Chapter 98

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Facing the sudden appearance of the Iwa ninjas, Toshiro and his team reacted swiftly, deploying long-distance fire ninjutsu in an attempt to fend off the aggressive attackers and create an opportunity for retreat.

Despite having conducted bombing missions all night, their energy expenditure was minimal. Each time they reached an Iwa Ninja supply point, they simply summoned exploding tags from their seal scrolls. Moreover, each bombing raid lasted less than ten minutes. This brevity wasn't out of concern for the Iwa ninja's well-being, but rather because they had a limited supply of exploding tags. If they didn't use them sparingly, they wouldn't be able to hit most of the Iwa Ninja supply points.

However, Toshiro was an exception. He had been controlling the birds and flying with his companions all night, and he was feeling somewhat fatigued.

"Don't even think about it!"

The ninjas selected to be carried by those proficient in the light and heavy rock jutsu were all elite jounins. They wouldn't let Toshiro and his team achieve their goal easily.

"Earth Release: Rock Boulder Jutsu!"

An Iwa ninja used a defensive Earth Release ninjutsu, creating a large, thick rock shield around himself and his teammates. From a distance, it appeared as a massive stone sphere, three to four meters in diameter, relying on the dense rock to block the fire.

If it weren't for his comrades assisting with the Light and Heavy Rock Jutsu to reduce their weight, they would have plummeted to the ground.

While some chose to resist forcefully, others opted for different tactics. Utilizing his skill in the Light and Heavy Rock jutsu, one ninja maneuvered his companions in the air to dodge the incoming ninjutsu. Although their jutsu couldn't match the speed of chakra-enhanced birds, they could still manage some evasive maneuvers.

"Earth Release: Rock Gravel Barrage!"

"Earth Release: Multiple Rock Cannon!"

Still in the air, the Iwa ninjas, who had just withstood Toshiro's attack, wasted no time launching their own offensive. From thirty or forty meters away, they unleashed long-distance Earth Release Jutsu, aiming at the birds carrying Toshiro and his team.

Unlike the Iwa ninjas, who could fly using their own jutsus, Toshiro and his companions would be in trouble if they lost their birds.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu!"

In response to the Iwa ninjas' long-range attack, Toshiro and his group simultaneously performed the Great Fireball jutsu. The large, orange-red fireballs, seven to eight meters in diameter, neutralized most of the incoming rocks. Before they flew a few more meters, kunai embedded in the rocks exploded, scattering the stones and disrupting the Konoha ninjas' attacks.

The flying debris caused chaos for both Toshiro's team and the Iwa ninjas. However, the rocks, created from chakra, posed no harm to their originators.

As Toshiro and his team intercepted the flying stones, two Iwa ninjas, encased in a massive stone sphere, approached. The thick stone walls had shielded them from Toshiro's fire jutsu and the flying rocks.

As they neared Toshiro and his team, small white creatures appeared on the stone ball's surface.

"Damn! That's explosive clay!" Toshiro thought, recognizing the telltale signs of Deidara's explosive clay. Though he knew no Iwa ninja matched Deidara's level, he didn't underestimate these explosive clay things.

"Asuka! Use Chidori Senbon!" Toshiro shouted, alerting his companions to the threat. Blue-lit Senbon pinned the white creatures to the stone ball before they could leap off.

Despite the rest of the explosive corps ninjas not being as skilled as Deidara, they could still create clay constructs capable of burrowing through earth and gliding short distances.

"Asuka, watch out for their detonating clay!" Toshiro reminded his team. He controlled the birds to fly away, attempting to distance them from the Iwa ninjas.

Fighting in the air, Toshiro and his team had no real advantage. The ink birds, similar to shadow clones, would dissipate if damaged. They had to protect their mounts carefully, making combat difficult.

Just as Toshiro decided to retreat, he sensed something. He turned to see the stone sphere, which was now less than 20 meters away. Without the Byakugan, he couldn't detect changes on the sphere's far side.

Two Iwa ninjas emerged from the stone ball, pushing it towards Toshiro's group before using the reaction force to fly back to their companions.

"Bad!" Toshiro thought alarm bells rang in his mind, realizing the threat too late. He warned his team and prepared a giant Senbon, aiming for the stone sphere.

But it was futile.

"Katsu!" a distant shout echoed.

Boom!

The stone sphere exploded violently, sending countless gravel pieces flying. The sheer volume of debris overwhelmed Toshiro and his team. The crude but effective strategy had worked—distracting them with distant rock ninjas and luring them into a trap.

As the stones destroyed their birds, Toshiro cursed, "Damn! I didn't expect these Iwa ninjas to be so crafty!"

In mid-air, Toshiro could only protect himself. The ink birds, crucial for their flight, were obliterated by the flying gravel. All around him, his companions faced the same predicament, unable to block the rocks in time.

They resorted to throwing kunai and shuriken, hoping to mitigate the damage, but their ninja kits held too few weapons, and there were too many rocks. Even with their Sharingan active, it wasn't enough.

One by one, the birds beneath them turned back into ink.

