Chapter 166: Rock Iron Cannon

Sensory ninjutsu, an incredibly important classification in the ninja system, proves to be extremely crucial in actual combat. It can generally be divided into chakra sensing, mental sensing, five senses perception, and some methods that rely on tamed ninja beasts or secret techniques to sense the presence of the enemy. 

These sensory ninjutsu generally have a common characteristic: concentration of one's energy, thus expanding this talent through the power of chakra. This enables the ninja to extend their sensing range over greater distances, allowing them to detect the enemy before they can act. During the sensing process, one usually needs to remain still and mobilize the chakra within their body to maximize their sensing range and precision. Otherwise, apart from the subtle movements around oneself, no one can consistently sense extensive surroundings around the clock.

This principle holds for both Hitsugaya and the sensing Iwa ninja currently scanning for abnormalities. 

Swish! Swish! Swish! 

As the Iwa ninja named Qingyan marked the suspicious locations one by one, the hiding Uchiha clan members in the woods finally revealed their presence. At this point, there was no need for them to continue hiding. Since they were already somewhat exposed, they chose to reveal themselves openly. Once their positions were exposed, they didn't hesitate and launched a round of mid-to-long-range attacks including shurikens, kunai, and explosive tags. 

Most of these Uchiha ninjas were around twelve years old, with the oldest being no more than fifteen years old, totaling fourteen in number, placing them at a significant disadvantage compared to their opponents. 

"Haha! I didn't expect to find two ninjas with bloodline limits among these kids. This is excellent! Looks like my collection will gain two more invaluable trophies!" 

Despite noticing that the enemy attacked without hesitation once discovered by Qingyan, the experienced jōnin named Gangshan felt no distress. He calmly lowered his gaze to avoid direct eye contact with the two Uchiha with Sharingan and reminded his comrades, "Everyone, be careful not to look into the eyes of those with bloodline limits and be wary of genjutsu!"

"Yes, Gangshan-sensei!" 

Acknowledging their superior's caution, the team took cover behind the earth walls their teammates erected. 

"Be careful, their shurikenjutsu is also excellent. Watch out for those kunai with explosive tags!" Gangshan's face darkened as he remembered past unfortunate encounters. He continued to remind his group while keeping his actions uninterrupted, deflecting several kunai aimed at the earth walls behind which they sheltered. These experiences were bitter lessons learned through the sacrifice of their comrades' lives. The first time they encountered the Uchiha, some of his teammates relaxed their guard behind earth walls only to be taken down by unpredictable shuriken techniques. 

Especially those kunai with explosive tags had previously inflicted heavy casualties on their team, granting the enemy an easy victory. Fortunately, Gangshan survived thanks to his comrades' cover, though his comrades back then...

"Activate the second tactical plan! Engage in long-range attacks to deplete their chakra before engaging in close combat to finish these kids off!" 

Gangshan had observed that the enemy was generally very young with insufficient chakra reserves. Prolonged engagement would eventually leave the opponents defenseless. They would then be like prime targets, at their mercy, devoid of any threat, only requiring caution towards the two with awakened bloodline limits. Once their comrades were taken down, these two would be left vulnerable.

"Earth Release: Rock Iron Cannon!" 

Simultaneously, nearly twenty Iwa ninjas completed hand seals and spat out small stone pellets infused with Earth elemental chakra. Under the influence of chakra, these pellets transformed into millstone-sized boulders which then hurdled towards the young Uchiha ninjas. This was a standard offensive technique practiced by Iwa ninjas—creating defensive positions using the earth element, followed by long-range attacks featuring minimal chakra expenditure paired with high-range efficiency. 

These earth boulders acted like a barrage from a catapult, whether against fortified defenses or in conventional skirmishes, granting them substantial strategic advantage. The more ninjas performing this technique, the more formidable its momentum. Any obstructions, even supposed impenetrable ones, wouldn't last given enough time.

Right now, nearly twenty massive boulders, some as large as millstones or even wheels, whizzed through the air with crushing force, covering tens of meters in distance, zooming towards the Uchiha teens.

"Everyone, dodge quickly!" 

Facing such a volley was tricky; handling a few boulders might be manageable, but resisting twenty was challenging. 

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" 

The female lead ninja reluctantly ordered while unleashing a massive fireball in hopes of slowing the boulders down, to buy time for her comrades. Regular C-rank Fire Release techniques or even shuriken would have little impact against these massive projectiles. Even the Great Fireball Technique could merely slow them down, unable to destroy them. 

Stronger Fire Release techniques for defense would be impractically costly in chakra use. With her chakra capacity, more than two B-rank techniques would push her to the limit—wasting such energy now would leave them disadvantaged when mixed combat ensued.

(End of Chapter)