Almost simultaneously, the defensive formation formed by Asuma Sarutobi and his two companions was instantly shattered.
Shiranui Genma was kicked squarely in the chest by a Cloud Hidden Ninja, the Senbon in his mouth spraying out.
Ebisu was hit by a Ninjutsu and fell unconscious on the spot.
Asuma Sarutobi took a heavy punch to the abdomen, his body curling up like a shrimp.
Immediately after, he was kicked flying, crashing heavily against a tree trunk and sliding down, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
At the same time, Nii Yugito effortlessly dodged Kakashi's thrust with the White Fang Short Sword, and with a backhanded swipe of her claw, struck him squarely in the chest.
Kakashi grunted, sent flying backward, tumbling several times on the ground before coming to a stop.
His chest was caved in; clearly, his sternum was broken.
The tide of battle turned sharply, and the Konoha side collapsed across the board in an instant.
Nii Yugito stepped closer to the fallen Kakashi, raising her sharp claws high.
"Konoha has so many geniuses it's almost enviable. But, it's over!"
"Is this the end..." Kakashi watched the approaching claws, a flicker of helplessness crossing his mind.
"Kakashi!"
Seeing Nii Yugito's claws aimed straight at Kakashi's throat, Rin Nohara, hiding behind the giant rock, could no longer hold back.
With a sharp cry, she suddenly stood up, pulled out several Shuriken, and threw them with all her might at Nii Yugito. Simultaneously, gripping a Kunai, she charged forward recklessly.
"Overestimating yourself."
Without even glancing at the incoming Shuriken, Nii Yugito casually swatted them away with her cat-like claws, then turned and kicked the charging Rin Nohara in the abdomen.
Rin's body was struck by a tremendous force, sending her flying backward. She crashed heavily against a tree trunk in the distance, spat out a mouthful of blood, and slid down the trunk to the ground, her aura fading.
"Rin!!!" A heart-wrenching roar echoed through the forest.
Uchiha Obito watched helplessly as the girl who had always smiled at him so gently was kicked away like a discarded doll.
His mind went blank with a buzzing sound.
In an instant, his dark pupils were infused with a bloody hue, a single small tomoe slowly manifesting and swirling within them.
An unfamiliar power surged from the depths of his body.
"Aaaaaah!"
"I'll kill you!"
Uchiha Obito roared as he scrambled up from the ground, ignoring his injuries, and charged madly at Nii Yugito.
"Oh? The Sharingan? Not bad!" Nii Yugito dodged several of Uchiha Obito's consecutive attacks in a row, commenting with interest.
"But a single tomoe isn't enough to impress!" she said, turning and kicking the desperately charging Uchiha Obito away once more.
He tumbled several times in the air before crashing heavily to the ground.
In a moment, all the Konoha Ninja lay fallen, a sense of despair enveloping everyone present who was still conscious.
"No more?" Nii Yugito looked at the quiet surrounding forest, a hint of disappointment appearing on her face.
Only that little mouse hiding behind the rock was flushed out. It seemed there really were no reinforcements.
She couldn't help feeling somewhat bored and shouted, "Clean up, then we're heading back!"
"Yes!" The Cloud Ninja, seeing this, all sprang into action.
Just as Nii Yugito's claws were about to touch Kakashi's neck, and Uchiha Inabi and the others were on the verge of being slaughtered, several sharp whistling sounds rang out!
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Several arrows, their entire bodies emitting a blue-white glow, shot out from the forest at a speed difficult for the naked eye to follow.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Piercing metallic collision sounds exploded.
One arrow accurately struck Nii Yugito's outstretched claw. The immense impact numbed her arm, forcing her attack to halt.
The other arrows shot toward the other Cloud Ninja who were about to finish off Asuma and the others, knocking their weapons away one by one.
This sudden turn of events made all the Cloud Ninja pause. Then, looks of delight appeared on their faces. "There are more fish!"
But Nii Yugito stared at the arrows on the ground, a serious expression appearing on her face.
Yoshikawa Iwa, after a brief moment of stunned silence, even had raging fury burning in his eyes.
The two of them, acting contrary to their previous leisurely fishing mindset, viciously thrust their Sharp Weapons toward the fallen Kakashi and Uchiha Inabi.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two sharp whistling sounds rang out!
Immediately following, two arrows, faster and more furious than before, crackling with lightning, shot toward the two of them.
The arrows, though launched later, arrived first. With unstoppable kinetic energy, they struck Nii Yugito's claw and Yoshikawa Iwa's Ninja Blade, one left, one right, with perfect precision.
Clang! Clang!
Metallic clangs rang out.
The tremendous force forcibly deflected Nii Yugito and Yoshikawa Iwa's killing blows. The claw grazed past Kakashi's side, drawing a string of blood droplets.
Yoshikawa Iwa's Ninja Blade instead struck the ground beside Uchiha Inabi, carving out a deep furrow.
Before they could react, over a dozen more blue-white arrows shot through the air, sealing off all forward paths for the two and the remaining Cloud Ninja.
The Cloud Ninja's expressions changed, and they were forced to leap backward, creating distance.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Those arrows embedded themselves in the ground where they had just stood, the shafts still vibrating, crackling with lightning and emanating a heart-palpitating Chakra fluctuation.
Uchiha Inabi, who had already prepared to die, saw these familiar arrows and a look of wild joy appeared on his face.
He instinctively glanced toward Kurenai Yuhi, who was leaning against a tree, and found her also looking at him, a similar expression of joy on her face.
The two looked at each other, hope shining in their eyes, the same thought arising in their hearts: "We're saved!"
Asuma Sarutobi, Shiranui Genma, Kakashi, and the others felt a moment of elation followed by confusion. "An ally? Who could it be?"
The survivors, having narrowly escaped death, all looked toward the direction the arrows had come from.
Nii Yugito steadied herself, shook her numbed claw, and looked up.
Yoshikawa Iwa clenched his fists tightly, his furious gaze fixed intently on that direction.
Under the varied stares of the crowd, a figure slowly stepped out from the depths of the dense forest.
The newcomer held a peculiarly shaped Energy Longbow. His eyes were pure white, veins bulging at their corners, and his features were handsome.
At this moment, his face was calm, his gaze cold as he looked at the Cloud Ninja present.
"Hyuga... Aokawa!" Yoshikawa Iwa gritted his teeth, squeezing the name out word by word from between them.
Upon clearly seeing the newcomer's face, the muscles on his face twisted, his teeth grinding audibly.
It was this guy! If not for him, how could his last mission have failed? How could he have been reduced to relying on ambushing the rear to atone for his failure?
Old grudges and new hatred welled up in his heart. Yoshikawa Iwa's Chakra began to surge uncontrollably.
"It really is you!"
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