Chapter 1049: Arson and Interruption
Chapter 1049: Arson and Interruption
A group of masked figures were in a secluded area on the outskirts of the Nara Clan territory, pouring buckets of liquid onto the ground.
Several Nara Clan guards were also lying on the ground, clearly unconscious.
It was obvious that they were preparing to set a fire.
Thud, thud!
Hearing the footsteps, the busy figures were momentarily stunned.
It was impossible for anyone to come here.
The villagers were being held off or lured away by someone, which was why they chose to act at this moment.
"What are you planning to do?"
Chouji Akimichi shouted loudly.
Upon waking up and finding himself back in the village, his first instinct was to return to the clan to understand the situation.
But he did not expect to encounter these suspicious figures outside the Nara Clan territory.
Chouji's loud shout was also a way to alert the guards and others, buying time, so he wasn't actually being foolish.
"Brats, you came back at the worst possible time!"
After a moment's hesitation, one of the masked figures spoke coldly.
They wore masks to conceal their identities.
If no one discovered them, they would simply set the fire and pin the blame on the Hawk Faction.
But once discovered, they would have to "eliminate the witnesses" to avoid being caught, which could be disastrous for them.
The figures who were pouring the black liquid began to surround Shikamaru and Chouji, while others blocked the escape routes on both sides of the street.
"Chouji, use powerful destructive techniques when the time comes!"
Shikamaru's eyes glinted with thought.
He had already sensed something was amiss upon their sudden return to the village, but he hadn't shown it, intending to investigate further. He didn't expect to encounter this scene immediately upon return.
This might be exactly what the mastermind wanted him to see.
It was then that he remembered something.
On their way back, they hadn't heard any sounds from the people on the streets and had instinctively ignored this fact.
An illusion or hypnosis!
Shikamaru realized this, and although his face remained unchanged, his mind was in turmoil.
The key was that someone had silently transported them from the border of the Land of Lightning back to Konohagakure, a feat that was no small feat.
"Tch, you figured it out, didn't you?"
Tang Ping, who was watching from a high vantage point, noticed the fine sweat on Shikamaru's forehead and knew that he had deduced some of the truth.
It was no surprise that the Nara Clan, known for their strategic minds, had such sharp intellects.
Although Tang Ping could have altered their memories, he wasn't an expert in that field. Doing so might have rendered Shikamaru useless, which would have been no fun.
So, he had simply hypnotized them, guiding them here to witness this scene.
This arson plan was orchestrated by Ino, but she wouldn't be the one to carry it out herself.
There were plenty of people in the Dove Faction who could do it.
Black Oil, or more accurately, refined Blackfire Oil, would be even more destructive than the original Black Oil.
Once the fire was set and the blame pinned on the Hawk Faction, it would be the perfect opportunity to "force" the Nara Clan to leave. Then, she could lead the Yamanaka Clan to follow, making it an excellent opportunity for a backstab.
The plan wasn't particularly sophisticated, but it was simple and effective.
"Shadow Imitation Jutsu!"
Shikamaru used the light from the street lamps to activate his technique.
As a Jounin, he could use his secret techniques to fight above his rank, making him comparable to an elite Jounin.
"Multi-Size Jutsu!"
Chouji first increased his size several times before using his true offensive technique.
"Meat Tank!"
To create a commotion and draw attention, there was no better choice than this technique.
Chouji's enlarged body spun rapidly, rolling forward with an unstoppable force.
Even the Jounin leading the group couldn't withstand this attack and had to retreat, waiting for the Meat Tank to end before counterattacking.
Despite being a group of over ten ninjas led by a Jounin, they were thoroughly beaten by Shikamaru and Chouji.
In the Ninja World, the gap between ninjas could sometimes be as vast as the difference between a person and a dog.
But this was understandable.
Both Shikamaru and Chouji were geniuses. Their combat strength, while not as overwhelming as that of Shinra and Sasuke, was more than enough to crush cannon fodder and minor opponents.
Moreover, for this arson mission, it would be impossible to send a large number of people and powerful ninjas.
Starting a fire is all about being covert and efficient; it doesn't require a lot of strength.
If this were the Fourth Ninja World War, such a lack of strength would be laughable.
But now, most of Konohagakure's Jounin are involved in the final battle, and even if you count the hidden ones, the number of Jounin left in the village barely exceeds a hundred.
Previously, the registered number of Jounin was said to be two hundred, but that didn't include those who weren't registered.
Now, claiming a hundred and more includes even the hidden Jounin, so the difference is significant.
This final battle has caused immense losses for all the major Ninja Villages.
Apart from the few Tang Ping deliberately let go, the rest are either dead or hanging on the Shinju as Batteries.
These were the main forces of the major Ninja Villages.
The loss is unimaginable.
Due to the massive losses, the major powers now need Konohagakure to buy them time to quickly cultivate new forces for self-preservation.
Faced with the rising Blazing Sun Kingdom, the major powers no longer think of either eliminating or suppressing it as they did before.
They only seek to protect themselves!
This change in mindset is evident from their words.
So now, the Konohagakure Hawk Faction has all the people and resources they need.
After a while of fighting,
"Quick, the guard squad is coming!"
A black-clad ninja warned the others.
With the plan failing, they had to run for it.
The guard squad had been lured away earlier and only just noticed the commotion here.
This was a serious dereliction of duty.
However, the current guard squad can't be held to the same standards as before.
If it were the Uchiha, this situation would never have occurred.
"Don't think you can escape!"
Shikamaru quickly formed seals, and his Shadow Imitation Technique split into multiple strands, rushing out.
Shadow Imitation Technique!
Success.
And next to him, Choji seized the opportunity to attack.
"Super Push!"
His palms instantly grew to several meters in size, slamming the Jounin he was fighting into the air.
Even though he was just a Special Jounin, fighting a regular Jounin was no challenge for him; he could handle it easily.
However, the injured Jounin used this chance to escape, releasing a Fire Release technique in mid-air.
"Fire Release!"
The C-Rank Fire Release shot from his mouth, heading towards the ground.
But Choji didn't dodge, as the target wasn't him.
"Oh no!"
Shikamaru, seeing the fireball, suddenly remembered something and his face turned pale.
They had forgotten what was in this area during the fight.
Blackfire Oil!
Even if they realized it now, Shikamaru couldn't stop it in time.
The fireball, the size of a basin, hit the ground.
It exploded, creating a hole in the solid ground, and the flames spread to the Blackfire Oil.
Raging!
The flames shot up into the sky, spreading along the spilled Blackfire Oil.
Since it had been refined, there was little black smoke, and the burning and spreading speed were extremely fast.
The Blackfire Oil wasn't just spilled outside the clan grounds; a lot of it was also thrown inside the Nara clan grounds, and with many wooden structures, the fire continued to spread.
Sure, for ordinary people, this fire was extremely dangerous.
But for ninjas, this kind of flame posed no danger; the real danger was to the ordinary clan members and the buildings.
The Nara clan, not being dead, immediately noticed the fire.
"Fire!"
"Come help put it out!"
"Evacuate the clan members first, and catch the arsonists!"
...
Various urgent and angry voices rang out, and one by one, Nara ninjas rushed out of the clan grounds.
Upon seeing Shikamaru and Choji, they immediately recognized them.
"Clan Head!"*
Their voices carried a note of surprise.
Although Shikamaru had only recently taken the position, he was the legitimate Clan Head, and given his relationship with Asuma, it was only natural for them to be surprised and pleased.
At this moment, Tang Ping, who had been observing from a distance, his presence hidden, saw the ninjas caught by the Shadow Imitation Technique and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
This was just too interesting.
(End of Chapter)
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