Chapter 152 : Retreat?

In the midst of the chaos, Takeshi's roared which spread through the area, accompanied by billowing black smoke and raucous shouts. Naturally, this commotion caught the attention of Chiyo, Tsushima, and the others engaged in combat.

"Who would've thought the Black Snake could gain me such a length of time. Regrettably, my strength wasn't enough to eliminate the target."

Chiyo and Tsushima found themselves at a disadvantage. Neither of them could take the lead in this situation.

The earth and rock armor that had shielded Tsushima's body was now in tatters due to depleted chakra. His form was marred by numerous small, crisscrossing wounds inflicted by Chiyo's relentless attacks.

His body had reverted to its original shape, with even his obsidian skin barely holding together.

Minus the protection of his obsidian skin, Chiyo could easily have turned Tsushima into a sieve right then. However, Chiyo's own condition was far from impeccable.

Her puppets, despite sustaining some damage, remained remarkably intact. After deploying other puppets during the battle, Chiyo's chakra had now nearly bottomed out.

"Ebizō, do you still wish to struggle?"

Seated amidst the turmoil, Chiyo conceded her inability to kill Tsushima. Nevertheless, Tsushima was even more disheartened—the initial assassination had unexpectedly devolved into a confrontation.

"Dearest sister!"

As Ebizō's words faded, a drill erupted from the maw of a lizard puppet, piercing through Anbu's chest.

"No—!"

Yuto, on his knees, witnessed the ferocious drill pierce his robe in a bid to kill him. The shattered lung lobes and other internal organs mingled with a torrent of blood, creating a vivid tableau beneath the mask.

"Yuto, you..."

The captain of the Team Shadows and Takeshi's teammates lay nearby. He weakly extended a hand, as if attempting to salvage Yuto's life, but it proved futile.

"..."

Unfazed within the lizard puppet's confines, Ebizō activated a switch. The chain attached to the drill retracted swiftly, dragging the Anbu's body along, leaving a thick trail of blood in its wake.

"No—!!"

Yuto's countenance turned pale. Observers could only watch helplessly as their comrade-in-arms, who had fought by their side, was ensnared and drawn to his death. The serrated edges of the drill rent him apart, while copious amounts of blood cascaded from the jaws of the sealed lizard puppet, plunging their minds into a void.

Did ninjas lack emotions? Could ninjas forgo feelings?

Yet, war's most potent emotion was hatred—a deep-seated animosity born from conflict.

"I will engage with you!"

Struggling to rise, Shadow prepared to surge forward. However, Tiger intercepted him, forcing him back to the ground.

"Refrain from rash actions."

Before Tiger's counsel could fully register, he, too, collapsed. Despite his superior resilience, the venom had taken its toll on Tiger as well.

"The Sand Shinobi have suffered heavy losses."

Amidst the turmoil, Ebizō seemed the most composed. The chaos seemed not to faze him. His sole concern rested with his sister. Were it not for this, the Anbu would have already been wiped out.

"No, our forces are faltering. Nightingale, hasten to aid Falcon and the others. They are ready to retreat. I aim to present Sand Ninjas with a parting gift."

Takeshi's spiritual senses encompassed the battlefield. Sand Ninja, contending against Konoha forces on the opposite end, recognized the spiraling situation and began making their way back for assistance.

For this mission, Takeshi had orchestrated his moves meticulously and cunningly. It was nothing short of a marvel that he had managed to stall or even eliminate the Sand Ninja before him.

"Stay vigilant!"

After a period of recuperation, Nightingale retained 50% of her chakra reserves. With a swift glance at Takeshi, she hastened away.

"Now, it's time to unveil the ultimate secret technique—The Soul's Demise!"

A murky haze erupted from the battlefield's ground, infiltrating the fallen Sand Ninja's bodies, inducing macabre convulsions.

Several distinctive white snakes promptly embedded themselves within these corpses, wriggling within, and then the pale eyes of these cadavers flickered open.

"As Anbu, I may use this jutsu only here. Nonetheless, I shall give my all."

A somber white flame ignited within Takeshi's gaze, as if he had intoned a silent incantation. And with that, he charged toward Tsushima and the others.

