72 Chapter 72

"Well, I would suggest that you guys surrender obediently so that I can give you guys an easy death if..." Before Kazuki could finish his statement, multiple kunai, shuriken, and explosion tags were launched at the location where he stood.

"Damn you guys, don't even let me finish talking." With a disappointed sigh, Kazuki pulled out more than a dozen special kunais and threw them around the battlefield. This simple action sent chills down the Iwa squad ninjas because it was similar to someone their entire village had come to fear. Most of the Iwa Shinobi wanted to instinctively turn around and run. Even the deputy was no exception, as the fear of the Yellow Flash had been etched into their very souls. Only the Iwa captain maintained his calm somewhat and wanted to rally his squad.

"I'll kill you all! Stop running and fight back!" Just at that moment, the world around him started spinning literally, and after a few moments, he saw a headless body standing in an upright position. He realized what happened, and his consciousness faded. The last thing he saw was the Iwa Shinobi trying to run but being cut down like weeds without any resistance whatsoever.

 *******************************************************************************************

"Remember, under no circumstances are you guys supposed to use earth release techniques. Anyone who uses earth-type techniques will be subjected to gravity suppression. The more earth-type transformations they use, the easier it is for us to kill them. The gravity suppression on Earth Release, once the barrier is deployed, will be at least ten times the norm for a basic D-rank Earth technique. The suppression increases as more earth-type chakras are drawn. I don't want to see you guys stupidly crushed by our own barriers. Is that understood?" Kazuki, who had disposed of the entire Iwa patrol team, had returned to his team, and all the beetles had been positioned to launch the barrier.

"Ryu-sama, how long will the suppression last once they cut off their chakra supply if they realize earth techniques are targeted?" Tora asked a question because there are high chances that some of the Iwa Shinobi will deduce the functioning of the barrier and switch to another type of nature transformation. Although Iwagakure specializes in earth release techniques, it doesn't mean that they do not have access to other types of nature techniques.

"Well, even if it were an Elite Jonin-class ninja, the suppression should last somewhere close to ten seconds once they cut off the earth-type chakra. But to be on the safer side, let's keep the time limit to six seconds. No matter how good they are, most of the Iwa Shinobi would go for their most familiar type of nature change. So even if you miss the first window, don't be hasty. They will repeat the same mistake again and again because of their instincts."

Kazuki warned his team not to be in a hurry, thinking they would only have the initial ten seconds. He made them understand that every time they used Earth Release within the barrier, they would be crushed by gravity suppression. There are high chances that many Iwa Shinobi will be crushed because of their own actions. Kazuki's team might not even have to lift a finger if every Iwa Shinobi was stupid enough to keep using earth release repeatedly.

"I have already disabled most of the explosion tags and other traps that they have set up. The entire outpost is rigged with explosives, and they might have secondary triggers. So you guys need to be extremely cautious. Do not give them the time to trigger the traps. If everyone's ready, we can move," Kazuki warned his team about the traps and explosions set up to bury the entire outpost. This was nothing new to Kazuki's team because Onoki had been trying to kill them by burying them alongside the Iwa shinobi, but none of his plans had borne fruit till date.

Everyone in the team nodded, indicating that they were set. Kazuki made a series of hand signs, and after a few moments, all the beetles surrounding the vast area outside the Iwa outpost started glowing, and a huge barrier was erected, enveloping both the Iwa outpost and the medical camp. Torune was controlling all these beetles to make sure they stayed in formation, and Neko was assigned to guard Torune from surprise attacks if their hiding spot was exposed. Kazuki, along with the other three ANBU elites, rushed into the Iwa outpost.

The moment the barrier was raised, the Iwa sensor ninjas picked up the chakra fluctuation. Their faces turned pale because the enemy they were waiting for had finally come. The fear of the unknown made them sweat, as, till date, there was not even a speck of information about them, increasing the Iwa Shinobi's unease.

"Quick, report it to the commander. The enemy is here. They have raised a barrier surrounding us completely," an Iwa sensor shouted while an Iwa ANBU quickly moved to convey the message to the outpost leader.

"Heh, let them come. Today I will tear off the mask surrounding the myth about this so-called ghost. Everyone, this is what we have been preparing for. We shouldn't let Tsuchikage-sama down. Quick, deploy our own barriers, and send the signals to the other teams nearby," the Iwa leader of the outpost started barking down orders and was ready to face the enemy.

Within a few moments, an ANBU approached and updated the situation: "Captain, all our communications are down. The barrier is blocking everything. Even the messenger birds are burned to a crisp if they try to cross the barrier."

"Tch, fine, so be it. We have more than two hundred elites here and another hundred at the medical camp. I'm sure we can put an end to the enemy here today." Although the leader confidently boasted, he internally started doubting their chances. The enemy had even come out unscathed when facing worse odds, and they were famed for using large-scale kinjutsu. If the enemy deployed something similar, it would only spell their doom.

