Capítulo 274: Chapter 274
"Yurui, Kayui!" Nurui yelled as he glanced around desperately.
But there were no signs of his two companions. As for the four genin in their squad, he had no hope of their survival. The massive fire jutsu had far exceeded the limits of their body flicker and substitution techniques, and even if they had used them, they would have been consumed by the flames.
If not for his Earth Release: Hiding in Rock Technique, allowing him to escape underground, he too would have perished in the sea of fire. Even so, his back was scorched black.
His two other comrades, skilled in lightning jutsu, weren't as lucky; they didn't have an escape technique like his.
"Weren't we told Konoha's new summoning beasts were weak?!" Nurui muttered as he fled in different directions using Earth Clone Technique. "That fire jutsu... even if Hiruzen had used it, it wouldn't have been any stronger, and it didn't even need hand signs!"
Suddenly, a loud crash came from behind him, followed by a tremor in the ground. He glanced back and saw a massive tree falling, seemingly hit by something—but there was no visible creature.
Before he could even finish forming hand signs for Earth Release: Earth Style Wall, intense heat hit him. Without time to react, he was engulfed in flames.
As Nurui's consciousness faded, his last thought was, "Are there even any other summoning beasts in the ninja world that can form hand signs? How unlucky can I be..."
Flamethrower.
"Woof," Arcanine growled softly, sensing the enemy's life force fading as it closed its fiery maw. Glancing at the ash-covered ground, it turned and dashed back to where Naruto was hiding.
A few seconds later...
"Hmm? Arcanine, where did you go?" Naruto asked, looking confused.
"Woof."
'I had to relieve myself.'
"Hmm~"
'There's a fire over there.'
"Woof."
'It's fine.'
Arcanine licked both Naruto and the small six-tailed fox on the head before scooping them up in its mouth and racing away. The commotion it had caused with its earlier attack had attracted two groups of approaching shinobi, and they weren't allies. A battle was likely to break out, and the last thing Arcanine wanted was for Naruto to insist on joining the fight.
The first group to arrive at the scene was Kumogakure.
"What happened here?" C, leading a force of several hundred Kumogakure shinobi, frowned at the sight before him.
C was an elite jōnin skilled in genjutsu, medical ninjutsu, and sensory techniques. He was considered the Fourth Raikage's "left hand," and his status in Kumogakure even surpassed that of Konoha's Kakashi. His strength and influence were on par with future Raikage, Darui.
"Everyone, stay alert and search for any useful information," C ordered his team.
Soon, two shinobi approached him, each holding a forehead protector.
"These are from the village. The team that was sent here was Nurui's squad. It looks like something happened to them," one of the chunin reported after examining the forehead protectors, confirming they were from Kumogakure.
"A fire release technique... was it a Konoha ninja?" one of the shinobi wondered aloud.
Hearing "fire release," the first thought was always Konoha. The village was renowned for its connection to flames, especially with legends like Uchiha Madara's immense fire jutsu that once shook the world. Even after him, the Uchiha Clan and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen, continued the tradition of powerful fire release techniques.
Other villages rarely specialized in fire jutsu, so it was natural to suspect Konoha. Especially considering they were currently in a battle against Konoha.
"Not necessarily," C muttered. Something about the situation felt off.
If Konoha ninjas had attacked, would they have left these forehead protectors behind so carelessly? And why use such a large-scale fire release technique that would surely draw attention?
C continued to observe the surroundings cautiously.
"C-sama, we've detected Konoha forces moving toward us from the eleven o'clock direction. Our patrols have already spotted them," one of his sensory ninjas reported.
"How many? Who's leading them?"
"About as many as us. The leader is Might Guy."
"Chūnin and jōnin, stay hidden and await my signal. Genin, retreat to the rear and plant explosive tags along your path," C ordered swiftly.
Upon learning that their numbers were equal and the opposing leader was the impulsive Might Guy, C quickly made his decision.
