OBS Chapter 544 Ahead
Chapter 544 Ahead
His speed was so fast that ordinary Iwa ninjas could only see a blurry afterimage, hear a faint whistling sound, and be left far behind. Accompanying him was the semi-transparent Kato Dan. Dan's Spirit Transformation Technique allowed him to completely penetrate physical barriers, ignoring patrols like a ghost, guiding Minato along the safest and fastest infiltration route.
"The Tsuchikage's office is just ahead, Minato." Duan's voice rang in Minato's mind, tinged with a tense urgency. "That's the core area of the village, heavily defended, but their attention is currently drawn to the huge explosion at the village entrance."
Minato nodded almost imperceptibly, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. Sure enough, most of the Iwa ninja were heading towards the village entrance. While the guards were still there, their numbers and vigilance had noticeably decreased. He precisely calculated each landing point, each teleportation perfectly avoiding the patrols' sight. Finally, after passing through several heavily guarded courtyards, a towering building appeared before him. On its roof, the "Earth" emblem, symbolizing the Tsuchikage's authority, was faintly visible in the night—this was the Tsuchikage's office.
“This is it.” Minato’s voice was low and calm, like the calm before a storm. He took a deep breath, his chakra surging through his body. He wasn’t trying to assassinate the Tsuchikage; his target was the more symbolic Tsuchikage’s office. He wanted Iwagakure to understand that Kumogakure had the ability and the determination to deliver a fatal blow, anywhere.
"Wind Release·Vacuum Wave!"
Minato swiftly formed hand seals and unleashed a visible, rapidly spinning chakra wind blade from his mouth. This wind blade was no ordinary wind release technique; it was compressed to its limit, carrying terrifying power capable of tearing everything apart, and shot towards the wall of the Tsuchikage's office at astonishing speed.
"boom!"
With a deafening roar, the seemingly sturdy Tsuchikage office crumbled instantly like paper under the impact of the vacuum wave. Walls, roof, furniture—everything was reduced to dust by the wind blades, debris flying everywhere, smoke and dust billowing, even cracks appearing in the foundation beneath the office. The enormous commotion instantly ignited the anger and panic of the surrounding Iwa ninja.
"That's... Lord Tsuchikage's office!"
"Enemy attack! There are enemies here too!"
"Quick! Surround him!!"
Roars echoed everywhere as countless Iwa ninjas surged in from all directions like an enraged swarm of bees, their various Earth Release techniques flashing in the night. However, Minato had already achieved his goal. In the instant his office was destroyed, he had already hurled a specially made Flying Thunder God kunai, embedding it into a high vantage point in the distance.
"Dan, let's go." Minato said softly, his figure disappearing from the spot before the Iwa ninja could surround him, leaving behind an empty ruin and a group of Iwa ninja with bloodshot eyes.
When he reappeared, he was in a secluded valley on the outskirts of Iwagakure. There, a massive sealing array shimmered faintly in the moonlight, and Kushina stood in its center, surrounded by the Nine-Tails' red chakra, warily observing her surroundings. At that moment, Kato Dan's figure also separated from Minato's body, becoming more solid.
"Minato! Are you alright?!" Kushina asked anxiously, only to breathe a sigh of relief the moment she saw Minato.
"It's alright, everything went smoothly," Minato replied with a smile, showing no sign of fatigue. "The office is destroyed, let's go!"
Without further hesitation, Kushina activated the magic circle, and the enormous sealing technique shone brightly, completely enveloping the three of them. The next moment, with a violent fluctuation of chakra, the light dissipated, and the three of them had completely left the territory of Iwagakure through a special reverse summoning technique, disappearing into the night, leaving behind only a mess and angry Iwagakure ninja.
Meanwhile, the battle between Zhang Hai and Huang Tu intensified. Huang Tu's pursuit was relentless; though furious, he possessed exceptional combat experience. Knowing Zhang Hai was fleeing, he continuously unleashed wide-range Earth Release ninjutsu to intercept and attack.
"Earth Release·Rock Pillar Spear!"
"Earth Escape·Earthquake Core!"
Massive rock spears rained down from the sky, or the ground shook violently, attempting to knock Zhang Hai down. However, Zhang Hai's Lightning Release Chakra Mode granted him extreme speed and agility. He moved like a ghost between rocks and fissures in the earth, each dodge perfectly timed. His short sword was always crackling with lightning, and he would occasionally turn around and unleash a bolt of lightning, or, as he approached the loess, deliver a Lightning Release fist, trying to paralyze his opponent.
The advantage of Lightning Release over Earth Release is obvious. Every time Zhang Hai's Lightning Release touched Huang Tu's Earth Release defense, it caused even greater damage, cracking Huang Tu's rocky defense and even causing a brief period of paralysis. This made Huang Tu extremely troublesome.
"Damn Cloud Village ninja! All you can do is hide like a rat?!" Huang Tu roared, his chakra reserves far exceeding Zhang Hai's, each attack powerful and seemingly inexhaustible. He knew that as long as he could hold off Zhang Hai, exhaust his chakra, or prevent him from using Lightning Release Mode, he could completely subdue him.
However, Zhang Hai suddenly stopped. He stood on a huge rock, his eyes beneath his mask coldly watching the approaching Huang Tu. He seemed to sense that it was time to put a temporary end to this chase.
"Oh? Hiding like a rat?" Zhang Hai's voice was mocking. "You people from Iwagakure are really adorably naive. Did you think I was really running away? I just came over... to say hello."
Huang Tu's anger intensified. He smashed a rock in front of him with a powerful punch and roared, "Greeting?! You destroyed half a mountain and ruined Lord Tsuchikage's office, and you call that greeting?!"
“Of course.” Zhang Hai’s voice was even more contemptuous. He pointed a finger into the distance, in the direction of Iwagakure’s border. “I was just giving you a warning. Now that my mission is complete, I naturally have to leave. But I can tell you something…”
He paused, his tone turning sinister, carrying a barely perceptible threat: "If you continue your pursuit and dare to cross the border, you will not be facing me alone. Then you will understand what the true strength of the Hidden Cloud Village is. We are not like you, always fighting alone, afraid to confront powerful enemies."
Huang Tu's movements suddenly froze. Looking at Zhang Hai's confident demeanor, his heart sank. The other man's words were undoubtedly a warning: once he crossed the border, a large number of reinforcements from Yunyin Village might be waiting for him.