Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The explosive tags detonated at once, creating a cataclysmic scene. Fire bloomed and rained. The shockwave of the explosion tore through the air, forcing the scorched earth and dust to rise up in the air.
The hunter ninja, who had used the Water Prison Technique to protect himself, was somewhat unharmed. The water barrier kept the heat of the crimson fire at bay.
Countless shockwaves slammed into the water barrier with tremendous force, causing the translucent water of the barrier to ripple, splash, and shake violently.
In the end, the Jutsu held on, protecting the hunter ninja from the violent explosions. But it came at a cost: the hunter ninja's chakra reserves were now down to less than 20%.
If another attack of similar caliber rained down, he might not have enough chakra to protect himself for long.
When the explosions and their destruction ended, the hunter ninja sighed in relief. At least, he was safe.
The other five ninjas, however, weren't fortunate enough.
The semi-spherical earth dome created by one sensor ninja's Earth Dome Technique couldn't withstand the impact of the explosions. It crumbled into pieces, causing the sensor ninja to die a terrible death from the consecutive explosive tag detonations.
The sensor ninja, who used the Great Breakthrough Jutsu, managed to disperse a few kunai laced with explosive tags. Unfortunately, he activated his Jutsu hastily, and he activated it too late.
When the explosive tags detonated, they weren't far enough apart, allowing the shockwave and the heatwave generated from the explosions to slam directly on his body.
His body was broken and charred beyond repair. Only death awaited him.
The other three also had the same fate.
Apart from the hunter ninja, none of the remaining five sensor ninjas were spared from the brutality of the explosive tags. They either died horribly or were about to die with even more agonizing pain.
Watching the devastating scene before him, the hunter ninja gulped.
But he didn't get to be idle for long. That was because he saw someone rushing toward him with a ninja sword in his hand. The eyes of the person, who was definitely his enemy, blazed with an eerie crimson light.
By the time he realized that the red eyes were Sharingan, it was too late.
His eyes locked with the other party's pair of three-tomoe Sharingan. And in that instant, his mind went blank.
Seeing the hunter ninja in a daze, the other person, who was, of course, a shadow clone of Uchiha Natsu, didn't bother closing the distance anymore.
It simply grabbed a shuriken and threw it at the hunter ninja's throat.
Swoosh! Squelch!!
The shuriken flashed through the air and landed right on the hunter ninja's throat, causing the airway and vocal cords to shatter.
Blood flowed out of his throat like a geyser.
The pain instantly snapped the hunter ninja out of his dazed state.
But the destroyed vocal box and airways made it impossible for him to scream.
Gurgle! Gurgle!
Whenever he tried to scream, blood flowed out of his throat with a strange gurgling sound.
And after a few seconds, his body also fell to the ground lifelessly.
Seeing this, the shadow clone muttered in a low voice, "Three-tomoe Sharingan has indeed made my Genjutsu more potent. It should be helpful in the next fight."
It looked toward one of the narrow passageways.
It knew that the enemies, each more powerful than the other, were coming. They could arrive at any moment, now.
All five of them had the combat prowess of a full-fledged Jonin. Their physiques were stronger. Their control over their elemental Ninjutsu was better. Their chakra reserves were higher.
And his battle against them would be nothing like the one he just fought.
So, he had to be prepared.
And prepared he was.
Life and death—it all depended on the outcome of the upcoming battle.
The shadow clone didn't move. It just stood there in the open.
The other two shadow clones and two mud clones were still hiding in the dark.
The main body of Uchiha Natsu was hidden underground, ready to launch a deadly attack on his enemies when they would least expect it.
And soon, he heard the sound of footsteps. Footsteps of more than one person.
And in less than a few breaths, his enemies emerged from the narrow passageway, all five of them.
The five new ninjas looked around them and saw the carnage that had killed the ninjas under their command.
Among them, the leader, Shin, looked at Natsu's shadow clone and narrowed his eyes.
Natsu's shadow clone also stared at him without flinching, ready to take action at a moment's notice.
Seeing that the other party had no intention of speaking, the leader Shin broke the silence.
"Well, well…you have created quite the scene. Konoha scum, I had no idea that you, an injured trash, could still cause such devastation."
"And after killing my underlings, you didn't run, but waited here for us?"
"Should I call you brave or foolish?"
Shin mocked him viciously, but Natsu's shadow clone stayed silent.
Seeing this, another Jonin-level ninja beside Shin, whose name was Jiro, spoke, "So, you want to fight us, huh?"
"What happened to the other scum who was with you, though?"
"Is he hiding like a rat, or did he drop dead?"
The leader Shin interjected, "No need to waste any more words, Jiro. Let's kill him. As for the other guy, even if he isn't dead yet, he won't be able to move much with his injuries. In this rain, without immediate treatment, he will only get weaker."
"After dealing with his brat, we will find that fool soon enough, either dead or alive."
As soon as Shin finished speaking, Uchiha Natsu's shadow clone thrust the ninja sword into the ground, weaved a couple of hand seals in a flash, and gathered a fire chakra in his throat.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique
He breathed fire in front of him, which condensed and turned into a three-meter-wide, scorching fireball, and rushed toward his five opponents.
The battle between the five ninjas and Natsu had started anew!
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While Uchiha Natsu was battling five formidable enemies, Natsu's summoning partner, Kuro, had already delivered the letter from Natsu to the Hokage, Senju Tobirama.
Raindrops slammed on the tiles of the roof of the Hokage Building, creating a rhythmic, hypnotic, and soothing sound. However, at this moment, Senju Tobirama had neither the leisure nor the mood to enjoy it.
Crackle! Crackle! Rumble!
The sound of thunder boomed. The flashes of light emitted by the natural thunder spilled into the Hokage Office through the window.
The ninja cat Kuro was sitting on the table, watching Tobirama read the letter carefully. Tobirama's expression became grimmer with each passing second.
After reading the intel for a full three minutes, Tobirama finally put the letter down and activated a special Fuinjutsu seal to call the ANBU ninjas.
Time continued to tick by. And after thirty seconds had passed, a ninja wearing ANBU attire and an animal mask walked into Tobirama's office and knelt on one knee.
His voice, slightly muffled by the mask, rang in the silent room. "Your orders, Lord Hokage?"
Tobirama replied sternly, "We have an urgent mission. I need you to assemble a team for that. The assigned personnel must depart within 30 minutes."
"Apart from the individuals you select from ANBU, I need you to notify the following individuals to come to my office right now."
"They are…"
Tobirama mentioned a list of names who must join the emergency mission.
"Before continuing the main mission, try to rescue Senju Tatsuhiko and Uchiha Natsu. If they are dead, retrieve their corpse and bring them back to Konoha."
Tobirama paused for a while before continuing.
"And also notify Senju Seimei to come here in this instance."
"Now, go do your job. Dismissed!"
"Yes, Lord Hokage," said the ANBU ninja before departing.
Seeing him vanish, Tobirama looked silently at the window, watching the rain and the flashes of thunder.
His eyes were deep. His expression was unreadable.
His mind was filled with just one thought.
We have achieved peace. I just don't know…how long it will last!
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