Chapter 189: Chapter 189 Fortunate
It was as if a hole had opened up in the sky.
Endless!
It was not yet six in the evening, but the clouds in the sky had already turned the entire land dim.
This was the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Rain.
It was also the frontline where Konoha and Iwa-nin squads were engaged in small-scale battles.
On this land, it could be said that ninja from both sides were fighting each other at every moment.
The losers left behind corpses, either completely wiped out or fleeing in panic. But the victors were not much better off.
Even when gaining the upper hand in the slaughter, the dying struggles of the opponents, or the burst of strength to create opportunities for their comrades, always caused them considerable trouble.
In a primitive forest, there were numerous towering trees, each like opened umbrellas, shielding most of the fine rain from the sky.
In a clearing within the forest, there were fallen bodies and chaotic land formations, with crimson puddles on the ground.
All these indicated that a brutal battle had just occurred.
The figures cleaning up the aftermath, with the leaf-patterned forehead protectors they wore, showed that the victors belonged to Konoha.
At this moment, a figure squatting on the ground, with green light covering a comrade's body, stood up.
The man who stood up was about 170 cm tall, with his long hair tied into a neat single ponytail.
A few bangs on his forehead, wet from the rain, stuck tightly to his cheeks, making him look messy and dirty.
The simple green vest he wore no longer seemed bulky but rather perfectly fitting.
If not for his cold expression ruining his vibe, his handsome appearance would likely make many young girls see him as their dream lover.
"Finish up, and let's move. If we drag any longer, those Iwa-nin will chase us like mad dogs again!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Without any delay, whether it was those on guard, those cleaning up the battlefield, or the resting wounded, everyone stood up immediately, following the captain deeper into the forest.
No orders were needed. The followers automatically formed several squads.
Two people followed the captain at the front, three tailed at the rear, and another six spread out along the sides.
They formed groups of three, protecting the wounded in the center, with the squads spaced several hundred meters apart.
The leader of this team was the fourteen-year-old Uchiha Toshiro. It had been almost two years since he encountered Orochimaru.
In this period, he had been carrying out infiltration and counter-infiltration tasks, fighting with Iwa-nin almost every few days.
This made him and his team constantly on the run!
Prolonged fighting had made his demeanor cold and murderous.
In these two years, not only Iwa-nin had fallen at their hands, but occasionally his clansmen were also killed by Iwa-nin.
Although his strength had vastly improved from before, he was not invincible.
On this cruel land, all he could do was protect himself and try his best to protect most of his clansmen.
Some young clansmen, unable to adapt to the battlefield, left their young lives here due to various mistakes.
Yes, young clansmen!
The comrades he led now were around ten years old.
Over time, more clansmen were added to his team to fill the gaps. For instance, his current team included three eight-year-old clansmen.
The remaining clansmen weren't much older, with the oldest being him along with Ryuhiko and Asaka.
Including himself, a total of five people led three-man teams, struggling to survive on this battlefield.
After rushing for about an hour in the rain, they finally reached a cave before nightfall.
Toshiro closed his eyes slightly to sense the presence and, confirming it was empty, he felt relieved.
"It seems this hideout hasn't been discovered by the enemy!"
Despite this, Toshiro sent a shadow clone inside to inspect the cave.
Seeing the safety signal from his clone, Toshiro finally relaxed, knowing they could rest well tonight.
Leading the group into the hidden, spacious cave, feeling the cold dampness on his body and the uncontrolled shivers from some comrades, Toshiro quickly took out a sealing scroll from his backpack.
From it, he retrieved a specially-made natural gas heating device, starting a fire to warm his comrades.
Meanwhile, Toshiro's shadow clone didn't disperse but took out another scroll and began drawing on it.
Shortly, numerous sparrows, moths, snakes, and mice emerged from the scroll, flying or scurrying out of the cave in different directions.
These summoning beasts created with the Choujuu Giga jutsu would serve as their early warning system. If no one disturbed them tonight, they could sleep soundly.
Of course, the shadow clone wouldn't be able to rest, as it had to maintain the jutsu throughout the night; otherwise, the technique would be washed away by the rain.
Toshiro felt extremely fortunate for choosing this jutsu during his trade with Orochimaru.
Although not much help in battle, this jutsu provided significant assistance in reconnaissance, alerts, searches, and even escapes.
Without this jutsu, he wasn't sure if he could have survived until now.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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