Chapter 1: Lava Release

By the river, under the trees, Gen'ichi Shimo'eda and the Root ninja gathered around separate campfires to eat grilled fish.

Gen'ichi Shimo'eda ate in silence, devouring the food voraciously even though the grilled fish was not particularly tasty.

He needed to replenish his chakra.

Today's battles had consumed a tremendous amount of chakra, and it was foreseeable that even more high-intensity combat lay ahead. He needed to ensure his chakra reserves were fully charged.

After inhaling more than twenty fish in one breath, Gen'ichi finally slowed his pace and began drinking the fish soup.

Throughout this process, he continuously refined chakra and channeled it into his Yin Seal.

The Yin Seal was unique; during the initial stage of practice, it required an extremely long time to accumulate chakra bit by bit.

However, once the training was successfully completed, storing chakra became much easier.

It was much like storing grain for the very first time—the hardest part was building the granary.

Once the granary was built, storing grain simply meant moving it inside.

Much like Tsunade, who had exhausted her chakra and lapsed into unconsciousness during the battle against Pain in the assault on Konoha, and then rapidly replenished her chakra by gorging herself on food after waking up.

Gen'ichi was doing the exact same thing now, except the conditions were far worse.

Moreover, he had not completely depleted the chakra within his Yin Seal during the previous battle.

After finishing dinner, Sakumo Hatake went to confer with the Root ninja.

A moment later, Sakumo returned and issued an order: "En, you take the intelligence and leave first. A squad of Root ninja will escort you."

Yamanaka En nodded in silence, then stood up and departed with three Root ninja.

Consequently, only six members remained on Gen'ichi's side.

Yet after waiting for five minutes, the remaining three Root ninja also set off once more.

It was impossible for everyone to stay here.

The Cloud ninja would undoubtedly split their forces as well, making staged resistance an absolute necessity.

And wherever Sakumo Hatake remained would serve as bait to draw the main force of the Cloud ninja.

...

Cloud Ninja Camp.

Following Yamanaka En's retreat, the Cloud ninja immediately mobilized, dividing their forces into two groups.

Three jounin formed a team to give direct chase to Yamanaka En, while the other twenty rushed straight toward the location of Gen'ichi Shimo'eda and the others.

By the river.

The campfires had been extinguished, but with bright stars and a clear moon, figures could be discerned a dozen meters away.

Gen'ichi Shimo'eda stood upon the river surface, moonlight shimmering and rippling across the water.

On the left bank, Uchiha Namiichi stood atop a boulder.

Further to the left stood Sakumo Hatake.

Behind them were three Root ninja, still wearing their masks.

However, Gen'ichi already knew they hailed from the Akimichi, Yamanaka, and Aburame clans respectively.

Root ninja were, in fact, predominantly drawn from various ninja clans, especially secret-technique clans, while a portion consisted of individuals handpicked and trained by Danzo, who were likewise specialized in cultivating specific secret techniques.

For instance, Sai's Super Beast Imitating Drawing.

"They're coming!"

The Root ninja from the Yamanaka clan suddenly spoke in a low voice.

A moment later, Gen'ichi also caught the faint sound of rushing wind.

Immediately after, shadowy figures could be seen rapidly closing in from ahead.

"Six in the front, six on the left, four on the right, and four suspected of flanking us from behind."

The sensory ninja continued to report the situation.

This was the advantage of having a sensory ninja: the ability to provide prompt feedback regarding enemy deployments.

"Hmm?"

Gen'ichi's gaze suddenly narrowed as he spotted a somewhat familiar figure among the opposing forces: "That fellow... Dodai, the Lava Release user?"

In his memory, Dodai's left eye was supposedly problematic, covered by a patch bearing the character for lightning, making him look somewhat similar to Ao of Kirigakure who possessed the Byakugan.

Yet the Dodai before him possessed both eyes intact, though his attire remained unchanged, allowing Gen'ichi to recognize him instantly.

"Lord White Fang!"

