บท 303: 300

The forest had transformed into a desolate war zone, every inch scarred and battered, bearing witness to the ferocity of the clash between Chiyo's unyielding puppets and the two young shinobi who dared to stand against her. Jagged craters marred the ground like dark wounds, and the shattered remains of trees lay strewn across the landscape, fractured by explosions and relentless strikes. Smoke billowed from the scorched earth, curling up like ghostly tendrils in the dim, battle-lit haze, while the stench of burning wood and metal clung heavily to the air.

Haruto and Daichi stood amidst the wreckage, bruised but undeterred, their eyes blazing with resolve. Every fiber of Daichi's body screamed with exhaustion; his breaths came in ragged gasps, but he refused to falter.

"Keep them back, Daichi!" Haruto's voice rang out, sharp with urgency as he parried a puppet's advance, his own movements relentless yet controlled.

Daichi gave a fierce nod in response, his mind already churning as he raised his hands, summoning chakra reserves he didn't know he had left. With a quick, practiced sequence of hand seals, he summoned a fresh set of clones. Each clone materialized in a flash, gripping water whips that shimmered dangerously in the smoky light, their fluid forms curling and twisting like living creatures as they prepared to strike. Daichi, along with his clones, zeroed in on the hulking puppet in front of him—a behemoth armed with a massive spiked shield and hammer, its very design a testament to close-quarters brutality.

In perfect synchronization, Daichi and his clones moved forward, a fluid and deadly force, their water whips arcing through the air with a sharp crack. The puppet stumbled under their relentless assault, its metal frame groaning as the whips struck like strikes of lightning against armor, creating sharp clangs that echoed throughout the clearing. Daichi surged forward, his whips coiling around the puppet's limbs and slamming against its armor as he searched for an opening, his chakra pulsing with determination. The puppet, normally an indomitable force, staggered beneath the unyielding barrage, pushed back as Daichi pressed it away from Chiyo and from Haruto's path.

But with every strike, Daichi felt his chakra slipping, each whip of water draining his reserves until his bones ached and his vision blurred. He knew his limit was nearing, yet the thought of failure was unacceptable. Gritting his teeth, he summoned the last remnants of his strength, commanding his clones in one final, all-or-nothing assault. They converged on the puppet, their water whips spiraling and tightening around its form, binding it in place. Daichi's heart hammered in his chest as each clone moved with single-minded purpose, pulling out directional explosive tags and attaching them in a precise, deadly formation across the puppet's metal frame, the puppet was covered in countless directional explosive tags.

With a final, steadying breath, Daichi raised his hand and formed the seal of activation. The explosive tags flared to life, their edges sparking just before the explosion ripped through the clearing.

The blast rocked the forest, a deafening boom shattering the silence and sending shockwaves through the ground. The shield puppet exploded, fragments of metal and shards of armor scattering in every direction, obliterated in the sheer force of the explosion. Daichi watched as pieces of the puppet rained down around him, its spiked shield and hammer reduced to twisted, smoldering wreckage.

As the smoke began to clear, Daichi felt his strength drain away entirely, his knees buckling under the weight of his final act. His vision dimmed, yet a faint smile crossed his lips as he glanced toward Haruto one last time, knowing he had done everything he could. His thoughts drifted, a silent wish lingering in his mind. Good luck, Haruto. And with that, Daichi collapsed to the ground, his part in the battle completed, his final act etched into the very earth around him.

The puppet was destoyed, the battlefield marked by his sacrifice.

Meanwhile, Haruto, emboldened by Daichi's sacrifice, turned his focus to the six remaining puppets still prowling the battlefield, each a masterpiece of lethal craftsmanship under Chiyo's command. His heightened chakra sensitivity gave him a sixth sense for their positions; he could almost feel the hum of metal and chakra, each puppet's movement a flicker on the edge of his awareness. This sense gave him just enough edge to avoid the full onslaught of attacks as he honed in on his main target: the Fourth Puppet, the poison-laden senbon launcher.

