bookbashuk Chapter 343 The Invisible Shadow
Chapter 343 The Invisible Shadow
Chapter 343 The Invisible Shadow
"Whether it can be blocked or not, we'll only know after trying." Helian raised his hands, and dozens of blue light needles sealed off all of Chi Quan's escape routes.
"Lightning Release: Earth Walk!"
Kakashi pressed one hand to the ground, and lightning rapidly spread along the damp soil. The thin needle was deflected in mid-air by the electromagnetic field of the lightning and pierced into the pit beside him.
"Let's go!" Kakashi hissed.
Without any hesitation, Chi Quan suddenly rose high and leaped diagonally backward, stepping on the tree trunk.
Just as Helian was about to give chase, a circle of shadows suddenly exploded beneath his feet.
"The Shadow Stitching Technique!"
Black shadow spikes shot out from the mud. Helian twisted his body in mid-air, narrowly avoiding them. When he landed and looked again, there was no trace of the Konoha ninja in the thick fog.
He looked back at Osmanthus Village. The entire village was now filled with swarms of allied troops. Earth Country ninjas were demolishing the charred walls of houses and beginning to build makeshift fortifications. The Land of Lightning's flag flew high beside the half-burnt osmanthus tree.
"Although we've taken it, the price is..." Helian looked at the corpses scattered on the ground and the empty supply crates, his face chillingly cold.
A temporary outpost located three kilometers from the border on the inner side of the Land of Fire.
Daylight had broken. The campfire in the outpost was still burning, and the members of the Chiquan squad sat in twos and threes on the ground, busy sorting out the spoils of the battle.
"Ouch, that's heavy."
Shikamaru threw the two large bags on his back onto the grass, making a clanging sound like metal striking metal. He opened one of them, revealing a bag full of refined steel wire and bundles of kunai.
"These kunai are really well-balanced." Ya picked one up and twirled it between his fingers, marveling at it. "And the blades are reinforced with anti-magic material, making them much more conductive than our standard ones."
Jingyin was counting the box of military rations. As she counted and wrote, her expression became more and more relaxed.
"A total of 3,600 high-purity ration pills and 22 bottles of rapid regeneration agent," she told Chi Quan. "This means that all our squads in this forest will not go hungry even if we are cut off from supplies for the next two weeks."
Tenzo was leading several ANBU members to affix Konoha markings to the captured explosive tags and repack them.
"A total of 850, all of them are high-powered lightning talismans." Tianzang wiped his sweat. "If all of these had exploded just now, the forest would have been flattened."
Kakashi leaned against a tree trunk, holding an exquisitely crafted Sand Village gauntlet in his hand. He flipped it over, pointing to the miniature launch port on it.
"There are three poisoned senbon needles hidden down here, they're top-grade." He tossed the arm guards to a young ANBU member. "Take these, for self-defense."
Chi Quan sat by the fire, holding a skewer of freshly roasted cured meat in his hand. It had been taken from the Allied logistics officer.
"How does it taste?" Shikamaru walked over, sat down, and picked up a piece to chew on.
"It's a bit salty." Chi Quan looked down at the supply and defense map he had found on the corpse.
"Stop looking at that, eat first," Shikamaru mumbled. "Even though Osmanthus Village is full of their people now, getting these boxes of medicine and these hundreds of knives means this battle wasn't fought in vain. Didn't you see the way those brothers in the stronghold looked at us just now? Like they were looking at a god of wealth."
Chi Quan stuffed the last piece of meat into his mouth and patted the dust off his hands.
"Osmanthus Village has now become their death trap." He pointed to that point on the map. "Lady Tsunade's follow-up orders must be arriving soon, right?"
'
As soon as he finished speaking, a messenger eagle swooped down from the sky and landed on Kakashi's shoulder.
Kakashi untied the bamboo tube and took out a slip of paper. He glanced at it only once before handing it to Ikezumi.
The note read: "Supplies have arrived; all personnel are resting. A sensor network has been deployed near Guihua Village; the first phase of the plan to lure the enemy into the village is complete."
Tsunade
"Luring the enemy into the village?" Shizune paused, then said, "So that village—"
"The village was just bait." Chi Quan stood up, looking at the rising sun in the distance. "The explosives we planted in the village were just the appetizer. The real treat is what they'll discover after they move in."
The base began to bustle with activity. Medical ninjas were distributing newly captured military rations to the wounded, the ninja tool squad was distributing steel wire from the Land of Lightning, and even breakfast was much more lavish than usual—all thanks to the captured military rations.
