bookbashuk Chapter 357 A Patch of Green Light
Chapter 357 A Patch of Green Light
Chapter 357 A Glimpse of Green Light
Chi Quan felt a numbness in his shoulder, and half of his arm sank down instantly.
Shikamaru's expression changed: "Ikezumi! Don't force yourself to take the poison needle!"
Chi Quan's breath hitched.
"It didn't go in too deep."
"It's not up to you!"
The fight between Kiba and Zhefeng grew increasingly fierce. Zhefeng's metal shards were too fragmented and thin, forcing Akamaru to retreat several times when he tried to pounce. Kiba had cuts on his shoulders and legs, and his temper flared.
"Shikamaru!"
"Know!"
Shikamaru, anticipating the trajectory of the wind blade's return, flung the explosive tag kunai in his hand toward the wet slope.
Zhefeng immediately dodged to the side.
But the kudzu was not aimed at him.
The explosion kicked up a cloud of mud and water, instantly obscuring his vision between himself and the metal shards. Kiba seized the opportunity to rush into the mud and water, while Akamaru pounced on him from the other side; the two attacked simultaneously.
"Fang Fang!"
Zhe Feng's expression finally changed.
The wind blade was retracted, but Shikamaru's shadow pulled it on the ground, slowing it down by half a breath.
Half a breath is enough.
The whirlwind formed by Ya and Akamaru collided with Orefu, slamming him violently onto the rocky slope. The sound of bones cracking was terrifyingly clear in the night. Orefu spat out a mouthful of blood, and the hidden cloth in his hand fell to the ground.
He also knelt down slightly when the tooth hit the ground, and blood kept flowing from his shoulder.
"Damn it—I almost sliced it into pieces."
Shikamaru, panting, asked, "You can still move?"
Tooth turned his head: "You should be asking yourself that question."
Shikamaru's face turned deathly pale, but the shadow hadn't disappeared yet.
"I may be annoyed, but I'm not that easy to give up."
The Byakugan ninja suddenly cried out urgently, "There are still two left on the left rear! They're retreating!"
"Forget about retreating!" Shikamaru immediately said, "Let's start with Izumi!"
However, Chiquan's side had already been forced into that bend by Hamura Sakuya.
Chi Quan was not unaware of this.
He did it on purpose.
Hamura Jaku tried to drag him inside, but Ikezumi retreated accordingly. Every step he took seemed forced by his injuries, but Shikamaru noticed the angle of his toes and his expression changed slightly.
"Chi Quan! What are you trying to do now!"
Chi Quan did not answer.
Hamura Sakuya clearly sensed that something was wrong.
Are you trying to lead me on?
Chi Quan looked up: "Just noticed?"
Hamura Jū sneered, "You're injured like this, and you still want to take advantage of me?"
Chi Quan said, "Let's give it a try."
Hamura suddenly stopped.
He didn't pursue it further.
The pond and spring also stopped.
The two faced off across a puddle, the sounds of the wind and Kiba's panting in the distance mingling together. The remaining dark-clad ninjas dared not approach easily, while Shikamaru's shadow slowly pressed closer.
Hamura Jaku looked at the blood seeping from Ikezumi's abdomen and whispered, "You won't last much longer."
Chi Quan said, "Enough to kill you."
Hamura Jaku suddenly smiled.
"Do you think I'm going to fight you to the bitter end with my own hands?"
Chi Quan's eyes sharpened.
The next moment, a very faint cracking sound came from beneath the ground.
It's not an explosive tag.
It is a fine array of wires that was buried in the wet slope beforehand.
The Byakugan ninja's expression changed drastically: "Take your feet!"
Shikamaru roared, "Retreat!"
Just as Chi Quan was about to move, the "brand" on the back of his neck suddenly turned icy cold.
It was as if someone, from a great distance, was tightly gripping the thread between his bones.
His body stiffened.
Hamura Jaku saw it.
"So it turns out that you really do stop when it's having an attack."
A fine web of threads sprang up from the wet mud, wrapping around Chi Quan's calves and waist. Chi Quan slashed two of them off with a single stroke, but the third, with barbs, cut directly into the vicinity of his abdominal wound.
