As these thoughts ran through his mind, the Mist ninjas in front of him began to move.
A loud shout rang out from among them: "Release!"
The next moment, countless kunai shot toward them, raining down like a torrential storm, overwhelming and unavoidable.
Seeing this, some of the Genin in the group turned pale, instinctively retreating a couple of steps.
Similarly, the Chūnin and Jōnin grew tense, gripping their kunai tightly, their eyes locked on the incoming barrage, ready to block them at a moment's notice.
It was clear that if these kunai were allowed to hit their mark, their formation would descend into chaos. Some of these kunai undoubtedly carried explosive tags, which would only exacerbate the disorder.
Their forces were already outnumbered. If their formation crumbled as well, the battle would be lost before it even started.
"This won't do—we must stop them!"
In an instant, Aoba made a decision.
Stepping forward, he raised both hands and swiftly completed a series of hand signs. With a slam of his palms on the ground, he activated a technique: Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!
Boom!
The earth trembled.
In mere moments, a massive earth wall roughly 50 meters long and 10 meters high rose from the ground, cutting through the forest and standing firmly in front of the Konoha ninjas.
Previously, it might have been challenging for Aoba to summon such an enormous wall in such a short time.
But now, after his Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall had reached Level 6 (2300/10000), the technique came to him with ease.
The wall stood firm, blocking the Mist ninjas' attack.
Kunai struck the wall, either bouncing off or embedding themselves in it. Some detonated with loud explosions, but none of the Konoha ninjas behind the wall were harmed in the slightest.
But the Mist ninjas weren't so fortunate.
Standing atop the earth wall, Aoba gazed coldly at the dense ranks of Mist ninjas below. Ignoring the explosions echoing around him, he swiftly formed more hand signs and activated another technique: Earth Release: Earth Spears!
Massive amounts of Earth Release chakra coursed through Aoba's legs into the wall beneath him, then into the ground below. The chakra manifested as sharp earthen spikes, each about as thick as a baby's arm, shooting up from the ground and piercing toward the Mist ninjas with lightning speed.
In the blink of an eye, the forest floor transformed into a "needle forest." Hundreds of earthen spikes of varying lengths jutted out of the ground, resembling an inverted stalactite cave, creating an intimidating sight.
The sudden attack left the Mist ninjas scrambling. Most managed to dodge or evade the spikes, but a handful, caught off guard or unlucky enough to be in Aoba's crosshairs, weren't so fortunate.
Those unfortunate few were impaled by the intersecting spikes, their anguished screams and cries echoing through the forest.
All of this happened in mere moments. Aoba's dual techniques gave the Mist ninjas no time to react.
But the momentary advantage wouldn't last.
The earth wall beneath Aoba's feet, which had been constructed using Earth-Style Wall, quickly began to crumble as he ceased maintaining it with chakra.
Behind him, the Konoha ninjas once again came into view.
From the Mist ninjas' ranks, a loud battle cry erupted: "Attack!"
Immediately, the Mist ninjas surged forward, weapons drawn, rushing toward the Konoha formation.
"You, organize the defense!"
Seeing this, Aoba quickly issued a command to one of the Konoha Jōnin behind him. Without waiting to see if the order was acknowledged, he activated his Wind Release: Wings of Wind, launching himself into the sky.
From his vantage point above the forest canopy, Aoba observed the Mist ninjas charging through the dense foliage below. Without hesitation, he began forming hand signs again, unleashing a powerful technique: Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!
In an instant, a massive fireball with a diameter of 30 meters took shape, radiating intense heat and light that almost seemed to overshadow the midday sun.
Both Konoha and Mist ninjas alike froze momentarily, their gazes fixed on the colossal fireball.
Seizing the opportunity, Aoba directed the fireball downward, sending it crashing toward the advancing Mist ninjas.
Even before the fireball hit, the surrounding trees began to wither and blacken from the sheer heat. The canopy crackled and burst into flames as the fireball descended.
"Defend yourselves!"
"Dodge!"
"No, destroy it!"
A cacophony of shouts erupted from the Mist ninjas.
Ultimately, the call to "destroy it" prevailed.
Three Mist Jōnin stepped forward, simultaneously activating Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
In an instant, three massive water dragons materialized and surged upward to meet the descending fireball.
Boom!
The fireball and water dragons collided.
For a moment, time seemed to freeze.
The three water dragons formed a triangular formation, bracing against the massive fireball. At the point of impact, steam erupted violently, like boiling water on the verge of explosion.
And indeed, an explosion was imminent.
Within less than a second, the fireball and water dragons detonated simultaneously, releasing a torrent of water and flames in all directions.
The chaotic aftermath threw the Mist ninja ranks into further disarray, their momentum disrupted once again.
Aoba's decisive actions served as a clear warning to the enemy.
Just as he prepared to launch another round of devastating attacks, he noticed something unusual in the distance.
Far off in the direction they had come, faint movements caught his attention.
Focusing his gaze, Aoba confirmed that there were indeed figures in the distance.
A quick glance at the Konoha ninjas confirmed that none of them were Hyūga clan members capable of using the Byakugan.
With a determined look, Aoba lifted his hand, undoing the Guardian Seal on his forehead.
The next instant, his Byakugan activated.
In a split second, his vision pierced through the terrain, revealing the situation far ahead.
Sure enough, it was a group of Mist ninjas—and they weren't alone.
Initially, Aoba's expression remained neutral, as the possibility of their retreat path being cut off had already been accounted for.
But his expression quickly darkened.
Among the Mist ninjas was a figure that stood out.
Focusing his Byakugan, Aoba analyzed the individual's chakra network, noting something peculiar.
Surrounding the person's chakra pathways were countless tiny organisms—parasites, almost leeching off their chakra.
These were parasitic insects, unmistakably the hallmark of the Aburame clan.
Why would an Aburame clan member appear among the Mist ninjas?
The realization brought countless troubling thoughts to Aoba's mind, his expression growing increasingly grim.
"No matter what, I have to capture that individual!"
Aoba made up his mind instantly.
Capturing this person was the only way to obtain accurate information and avoid being blindly manipulated.
Although Aoba wasn't afraid of being targeted, he preferred not to live on constant high alert.
Resolved, he prepared to head straight for the group of Mist ninjas.
But just then, the sound of fighting reached his ears.
Glancing down, he saw that the Mist ninjas had already engaged the Konoha forces in combat.
After a moment of thought, Aoba formed hand signs and activated Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Poof!
With a burst of chakra smoke, two winged shadow clones appeared.
Without wasting any time, Aoba ordered one clone to fly to Blackstone Outpost to request reinforcements from Sano Nobuhisa, while the other stayed to assist the Konoha ninjas in defending against the Mist ninjas.
As for Aoba himself...
His priority was identifying and capturing that mysterious figure.
With that, he flew toward the distant Mist ninja group.
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