"Chiquan, what do you think they're doing in the village now?" Ya asked vaguely while munching on some jerky.
Chi Quan gazed into the distance, his eyes calm.
"Counting corpses, feeling sorry for the supply crates we emptied," he said casually, "and then, inside that empty shell filled with sentries and traps, thinking we were as safe as a mountain."
A breeze blew in from the woods, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.
"We'll rest for two hours." Chi Quan turned to look at everyone. "After two hours, we'll go to the path south of Guihua Village and take down those sentry posts they just nailed down, one by one."
"I knew we wouldn't get any rest," Shikamaru muttered, but still stood up and put the bundle of fine steel kunai he had just received into his ninja tool bag. The others silently inspected their equipment. The ninja tools bearing the insignia of the Land of Lightning, the Sand Village, and the Rock Village were now hanging on the bodies of the ninjas from the Land of Fire, gleaming with a cold metallic luster in the morning light.
When the wounded were carried off their warhorses, the wooden stretchers left long, thin tracks in the mud.
The camp was filled with a strong herbal scent, mixed with the aroma of freshly boiled meat broth. Jingyin was leading the medical team between several large tents, carrying trays full of hemostatic powder.
Chi Quan unloaded the scroll from his back and slammed it heavily onto the long table in the command post. The scroll contained over a thousand lightning talismans stolen from the Allied forces, and it made a dull thud as it hit the wooden table.
"Distribute them," Chi Quan said to the supply officer beside him, his voice sounding a little hoarse. "The craftsmanship of the Land of Lightning is more reliable than ours. Have the ninja tool team help the brothers who are hiding on the front lines to change their uniforms first."
The supplies officer nodded hurriedly and told a few people to carry the roll away.
Shikamaru sat on the doorstep, unfastening his gaiters. A Sand Village dry ration, soaked with sweat, fell out. He glanced at it, tossed it into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and immediately frowned: "Really hard."
"It's already good enough that we were able to bring back these." Kakashi leaned against the window, wiping the bloodstains on his fingers with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. "The main force of the Allied Forces should have filled Osmanthus Village by now. Helian won't leave any gaps that we can exploit."
Chi Quan didn't reply. He walked to the map and traced several red lines around Osmanthus Village with his fingertip. Those red lines were extending towards several passes in the heart of the Land of Fire.
"Aren't you going to get some sleep?" Tsunade's voice came from the doorway.
She strode into the tent, still carrying the lingering smell of gunpowder. She glanced at the remaining spoils on the table, her gaze lingering for a second on the high-purity rations.
"The medicine you got this time is enough to last the front lines for a month." Tsunade looked at Chi Quan, "But that doesn't mean you can work yourself to the bone. Shizune just complained to me that you didn't even let her clean your wounds."
"It's a minor injury, the wound has been sealed." Chi Quan's finger stopped at a valley on the map. "After the allied forces occupied Guihua Village, they haven't made any major moves. Logically speaking, someone like Helian, who has taken over the bridgehead, should have sent light cavalry to harass the surrounding supply lines first, but he didn't."
Tsunade walked over to him, placing her hands on the edge of the table: "He's waiting for the supply to be rearranged. The box you stole was a core supply, which disrupted his rhythm."
"It's not just about supplies." Chi Quan shook his head. "I have a feeling he's planning something big. Although Guihua Village has a good location, it's easy to cut off their retreat. He dared to put all his main force there, so he must have something else to rely on. I have to go there myself."
"Now?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You just fought your way out of there less than six hours ago."
"Now is when they are most vigilant, and also when their weaknesses are most numerous." Chi Quan turned to look at her. "Once they build their fortifications into an impenetrable fortress, I'll only be able to watch the walls from the outside. I need to know whether they're going to attack the southern pass next, or whether they intend to take a detour by waterway."
Tsunade remained silent for a moment, staring at the faint bloodshot in Ikezumi's eyes. She took out three files from her bosom and slammed them on the table.
"I knew I couldn't dissuade you." Tsunade spread out the file. "You can go, but not alone. Your men are all injured, so I've picked three more for you. Choose one to take with you."
Chi Quan lowered his head, his gaze sweeping over the three photos.
The first file showed a young man wearing round sunglasses and with his collar pulled up extremely high.
"Shino Aburame." Tsunade tapped the table with her finger. "His parasitic insects are top-notch in terms of stealth for reconnaissance. In a densely built area like Osmanthus Village, he can stuff the insects under Helian's bed without leaving any chakra fluctuations. Most importantly, his insects can distinguish which of the Allied Forces' clones are genjutsu clones and which are real people by sensing temperature differences."