The blood gushed out even more violently.
Shikamaru's shadow was halfway to pounce when another ninja in dark clothing blocked it with his body. Even knowing he would be caught by the shadow, the man remained firmly wedged in the middle.
Shikamaru's eyes hardened.
"Get out of here!"
The Byakugan ninja charged forward, but was stopped by the remaining person.
Ya dragged his injured body towards Zhefeng, who was still alive and grabbed his ankle. Ya kicked him, and Zhefeng laughed while spitting blood.
"Don't rush."
Fang roared, "Akamaru!"
Akamaru lunged forward and bit Orifu's arm, only to break free of his grip.
But it's already a little slow.
Hamura Jaku's figure was like a ghost as he approached the pool through the array of thin lines.
Chi Quan severed the thin thread on his side, but as soon as he raised the knife, a sharp pain in his abdomen slowed his movements by half a beat.
Hamura Jaku's thin knife pierced below his left shoulder.
It's not a fatal spot.
Yet it is extremely deep.
The tip of the knife almost protruded from his back.
Chi Quan let out a low groan, nearly dropping the knife from his hand.
Shikamaru's voice changed: "Ikezumi!"
Hamura whispered in his ear, "This strike is for the first memorial tablet in the Hamura Ancestral Hall."
Chi Quan lowered his eyes and breathed heavily.
Hamura Jaku drew his sword, ready to stab a second time.
"Second cut"
Chi Quan suddenly raised his hand and grabbed the blade.
Fresh blood gushed from his palm.
Hamura Jaku's expression changed.
Chi Quan looked up at him; his pupils were frighteningly dark.
"You're counting too slowly."
He swung the blade upwards with his right hand, keeping it close to his side.
Hamura Sakuya immediately dropped his sword and retreated, but Ikezumi's grip was too tight, and the blade was momentarily stuck in flesh and blood. In that instant, Ikezumi's sword slashed open Hamura Sakuya's chest.
Very deep.
From his ribs to his shoulder, his dark clothes tore open, and blood gushed out.
Hamura Jaku staggered backward, his face showing disbelief for the first time.
Chi Quan forcefully pulled the thin knife stuck under his shoulder and threw it into the water.
"What about the third cut?"
Hamura clutched his chest, his breathing erratic.
"you----"
Chi Quan took a step forward.
The fine threads were still tangled around his legs, and he dragged them along. The barbs cut into his flesh, but he seemed oblivious. Blood dripped into the water from his abdominal wound, shoulder wound, left arm, and palm.
Hamura Jaku's lips twitched, and he suddenly chuckled softly.
"Good, good—that's more like it."
Chi Quan didn't say anything more.
He rushed forward.
Hamura Jaku lost his sword, but drew two short daggers from his sleeve. Ikezumi's injuries were too severe, and his speed was not as good as before, but his sword intent was even more profound. Every strike was not meant to force Hamura Jaku back, but to nail the man directly to the night.
Shikamaru finally dealt with the person blocking the shadow, and the shadow pounced on the fine line array.
"Chiquan, turn right!"
Chi Quan listened.
He took a half step to the right, and Hamura Saku's left-hand short dagger missed. Shikamaru's shadow then entangled Hamura Saku's feet.
Hamura Jaku reacted extremely quickly, stabbing his own thigh with the short thorn, using the pain to forcefully break through his body's stiffness. He actually managed to gain an inch of strength.
But the tooth has arrived.
"You fucking talk too much!"
Ya punched Hamura Sakuya in the cheek.
Hamura Sakuya was thrown aside by the impact, and Ikezumi's blade immediately fell.
That strike should have severed his neck.
But the brand on the back of his neck exploded again, cold and sharp.
Chi Quan's vision went black for a moment, and the knife went astray.
The blade slashed into Hamura Sakuya's shoulder, nearly severing his arm, but failed to kill him.
Hamura let out a miserable groan and fell backward into the puddles.
"Chiquan!"
Shikamaru rushed over and supported Ikezumi. Ikezumi's body sank down, almost putting all her weight on him.
Shikamaru touched his back; it was covered in blood.
"You call this okay?"
