Chapter 248: Bonds of Alliance
The aftermath of the explosion still lingered near the barrier's edge when a dark shape slowly surfaced from the water—an enormous aquatic creature, resembling a whale. Strangely, it showed no signs of panic from the lightning or fire that usually terrified marine life. Instead, it opened its mouth wide, and three ninja emerged from within. Leading them was a red-haired woman—Tayuya, the genjutsu specialist of the Sound Four. Behind her were Ken Misumi and Akkon Akado, former collaborators of Kabuto during the Chunin Exams.
"This stinks like hell. If anyone tells me to hide inside one of those things again, I'm going to kill them," Tayuya spat in disgust.
The reclusive Akkon Akado ignored her complaints, while Ken Misumi shrugged and replied nonchalantly, "Take it up with Kabuto. This was his plan, and yet he didn't show up."
"All because you idiots failed to gather proper intel. We missed our window thanks to your screw-ups, and now we have to resort to this nonsense!"
Tayuya's biting words irked the others.
"Oh really? If your lot were so capable, Sasuke would've been captured already. Instead, here we are, still stuck chasing after him. Even Jirōbō's dead, and you've got nothing to show for it. At least we completed Orochimaru-sama's mission during the Chunin Exams."
"Are you defying orders now?" Tayuya snapped, drawing her flute in anger.
Misumi wisely backed down. "Don't get me wrong. You Sound Four—well, now it's a Sound Three—are in command for this mission. We're just reinforcements. That's all."
His barbed remark struck home, but Tayuya couldn't lash out without risking discipline.
"Fine. Just follow orders and don't drag us down."
"Drag you down? We're stronger than Kabuto, that sycophant," Misumi replied while glancing at the flickering barrier. "Looks like your plan worked?"
"Of course. Kidomaru and Sakon are already inside," Tayuya said smugly. "Unlike you amateurs, we knew the barrier had weaknesses."
"Then let's end this quickly. Two jonin are nearby—if they catch on, we're finished."
"Shut it."
Knowing time was short, Tayuya bit her finger and quickly formed seals. With a burst of smoke, her massive summon—the three-headed ogre Sanshō—appeared. Under the command of her flute's eerie melody, the beast charged toward the barrier, launching brutal physical attacks.
…
The sudden chaos sent the genin on deck into a frenzy. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and though the barrier trembled, it did not collapse. Thanks to Sakura and Hinata's desperate efforts, it stabilized just in time.
"That was close…"
Though the storm had begun to ease, no one dared to tempt fate.
"Should we counterattack?" Kiba asked warily.
The six genin exchanged unsure glances—no one had an answer, and they clearly lacked unified leadership.
"Let's wait for Mizuki-sensei or Kakashi-sensei to return," one of them suggested.
Without guidance, any action would be dangerous. Although there were still high-ranking shinobi aboard, they weren't from Konoha. The ANBU captain from Kirigakure—who hadn't even revealed his face—lacked the authority or trust to lead Konoha genin.
As they hesitated, Hinata suddenly cried out, "Be careful! Someone's approaching!"
Three massive summon beasts came into view. They attacked the barrier relentlessly—smashing, clawing, and ramming. Each strike sent shockwaves rippling across its surface.
Sakura, dizzy from the reverberations, shouted, "Stop them! I can't hold on much longer!"
Brute-force tactics may be simple, but to a novice like Sakura, they were devastating.
"I'll handle this!" Naruto seized the chance to prove himself. Without hesitation, he vaulted over the side of the ship and charged toward Tayuya.
"Too reckless." The ANBU captain, codenamed "Ken," immediately ordered, "Kanryū, Chōjūrō, back him up. Konoha values him—don't let him die."
"Understood." The two Kirigakure ninja took off after Naruto without delay.
This was the most dangerous moment—when there was no central command, and the enemy attacked suddenly.
Hinata, scanning with her Byakugan, called out again, "There's someone hiding nearby… underwater!"
Just then, a yellow-glinting metal arrow shot from beneath the surface, streaking toward Sakura's face with a deadly screech. It tore through the rain and shadows, a silent execution meant to take out the barrier's support.
"Water Style—Water Whip!"
A bright stream of water lashed through the air, striking the arrow's tail. It didn't stop the attack entirely, but it did knock it off course.
In the stunned silence, the arrow grazed Sakura's neck, slicing off a lock of her pink hair before punching through the cabin wall and detonating inside the ship with a thunderous boom.
"I… I'm alive?" Sakura stood frozen, drenched in sweat, staring at the debris behind her. "That… could've been my head…"
Only now, as the dust settled, did the Konoha genin scramble to regroup, alert for more ambushes.
Fortunately, the ANBU captain knew what to do.
"Lightning Style—Ground Walk!"
A net of electric current surged across the water's surface, rippling with the waves. A wide area was instantly lit up by arcs of lightning.
Unable to hide in the electrified waters, two figures burst from the surface and landed lightly on the deck.
"Well now," said Sakon with a smirk. "Didn't expect Kirigakure's ANBU to poke their noses in here. Our target is Uchiha Sasuke. This has nothing to do with you. Hand him over, and we'll leave."
"How bold of you," the ANBU captain scoffed. "Two against six, and you still dare to make demands? Let's see who you really are!"
To be continued...
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