Chapter 60: Trap

In the small grove

"Idiot, when we attack later, don't rush in recklessly! Pay close attention to me and Dong Shilang's side; we need to coordinate!"

The girl's clear, bell-like shout echoed through the woods, making this forest, which had suffered countless devastations by the Uchiha clan, seem to gain a bit of vitality.

No longer appearing so dilapidated and lifeless.

"No problem, I've got everything covered!" A familiar voice, tinged with a hint of chuunibyo, entered Dong Shilang and Yan's minds.

【As expected!】

It seemed to be a response to Yuzhibo Zhe, as expected. The girl, who had just warned her childhood sweetheart, now had her forehead veins bulging as she snatched and broke the vine in her hand, as if she wanted to burst out, but in the end she could only helplessly place her hand on her forehead and let out a long sigh.

【This guy looks like the type destined to die early!】

【For now it's fine, but once war breaks out, I doubt he'll last more than a month!】

【Could it be that their feelings are doomed to end in gloom?】

Although he never got to experience a thrilling love triangle, leaving him slightly disappointed, from now on he could see every day the lovey‑dovey daily life of those two little brats.

It's also a decent pastime.

However, if Yuzhibo Zhe's personality continues to develop this way, he'll probably only need to carry out a few combat missions over the next two or three years.

Then he can enjoy the feast early.

Although the Sharingan's evolution feeds on negative emotions, the death of his known comrades always makes it hard for this modern person with differing values to accept.

"Alright, the traps are mostly set; everyone hide now. When the teacher steps into the trap, we'll launch the attack as planned!"

Having cleared his thoughts, Dong Shilang spoke lightly. If they delayed any longer, Teacher Chongzheng's figure would likely appear directly before them.

On the way here, they didn't deliberately conceal their tracks. Given Teacher Chongzheng's strength, hiding their tracks would be only slightly better than not hiding at all.

They could easily find this place.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

The sonic booms from three high-speed movements almost merged into one. Each of them had hidden in their pre-prepared spots, concealing their figures and waiting silently. For a moment, the entire small grove fell into silence.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

They didn't keep Dong Shilang and the others waiting long. It was an unmistakable footsteps sound, slowly coming from afar, passing through the gaps in the forest leaves. Teacher Chongzheng's figure gradually appeared before their eyes.

"Hmm! These brats have hidden themselves pretty well!"

Along Dong Shilang's path, they left traces. However, within three to five minutes, Yuzhibo Chongzheng arrived at the ambush site. His gaze swept over several suspicious spots, and he gave a light evaluation.

His figure swayed as his foot landed on a patch of ground indistinguishable from the surroundings. With a 'whoosh,' the sound of the rope tightening came.

Beneath his foot, a rope was rapidly tightening. The rope was attached to a branch above his head, and its other end was tied to the top of a bent cypress.

At that moment, the trap was triggered. The cypress bent into a bow was rapidly returning to its original shape, pulling the rope beneath his foot to contract swiftly. If he didn't react in time, his legs would be bound and he'd be hung upside down, restricting his movement.

Without panicking, he pushed off with his foot, leaping up to five or six meters above the ground, dodging this simple trap. Next, a 'whoosh' of breaking air sounded, as if some heavy object were slicing through the air at extreme speed toward him.

A log as thick as a person's embrace, three to four meters long, stood upright with rows of sharp wooden spikes, hurtling toward him through the air. Just looking at those rows of spikes, one could imagine how miserable the impact would be.

However, Yuzhibo Chongzheng, worthy of being an elite ninja tasked with completing the high-difficulty missions assigned by the Hokage, pulled a kunai from his back waist. With explosive force in his hand, the kunai whistled unusually as it struck one end of the log.

The log, flying forward with menacing momentum, merely having its base struck by that kunai, tumbled lightly aside, shifting the row of spikes facing him and revealing an almost flat cross-section.

He placed both feet on the log's cross-section.

Ignoring the huge kinetic energy hurtling toward him, he pushed off with his feet and shot straight toward the ground.

At that moment a barrage of shuriken came flying at him. Since he was mid-air with nowhere to hide, he resorted to his old trick, gathering chakra in his palm to deflect the shuriken.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Fire Technique!"

As he deflected the shuriken and was about to land, a dozen or so fireballs the size of soccer balls arced in beautiful trajectories toward him.

Although he dodged each one, by the time he was about to touch the ground the fireballs had formed a semicircle, surrounding him and limiting his movement on the field.

Before his feet could touch the ground,

a blinding blade of light traced a graceful arc, slashing at him with its aim set on his neck, a vital spot.

This is the trap and tactic prepared by the three of them.

Using the rope snare or other traps they had prepared beforehand, they forced Teacher Chongzheng into the air. Then Yan seized the moment to release the log, while also hurling shuriken at him to scatter his attention.

With Yan creating the opening, Zhe unleashed Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Fire Technique at Teacher Chongzheng. Ideally it would hit; if not, it would form a semicircle to restrict the teacher's movement.

Then Dong Shilang employed Instant Body Technique to close in, striking while Teacher Chongzheng was off-balance with a long-prepared Drawing Sword Slash.

"Got him!"

A slightly excited voice rang out.

Having just been concealed in the treetops after using Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Fire Technique, Yuzhibo Zhe emerged, his face flushed, shouting.

Although his Drawing Sword Slash had struck Teacher Chongzheng, Dong Shilang felt no excitement. The instant he cut the teacher, he sensed something was off about the feel. Without hesitation, he activated Single-Hand Sword-Point Instant Body Technique, and his figure vanished from the spot.

As expected, when his figure disappeared, the Teacher Chongzheng who had just been struck in the neck and whose head had fallen turned into a puff of smoke with a bang, leaving behind a log split in two.

The Substitution Technique, the most favored ninja art among the Three-Body Techniques, was employed by Teacher Chongzheng to dodge Dong Shilang's slash.