As if reading his intent, Chiyo sent two more puppets into his path, the clawed-chain puppet and the spiked-shield puppet. With his two-mind ability, Haruto's focus split, tracking their movements simultaneously as they bore down on him. The clawed-chain puppet lashed out, its jagged chain snaking through the air like a whip, the razors along its length glinting menacingly. In an instant, Haruto shifted his weight, deflecting the chain's strike with a quick swipe of his forearm, sending it crashing into the ground. He seized the moment, twisting the chain beneath his foot, pinning it momentarily. Simultaneously, he sidestepped as the spiked-shield puppet charged, swinging its hammer-like arm with brute force. With a chakra-infused kick, he struck its side, sending it stumbling off course, the spiked shield gouging the earth as it faltered.

But there was no time to savor the advantage. The senbon puppet had repositioned itself and unleashed a deadly volley of poisoned needles, each projectile laced with a toxic mist that could kill within moments. Haruto's enhanced speed from the Gates made him nearly untouchable as he weaved through the storm, his movements a blur against the backdrop of smoke and destruction. He was a shadow on the battlefield, slipping past attacks from multiple directions as he drew closer to his target. Every muscle crackled with energy, his body fueled by the Gates, and his senses sharpened to a razor's edge. Each step calculated, each dodge effortless as he sensed the puppets moving around him, a dangerous dance that felt almost surreal.

Then, in the midst of the chaos, Haruto saw his chance.

With a powerful surge of chakra, he launched himself forward, his body a projectile aimed straight for the Fourth Puppet. In a flash, his fist collided with the puppet's core, chakra spiraling from his knuckles in a tightly controlled burst. The impact landed with the force of a sledgehammer, the metal frame buckling under the concentrated power. Poison canisters within the puppet's chest shattered with a sickening crunch, releasing a dark mist that quickly dissipated as the puppet's mechanisms ground to a halt. Gears and metal fragments cascaded to the ground as the senbon-launching puppet slumped, its lifeless husk broken beyond repair.

But Haruto wasn't finished. He gripped what remained of the Fourth Puppet, spinning it with fluid precision as he gathered momentum for his next move. In a seamless transition, he executed the Reverse Lotus, a technique that transformed his spin into a devastating downward strike. With a final burst of chakra-fueled strength, he drove the remains of the puppet into the ground. The impact sent a shockwave through the battlefield, splintering the broken metal into fragments that scattered like ash across the clearing, leaving only twisted wreckage.

Across the battlefield, Chiyo's eyes widened, a flicker of surprise breaking her practiced calm. For the first time, her control slipped, if only for a fraction of a second. This was no ordinary genin before her; Haruto wielded power raw, untamed, and formidable—a force she had not anticipated. Her fingers twitched with renewed focus as she recalculated her strategy, her once-calm eyes now locked on him with fierce intensity.

Haruto stood, his breathing ragged, each inhale sharp as he felt the weight of the Gates pressing down on his body. His muscles ached, each fiber strained to its limit, his strength coming at a high cost. Yet his resolve only strengthened, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at the six remaining puppets, each one a finely tuned instrument of death.

His gaze flickered to Daichi, lying on the ground, his last moments spent in a valiant effort to clear a path. Haruto felt the weight of his friend's sacrifice settle over him, his own determination sharpening. The remaining puppets moved, their every shift a reflection of Chiyo's lethal intent. He could feel the strain from the Gates beginning to burn within him, but he steeled himself, his body alive with purpose.

Haruto steadied his breath, his gaze locking onto the line of puppets now drawn close around Chiyo, a last line of defense as she realized the threat he posed. Her calculating gaze met his, her fingers twitching in anticipation of his next move. But instead of charging, Haruto glanced down at Daichi, his friend's body still and exhausted from the grueling fight.

A grin spread across Haruto's face. "Perfect."

Without a moment's hesitation, he scooped Daichi up onto his back and turned, sprinting toward the shadows at the edge of the clearing. The strain from the Gates was building rapidly, each second bringing him closer to his limit. He knew he didn't have enough time left to take on Chiyo directly, not with the toll the Gates were already taking.

As he disappeared into the trees, Chiyo's calm mask cracked, fury blazing in her eyes. She snarled, her hands clenching with frustration. "You miserable little rat… you think you can escape me?"

With a furious twitch of her fingers, she commanded her remaining puppets forward, her own form blurring as she launched into pursuit. The hunt was on, and Chiyo would not rest until Haruto and Daichi were nothing more than fading echoes in the forest.