Feeling the sudden weightlessness, Toshiro remained calm.

"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!"

He had never relied solely on the birds they rode for missions, reserving a special mount for emergencies. He had even halted supply transportation for two days to ensure it was ready.

"Yamawashi! catch them!"

As a large plume of summoning smoke dispersed, a massive bald eagle appeared in the sky. The eagle, well-prepared for this moment, swooped down to catch Asuka and the others in free fall.

At this critical juncture, the mountain eagle's timely arrival was a relief. However, the Iwa ninjas above were not about to let them escape so easily. They launched a barrage of stones and explosive clay.

While the stones were manageable, the explosive clay posed a significant threat. Toshiro could use Lightning Release to neutralize the clay, but the rocks needed attention too.

"This is our only chance. Yama!'"

"Understood!"

Toshiro began forming seals, even before the eagle responded.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Waves!"

As the jutsu was completed, invisible blades of wind sliced through the falling projectiles. The large wind blades, clearly visible through Toshiro's Sharingan, were remarkably powerful, their width comparable to an average person's waist.

Using Yamawashi's chakra, Toshiro enhanced the Wind Release jutsu, effectively cutting the rocks and explosive clay into harmless pieces. Without pausing, he executed another jutsu.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

Drawing on the Yama's chakra again, Toshiro unleashed an even more powerful wind jutsu, ensuring their safety. Wind Release was effective due to the Yama's inherent wind attribute chakra, while Toshiro's chakra reserves were nearly depleted from the night's exertions.

"Let's leave quickly!" Toshiro urged.

Yamawashi, understanding the urgency, spread its wings and generated a powerful gust, preparing to soar away. Despite lacking arms to form seals, its wingbeats could still channel chakra to boost its speed. With a single powerful flap, the eagle could vanish with lightning speed.

However, fate had other plans. A figure, previously unnoticed, emerged from above, exploiting a blind spot in Toshiro's vision.

"Earth Release: Rock Fist!"

Without revealing himself, the assailant used a stealthy Earth Release jutsu, not aiming directly at Toshiro but targeting the mountain eagle.

Covered in a layer of rock, the ninja dived toward the eagle. Toshiro sensed the threat too late. As he looked up, the attacker was already less than ten meters away, giving Toshiro no time for defensive ninjutsu. He launched kunai and shuriken in a desperate attempt to deter the attacker.

The attacker, undeterred and shielded by rock armor, pressed on. With a resonating impact, his rock-encased fist struck Yama's wing base. The eagle screeched in pain, losing its balance and plummeting.

The precise strike had crippled the eagle's flight capabilities. Toshiro, abandoning thoughts of vengeance, focused on stabilizing himself and seeking a safe landing.

The attacker, having succeeded, leaped away, falling freely towards the ground. With his own flying power, he remained calm, even casting a mocking smile at Toshiro as if to say, "Enjoy your fall, kid!"

As he descended, the attacker dispelled his invisibility, revealing his identity as a short Iwa ninja. But Toshiro had no time to ponder. He urgently needed a strategy to manage their descent and avoid a fatal crash.

As the ground rapidly approached, Toshiro had no time to ponder further.

Initially, they were over 300 meters high. After the Iwa Ninja destroyed their summoned birds, they lost significant altitude, now less than 300 meters above the ground.

"Earth Release: Light-weight Rock Jutsu!"

To land safely, Toshiro needed to reduce his weight. Although he could perform the light and heavy rock jutsu, he wasn't as proficient as a rock ninja, so he could only slightly lighten the weight of Yamawashi. However, this alone wouldn't ensure a safe landing.

"Water Release: Water Pillar!"

As the ground drew nearer, Toshiro seized the moment to perform a water release ninjutsu. The water pillar wasn't particularly aggressive, but it created several rotating water pillars that could defend against some fire jutsu.

Toshiro's water pillar was different. Instead of multiple streams, he conjured a single, several-meter-thick column of water rising from the ground, right where Yama was descending.

Fortunately, Yama regained his balance after the initial panic, allowing Toshiro to use the water pillar as a buffer. With the combined effect of the light and heavy rock jutsu and the water pillar, their descent slowed significantly.

But this alone wasn't enough. Thankfully, Toshiro wasn't alone. Kirishima, held in the Yama's talons, used Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld to further cushion their landing, preventing a hard impact.

"Finally, a successful landing!"

They landed on the soft ground created by Kirishima's earth jutsu, all in a state of disarray but safe.

"Yama, return to the Forgotten Island to rest. We'll call you when we're done here to help you heal!"

The mountain eagle nodded, understanding the urgency, and disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.

"What's next won't be easy," Toshiro muttered, standing amidst the dissipating smoke. The enemy's surprise attack had caught them off guard, forcing them to the ground swiftly. Worse, the Iwa Ninja still held the aerial advantage, making any escape attempt by air increasingly difficult.

"Move!" he commanded.

Through the thinning smoke, Toshiro saw a barrage of white, explosive clay raining down on them. There was no time to waste.

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