"Go this way, you go that way..."
Shizune assigned tasks to the medical ninjas.
Boom!
A deafening explosion erupted from the front, leaving their ears ringing.
Minato Namikaze's expression changed—the Iwa-nin reinforcements had arrived!
"Captain Mimura, you stay with the medical team. I'll go assist."
Minato pulled out several kunai shaped like tridents from the small pouch on his back and vanished in an instant.
At the same time, a golden flash appeared on the battlefield ahead.
"Kakashi, we can't let these people's youth end here!"
Might Guy quickly lifted several injured comrades. Instead of using a stretcher, he tucked one under each arm and carried two more on his shoulders, sprinting toward a safe location.
"Guy, they're injured," Kakashi called out, unfolding a collapsible stretcher and carefully placing the wounded on it.
"Don't worry, Kakashi! My running is smoother than a bed!"
Guy maintained a steady rhythm as he ran, and the four injured ninjas barely felt any jostling.
A kilometer away, the battlefield was ablaze. The entire forest was engulfed in roaring flames, the sound of fire crackling endlessly.
Ninjas unleashed their signature jutsu—fire, lightning, and wind clashed in a chaotic symphony.
The medical and transport teams quietly infiltrated, carrying out their tasks with precision.
"Good, almost done."
Hamaki mimura relaxed slightly. His mission was nearly complete.
Once the remaining injured were evacuated, they could retreat with the team.
The battle had dragged on this long because there were ninjas on the ground who couldn't move.
Retreating now would mean abandoning them.
The Iwa-nin showed no mercy—those they captured would be tortured for information, while the defiant ones would be executed on the spot.
"Alright, let's retreat!"
Mebuki glanced at the battlefield a kilometer away. The ground was scarred with deep, jagged cracks, evidence of the explosions' destructive power. The terrain had been reshaped by the war.
It was clear that this land would take years to recover, if it ever did. This was why the great nations preferred to wage war in smaller countries—the destructive power of ninjas was simply too great.
Seeing that all the surviving injured had been evacuated, Mebuki ordered everyone to retreat without delay.
"Explosion Release: Landmine Fist!"
A voice suddenly rang out.
Boom!
Mebuki had just turned his back when he was sent flying.
"Ugh..."
Blood gushed from Mebuki's wounds. His green ninja armor had been blown apart, revealing charred skin beneath. Wisps of smoke rose from his body.
Not far away, a man's fist was enveloped in thick smoke, which slowly dissipated.
Everyone froze.
Hamaki mimura had been knocked down.
The newcomer wore a brown ninja combat uniform, unmistakably an Iwa-nin.
"Be careful! That's Gari, the Explosion Release ninja!"
Genma Shiranui, who was also part of the transport team, shouted a warning. His abdomen was wrapped in bandages, but he looked surprisingly energetic for someone who had been stabbed not long ago.
As one of the more experienced among them, he immediately warned his comrades not to engage.
"Not bad, kid," Gari sneered, the smoke around his fist completely gone.
He possessed a unique Kekkei Genkai that allowed his chakra to explode.
By concentrating chakra in his fist, anything he touched would detonate.
It was like having an unlimited supply of explosive tags.
"Minato Namikaze is tied up. Let's take them down now."
Gari waved his hand, and the Iwa-nin behind him charged forward.
Genma, being the closest, became the primary target.
He quickly formed hand seals and unleashed a jutsu.
"Ninja Art: Senbon Rain!"
The senbon he always held between his teeth shot out, multiplying in mid-air and raining down on the Iwa-nin like a dense storm.
Gari's lips curled into an ugly, menacing grin.
He rolled up his sleeve and swept it through the air, causing all the senbon to explode.
The blast sent Genma flying, his condition unknown.
"Earth Release: Earth Wave!"
Kakashi slammed his hand on the ground, causing the earth to ripple like waves.
Might Guy, as if reading his mind, kicked forward.
"Leaf Hurricane!"
Just as his kick connected, Gari blocked with his right arm, and Guy was sent flying by the explosion.
"Use ranged attacks!" Mebuki, lying on the ground after the sneak attack, shouted a reminder.
"Earth Release: Earth Spears!"
Several Iwa-nin following Gari completed their hand seals, and spikes erupted from the ground, growing larger and sharper until they became stone spears piercing toward Mebuki.
The spears covered a wide area. Kakashi grabbed Genma and Mebuki, leaping away with all his might to avoid the attack.
Thud!
Three medical ninjas, inexperienced in combat, were impaled, their blood dripping to the ground.
Kakashi, weighed down by the two he was carrying, couldn't dodge in time and was pierced through the arm.
Rin Nohara rushed to Kakashi's side in a panic, applying pressure to stop the bleeding.
Blood gushed like a spring, and tears welled up in Rin's eyes.
Gari had taken down Mebuki in a single move, and the Iwa-nin with him were at least Chunin-level.
The best course of action now was to hold out and wait for Minato's support.
Several stretchers had been destroyed by the earth spears, but no one had time to worry about that.
The atmosphere grew tense.
No one had expected a ninja with such a powerful Kekkei Genkai to sneak up on them.
Most of the Konoha ninjas were tied up on the frontlines, leaving few to notice the ambush.
Those who did notice were too far away to help.
A kilometer was nothing for a ninja—just a minute or two.
But that was enough time to decide the fate of those remaining.
Kakashi set down the two he was carrying, ignoring Rin's protests.
They had to buy time.
His eyes, visible above his mask, grew resolute.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
The ground turned into a muddy river, sweeping toward the Iwa-nin.
"Explosion Release: Landmine Fist!"
Gari's punch shattered Kakashi's mud flow into countless fragments.
The gap in their strength made Kakashi break out in a cold sweat. He tightened his grip on the short sword on his back.
The Hatake clan's sword techniques wouldn't fare well against Explosion Release—his blade might even be destroyed.
"It's useless. Just accept being blown away. Anything that touches me will explode."
Gari spoke calmly.
He glanced toward the Konoha ninjas a kilometer away. Some were already on their way.
If they didn't act quickly, it would be trouble once Minato broke free.
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my patreon:
pat reon .com/yuuwand