Ikezumi took a breath, her eyes still fixed on Hamura Sakuya.
"Don't let him get away."
"Shut up!"
Hamura Saku was dragged up by the remaining two ninjas in dark robes. Half of his body was covered in blood, and his face was even paler than before, but his eyes were still fixed on Ikezumi.
"Chiquan----"
Kiba was about to give chase, but Akamaru let out a low cry.
The Byakugan ninja exclaimed urgently, "There's new chakra coming from behind! And not just one!"
Shikamaru's face darkened.
"There's backup."
Chi Quan gritted his teeth, trying to stand up straight.
Shikamaru grabbed him and pinned him down.
"If you move again, I'll sew your shadow to the ground right now."
Chi Quan's voice was hoarse: "Hamura Jaku cannot be let go."
Shikamaru watched the dark figure retreat into the forest, grinding his teeth in frustration.
"I know," Shikamaru said in a low voice, "but they're just waiting for us to catch up."
Chi Quan was breathing heavily.
Shikamaru almost gritted his teeth as he said, "You have that brand on you. Every step you take forward could be detected by Helian. If you chase after him, you'll be playing right into his hands."
Chi Quan remained silent for a moment.
Just before Hamura Saku was dragged away, he suddenly laughed.
The laughter was broken and intermittent, tinged with blood.
"Chiquan—Next time—"
Chi Quan raised his eyes.
Hamura's voice was torn apart by the wind.
"Next time—I'll definitely—make you remember—"
Kiba grabbed a kunai to throw, but Shikamaru stopped him.
"Don't waste it."
"Damn it," Ya cursed fiercely, "Are we really going to let him get away?"
Shikamaru glanced at Ikezumi.
Chi Quan's expression had changed.
Not only was he losing blood, but the poison from the black needle in his shoulder was also starting to rise. His lips were pale, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and although his fingers were still gripping the knife tightly, his knuckles were already trembling.
Shikamaru's voice deepened.
"withdraw."
Chi Quan whispered, "Take care of the burner first."
Shikamaru almost laughed in exasperation.
"What are you going to do now? You should go back alive and let Lady Tsunade handle it."
The Byakugan ninja, enduring his shoulder injury, approached: "May I check his chakra?"
Shikamaru immediately said, "Look."
The Byakugan ninja approached the back of Ikezumi's neck with his Byakugan activated, and his expression changed after just one glance.
Ya asked anxiously, "What's wrong?"
"Very fine." The Byakugan ninja's voice tightened. "Deep in the back of the neck, near the meridians and bone crevices. Like a layer of water—no, not like ordinary chakra. It's very deep; I can't see its root."
Shikamaru asked, "Can I pull it out?"
The Byakugan ninja shook his head: "I dare not touch it. Forcibly pulling it out might damage the meridians."
Chi Quan whispered, "Back to the village."
Shikamaru glanced at him.
"This time you're smart."
Chi Quan was too exhausted to argue with him, so he simply sheathed his sword.
The next moment, his legs went weak.
Shikamaru and Kiba both supported him.
Ya cursed, "Weren't you quite the expert chopper just now?"
Chi Quan closed his eyes briefly: "It's all done now."
"You've got a good sense of timing for your visit."
Shikamaru quickly determined the direction: "Don't go the same way. Byakugan, find the cleanest thread."
The Byakugan ninja nodded immediately, the veins on his forehead becoming even more prominent.
"The northeast slope has the least chakra, but the road is difficult to travel."
Shikamaru said, "A bad road is better than an ambush. Kiba, can Akamaru still smell?"
Ya looked down at Chiwan.
Akamaru's nose was still bothered by the smell of medicine, but he still let out a soft cry.
Ya patted its head.
"Yes. It says the flavor is milder in the Northeast."
Shikamaru held onto Ikezumi tightly.
"Walk."
Chi Quan supported himself, refusing to rely entirely on them.
Shikamaru said coldly, "Don't pretend now."
Chi Quan said, "I can walk."
"You can take three steps, then leave blood all the way as someone chases after you."
Ya simply hoisted Chi Quan's arm onto his shoulder.
"Shut up. Go back and let Shizune scold you."