A Sand Ninja discerned Takeshi's retreat route, bellowing in fury, striving to rally other Sand Ninjas' attention. Yet, his intent was to hasten his pursuit, intending to obliterate the cause of their considerable losses.

Unbeknownst to him, the lifeless body beneath him reached out a hand.

"Ah, what's this?!"

Stumbling, the Sand Ninja was caught off guard. The possessed cadaver let out a bestial roar and sunk its teeth into his neck.

"Ah! Release me!"

Blood splattered, the corpse grasped the hapless ninja, devouring his flesh and blood voraciously.

"What on earth—!"

Nearly all the cadavers on the battlefield began to assault the living ninjas. With sharp teeth and nails as their weaponry, they were armed with a potent corpse poison.

"Are they reanimating corpses?!"

After enduring the myriad shocks delivered by Takeshi, the Sand Ninjas' resilience seemed to have heightened. The cadavers, lacking in attack variety, proved insurmountable through conventional means. But a single precise strike to the head proved efficacious—a tactic Takeshi had long since mastered.

"What abominable kinjutsu!"

A Sand Ninja thrust a kunai into a reanimated corpse's head. To his dismay, it triggered a prohibition left by Takeshi, causing the corpse to grotesquely swell before detonating.

The resulting deluge of corpse poison enveloped the Sand Ninja, corroding him down to the bone.

.....

"Time grows scarce; your journey's end approaches."

Seated within the lizard puppet, Ebizō spoke softly. He promptly guided the puppet to hurtle towards the Anbu at a fearsome velocity.

Impact from such force would undoubtedly seal the fate of those already severely injured.

Falcon, Tiger, Shadow, and Yuto lay defenseless, teetering on the brink of death.

Amid this critical juncture, the ground suddenly erupted with countless tentacles, ensnaring the quartet.

Wooden hands hoisted them from below, weaving them into an expansive, hollowed sphere. The lizard puppet collided with the sphere wooden hands had woven, hurtling it through the air.

The woven ball exhibited impressive resilience, bouncing across the ground multiple times. The quartet within emerged unscathed, their safety intact.

"Um... What manner of justu is this?!"

Stunned, Chiyo and Tsushima stared at Wooden Hands in disbelief. Tsushima, however, discerned something extraordinary in the midst of his astonishment.

Wooden hand's unchecked growth enveloped the lizard puppet, securing it tightly. Ebizō's expression remained unflappable, and the puppet extended numerous razor-sharp blades. Escaping this predicament demanded great effort. The Nightingale, who approached, no longer maintained her aloof demeanor.

"Is everyone unharmed?"

The woven ball that Wood Release created was untied, and the remaining four Anbu were spared danger. However, the two Anbu from the Shadow units had to be sacrificed.

"Nightingale, could it be that your technique, Wood Style, has been enhanced?!"

Tsushima approached the group, while Ebizō emerged from the lizard puppet and joined his sister.

"Are you alright, sister?"

"Idiot, I'm perfectly fine. Hurry and eliminate that individual skilled in Wood Release!"

In contrast to Tsushima's exuberance, Chiyo appeared haunted by her past encounter with the Senju clan's dominance.

Wood Release was a powerful jutsu, potent not only in its own right but capable of subduing even tailed beasts. This individual could not be spared.

Takeshi also hurried over, surveyed the scene, and remarked, "Lord Tsushima, while we had intended for you to enjoy a gratifying battle, we must now withdraw. The Four Purple Flame Formation has been dissipating for some time."

The distant echoes of Sand Ninja's battle cries grew louder, and the technique involving reanimating souls of the deceased hadn't consumed excessive time of the ninja army.

This confrontation had enabled Takeshi to absorb a significant amount of power. Evidently, he was stronger than even his clone, Orochimaru.

"They shall not escape!"

Chiyo's roar resonated, a testament to the formidable prowess of the Anbu who had targeted her.

With their significant strength, they had managed to infiltrate the headquarters. This only occurred because Ebizō had typically maintained a low profile, causing a miscalculation in their evaluation. The outcome had been disappointing.

Permitting these enemies to leave unchecked would only invite unending troubles. Chiyo's eyes gleamed with an intense green light, and her chakra surged violently.

"None of you shall escape today!"

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