Kapitel 24: Chapter 24: The Ravine of Wrath
The dim light of early dawn filtered through the dense trees, casting long shadows on the narrow road leading away from the border. The heavy clatter of hooves echoed against the rough, uneven ground as a carriage rolled at full speed, pulled by two sturdy horses. Inside, Yugito lay unconscious, her breathing shallow and pained. Mabui sat beside her, her face tight with worry as she applied rudimentary first aid, her hands glowing faintly with the soft chakra she used to stabilize Yugito's wounds.
Ei sat in the front of the carriage, her eyes scanning the horizon, her grip firm on the hilt of her sword. Samui rode beside her, a watchful presence on the road as they pressed on toward Kumogakure. The air was tense. The ambushes from Iwagakure forces were becoming more frequent, and after the brutal battle with Roshi and Han, their enemies weren't likely to let them retreat unchallenged.
"We'll make it back," Ei murmured, her voice low but steady. "We have to."
Samui, ever the calm one, glanced at Ei from the corner of her eye. "We'll get there. Yugito's tough. She'll pull through."
Ei nodded, but the tightness in her chest didn't ease. Yugito's injuries were severe. They couldn't afford any delays, yet a sense of dread tugged at the edges of her awareness. Something was wrong. The air around them was too still, too quiet.
And then, like the shattering of glass, the silence broke.
A sharp explosion ripped through the air, shaking the ground beneath them. The horses neighed in panic, rearing back as the road ahead burst into flames. The carriage skidded to a halt, nearly overturning as Ei and Samui leaped into action, drawing their weapons with the precision of seasoned kunoichi.
"They've found us!" Samui shouted, her voice clear despite the chaos. Her sword was out in an instant, glinting in the early morning light as she moved into a defensive stance.
From the smoke and fire, Iwagakure's elite bomb squad emerged—five shinobi clad in gray and brown, each armed with explosive tags and earth-style jutsu. Their leader, a burly man with a scarred face, grinned darkly as he stepped forward.
"Thought you could escape, didn't you?" he sneered, his hands already weaving through a series of hand signs. "Kumogakure's so-called prodigy and their jinchuriki… You're not going anywhere."
Ei's eyes narrowed as she stepped forward, her body crackling with electricity as she activated her Lightning Chakra Mode. "You should've stayed hidden," she said, her voice cold and sharp like the blade in her hand.
Before the leader could respond, Ei darted forward in a blur of lightning, her sword cutting through the air with deadly precision. Her blade clashed with his kunai, sparks flying as they engaged in a rapid exchange of strikes.
Meanwhile, Samui had already moved to intercept the other members of the bomb squad. Her sword sliced through the air, cutting down one enemy with a swift, precise strike. But the Iwagakure shinobi weren't pushovers. One of them threw a series of explosive tags directly at Samui, forcing her to dodge as the ground erupted in a violent explosion.
The blast knocked her off balance, and before she could fully recover, another shinobi lunged at her, his kunai aimed at her chest. Samui barely managed to block the attack, but the force of the blow pushed her back, leaving her vulnerable. She cursed under her breath. She couldn't afford to let them gain the upper hand.
Ei, locked in a fierce battle with the squad's leader, could feel the pressure mounting. They were outnumbered, and while she could handle herself in combat, she couldn't afford to let anything happen to the others. With Yugito unconscious and Mabui untrained for combat, Samui was the only one who could hold off the attackers long enough for them to escape.
But it wasn't enough. The elite bomb squad was relentless, their earth-style techniques and explosive attacks creating havoc on the battlefield. The ground beneath them shook as another wave of explosions erupted, forcing Ei and Samui to dodge and weave through the chaos.
Samui was fast, but not fast enough. One of the shinobi managed to slip past her guard, slashing at her side with a kunai. Blood sprayed into the air, and Samui let out a sharp gasp as she stumbled back, clutching her side. She tried to regain her footing, but another explosive tag landed near her, detonating with a deafening boom. The force of the explosion sent her flying, her body slamming into the ground with a sickening thud.
"Samui!" Mabui cried out from the carriage, her eyes wide with horror as she saw her comrade fall.
