Chapter 30: Counter-attacking the Sannin Squad
As a long-standing and famous ninja of Konoha, Choza Akimichi's portrait was well-known in all the hidden villages.
Choza looked at the Cloud ninja before him with a sense of resignation. The situation had escalated far beyond his expectations. They had been in the Land of Hot Water for less than a week, and they had already caused a major incident. It looked like his pleasant vacation was about to end prematurely.
These three kids are still too young.
"Now that you know who we are," he said, his voice a low rumble, "I can't let any of you leave."
Despite his frustration with the youngsters' impulsiveness, now that things had come to this, Choza had no intention of letting any of the Cloud ninja escape. He had already gotten the gist of the situation from Jiraiya. He was here to make sure no one got away.
Dana's face fell. He recognized the name Choza Akimichi. A member of the Second Hokage's personal guard, and one of the Third Hokage's teammates. He had to be an elite Jonin, at the very least.
How are we supposed to fight this?
To make matters worse, his body had finally reached its limit. He had been running on pure willpower, forcing his already "malnourished" body to perform miracles. Now, he was completely spent. He couldn't even stand.
Dana collapsed to the ground. The lightning around his body flickered and died. The pulsating image in his mind vanished. Worst of all, his once chubby cheeks were now sunken, his cheekbones prominent, his eyes hollow. He looked like he was starving.
Kyohei Kawanishi's eyes were locked on Choza Akimichi. The moment he appeared, Kyohei had already started thinking about an escape route. Mamoru was in bad shape. That meant he would have to be the one to cover their retreat.
"Mamoru," he said, his voice grim, "take Young Master Dana and Young Master Arashi and get out of here. I'll hold them off."
Mamoru raised his short sword with a trembling hand, a side effect of his secret jutsu. "You can't hold them for long on your own," he said. "Young Master Arashi and Young Master Dana will retreat. We'll hold them off together. They'll have to step over my dead body to get past."
Kyohei tacitly agreed. He knew he couldn't hold off four Jonin by himself, especially with a famous ninja like Choza Akimichi among them. Their situation was precarious.
Arashi's fists were clenched so tight his knuckles were white.
Dana grabbed his brother's hand to steady himself.
"Arashi," he whispered, "if we reveal our identities, do you think we have a chance?"
Their opponents likely didn't know that two of them were the sons of the Third Raikage. Perhaps the threat of all-out war would make them hesitate.
Arashi gritted his teeth. "We can't," he said. "If we fail, they might capture us and use us as leverage against the village. The losses would be catastrophic."
Dana's mouth fell open. He still didn't think like a Cloud ninja. He hadn't considered that possibility.
Arashi stepped forward. "I am the son of the Raikage," he declared, his voice ringing with a newfound authority. "The man who will one day inherit the name of 'A.' An 'A' sacrifices himself for his comrades, he does not sacrifice his comrades to save himself! I will not let you die for me! Mamoru, Kyohei! We split up and run! Kyohei, you're in the best shape. Please, take Dana with you!"
There was an unspoken part to his command: Kyohei had a much better chance of escaping with Dana than he did. If the worst happened, they had to save Dana. Not because he possessed the bloodline the Yotsuki clan had dreamed of for generations, but because he was his little brother.
At that moment, Arashi didn't look like a thirteen-year-old boy. He looked like the Third Raikage.
You're going to be a great Kage one day, Dana thought, looking at his brother with pride.
Kyohei and Mamoru were visibly moved. They tightened their grips on their weapons.
On the other side, Choza Akimichi was done waiting. "No mercy," he ordered. "Take them all down. No one gets away."
He formed a series of hand seals. "Super Multi-Size Technique!"
His body began to grow at an alarming rate, towering over ten meters in a matter of seconds. Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya leaped onto his shoulders. The sight was awe-inspiring. Confident smiles spread across their faces. At that moment, they were ready to face any enemy.
Choza was a true veteran. Despite his massive size, he moved with an unnatural speed, closing the distance in just a few steps.
Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru began to form hand seals in unison.
"Ninja Art: Toad Oil Bullet!"
"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
The three of them, full of youthful vigor, unleashed a massive combination ninjutsu taught to them by the Third Hokage. Their target wasn't the four Cloud ninja, but the area behind them, cutting off their escape route. In an instant, the surrounding several hundred meters were engulfed in a sea of fire, the toad oil ensuring the flames would burn for a long time.
"Earth Release: Double Earth Flow Wall!" Kyohei and Mamoru had no choice but to combine their efforts to erect a defensive wall, shielding them from the inferno.
Before they could even catch their breath, Choza's massive fist slammed into the wall. A visible depression appeared, spreading across its surface. Choza was slightly surprised that his first punch hadn't broken through. He gave a slight nod of respect; his opponents were not to be underestimated. No wonder they had given Tsunade and Orochimaru such a hard time. Then, he threw another punch.
BOOM!
The wall shattered.
The moment it crumbled, a figure shot out from the dust and smoke. It was Arashi, his body wreathed in his Lightning Release Chakra Mode. As the son of the Raikage, he charged to the front.
"Heavy Stream of Violence!"
He threw all his strength into a charge against the colossal Choza. Choza easily blocked the blow with one massive hand. The impact was deafening. His hand alone was bigger than Arashi's entire body.
"Too weak!" Choza grunted, grabbing Arashi and clenching his fist. He was about to crush him, but Arashi unleashed an unexpected burst of strength. Choza changed his grip and, instead of crushing him, slammed him into the ground. The earth cracked, and Arashi's eyes rolled back in his head as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Earth Release: Earth Prison Dome of Magnificent Nothingness!"
"Earth Release: Earth Prison Dome of Magnificent Nothingness!"
Faced with the giant Choza, Mamoru and Kyohei chose their moment perfectly. They once again combined their jutsu, creating a prison of rock and earth far larger than normal. The cage shot up from the ground, attempting to trap Choza and the three on his shoulders. It was about to succeed when Choza, in a desperate move, used his Super Multi-Size Technique again, growing even larger. The prison wasn't big enough to completely enclose him, leaving his head sticking out.
But Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru, who were on his shoulders, were now trapped inside.
Arashi's heroic sacrifice had bought them a sliver of a chance to escape.