Chapter 97: Chapter 97
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"The candidate you prefer is indeed more suitable than this brat. However, according to the intelligence gathered by White Zetsu, controlling him is nearly impossible. Despite being a clone of my will, you still don't grasp the subtleties of manipulating people's hearts."
"But this kid's qualifications are really..."
Though Black Zetsu admitted Madara's reasoning made sense, the intelligence of this kid named Obito was unflattering. He doubted Obito could execute the plan effectively once Madara was temporarily dead. If something went wrong, the plan would face another setback.
"No matter. If this kid doesn't meet our requirements, we'll simply change the target."
"Like with previous candidates, if they fail to unleash satisfactory potential, discard them!"
As Madara said, while their pool of candidates wasn't vast, they had more than just these two. It was a matter of switching and trying again.
"What about Nagato?"
"That Uzumaki clan member has adapted to your Rinnegan remarkably well and is working hard for peace with his two friends."
Nagato's talent was astonishing. As a member of the Uzumaki clan, he had a high threshold for handling chakra intensive jutsu. But getting used to Rinnegan was a completely different matter. It was very impressive. Despite his frailty, he managed to withstand the Rinnegan's power.
"That's good! Keep a close watch on him."
Leaving that instruction, Madara resumed his deep sleep. He was too old now and needed to find the next 'Madara' soon, or he wouldn't hold on much longer. As for peace, it would just become a dream.
...
"Ryu, cover us!" Flying through the air, Toshiro began organizing his companions.
For this mission, they relied on the Super Beast Drawing to create chakra constructs. One reason was that Yamawashi lacked battle intelligence. Despite years of training, it could only fly and had limited use, being summoned only in emergencies. Another reason was that, as a summoning beast, its time was limited, and it couldn't stay with them throughout the mission.
"Understood!"
As they approached the Iwa Ninja camp, the enemy began to react, occasionally firing crossbow arrows from below. However, Toshiro, controlling the birds and with his Sharingan activated, made them dodge these long-range attacks.
"Let's begin!"
Arriving directly above the camp, Toshiro's companions sprang into action. Toshiro managed the birds, staying alert for any Iwa ninja attacks, while Ryu stayed vigilant to cover them.
Asuka, Kirishima, and Akane each took out a sealing scroll. Judging by their size and appearance, these were high-end sealing scrolls.
"Release!"
Following their seals, Kunai appeared in the air, falling toward the Iwa Ninja camp below. Each kunai had multiple exploding tags attached, either two or three, or five or six, all of which ignited and trailed smoke as they descended.
"Attack! Don't stop! You idiots, can't you aim and fire the crossbow?"
A jounin among the Iwa ninja angrily berated his subordinates. Despite receiving the Sensory Ninja's report and arranging the crossbow fire, the darkness hindered accurate targeting. Unlike the Iwa ninja, Toshiro and his team had the advantage of the camp's light and their Sharingan, allowing them to see the camp's movements clearly. Toshiro's superior 'eyesight' let him preemptively dodge the bolt weapons' trajectories.
"What's this?"
Before the Iwa Ninja could fire more crossbow bolts, something fell from the sky.
"Be careful! exploding tags!"
As the deadly weapons neared the ground, the Iwa ninja realized the danger, and panic ensued as they sought cover.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The kunai with exploding tags hit the camp, causing explosions, fire, and screams to erupt. The first casualties were the ballistas, essential for defense from ariel attacks. Destroying the enemy's firepower first was a basic strategy during an air strike. Naturally, they targeted these threatening weapons first.
"Turn off the lights!"
Realizing the current situation left them at a disadvantage, the helpless Iwa Jonin let out a frustrated roar before hiding himself.
Toshiro and his team were flying at an altitude of about three to four hundred meters. The turbulent air currents, dim lighting, and their elevation were all factors impacting their bombing accuracy. Moreover, their supply of explosive tags was limited.
But at this altitude, 99% of the ninjas were powerless against them. Fortunately for the Iwa Ninja, their camp was well-constructed, and some valuable items were preserved.
However, this didn't deter Toshiro. Seeing there was no immediate threat, he began using Super Beast Drawing freely. He created small birds, one or two feet long, to carry dozens of explosive tags in their beaks and dive toward the larger, sturdier buildings in the camp. This method, though effective, consumed their explosive tags quickly.
"Asuka, don't get too excited. We have several more camps to hit tonight."
After reminding his companion, Toshiro observed the almost destroyed camp below and decided it was time to move on. They flew toward the Land of Earth, leaving the camp behind. It wasn't until 5 minutes after their departure that the explosions subsided, and the Iwa ninja cautiously emerged to assess the damage.
"Hurry and report the situation to headquarters!"
Seeing no further attacks, Iwa Jonin confirmed the enemy's departure and instructed his assistant to report the losses.
...
"Have you identified the enemy?"
In another Iwa Ninja camp, brightly lit and bustling, a tall, square-faced Iwa ninja, Lord Kitsuchi, began questioning his subordinates.
"This is the fifth supply point reporting an attack," he noted.
"Lord Kitsuchi, the enemy attacked from the air using numerous explosive tags. We have no means to intercept them and can only defend passively. From the duration of each attack, it seems they're targeting our logistics supply points."
