rang out from behind the smoke.
Helian, draped in a dark robe, stood with his toes barely touching a piece of broken wood. The scars on his face looked particularly gruesome in the lingering firelight. He hadn't brought a large force; he had caught up alone.
"You can't stop us." Chi Quan stopped and looked at him coldly.