CH_39

The temporary camp was set up by a river. Calling it a "camp" was generous—it was really just a simple shelter built on a flattened patch of ground.

The river water wasn't fit for drinking or cleaning. Never mind whether there were corpses or severed limbs in some stretch of it—there was no telling if it was poisoned either.

Not every toxin could be detected right away.

Iwa-nin weren't like Suna-nin, who used poison extensively in warfare—but they still used it from time to time.

They just weren't particularly skilled at formulating poisons… Judging by the jutsu they favored, Iwa leaned toward brute force—rather similar to Kumo in that regard.

"Watch out—we might have company!" Rawari was the first to warn.

"Four enemies—two jōnin, two chūnin…" Another Konoha jōnin at the temporary camp activated a sensory jutsu.

At the temporary camp, aside from Tōji's squad of four, there was one other jōnin, three chūnin, and nine genin.

Unless something went wrong, these Iwa raiders weren't going to make it back.

Where would the enemy come from?

Both Konoha jōnin were staring at the river…

Pop! A small bubble broke the river's surface—the faint sound unusually clear in the quiet night.

Splash! Splash!

Two figures suddenly leaped out from two different spots in the river.

"Watch out! Get back!" Rawari shouted as soon as he saw the enemy emerge from the water. He used Body Flicker to grab Tōji and Neru and pull them further away!

Boom boom boom! Boom boom boom boom!

The chain of explosions and billowing flames shattered the forest's former tranquility!

On the very first day of Konoha's big push, Iwa had hit back hard.

Who knew if other locations were also under this kind of terrifying attack…

Both of the figures were Iwa chūnin—with Exploding Tags strapped directly to their bodies. The moment they emerged, they detonated themselves!

Rawari had reacted the fastest—he'd managed to pull two people to safety. Natchi was also quick on his feet and had been positioned further back, so he was fine too.

But the other Konoha jōnin was caught by the blast as he retreated—he hadn't moved back in time. He raised his arms to shield his head, and both arms were badly burned.

Two of the three Konoha chūnin were killed outright by the blast. The third came out unscathed…

Most of the other nine genin had been positioned further back. Though their retreat was a little slow, only three of them were injured…

Less than twenty seconds after the explosions, the water stirred again!

Splash! Splash!

This time, two Iwa jōnin emerged!

"【Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique】!" One of the Iwa jōnin apparently followed the shinobi world's tradition—if you knew Fire Release, you opened with a Great Fireball!

"【Water Release: Water Trumpet Technique】!" The other Iwa jōnin, having just surfaced, unleashed a powerful Water Release jutsu—but it was aimed in a different direction.

The Great Fireball targeted Rawari's squad. The Water Trumpet targeted the injured Konoha jōnin.

"【Water Release: Water Rush】!" Rawari was apparently a Water Release user—he countered the Fireball with his own Water Release jutsu. Tōji had never seen Rawari fight before.

"【Earth Release: Mud Wall】!" The injured Konoha jōnin, despite his burned arms, pressed both hands to the ground and raised an earthen wall to block the Water Release.

After the jutsu clash, the two Iwa-nin exchanged a glance and nodded, then each advanced on their respective target.

"Fall back further—you're not needed yet!" Rawari said, his eyes fixed ahead, speaking to the three behind him.

Tōji was more than happy to avoid facing an enemy jōnin—he leaped up to a tree further back.

The other Konoha genin also retreated. Only one chūnin stayed near the injured Konoha jōnin.