There was no need to retreat. According to the Fourth Raikage's orders, they should fight whenever the opportunity presented itself.
As for whether or not Konoha ninjas were responsible for Nurui's team's deaths, that no longer mattered.
...
On the Konoha side...
"Guy, be cautious. There may be traps ahead set by Kumogakure," Shikaku warned.
He wasn't foolish enough to send Might Guy alone. He had also sent one of the best of the Yamanaka Clan, Yamanaka Santō, to assist, serving as the "brain" of the team.
"Understood," Guy nodded. He was aware of his own impulsiveness and didn't hesitate to listen to advice.
"Split into three teams and proceed with caution. There may be ambushes within the fire," Yamanaka Santō instructed, waving his hand to direct the Konoha ninjas.
The teams split up and advanced through different routes, each carefully navigating the burning forest. The bright flames and thick smoke obscured their vision, putting them at a disadvantage. It was a dangerous situation—one misstep could lead to disaster.
Under normal circumstances, Santō would have ordered a retreat. But this location was too crucial.
The rear of their current position was Konoha's logistics base. Santō suspected that the Kumogakure team had been scouting their supply lines and had encountered unexpected resistance, possibly from Konoha patrols.
He had to find out what had happened here. If any critical information was missing, it could lead to disastrous losses on the battlefield.
In the heart of the burning forest, Kumogakure's chūnin and jōnin crouched, enduring the searing heat. Their patience was wearing thin.
"They've found us… looks like there's more than just Might Guy. Could it be a Nara leading them?" C muttered from within the cover of a massive rock, peeking through the flames.
He watched as the Konoha ninjas split into three groups, with two bypassing the burning area entirely. Clearly, someone cautious was leading the team.
C's immediate concern was the squad that had entered the fire. They had to be eliminated; otherwise, they would risk exposing Kumogakure's position.
The group entering the fire was led by Yamanaka Santō.
Might Guy and another jōnin were leading the two other teams to pursue the retreating Kumogakure ninjas.
Santō didn't trust Might Guy to lead a team into what was clearly a trap, and for good reason.
"Sense…"
Santō knelt in a hidden spot and closed his eyes, activating a specialized sensory technique unique to the Yamanaka Clan. It was akin to Observation Haki.
"Fourteen… I've detected fourteen hiding in ambush," he whispered after a minute of scanning.
There were likely more hidden, but these were the ones within his range. He quickly relayed this information to his team through their mental link, another technique unique to the Yamanaka.
With the information shared, the Konoha shinobi launched their attack.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.
Wind Release: Gale Palm.
Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
Wind Release: Vacuum Wave.
Wind Release: Great Vacuum Wave.
Multiple ninjutsu attacks erupted simultaneously, with wind techniques reinforcing the fire attacks. The flames roared toward the ambushing Kumogakure ninjas, forcing them to reveal themselves and counterattack.
Meanwhile, those still hidden waited for the right moment to strike.
The first real battle between Konoha and Kumogakure had begun.
On a distant hill overlooking the forest, Arcanine watched the unfolding chaos. Though his view was obscured by flames and smoke, his Observation Haki told him everything.
Down below, the battle had begun.
"Arcanine, if I defeat the Fourth Raikage, will everyone finally recognize me?" Naruto asked, his eyes filled with determination.
"…Woof."
'…No. Stop dreaming.'
Arcanine knew that if Naruto somehow managed to take down someone like the Fourth Raikage, Konoha would indeed celebrate him as a hero.
But he also knew Naruto had no chance of doing such a thing—not even with his help.
Unless…
Arcanine glanced at Naruto's stomach, then quickly looked away.
It wasn't that his Observation Haki was powerful enough to detect anything—Z couldn't even sense the Nine-Tails sealed inside Naruto.
But Arcanine's Justified ability allowed him to feel the malevolent energy coming from within Naruto's body.
(End of Chapter)
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