Chapter 20: The Assault
The mountain forest on the border of the Land of Grass was shrouded in dim twilight. Dry branches and fallen leaves beneath their feet released soft, rustling sounds with every movement.
Izumo crouched behind a dense thicket, his chest rising and falling sharply. His heavy breaths carried the sharp, metallic scent of blood, like rust in the air.
He gripped his kunai tightly, his knuckles turning white from the pressure, while the corners of his eyes constantly scanned his surroundings.
Just half an hour ago, Team 8, along with two other teams, had received orders to escort a supply unit toward Konoha's forward outpost on the front lines.
The convoy carried medicine, ninja equipment, and food supplies—strategic materials desperately needed by the ninja fighting at the front.
Akimichi Dōtō had warned them repeatedly that Iwagakure's ninja had been unusually active lately, so they needed to be extremely careful along the route.
But no one expected that the moment they entered this mountain forest, they would fall straight into an ambush.
A thunderous explosion shattered the forest's silence. Dozens of Iwa ninja burst out from behind hidden rocks and from the treetops above.
They were led by three Jōnin from Iwagakure, their auras calm yet icy cold.
They immediately used a combination of Earth Release: Tearing Earth Turning Palm to reshape the battlefield, forcing the Konoha teams to scatter. Then they charged straight toward the Konoha Jōnin they had each singled out.
Akimichi Dōtō instantly activated the Multi-Size Technique. His body swelled several times over as he clashed head-on with a burly Iwa Jōnin. The impact of Ninjutsu and Taijutsu sent violent tremors through the surrounding trees.
The other two Konoha Jōnin also engaged their respective enemies. The shockwaves from colliding chakra blasted dust high into the air.
Meanwhile, the Chūnin and Genin were locked in chaotic combat.
The Iwa ninja's assault was ferocious. Earth Release techniques erupted one after another—huge slabs of rock jutted up from the ground, and sharp earthen spears tore through the air.
Izumo Kamizuki, Kotetsu Hagane, and Yūhi Kurenai quickly formed a battle formation. Kurenai's Genjutsu temporarily restrained two Iwa Genin. Kotetsu relied on the explosive power of his Wind Nature to launch heavy counterattacks, while Izumo moved swiftly through the gaps, using ninja tools and Taijutsu to provide support.
But it didn't take long for the situation to turn bad.
A middle-aged ninja wearing black combat gear, with an Iwagakure forehead protector strapped across his brow, suddenly broke away from the main fight. His gaze locked tightly onto Izumo Kamizuki.
His steps were steady, and the chakra fluctuations radiating from his body far surpassed those of an ordinary Genin. He was clearly an experienced Iwa Chūnin.
"Konoha brat… you've got some skill after all." The Iwa Chūnin's voice was hoarse and cold as his hands rapidly formed seals. "But today, you're going to die!"
A sharp chill ran down Izumo's spine. Akimichi Dōtō was being held back by an enemy Jōnin and had no time to look after his team.
Kurenai and Kotetsu were still managing for now, but if this Chūnin joined in, the two of them would definitely be injured—or worse.
"Now's the time for me to move," Izumo thought, without the slightest hesitation, as he charged straight at the Chūnin.
"Let's test him with close combat first."
"Your teammates are barely saving themselves. No one's coming to help you." The Iwa Chūnin watched Izumo rush toward him, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"You must be a Genin who just graduated, right? What a pity, dying so young. But even if you throw your life away, your friends still won't survive!"
His hand seals suddenly sped up. "Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"
The ground surged upward. Several sharp earthen spears shot toward Izumo, sealing off every possible escape route.
Izumo's pupils shrank. Chakra exploded beneath his feet as the Body Flicker Technique activated instantly, his figure sliding sideways like a ghost.
The earthen spears grazed the hem of his clothes and plunged into the bushes behind him, spraying dirt that splattered across his shoulder.
As the soil flew, Izumo's shadow had already turned into a pale blue blur.
He pushed the Body Flicker Technique to its limit. A faint popping sound echoed from the friction between the chakra under his feet and the ground.
Instead of charging straight in, he used the cover of the bushes to arc around in an unpredictable curve—an instinct born from Expert-level Taijutsu. Chūnin-level opponents were always most wary of their own blind spots.
At the same time, three shuriken appeared in his hand and were flung straight at the enemy's face.
The Iwa Chūnin caught the movement from the corner of his eye. Seeing the shuriken, he snorted coldly and slammed his left hand into the ground.
Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall formed in a hurry.
A half-meter-thick wall of earth rose in front of him, blocking the shuriken and cutting off his own line of sight.
"Now's my chance!" Izumo's eyes flashed. While his hands quietly formed seals, his right foot used the momentum of his charge to kick into the side of the earthen wall.
Chakra surged from the sole of his foot into the structure, shattering the earth wall from within.
"You little bastard, you've got some nerve!" The Iwa Chūnin burst out of the collapsing wall, his right fist wrapped in Earth Nature chakra, slamming straight toward Izumo's face.
The punch carried shards of stone with it, along with the brutal force honed by years of life-and-death battles. If it landed, his ribs would probably shatter.
Izumo's pupils tightened. As he landed, his left hand held the kunai in a reverse grip, precisely deflecting the opponent's wrist, while his right elbow drove toward the man's lower ribs.
A dull, bone-jarring impact echoed through the forest.
Izumo felt a wave of numbness shoot through his arm. The enemy's strength far exceeded his expectations. Meanwhile, the Iwa Chūnin was just as shocked—this kid's Taijutsu was solid, and the angle of his block was so perfect that he couldn't fully unleash his power.
The two of them froze for a brief moment.
The Iwa Chūnin intended to leap back, create distance, and unleash another Ninjutsu.
But just as he was about to jump, his body lurched.
At some point, his legs had already been glued in place by a flow of pale blue water.
"Water Release: Starch Syrup Capturing Field," Izumo murmured softly.
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