The orange fireball grazed the Iwagakure Genin's shoulder and "boomed" into the ground next to the stretcher, the scorching heat wave scattering fallen leaves and forcing the two Genin to retreat.
Lin Yue seized the opportunity to rush forward, his kunai precisely aimed at the back of the Genin closest to the stretcher—"Pfft!" After the dull thud of the blade piercing flesh, that Genin didn't even have time to scream before collapsing straight to the ground.
The remaining Iwagakure Genin's pupils contracted sharply, and he turned to flee into the forest, only to be blocked by a red figure.
Uchiha Rin had just finished the hand seals for the Great Fireball Technique, the tips of her fingers still warm from Chakra, her crimson one-tomoe Sharingan locked onto her target.
Only then did Lin Yue remember that in the crisis of battle, he had subconsciously spent 100 initial summon points to trigger a summon, and the system prompt sounded in his mind.
"Ding—Summoner Uchiha Rin has arrived on the battlefield. Current status: Normal. Remaining summon points: 0 (initial 100 points consumed)."
Lin Yue didn't waste time with pleasantries, raising his hand and pointing in the direction of the fleeing Iwagakure Genin, his tone concise: "Go after him, don't let him escape."
Rin immediately understood, pushing off the ground and dashing towards the forest, the hem of her clan uniform fluttering in the wind, her kunai already gripped tightly, clearly prepared for battle.
Lin Yue then turned his attention to the other side of the battlefield—Tanaka was chasing an Iwagakure Genin carrying a Ninja tool bag, the blood seeping from his bandaged right arm leaving faint trails on the ground, his speed visibly slowing.
The Genin noticed the distance behind him shrinking and suddenly pulled out a scroll of explosive tags from his Ninja tool bag, throwing it back at Tanaka. Lin Yue didn't shout, but quickly drew a kunai from his waist, flicking his wrist to throw it—the kunai precisely severed the explosive tag's fuse.
"Boom!"
An explosion sounded about three meters from Tanaka, who used a Body Flicker Technique to escape the danger.
The Genin took the opportunity to dive into the forest, his panicked steps leading him towards the pre-set trap area. Lin Yue quickly caught up, and Tanaka's voice was steady.
"He's running towards the trap area. The tripwire trigger point is to the right of the third pine tree. We'll attack from the sides." Lin Yue wiped the dirt from his face and nodded in understanding. The two split, circling to opposite sides of the forest to form a pincer attack.
Meanwhile, Rin had already caught up to the other Genin. She didn't attack rashly, but first used the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique to block his retreat. Several small fireballs landed around the Genin, forcing him to flee towards the trap area where Lin Yue and Tanaka were located.
"Thud!"
The Genin slipped and fell heavily to the ground; a lot of oil had been smeared in this area earlier. Just as he tried to get up, Rin's kunai was pressed against his back.
On the other side, the Genin pursued by Lin Yue and Tanaka triggered a tripwire as soon as he stepped into the trap's range. The moment a "crack" sounded, three ground spikes shot out, precisely piercing his shins and thighs.
"My legs!" A pained scream echoed through the forest, his Ninja tool bag falling to the side, scattering poisoned shuriken everywhere.
Lin Yue rushed forward, his short sword against the Genin's throat, his wrist already tensing.
"Wait!"
Lin Yue stopped, the blade mere millimeters from the Genin's skin. Tanaka said, "Keep him alive, question him thoroughly before killing him—we need to confirm if there are any other squads behind them."
As a Ninja who had experienced many battlefields, he knew better than anyone that "whether there are subsequent pursuers" directly impacted the safety of the entire transport team.
Lin Yue nodded, knelt down, and picked up a poisoned shuriken from the ground. The pale green venom was seeping from its blade. He held the weapon before the Genin's eyes.
"After your squad, are there any other Iwagakure squads coming to the west front? Don't even think about lying—you should know the potency of this poisoned shuriken better than us. Just a small scratch, and your life might be forfeit."
The Genin looked at the green glow on the poisoned shuriken, trembling uncontrollably, cold sweat streaming down his forehead, mixing with the dirt on his face, making him look utterly disheveled.
"There's one more squad! We're just the vanguard reconnaissance unit! The higher-ups said you had this transport team on the west front, so they sent us to probe your strength... Most of the other teams were transferred to the east front for support.
It's true! If I'm lying, may I die a horrible death!"
He spoke faster and faster, even swearing, his eyes full of unconcealed fear.
Lin Yue didn't immediately believe him, but slowly activated his Sharingan—the crimson one-tomoe rotated rapidly in his pupils, Chakra surging towards the opponent along his gaze.
His fingertips subtly formed the basic hand seals for "Sharingan Genjutsu," his voice lowered, carrying a subtle Chakra fluctuation.
"Look into my eyes and tell me, is everything you said true? Are there really no other Iwagakure deployments on the west front?"
The Genin's eyes suddenly became unfocused, his body, previously trembling with fear, gradually stiffened, as if all strength had been drained from him. Under the influence of the Sharingan's Genjutsu, his consciousness was gradually guided, and his voice woodenly repeated.
