Chapter 57: The Fierce Battle with the Leader of the Yugakure no Sato

Chapter 57: The Fierce Battle with the Leader of the Yugakure no Sato

Chiba actively sought out the leader of the Yugakure no Sato.

The leader of the Yugakure no Sato was currently the most powerful shinobi in the Yugakure no Sato Village, surpassing both the Yugakure no Sato and the Cloud Ninja stationed there.

Although there were many ninjas in the Yugakure no Sato Village, the core elite ninjas from the Hidden Cloud Village were not among them. Compared to other Hidden Cloud Village outposts, the Yugakure no Sato was relatively safe.

The Cloud Ninjas never expected that the Leaf Ninjas would choose to attack the Yugakure no Sato instead of other more strategic outposts. As a result, while there were many Cloud Ninjas in the Yugakure no Sato, most were Chunin and Genin, with only a few Jonin and no elite Jonin among them.

The Yugakure no Sato leader glared angrily at Chiba without any unnecessary words or actions, immediately forming hand signs.

"Water Style: Water Sleet!"

The leader aimed his palms at Chiba, firing a barrage of water bullets. Chiba dodged swiftly, the powerful water bullets embedding deeply into the ground.

Chiba threw several kunai toward the leader, each attached with an explosive tag. The explosions engulfed the leader in dust and debris.

"Earth Style: Rock Pillar Prison!"

After forming hand signs, Chiba constructed a cage of rock pillars within the dust, attempting to trap the leader.

"Water Style: Water Trumpet Technique!"

Before the rock pillars could fully form, the leader leaped into the air and spat out a trumpet-like stream of water that demolished the rock pillars and surged toward Chiba.

"Earth Style: Earth Flow Wall!"

Chiba erected an earth wall, blocking the rushing water. He then aimed his blade at the airborne leader.

"Thunder Breathing;Fifth Form: Heat Lightning"

Chiba unleashed a scorching, lightning-infused slash toward the leader. The leader's eyes sharpened as he swiftly formed hand signs.

"Wind Style: Wind Cutter!"

With a clap of his hands, the leader transformed the wind into blades, slicing through the incoming Scorching Thunder.

Chiba's eyes narrowed slightly. The leader not only excelled in Water Style but was also proficient in Wind Style, with faster hand signs for the latter.

"So, he's more adept at Wind Style..."

With this in mind, Chiba quickly formed new signs.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Technique!"

Chiba unleashed a rapid, linear stream of flames toward the leader. The instant the flames struck, the leader was shrouded in smoke, only for it to clear, revealing a burning log in his place—it was a substitution technique.

Chiba's Sharingan spun furiously, searching for the leader's real location.

Suddenly, a kunai was hurled straight at Chiba.

"Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

From a hidden position, the leader compressed the wind into a violent gale, accelerating the kunai's speed toward Chiba. Chiba used the Body Flicker Technique to evade just in time.

As Chiba landed, he immediately launched his next attack.

"Thunder Breathing;: Fourth Form – Distant Thunder!"

Chiba's body burst with lightning as he dashed at lightning speed toward the spot where the kunai had been thrown. His Sharingan locked onto the leader, who was perched on a tree branch. Chiba swung his blade in a high-speed slash.

However, the moment Chiba's blade struck, the leader's body turned into a puddle of water. From a short distance away, the leader's voice echoed.

"Water Style: Water Prison Technique!"

The water clone morphed into a spherical prison, trapping Chiba inside. The leader, holding a kunai, glared at Chiba with hatred. "It's over!"

As the leader thrust his kunai toward Chiba, Chiba raised his blade defensively.

"Thunder Breathing;: Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash !"

Chiba unleashed a rapid burst of lightning-infused slashes, shattering the water prison and retreating quickly to create distance between himself and the leader.

The leader frowned. "A Lightning Style body technique that doesn't require hand signs—what a nuisance."

If Chiba had needed to form hand signs inside the water prison, the leader would have easily ended the fight before he could act. But without the need for hand signs, the leader couldn't predict Chiba's attack timing.

The leader stared at Chiba with a complex expression. "So young, yet already at Jonin level... The Leaf Village has no shortage of geniuses."

The leader felt deeply frustrated. Why were all the geniuses born in the Great Ninja Villages? For smaller villages like his, having even one talented ninja was a rare blessing.

In this battlefield alone, the leader had encountered four Leaf Village prodigies: Orochimaru and Jiraiya were obvious, and Chiba, standing before him, was clearly another. There was also a blond boy who, though slightly weaker than Chiba, far outshone others.

The leader was particularly envious of Chiba. So young, yet he had mastered Lightning, Fire, Water, and Earth Style ninjutsu, and possessed the Sharingan, one of the Three Great Dojutsu, with strength at the level of a Jonin. How wonderful it would be if someone like Chiba belonged to the Yugakure no Sato Village.

If his village had a powerful figure like Hanzo of the Salamander from the Hidden Rain Village, they wouldn't be forced to bow to others in this war. During the Second Great Ninja War, the Hidden Rain Village had been turned into the main battleground of the Great Nations, yet it had survived due to Hanzo's strength, highlighting the importance of having a strong ninja.

Chiba's Sharingan remained locked on the leader. Just moments ago, he had been caught in a clever trap. The leader had intentionally lured him by revealing the water clone's location. If Chiba defeated the water clone, the leader would immediately capitalize and ensnare him with the Water Prison Technique.

Chiba launched his next offensive.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

Chiba used the surrounding water to form a water dragon, which surged toward the leader.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

Not to be outdone, the leader formed his own water dragon to clash with Chiba's. Chiba smirked and aimed his blade at his own water dragon.

"Thunder Breathing;Fifth Form: Heat Lightning"

Chiba unleashed intense lightning into his water dragon, electrifying it. As the two dragons collided, they exploded simultaneously, sending water droplets raining down like a storm.

The leader's heart sank, for each droplet carried an electric charge. With no cover nearby, evasion was impossible.