Ten minutes later, the four of us start to get into a rhythm fighting the enemy. It is said that individual talent can win battles, but teamwork and intelligence can win a war. That is exactly what we have, as we were briefed on how to fight Iwa shinobi by the famed strategist of the Ino-Shika-Cho.
Bekko-sensei would engage in close combat with the target, then Machi would trap them using her wire. Aoba would provide genjutsu support, and I, having the most chakra, would finish them off with ninjutsu.
**"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"** I yell.
"That makes ten," I say while wiping the sweat from my brow, the heat starting to get to me. Looking at the corpses scattered across the battlefield, I feel that they are starting to pile up. I'm getting used to seeing dead bodies. The thought becomes clear why shinobi at this level die. One word: 'teamwork'.
The hotheads, like the two who broke ahead to kill the Yamanaka clan members, or those who try to act like heroes, end up as the first casualties in war. The bodies of the two Iwa shinobi who tortured that kid lie lifeless now, having broken formation and costing their comrades their lives.
Just picture Tsunade's little brother, Nawaki. He didn't die to a powerful shinobi. He died from a lack of intelligence and failing to stick to his sensei, Orochimaru. After all, we can't act like Naruto and expect to walk away from most fights.
As for my team, we followed the Ino–Shika–Cho strategy: containing one enemy at a time and eliminating them with low-level, medium-range ninjutsu. Individually, we could beat them, but given the nature of Earth Release—primarily used to manipulate the surrounding terrain—we were significantly at a disadvantage. Not to mention, the cost of using a jutsu is low for them. Our shinobi stationed here would simply lose a battle of attrition.
That's why, given the forces stationed here, **speed** is the name of the game. Which explains why Minato was so effective here.
In addition, some of them are sneakily good at taijutsu, quickly comboing their rock-infused punches with an explosive tag, creating a devastating arsenal. Honestly, if this is all they need to kill the Genin of an enemy nation, I can understand why they're confident in battle.
Thinking about it, their strategy as shinobi is to land a single decisive strike to seize victory. The Tsuchikage, Onoki, has his Dust Release—one-hit KO. The Jonin have their own one-hit moves in the form of their kekkei genkai, like Lava Release. Chunin use the terrain to corner and **bury** their enemies. Even Genin have a rock manipulation taijutsu style that pairs with an explosive tag on the enemy's chest.
Meanwhile, the strongest nation in the ninja world relies on the three Academy basics. **God, Naruto and Sasuke carry the village on their backs.**
As I take a moment to drink from my water canteen, my sensei calls out to me. "Judai, how much chakra do you have left?"
I put my hand to my chin in a thinking pose and respond, "I can manage about two more of those before I'd be completely drained."
**"Okay, hold off on using jutsu for now. We'll focus on defensive strategies until reinforcements come to take our shift."** Then he turns to address the other boy on the team. "Aoba, until then, you'll switch with Judai as the ninjutsu specialist."
"Right! Understood, Sensei!" Aoba says.
"But just in case, take this." Sensei reaches into his bag to give me a chakra pill to restore some of my chakra. But just as he does, a loud explosion erupts from just past **No Man's Land**.
Our sensei looks past the trench, seeing figures using the dust cloud from the explosion as cover to mask their approach. Bekko-sensei is still able to make out their silhouettes. His brow furrows as he notices the change in their uniforms, quickly piecing together the danger this new wave of shinobi poses.
Shit, this isn't looking good. Why would that old fossil of a Tsuchikage send them out so soon? Isn't he known as the Fence Sitter?
Bekko-sensei wastes no time, rifling through his shuriken pouch to pull out a scroll. In a practiced motion, he unfurls it and bites his thumb to draw blood. Noticing my confusion, he tells me it's a **communication scroll for distress calls**, since flares can be used by the enemy to pinpoint our location. These scrolls are only used when we spot **a high-ranking target** on the battlefield.
For average ninja, there's **no** chance against Jonin or higher-level shinobi alone.
Well, that doesn't make me feel better. I internally whine.
"Mud Release: Landslide!" three of the Iwa ninja shout.
After performing a long sequence of hand seals, the Iwa shinobi convert the rocky terrain into mud, freely shaping the dirt to create a small landslide. At first, I don't understand the purpose of the attack, but then I realize—**they're shifting the earth to move our landmines deeper underground.**
Smart and relatively straightforward. Lower-level shinobi probably don't learn this in the Academy, and mid-level shinobi likely don't encounter landmine tactics during peacetime.
The scar-faced Chunin from this morning yells out after sensing the large amount of chakra headed our way. "Konoha shinobi, fall back! Retreat to the hillside with foliage!"
But before we can move more than twenty meters, we're cornered from behind.
**Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.**
We begin counting how many Jonin the enemy sent. "2, 4, 8, 12, 20... Shit."
In front of us stands **25 Iwa Jonin** dressed in the standard Iwagakure flak jacket, with a single-sleeved shirt underneath, leaving their right arms exposed except for their forehead protectors, wrapped around their upper arms. They also have the traditional lapel hanging from the right side of their pants.
The only difference from the standard design? The color.
'It's gray. That can only mean one thing.' I mentally panic.
"This is...!?" says a random Chunin.
Bekko-sensei finishes the thought for him. **"Yes. It's the Explosion Corps."
**"The fucking Explosion Corps!"**
For main characters like Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, or any of the Kage-level shinobi, this team wouldn't seem that bad. But for **average shinobi**? It's like sending the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist, to wipe out a couple of Genin. **It's overkill.**
The Explosion Corps is an elite unit of Iwagakure. Just like their name suggests, they specialize in **obliteration**. Unlike the ANBU, who handle stealth and espionage, this squad is a heavy-handed demolition team. Each member possesses a **kekkei genkai**. They gained infamy in the First Great Shinobi War for **completely annihilating** a rising enemy nation.
The scarred Chunin from this morning frowns. "This team wasn't supposed to be deployed this early in the war. How troublesome."
A man with spiky, light-brown hair and sharp jawlines steps forward with a devilish smile.
"Well, that's disappointing. All Konoha sent to guard the border is a bunch of worthless Chunin and Genin."
"Wow, those Leaf sniffers must be really desperate to replenish their numbers after the last war if they're sending out this roster. I don't recognize a single Jonin from this group," another Iwa shinobi scoffs.
"Regardless, we have our orders," says Captain Gari. "Listen up, men. Conserve your chakra—we'll need it once we make it deeper into the Land of Fire."
"I'll handle their leader. The rest of you, take care of them."
"Right!" all 25 of his men yell.
They move instantly, with Captain Gari appearing behind our commander. The two clash in a fierce battle of kunai and ninjutsu, Gari clearly having the upper hand. As they move away from us, the scarred captain yells, "Scatter!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A coordinated five-man wind jutsu forces the Iwa shinobi back. We obey, dashing south toward camp, hoping reinforcements arrive in time.
Boom* Boom* Boom*
Explosions rang out all around us as the enemy Jonin not only caught up to us but managed to scatter most of our forces. Luckily that didn't include my Genin squad as we were able to face off against one member from the explosion corp. If we manage to beat him, we'll be able to have a better chance of coordinate with reinforcements.