Chapter 52: Night Raid

Late at night, in the forest.

A group of Hidden Mist Village ninjas moved through the treetops, soundlessly.

The three leaders carried weapons of various shapes, their silhouettes looking especially eerie under the moonlight.

Their target was clear—the Konoha Frontline Position.

Suddenly, the leading burly man raised his hand and waved. The ninjas behind him stopped instantly and hid in the treetops.

In the distance, two Konoha ninjas were leaning against thick tree trunks, completely unaware of the danger.

"Kurikiri Kumamaru, deal with them," the burly man said in a low voice, his tone carrying cold killing intent.

Behind him, a thin, tall masked man slowly drew the weapon on his back. It was an extremely slender sword, gleaming with a cold light under the moonlight.

Rather than saying it was a sword, it was more like a huge sewing needle.

Kurikiri Kumamaru gripped his Long Sword: Sewing Needle, and his figure darted toward the target like a ghost.

His movements were as fast as lightning; in the blink of an eye, he was behind the unsuspecting Konoha ninjas.

"Too simple," Kurikiri Kumamaru whispered, his voice carrying a hint of disdain.

He suddenly pulled the long sword, and two steel wires as thin as spider silk shot out instantly, precisely wrapping around the necks of the two Konoha ninjas.

"Screech!" The sound of the steel wires tightening was almost inaudible.

However, the expected bloody scene did not appear.

"Bang!"

Two dull thuds rang out almost simultaneously, and the figures of the two sentries suddenly turned into a cloud of white smoke.

"What!" Kurikiri Kumamaru's pupils shrank violently, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

At that moment, two exploding tags that had already begun to burn appeared before him.

Kurikiri Kumamaru instinctively raised both arms to protect his body, and the next second, a deafening explosion roared.

"Boom!"

A violent shockwave mixed with scorching air waves surged toward him, and the shockwave instantly flung him away.

Before he could steady himself, a series of even more violent explosions suddenly came from behind him.

"Boom boom boom!"

Continuous explosions roared in the night sky, firelight tearing through the darkness. Trees were blown to pieces, and fragments flew everywhere.

Shrill screams rose one after another among the Hidden Mist ninjas.

Some were blown away and slammed heavily onto the ground; some were pierced through the body by flying wood, wailing in pain.

"Damn it! We've been tricked, there's an ambush!"

The burly man saw the tragic scene before him and suddenly turned around: "Everyone retreat!"

Swish! As soon as his voice fell, dozens of Konoha ninjas appeared out of nowhere. Dropping from the trees, they instantly surrounded the Hidden Mist Village ninjas.

"Bastard!" The burly man's expression changed instantly.

At this moment, a cold voice came from the darkness: "I didn't expect to catch such a big fish. Blunt Sword Tongcao Ye Cairen, Explosive Sword Wuli Shenba, Long Sword Kurikiri Kumamaru—truly a pleasant surprise."

The Hidden Mist Village ninjas looked toward the sound and saw a pale-faced man slowly walk out of the shadows. His golden snake pupils flickered with an eerie light under the moonlight, and a meaningful smile hung at the corner of his mouth.

"It's Orochimaru of the Legendary Sannin!" someone cried out in a low voice, his voice filled with terror.

As his voice fell, another figure silently appeared beside Orochimaru. That person wore clothing bearing the Uchiha Clan emblem, blood-red light flickered in his eyes, and he exuded a powerful aura. "And Body Flicker Shisui!" someone else shouted, the despair in his tone even greater.

Looking at the two before him, Tongcao Ye Cairen felt a bead of sweat appear on his forehead; neither of these two could be matched by their strength.

The next second, he gritted his teeth and suddenly shouted: "Kurikiri Kumamaru, Wuli Shenba, prepare to break out!"

His words were like a thunderclap, instantly awakening the Hidden Mist ninjas trapped in a desperate situation.

A flash of determination crossed the eyes of the three, and without hesitation they grabbed their respective weapons and rushed toward the weak point of the encirclement.

The Konoha and Hidden Mist ninjas instantly began to clash. Thousand Needles and Shuriken danced across the sky, the light of Ninjutsu rose and fell, and the entire battlefield fell into chaos.

Wuli Shenba struck first; he violently tugged the Explosive Sword in his hand. Instantly, countless Explosive Tags shot out like raindrops, drawing dazzling arcs in the air.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A series of explosions echoed through the night sky, firelight shooting into the sky. Thick smoke and flying stones scattered everywhere, forcing the Konoha ninjas ahead to retreat several steps.

Taking this opportunity, Kurikiri Kumamaru took the lead, Long Sword: Sewing Needle in hand, heading straight for the gap.

However, just as he was about to break through the encirclement, a figure appeared like a ghost and blocked his path.

"Shisui Uchiha!" Kurikiri Kumamaru was startled in his heart.

At this critical moment, Tongcao Ye Cairen's warning arrived in time: "Careful! Don't look into his eyes!"

Kurikiri Kumamaru suddenly lowered his head; his line of sight was blocked, but it did not affect his combat instinct at all.

He gripped Long Sword: Sewing Needle tightly with both hands and suddenly thrust forward, aiming directly at Shisui's abdomen.

However, Shisui's reaction was faster. His figure flickered, and like a ghost he avoided this fatal blow. At the same time, he flipped his wrist, drew the long sword on his back, and slashed toward Kurikiri Kumamaru like lightning.

"Clang!"

Metal struck metal, sparks flying. Kurikiri Kumamaru hastily adjusted his posture and barely blocked the blow. The tremendous force came through, numbing his tiger's mouth, and he could almost not hold the sword hilt.

The next second, Kurikiri Kumamaru swung his sword again to counterattack. But before him was empty space; Shisui's figure had vanished into thin air.

"What?" Kurikiri Kumamaru was startled in his heart.

Suddenly, a fierce wind attacked from behind. Kurikiri Kumamaru instinctively turned around, slanting his blade upward to block, barely parrying. But at the moment their weapons clashed, Shisui's figure vanished without a trace once again.

"This is..."

Before his voice fell, a cold blade edge had already pressed against his back. Kurikiri Kumamaru's pupils shrank suddenly, and his body instinctively wanted to dodge, but it was already too late.

"Pfft!" The sound of the blade entering flesh was clearly audible. Kurikiri Kumamaru grunted, staggered forward a few steps, and barely steadied himself. Warm blood flowed from the wound, soaking his clothes.

"Worthy of being a genius of the Uchiha Clan, but..." Kurikiri Kumamaru gritted his teeth and said, his voice carrying a hint of ruthlessness.

He suddenly pulled Long Sword: Sewing Needle, and countless steel wires around him suddenly tightened, forming an impenetrable net that surrounded Shisui Uchiha on all sides.

Kurikiri Kumamaru's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness, and he yanked the Steel Wire hard: "Now let's see where you can escape!"

However, Shisui's expression remained unchanged as he quickly formed Hand Seals with both hands.

"Body Flicker Technique!"

Before his voice had fallen, countless figures of Shisui suddenly appeared around him. Each was lifelike, making it hard to distinguish real from fake. The Steel Wire pierced through the Shisui in the middle, but that figure instantly Dissipated.

Kurikiri Kumamaru's Pupils suddenly contracted, and cold sweat slid down his forehead. He looked around and realized he was already surrounded by dozens of Shisuis, each of whom could be the real body or a clone.

"Is this the true strength of Body Flicker Shisui?" Kurikiri Kumamaru was secretly alarmed, gripping the Long Sword: Sewing Needle in his hand, and warily watching every Shisui around him.

(Chapter End)