Chapter 167: Sneak Attack

The ninjas from the northwestern plateau of the ninja world were all stocky and not very tall, but each had a steadfast personality and a strong sense of camaraderie. Once these Rock Ninjas formed a certain scale, they became quite difficult to deal with, largely due to the characteristics of earth-style jutsu.

They always positioned themselves behind the various earthen barriers formed by their jutsu, launching rock cannon techniques in groups of three or five for long-range attacks. Many of your attacks would easily be blocked by their earth-style defenses.

But that's not all! When you tried to approach them, you had to be cautious of the swampy areas they created, fearing that one misstep would land you in the Yellow Spring Marsh.

Even if you got close, there's still a clay wall in front of you, which you had to bypass before you could attack their main body. By the time you got past the wall that obstructed your view, you wouldn't know if you'd face an exploding tag or three robust men waiting for you.

Even if none of this happened and you successfully engaged them one-on-one, the enemy might choose another battlefield if they found themselves at a disadvantage. And by another battlefield, they meant retreating into the ground.

Rock Ninjas liked to use Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole technique when they couldn't win. Deciding whether to chase them underground could be quite troublesome. Without proper sensory abilities, you might not find the enemy's trail at all. Even if you did find it, you'd need to be adept at earth-style techniques yourself to ensure you were chasing rather than walking into a trap, as the enemy had the home-ground advantage.

The situation was challenging even when you held the upper hand. If circumstances were unfavorable, the opponent would greet you with rock fists and earth-hardening techniques. Despite their short stature, the Rock Ninjas' sturdy limbs combined with rock fists could deliver heavy punches that were hard to withstand.

Large defensive constructions weren't insurmountable for them. They could easily create breaches or openings. Techniques like Earth Moving Core, Earth Style: Opening Earth Rising Excavation, or Rock Lodging Destruction were well within their capabilities, solidifying their strong position among the Five Great Nations. Even a talent-rich village like Konoha wouldn't underestimate them.

Boom! Crack! Boom! As the Rock Ninjas' rock cannon techniques landed, the small forest was filled with a cacophony of sounds and subsequent clouds of dust. When the dust settled, the once ordinary forest was riddled with holes, littered with stone fragments, and the broken remains of trees.

These were the aftermath of the rock cannon techniques. Although they missed the agile enemies, the immobile trees and ground suffered greatly. Except for a few huge, centuries-old trees, everything struck, from branches to plants, was unrecognizable.

Even the ground became pitted and uneven, with rocks flying everywhere, occasionally injuring some young Uchiha ninjas who couldn't dodge in time.

"Don't stop! Sensor ninjas, keep an eye on their movements!" The enemy's chakra had to be depleted by at least half before he would consider stopping the bombardment. Hopefully, some unlucky ones would be hit by the stone projectiles, making things easier for their side.

Standing less than twenty meters behind the Rock Ninjas, with no noticeable presence, Toshiro could hardly hold back any longer. If he didn't act soon, his companions wouldn't withstand a few more rounds of the rock cannon techniques.

These Rock Ninjas' attacks covered large areas of several tens to near a hundred square meters. Even if they couldn't directly hit his companions, the flying rocks caused significant trouble. Each time the stones followed a parabolic trajectory and landed, they carried considerable kinetic energy.

Without Hibachi and Tetsu slowing down the stones with fire-style jutsu, the young ninjas behind them couldn't dodge all the projectiles. However, this inevitably left heat marks on the stones, making the shrapnel even more powerful.

If this continued for another seven or eight rounds, Hibachi and Tetsu would likely lose significant combat power, making close-quarters combat extremely unfavorable. The young ninjas, too, would be exhausted from evading the attacks.

Toshiro, lying in ambush behind the Rock Ninjas, couldn't afford to wait any longer. If he didn't intervene, their group wouldn't stand much chance in this battle.

With eyes half-closed, Toshiro used his peripheral vision to locate each Rock Ninja. His eyes, adorned with three black tomoe, began to rotate around his pupils. Forming several hand seals, he took a deep breath, gathering high-density chakra in his chest, and then exhaled sharply.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Following the completion of Toshiro's jutsu, a large mass of high-density chakra turned into a basketball-sized fireball in front of him. Suddenly, it exploded, splitting into about thirty orange-red, ping-pong-ball-sized fireballs, which shot towards his pre-determined targets at high speed.

The Rock Ninjas, with their backs to Toshiro's direction, were utterly unprepared. Toshiro's cautious use of his peripheral vision was meant to avoid raising any suspicion among these battle-hardened veterans.

(The chapter ends here.)