"There are none... Besides the remaining squad, there are no other squads... The eastern front is in a tight spot, all available teams have gone to the east front... We are five people temporarily assigned, plus the squad leader, a total of six... Our mission is to confirm the transport team's location, no other orders..."
His words flowed smoothly, without any hesitation, clearly revealing subconscious, truthful information.
Lin Yue maintained the Genjutsu for a moment, confirming that the opponent was not hiding any information, before slowly deactivating his Sharingan, the tomoe disappearing into his dark pupils.
He stood up and nodded to Tanaka: "The Genjutsu worked, he's telling the truth. Besides one more squad, there are no other Iwagakure forces on the west front."
Tanaka said to the Iwagakure Genin, "Send the signal, notify the subsequent team that the transport team has been dealt with and the mission is complete."
The Genin complied, firing a signal flare. Tanaka's wrist flicked, and his short sword instantly pierced the Genin's throat. The Genin's body twitched a few times before he completely lost his breath, his eyes still wide open, retaining the fear of his final moments.
On the other side, Rin had also brought the captured Genin closer. Seeing Lin Yue and Tanaka finish their target, she spoke: "I just probed him with basic Genjutsu, and it's consistent with what this guy said—they are a temporarily formed reconnaissance team."
"Ding—Temporary mission 'Assist the squad in fending off remaining Iwagakure Ninja' complete! Mission rating: Excellent (Annihilated enemy squad, one allied personnel injured, precise intelligence acquired)."
"Mission rewards issued: 400 summon points, gained Basic Medical Ninjutsu, 'Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique (Proficient)' (automatically stored in host's skill library)."
"Current summon points: 400 points (can summon 4 Genin / 1 Chunin (requires 300 points))."
When the system prompt sounded in his mind, Lin Yue simply raised his hand to wipe the blood from his kunai, his face devoid of extra emotion—400 summon points was indeed a pleasant surprise, but "there should be no pursuers on the west front" was the key reason he truly breathed a sigh of relief.
Tanaka walked over to Lin Yue, looking at Uchiha Rin, who was cleaning up the battlefield in the distance, and asked in confusion: "Yue, who is that Uchiha girl? Why did she suddenly appear here?"
Lin Yue had already prepared an explanation, smiling as he clarified: "Uncle Tanaka, she's my distant cousin, Uchiha Rin. She was with a temporary unit on the east front, and since her squad was disbanded, she happened to encounter a battle nearby and came to help."
Tanaka nodded, not asking further, only saying to Lin Yue and Rin: "Alright, the battle is over. Let's first move the injured to a safe area, then clean up the battlefield and assess the losses."
"Yes!" Lin Yue and Rin responded in unison.
The three returned to the casualty camp. Sato's arm was already bandaged, and Takahashi was giving water to the injured. Seeing Lin Yue and Tanaka return, Sato excitedly said: "Yue, Senior Tanaka, you're amazing! You actually wiped out the entire Iwagakure squad!"
Takahashi chimed in: "Yeah! That new Uchiha's Fire Release was so cool just now, it forced that Genin back right away!"
Rin smiled and said: "It was just luck, mainly thanks to the cooperation of Yue and Senior Tanaka."
Lin Yue also smiled and said: "Everyone has worked hard. Now let's move the injured to the cave behind us, it's safer there, and then we'll come back to clear the battlefield."
Everyone immediately sprang into action. Lin Yue and Rin carried a casualty with a missing leg, while Tanaka, Sato, and Takahashi carried the other casualties, walking towards the cave behind them. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on them, stretching their shadows long.
Reaching the entrance of the cave, Lin Yue looked back at the battlefield. It had already returned to peace, leaving only bloodstains and fragments of Ninja tools on the ground.
He knew that this battle was just a microcosm of the Third Great Ninja War, and more battles awaited them in the future. But he was no longer afraid, because he had reliable companions, the system's assistance, and 400 summon points—these were his confidence to survive on the battlefield.
"Rin, we might encounter more Iwagakure Ninja next, you need to be prepared." Lin Yue said to Rin beside him.
Rin nodded, her eyes firm: "Don't worry, Master, I will protect you and cooperate with you and Senior Tanaka to complete the mission."
Lin Yue smiled and turned to walk into the cave. The cave was very dry, suitable for the injured to rest. He placed the injured on the laid straw and took out a military ration pill, handing it to Tanaka: "Uncle Tanaka, eat this first to replenish your Chakra."
Tanaka took the military ration pill, tilted his head back to eat it, and said with satisfaction: "You're still the most thoughtful. Once we clear the battlefield, we'll return to the stronghold to report. Our squad has made a great contribution this time, we'll definitely get a reward."
Lin Yue nodded, but in his heart, he was calculating—400 summon points, how should he use them? Should he summon 4 Genin to form a squad? Or summon 1 Chunin to boost the team's core combat power?
He had also checked the shop function earlier, but for now, only potions were for sale. He could save some summon points to use at critical moments. He looked at the setting sun outside the cave, lost in thought.
The victory of this battle was just the beginning. He needed to become stronger, he needed more reliable companions, to survive this cruel war, and to change the fate of the Uchiha.
And now, he had 400 summon points, which was undoubtedly a good start.