Ei's heart pounded in her chest, fury surging through her veins like wildfire. She saw Samui struggling to stand, blood dripping from her wounds. She saw Yugito lying unconscious, vulnerable. And then she saw Mabui, trying to protect them both but powerless to stop the chaos around them.
Something inside her snapped.
Without a word, Ei's body crackled with lightning as she drew her sword once more. This time, she wasn't holding back. She didn't care about conserving her chakra. All that mattered was stopping the enemy—no matter the cost.
Her eyes blazed with determination as she poured every ounce of her chakra into her blade, the air around her humming with power. The Iwagakure shinobi hesitated, sensing the sudden spike in her chakra. The leader's grin faltered as he saw the sheer intensity of the energy swirling around Ei.
"What the hell—"
He didn't have time to finish.
With a single, swift motion, Ei raised her sword high above her head, the blade glowing with the radiant power of *Musou no Hitotachi*. The air crackled with electricity as the ground beneath her feet trembled. And then, in one devastating strike, she brought the sword down.
The world seemed to split in two.
A blinding arc of lightning shot from her blade, cutting through the earth with unimaginable force. The ground shook violently as a massive ravine—100 meters deep and over a kilometer long—was carved into the landscape, splitting the battlefield in half. The force of the attack obliterated the Iwagakure shinobi in its path, their bodies disintegrating in the raw power of the lightning.
The leader's scream echoed briefly before he was swallowed by the destruction.
When the dust finally settled, Ei stood at the edge of the ravine, her chest heaving with exhaustion. Her vision blurred, her body trembling as the last remnants of her chakra drained away. She had poured everything into that strike—far more than her body could handle at her young age.
And then, the darkness closed in.
Ei collapsed to the ground, unconscious before she even hit the dirt.
---
Mabui rushed to Ei's side, her heart racing with fear. Ei's face was pale, her breathing shallow, her chakra completely drained. Samui, still bleeding from her wounds, was barely conscious herself, but Mabui knew she couldn't stop. There was no time to waste.
With all the strength she could muster, Mabui dragged both Ei and Samui onto the carriage. The horses neighed nervously, their sides slick with sweat as they strained to pull the weight of the carriage. Yugito was still unconscious inside, and now Samui and Ei were barely holding on. Mabui climbed into the driver's seat, grabbing the reins with trembling hands.
"Just a little further," she whispered to herself, urging the horses forward.
The journey back to Kumogakure was a blur of pain and desperation. Mabui could feel her own strength waning, but she refused to stop. She pushed the horses harder, faster, knowing that every second counted.
The gates of Kumogakure finally came into view, but the horses were at their limit. Their breath came in ragged gasps, and their hooves stumbled on the rocky path. Mabui's heart pounded in her chest as she shouted for help, her voice cracking with exhaustion.
"Kumogakure! We need help!"
The ANBU stationed at the gates responded immediately, their eyes widening as they saw the state of the carriage. Two of them rushed forward, grabbing the reins just as the horses collapsed from exhaustion, their bodies trembling as they breathed their last.
Mabui barely had the strength to stand as she staggered from the driver's seat. "Ei… Samui… Yugito… They're all hurt…"
The ANBU didn't hesitate. One of them immediately sent a signal to the Third Raikage, while the others carefully lifted Ei, Samui, and Yugito from the carriage.
---
Within minutes, the Third Raikage himself arrived, his face a mask of controlled fury as he assessed the situation. His daughter, Ei, lay unconscious, her body completely drained of chakra. Yugito was still unconscious, her wounds severe. And Samui, though alive, was barely clinging to consciousness.
"Get them to the hospital, now," the Third Raikage ordered, his voice low but filled with authority. The ANBU moved swiftly, carrying the injured kunoichi toward the medical center.
As they disappeared from sight, the Third Raikage stood in silence, his fists clenched at his sides. His mind was racing with anger and concern, but he knew one thing for sure.
Iwagakure had made a grave mistake.
End of Chapter 24
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
Israfil
Israfil This story has been on my mind for a while, I'm only doing this for fun and to share it with you all. I'm busy in real life so don't hope for a really fast update time.
Please give me your stones if you liked the story~!
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