As Izumi looked at Shino's photo, images of those ubiquitous swarms of insects flashed through her mind. In complex urban warfare and outpost reconnaissance, this was indeed the safest option.
"The second one," Chi Quan pointed to the next one.
The file contained a pale, expressionless face.
"Sai," Tsunade said calmly, "He came from Root. Infiltration, reconnaissance, and mapping are his specialties. He can use Super Beast Imitation Drawing to get a bird's-eye view and draw a precise deployment map of every new outpost the Allied Forces built in the village within half an hour. Moreover, his ink painting technique makes him almost transparent during nighttime reconnaissance, allowing for extremely fast retreat."
Shikamaru chimed in, "Sai's drawings definitely save a lot of time on marking. His drawings are much more accurate than our hand-drawn ones."
Chi Quan turned to the last file. It showed a middle-aged ninja with a senbon (a type of Japanese ninja book) between his teeth and a somewhat lazy expression.
"Genma Shiranui," Tsunade said, "He's a veteran among the special Jonin, a former bodyguard of the Fourth Hokage. His strength lies in sensory combat. The Allied Forces have undoubtedly deployed sensory squads around the village, and Genma can discern blind spots in the enemy's sensory network through the subtle vibrations of kunai. He doesn't need to fly, nor does he need insects; the path he leads you through is absolutely the most vulnerable corner of the sensory network."
Chi Quan looked at the three files, while the wind outside the tent made the curtains flap loudly.
"Shino's insects are easily countered by Fire Release, and the Allied Forces are now covered in torches." Izumi analyzed in a low voice, "Sai is too conspicuous, and the sensory ninjas that Helian brought are not to be trifled with. The big bird hovering in the sky is too conspicuous."
Tsunade looked at him: "So you're leaning towards Genma?"
Ikezumi didn't answer immediately. He looked through Shino's information again and then looked at Genma.
“Genma can take me in, but Shino can let me hear what Helian is saying.” Izumi’s fingers hovered between the three files. “And Sai—if the Allied Forces are really building a large-scale magic array, only his aerial perspective can see the whole picture.”
"Choose one," Tsunade urged. "Time waits for no one; the Allied Forces' engineering corps is reinforcing the city walls."
Chi Quan looked up at Tsunade, her palm pressed against the edge of the map.
"Call Shino over here," Ikezumi said in a deep voice. "I need to go into the center of the village. Not just to check the defenses, but to find out exactly where Helian's next target is."
"Have you decided?" Tsunade asked.
"Hmm. The insects have a higher intelligence gathering capacity than the other two. As long as I can infiltrate them, I can take down their command center."
"Go to the logistics department and get two new concealment scrolls." Tsuna pointed to the door. "Shino has been waiting for you outside for half an hour."
He just told me that his insects have smelled the burning smell from Guihua Village and are getting very agitated.
Chi Quan nodded, picked up his long sword, and walked outside.
"Wait a minute," Tsunade called out to him.
Chi Quan turned around.
"Take two of those pills you stole before you leave." Tsuna pointed to the porcelain bottle on the table. "Don't die in front of the spoils you took back."
Chi Quan didn't speak. He poured two brown pills from the bottle and put them in his mouth. The bitter taste of the medicine exploded in his mouth instantly. He tightened his headband and strode out of the tent.
The morning mist outside the camp had not yet dissipated. Shino stood quietly under a large tree, the wind rustling softly through his wide collar.
"Shino." Chiquan walked over.
"I'm waiting too." Shino pushed up his sunglasses, his voice calm and even. "Because, rather than resting here, my insects prefer to gather the tense chakra energy in the enemy's camp."
"Let's go." Without further ado, Chi Quan swayed and led the way into the thick fog.
The morning fog was very low.
The forests along the border of the Land of Fire already carried a slightly acrid smell from the fire of the previous two days. Now, mixed with the lingering dampness of the night, they smelled like rain-soaked charcoal and bitter herbs stuffed together in a cloth bag. Occasionally, droplets of water would slide down from the treetops, striking the charred bark with a soft sound.
Chi Quan walked slowly.
It wasn't because he was worried about his footing, but because he was too close to Osmanthus Village. A step too fast or too slow could lead him into a place that others were watching. The scroll on his shoulder had been replaced, with a dark gray outer cloth covering it, and even the scabbard was wrapped in a layer of light-absorbing old cloth. In the morning mist, he looked like a faint shadow that was almost invisible.