"Quick, have all the ninjas from the medic camp regroup here. Let's not spread out and become easy pickings for the enemy." The Iwa leader wanted to approach this matter cautiously after realizing that there was not going to be any backup. He wanted to rely on their numerical advantage to suppress the enemy. The ANBU quickly deployed flares that were visible within the barrier, and the entire Iwa squad from the medic camp started moving in the direction of the outpost team.

As the Iwa leader was waiting, sudden movement from one part of the forest caught his attention, and he immediately ordered his subordinates to use a large-scale earth release to destroy the entire part of the forest.

"[Doton: Tsuchi Nami no Jutsu]" (Earth Release: Earth Wave Technique).

The earth wave almost changed the entire landscape, burying a part of the forest. However, what none of the Iwagakure shinobi realized was that their aggressive attack became the pit they dug for themselves.

Within moments of the attack initiation, every single Iwa ninja who participated in the large-scale ninjutsu got crushed by an invisible force. Due to the combination of large-scale ninjutsu and the suppression of the barrier, the crushing effect was phenomenal. Most of the Iwa ninjas who took part were simply crushed to paste, as they had not put up any sort of defense against the invisible gravity.

Only a few veteran Jonins and elite Jonins realized the danger and were able to survive, but even then, they were pinned to the ground, leaving them completely defenseless. Kazuki and his team immediately struck like lightning. The Iwa shinobi were confused, as they didn't know what was happening, and the ones standing were those who did not take part in the large-scale earth ninjutsu.

"It's them! Kill them! They must have used some sort of kinjutsu!" One of the Jonin screamed with fear evident on his face. Because of the unknown, most of the veterans were pinned to the ground with no way out.

With the shout, most of the standing Iwa ninja instinctively targeted the incoming enemy Shinobi, who were mercilessly attacking the now helpless Iwa ninjas pinned to the ground. The Iwa ninjas began firing earth-type ninjutsus at the Ghost Squad, but what they didn't expect was the backlash that followed. It felt as if a mountain was pressing down on their entire bodies, pinning them to the ground. Only the shinobi who used ninja tools and other types of ninjutsu were spared from the gravity barrier's suppression.

Kazuki and his team focused on the veteran Iwa Shinobi, prioritizing them during the initial exchange. Taking down more elite fighters early on would give them a significant advantage as the battle progressed.

"[Shi no Kata: Inazuma Butō]" (Fourth Form: Lightning Waltz). Kazuki's blade danced among the enemies, reaping their lives as the first of the Iwa Shinobi were released from the barrier suppression. A few among the Iwa veterans were able to discern the disadvantage of using earth-style techniques.

"Do not use any earth-release techniques! Stick to other types of ninjutsu or use your ninja tools!" One of the elite Iwa Jonin, who escaped from the initial suppression, shouted at the top of his lungs. However, it was too late because most of the Iwa Shinobi had already succumbed to the intricate trap. The elite Iwa Jonin, trying to alert the other Iwa Shinobi, was beheaded by Tora with a single swift strike. His opponent was still sluggish from the previous suppression, so he couldn't react to the incoming lethal strike. The barrier was proving to be more effective than Kazuki's team expected, and the battle continued with increasing intensity, with the odds completely in Kazuki's and his team's favor.

*******************************************************************************************

"Ryu-sama, will Hebi make it?" The ANBU captain queried, his voice laced with concern. Their last mission had been more difficult than they had initially expected. Although they were able to destroy the Iwa outpost and eliminate the high-value target, Hebi let her guard down after destroying the outpost. The Iwa Shinobi had rigged the entire outpost with explosion tags to bury the entire squad, including the infamous Ghost Squad. Kazuki was able to intervene in time, and because of the defensive fuin seals on her flak jacket, Hebi survived but didn't come out unscathed. She almost lost a leg and is currently unconscious due to the massive explosion.

"Don't worry, she will be fine. However, she might need a couple of weeks to get back to full strength. I have reattached her leg, so don't worry about it," Kazuki reassured. Almost eight years old now, he had been honing himself on the battlefield for the past year since the war started. Despite the burden of being responsible for creating the highest-level medical scrolls, Kazuki had not let go of his training. He maintained a couple of shadow clones to practice fuinjutsu, Iryo ninjutsu, and kenjutsu daily and to assist the village in creating scrolls. Kazuki's chakra level had been growing at a monstrous pace, and he knew his reserves would keep growing in the future, allowing him to bear the burden of these additional clones.

"Thank you, Ryu-sama. Honestly, for a minute back at the Iwa outpost, I thought we would lose Hebi. If you hadn't intervened, we would have surely lost her. I sincerely thank you for saving her." Tora, who normally carried himself with confidence, had almost broken down when Hebi fell into the trap. Hebi was Tora's love interest, and in the past year, they had grown closer and cultivated feelings for each other. Kazuki, as the leader, had no qualms about it because their relationship had never interfered with their mission.

"Don't mention it, Tora. I promised you guys that I would try my absolute best to keep you safe. However, remember, Hebi needs to be reminded that growing complacent will not only harm her but also the team. I hope you can talk to her once she wakes up," Kazuki advised the ANBU captain. They had been behind enemy lines for almost half a year now, and although all the missions they undertook were dangerous, with Kazuki's planning, they always came out unscathed.