"Enough!"
Before his subordinate could finish, Kitsuchi, the son of the Third Tsuchikage, interrupted. The enemy's intent was clear; what he needed was specific information to formulate a response. Frustrated with the ineffectual staff, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
"I apologize! We can only alert the rear supply points to prepare for defense."
Facing his superior's anger, the Iwa ninja felt helpless. Their demolition force had little experience with air attacks.
Dropping the report, Kitsuchi stood abruptly and headed for the door.
"Lord Kitsuchi, where are you going? We need you here at the camp..."
Despite being prepared, the Iwa ninja's expression changed as his boss left. He frantically signaled his companion, but no one dared to step in.
"There are elders to manage the camp. I'm going to destroy this attacking team with my power!"
In the camp, he was merely a spokesperson and mascot for his father. He preferred to be useful on the battlefield.
"Shirai, Ganju, come with me!"
As soon as he exited the tent, Kitsuchi called, and two Iwa Ninja appeared, following him. They were elite guards assigned by the Third Tsuchikage, known for their strength and loyalty.
"Earth Release: Lightweight Rock Jutsu!"
Seeing his guards, Kitsuchi used the Iwa Ninja Village's famous flying technique and slowly rose into the air. One guard followed suit, carrying the other.
The light-weight rock jutsu, a renowned flying technique, was a closely guarded secret of the Iwa Ninja, taught only to trusted individuals by the Tsuchikage.
"It seems these Iwa ninjas are more vigilant now," Toshiro remarked, using the starlight to observe the supply point below. He wasn't surprised at the heightened alertness.
"How many explosive tags are left?"
"More than half are used; less than 10,000 remain!"
Each team member checked their scrolls, confirming the count. Toshiro frowned at the number.
"It's insufficient. We have several more supply points to bomb and can't continue at this rate."
Unlike Konan, who could deploy billions of explosive tags, the Hokage's allocation was much smaller. If he had a billion tags, the Iwa Ninja camp wouldn't stand a chance.
Reflecting on Konan's massive expenditure for paper and other materials, Toshiro silently criticized the Third Hokage's stinginess. Despite his fatigue from using Super Beast Drawing for hours, he signaled another attack.
Early the next morning, as the sky lightened, visibility began to improve.
Surveying the Iwa Ninja supply point ahead, Toshiro decided this would be the final target for their mission. After bombing it, he and his teammates would retreat.
"Everyone, be cautious! The enemy is on guard and might have prepared countermeasures," Toshiro, flying in the air, reminded his comrades. The more critical the situation, the more vigilant they needed to be.
In the camp, beside a sensory barrier, a large group of Iwa ninjas waited quietly, holding their breath for news from the sensory ninjas.
"Southeast direction, two kilometers away!" The Sensory Ninja, seated quietly in the barrier, suddenly exclaimed.
All the Iwa ninjas in the room turned to him, causing him to swallow nervously.
"The target is approaching quickly. They'll be near the camp in less than 20 seconds," he reported, despite his nerves, accurately pinpointing the attacker's location.
"Excellent! Everyone, get ready!" Kitsuchi, satisfied with the news, felt his efforts to rush to this camp were not in vain.
Kitsuchi and his party, having arrived in the middle of the night, had rested and were now prepared.
In addition to Kitsuchi and his two guards, the room held nearly 20 Jonin, mobilized to prevent any mishaps and capture the attackers.
Don't underestimate a team of 20 Jonin—there are only about 200 Jonin in all of Iwa. Even Konoha, with more Jonin, has fewer than 400. These ninjas are the precious fighting force of any ninja village.
Seeing his companions ready, Kitsuchi ordered the rock ninjas to act according to plan and began forming hand seals, preparing to use ninjutsu.
Toshiro and his group, approaching with caution, failed to notice anything unusual from the extremely cautious Kitsuchi. As they neared the Iwa Ninja camp, a massive rock arm emerged from the earth.
The rock arm, nearly thirty meters long, didn't appear threatening at first glance. But in its palm stood six ninjas in Iwa uniforms, eyes gleaming. Three of them were forming seals simultaneously, chanting, "Earth Release: Light-weight Rock jutsu."
The rock arm suddenly exerted force, making a throwing gesture with surprising speed and agility.
"Go!" Under Kitsuchi's control, the group of six, in pairs, was launched towards Toshiro and his team like projectiles.
To avoid friendly fire, the ballistas in the camp ceased firing.
"They're coming!"
Toshiro noticed the movement below as soon as the rock arm appeared, but it was too late to retreat. The enemy had timed their surprise attack perfectly.
Using the rock arm on the ground, they employed the Light Rock jutsu on themselves and their companions, making them nearly weightless. The giant rock hand, now lighter, catapulted them into the sky.
The six attackers were chosen to maximize their numerical advantage and ensure they could bring down Toshiro's team in one swift move. Fortunately, Kitsuchi had found another rock ninja proficient in the Light and Heavy Rock Jutsu among the gathered Jonin, enabling them to coordinate this six-person assault.
"Fire Release: Pheonix Flower Flame Bullet!"
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Jutsu!"
"Fire Release: Dragon fire jutsu!"
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