Chi Quan's breathing was heavy: "She'll scold you first."
Ya was taken aback: "Why?"
"Bring Akamaru out."
Tooth was so angry he almost let go.
"You're about to die, and you're still trying to sow discord?"
Shikamaru whispered, "Don't mention death."
He paused for a moment, and his voice lowered.
"Fine, I won't say."
They retreated up the northeastern wet slope.
The night deepened, and the wind blew the medicinal dust and the smell of blood through the forest in disarray. Akamaru walked ahead, head down, sniffing the path, stopping every now and then to avoid places where talisman threads had been buried. The Byakugan ninja strained his eyes, fine blood vessels already seeping from the corners, but dared not stop.
Chi Quan's pace slowed down more and more.
Shikamaru could feel the weight on his shoulders getting heavier and heavier.
"Chiquan."
"Um.
""
3
"Don't sleep."
"I'm not asleep."
"Your voice is fading."
Chi Quan barely managed to lift his eyes, looking at the dark mass of forest shadows ahead.
"Shikamaru".
"explain."
"Don't make a big fuss about the branding yet."
Shikamaru immediately understood his meaning: "Are you afraid that Helian will find out we already know too much?"
"Um."
"You've been stabbed like this, and you're still thinking about this?"
Chi Quan said in a low voice, "He used this to find me. We can use it in reverse."
Shikamaru gritted his teeth.
"Let Lady Tsunade see it first."
"Um.
"Don't mumble like you've already planned everything."
Chi Quan's lips twitched as if he wanted to laugh, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing his breathing to become erratic.
He said urgently, "Hey!"
Chi Quan paused for two breaths.
"fine."
Shikamaru, at his wit's end, said, "Say it again and I'll really beat you up."
Chi Quan is not going to say anything more.
When the group retreated to the mountainside, they heard the distant whistling of birds from behind.
The Byakugan ninja turned around: "Someone's chasing us, but not close. Three people, it seems they're just scouting, not the main force."
Shikamaru said, "Don't worry about it. Leave them something."
Kiba immediately understood and took out a few scented smoke pellets from his ninja tool bag.
"Akamaru."
Akamaru picked one up, darted into the bushes beside him, and quickly returned.
He threw the remaining two teeth in different directions.
A moment later, three chaotic smells spread through the forest: the smell of blood, medicine, and animal mingled together.
Shikamaru left two more shallow shadow traps at the intersection.
"It won't take too long."
Chi Quan said in a low voice, "That's enough."
"Shut up."
"Um."
Tooth: "You still say 'uh'?"
""
Chi Quan: "————"
By the time they finally approached the outer support line of Konoha, the sky was already faintly turning gray.
When the first patrol team spotted them, they almost drew their swords.
"Password!"
Shikamaru looked up, his face pale, but his voice steady.
"Deer Shadow Returns to Line, Third Change Point."
The person on the other side paused for a moment, then immediately rushed forward.
"Lord Shikamaru? Lord Ikezumi, what is this—"
'
"Stretcher, medical team, seal off the old forest line in the southwest." Shikamaru spoke quickly. "Don't start a big fire, don't call out names. Notify the Hokage and Shizune: Ikezumi has been poisoned, has a penetrating wound, an abdominal wound, and a suspected bloodline mark deep in the back of her neck."
The patrolman's expression changed.
"yes!"
When Chi Quan heard "Lord Hokage," his eyebrows twitched slightly.
Shikamaru lowered his head: "You have a problem with that?"
Chi Quan's voice was very soft: "No."
"You'd better not have it."
The stretcher arrived quickly.
When Chi Quan was placed on the platform, his hand was still gripping the knife.
The medical ninja tried to remove his fingers, but the other man tightened his grip.
Shikamaru sighed, "Don't take his sword, let him hold it."
The medical ninja glanced at him and didn't try to take it by force.
Ya sat down on the ground, and Akamaru lay beside him, so tired that his tongue was sticking out.
When Shikamaru watched the medical ninja cut open Izumi's clothes, completely revealing the wound on her abdomen, his expression turned even uglier.
Ya whispered, "Very deep?"
Shikamaru did not answer.
The medical ninja's hands were almost completely green.