Chapter 58: Leave This to Me
Chapter 58: Leave This to Me
"I almost suffocated down there, evading the Byakugan's detection was no easy task... Like rats, we had to burrow underground and hide for so long."
The many Iwagakure ninjas who emerged from the ground wore sinister smiles.
Koto, who was fending off Orochimaru's attacks, also flashed a cold smile as he said, "Konoha's Orochimaru, your strength is indeed formidable—but unfortunately, you didn't bring enough men. Today might be your end!"
Iwagakure had gone to great lengths to plan this ambush.
First, they intentionally leaked the intelligence about the Konoha advance team, invading the Grass Country head-on so that Konoha would have a rough idea of their overall combat strength and send a corresponding force.
Then, Iwagakure secretly dispatched around thirty elite ninjas in different directions under the pretext of accepting various missions. After completing these missions, they were to converge at the border of the Fire Country.
Because they were sent out in batches and used missions as a cover, even if Konoha scouts detected their presence, the information wouldn't be deemed important enough to warrant immediate attention, given that it was just a few ninja squads moving about.
However, when these squads converged, they formed a powerful elite force, with more than half of them being jonin, including four of Iwagakure's best!
The objective of this mission was to inflict heavy casualties on Konoha's advance team and gain the upper hand in the early stages of the war.
"...”
A strange glint flashed in Orochimaru's snake-like eyes.
A strike force of about thirty Iwagakure elites, half of whom were jonin, wouldn't be able to move without making a sound. Yet, Konoha had received no intelligence about this force, which meant that Iwagakure had gone to great lengths to create this situation.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!
In the next moment, three elite jonin descended around Orochimaru.
Together with Koto and the previous Iwagakure ninjas, a total of five elite jonin surrounded him. While this formation wasn't enough to threaten him, it was sufficient to restrict his movements!
"Hmph... So that's how it is."
A cold glint flashed in Orochimaru's eyes, and he said in a strange tone, "It's hard to say who will die here."
In fact, he had already guessed that Iwagakure might have an ambush planned. The whole situation was too favorable for Konoha, and ordinarily, he wouldn't have attacked so recklessly.
Yet, he chose to do so.
The reason was simple.
Might Guy, a powerful ninja, was also part of the team, and his presence had not been anticipated by Iwagakure. Guy's combat capabilities were more than enough to handle any unforeseen circumstances! This was why Orochimaru, despite suspecting an ambush, still dared to launch the attack!
"I'm afraid it's you who will die!"
Koto coldly spoke up and then suddenly lunged at Orochimaru. The others followed suit, joining forces to besiege him.
At the same time, the situation for the Konoha ninjas turned dire.
With nearly thirty Iwagakure elites, more than half of whom were jonin, the power balance between the two forces had suddenly flipped.
"Orochimaru-sama!"
Someone shouted in Orochimaru's direction, trying to alert him.
Given the dire situation, continuing the fight would only lead to their defeat. They had to retreat and disengage from the enemy!
However,
Orochimaru showed no signs of retreating. He continued to attack amidst the elite jonin from Iwagakure, showing no intention of backing down, as if he intended to fight to the bitter end.
Hyuuga Sakami, struggling to hold off two Iwagakure jonin, glanced in Orochimaru's direction, perplexed by his actions.
"Orochimaru-sama?"
With the situation so unfavorable, it was clear that they should retreat.
Orochimaru's judgment was usually sound, and it was puzzling that he hadn't ordered a retreat yet. This decision left almost all the Konoha ninjas bewildered.
With the opening of the sixth gate, Guy's speed and strength surged exponentially. He kicked an elite Jonin ninja, shattering his shortsword and sending him flying, bleeding profusely.
This display left Morino Ibiki and the others stunned. They never expected that Guy, a perpetual genin, possessed such formidable power!
It was only at this moment that they began to understand.
No wonder the Hokage had assigned Guy to the advance team. His strength indeed qualified him for such a role, placing him on par with high-level Jonin!
However, their astonishment was short-lived as they continued to face immense pressure. While Guy's strength was unexpected, it was not enough to turn the tide of the battle.
Orochimaru still showed no signs of ordering a retreat.
Morino Ibiki and the others could only grit their teeth and continue fighting.
"Opening the sixth gate only achieves this much. These Iwagakure ninjas are indeed formidable. It seems I'll have to open the seventh gate... Perhaps even the eighth..."
With the sixth gate unleashed, Guy exhibited the power to instantly kill a Jonin and suppress a high-level one. Yet, it was still insufficient to turn the tide of the battle.
Given the current situation on the battlefield, even if he opened the seventh gate and took out several high-level Jonin, it would still be challenging to alter the outcome. Most likely, he would need to open the eighth gate!
The eighth gate...
Guy took a deep breath. He wasn't overly afraid of death. Sacrificing himself to protect what needed to be protected and devoting his youth to the Leaf was what he believed he should do!
Just as he was about to open the seventh gate and then the eighth, a voice suddenly called out from behind him.
"Don't open any more gates, Senior Guy."
Feng Ye approached, wielding the ninja sword Byakuya. Beside him was an Iwagakure ninja whose body had stiffened. Then, from the center, the body split in two, and the corpse fell to the ground amidst a spray of blood.
Using Time Rewind on others was not an option, and if Guy were to open the eighth gate here, the outcome would undoubtedly be his death.
Since that was the case, it was better left to him.
"...Feng Ye?"
Guy looked over, his expression filled with surprise.
Feng Ye walked towards them, his demeanor calm. With his left hand, he formed a single-handed seal, and after swiping it across the blade of Byakuya, the sound of countless birds filled the battlefield.
Chidori Blade!
He took another step forward, and as he planted his foot, silvery light emerged, enveloping his body.
It was the sight of lightning-type chakra surging and spreading after breaking through the third gate of the Eight Inner Gates, "Life Gate."
The color wasn't as deep as the Fourth Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, nor was it the usual green of the Eight Inner Gates. Instead, it was a paler silver-white.
"Life Gate - Lightning."
This was the name Feng Ye gave to this state.
Lightning-type chakra caused more intense damage to the body and had more significant side effects, bordering on suicidal. But for Feng Ye, who possessed the ability to rewind time, this was a non-issue.
Moreover, in this mode, he could maintain the Chidori Blade for an extended period.
This was a technique he had developed after obtaining the ability to rewind time, a technique suited only to himself. It was slightly faster than a normal gate opening.
Most importantly—
The silvery-white light, compared to the verdant green, was visually on a whole different level, making it even harder to capture and discern.
"You don't need to use that here, Senior."
"Leave this to me."
Bathed in silvery-white light, Feng Ye spoke softly to Guy. He swung Byakuya from his front to his right, creating strands of lightning in the air.
(End of Chapter)
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