Dodai stepped forward a couple of paces, then spoke in a ringing voice, "In a situation like this, is there truly any need for battle?"

"I can guarantee the safety of you all until negotiations are completed with your village's Hokage."

Sakumo Hatake inquired, "Are you Dodai, the Lava Release user of Kumogakure?"

Dodai nodded, "Precisely."

Sakumo Hatake replied, "Konoha's ninja do not surrender, furthermore..."

"The outcome of this battle remains unknown!"

"I advise you all to withdraw, otherwise my blade might be forced to taste blood."

Surrender?

Even if he were to die in battle, Sakumo Hatake would never make such a choice.

Hearing this, Dodai sighed, "That is truly a pity. In that case, we have no choice but to defeat you first!"

Why did he still sound strangely polite?

Gen'ichi Shimo'eda maintained a placid expression while his hands rapidly formed seals.

Among the opposing Cloud ninja, someone had been keeping a close eye on Gen'ichi and immediately began weaving seals as well.

Illusion: Demonic Illusion: Descending Hell!

Lightning Release: Lightning Pillar!

Gen'ichi directly stripped everyone of their vision, including his own allies and the six opponents ahead of him.

This exclusion did not apply to the Cloud ninja still concealed in the woods on the left, those on the opposite bank of the river, or the ones flanking from behind.

This rendered the Cloud ninja's Lightning Pillar ineffective against them, while simultaneously disrupting the Cloud ninja positioned on both flanks and in the rear.

Following the Descending Hell technique, Gen'ichi continued to form seals.

Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!

A B-rank illusion, the signature technique of future illusion specialist Kurenai Yuhi, which she had once used against Uchiha Itachi, only to have it reflected back by the Sharingan's Mirror Heaven and Earth Change.

Yet Gen'ichi's application of this jutsu differed from Kurenai's at this moment.

Kurenai used the illusion to vanish from sight, materialize giant trees to bind her opponent, and then emerge from the tree trunk to finish off the enemy.

That move was an advanced illusion built upon a foundation of paralysis techniques.

Now, as Gen'ichi employed this jutsu for the very first time, he targeted the six Cloud ninja ahead.

The instant the hand seals were completed, Dodai and the other Cloud ninja—who had just dispelled the Descending Hell technique—found massive trees erupting from the ground, growing at breakneck speed as branches wrapped around and bound every single one of them.

"Wood Release!"

Dodai could not help crying out in shock, but instantly reacted, "It's an illusion!"

Realizing he had fallen into an illusion, Dodai unleashed his chakra, forcibly breaking free from the Tree Binding Death. The branches binding him first exploded, then the entire tree vanished into thin air.

Dodai hurriedly formed seals, then pressed both palms against the ground.

He did not attempt to help the others break free from the illusion, choosing instead to execute an Earth Release technique.

For the very moment Gen'ichi had cast Descending Hell, Sakumo Hatake, despite losing his vision, had drawn his blade and charged forward.

By the time the Tree Binding Death illusion was completed, both Descending Hell and the Cloud ninja's Lightning Pillar had already been dispelled.

Consequently, Dodai no longer had time to help the others break their illusions, as Sakumo Hatake had already closed in right before his eyes.

Moreover, he sensed that the precision of this illusion was not exceedingly high.

Facing the towering wall that blocked his path, Sakumo Hatake leaped gracefully, vaulting straight over the barrier.

Clang, clang, clang!

A dense barrage of shuriken was batted away by Sakumo Hatake's swinging blade, by which point four of the six Cloud ninja, including Dodai, had already broken free from the Tree Binding Death illusion.

Yet the very next instant, Sakumo Hatake was enveloped and swallowed by a rubber sphere.

The shuriken had merely been meant to distract him.

However, the next second, the Sakumo Hatake inside the rubber sphere burst into a puff of smoke, while a Cloud ninja shrieked as a hand dragged him down beneath the earth.

The true body of Sakumo Hatake leaped out from underground, slashing his blade across the throat of another Cloud ninja.