"Where's the scroll from Iwagakure?"
After all the Konoha ANBU had regrouped, Shihouin Naraku looked at the squad members who had been cleaning up the battlefield.
"Captain, it's this scroll!"
None of the ANBU present had the authority to open the scroll and examine its contents. Only Naraku was qualified to do that.
"The contents are quite diverse," Naraku noted.
"What exactly did Sunagakure want to purchase from Iwagakure? To trade so much Gold Dust..."
Naraku opened the scroll and examined it carefully. The supplies contained within indeed looked varied, with all sorts of items.
"Ninja tools, seeds, and food..."
These supplies clearly showed that Sunagakure was facing resource shortages, even lacking some basic necessities for daily life.
In truth, throughout the entire shinobi world, only the Land of Fire and Konohagakure were rich in resources with no shortage of materials. This was precisely why other nations resented Konoha. If they could defeat it, the other countries would have divided up the Land of Fire long ago.
"So that's what they were after..."
Naraku spotted the most valuable material stored in the scroll: Chakra Metal!
Chakra Metal was a unique metal in the shinobi world. Weapons crafted from Chakra Metal were not only exceptionally sharp and durable but could also easily channel chakra. Compared to ordinary ninja tools, they require less chakra to use effectively.
This was why ninja tools made from Chakra Metal were extremely expensive.
For example, Sarutobi Asuma, son of the Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, used chakra blades made from this special metal. Given his status, he only possessed a pair of small trench knives. This showed just how scarce and costly weapons made of this metal truly were.
"Iwagakure and Sunagakure have suffered a major loss. The Chakra Metal alone is valuable enough to cripple them."
With this thought, Naraku immediately secured the scroll, handed it to his subordinates, and ordered, "Follow the original plan—retreat now!"
"Yes, sir!"
As the mission leader, Naraku positioned himself at the rear as a guard, allowing the other members to leave and return to the village first.
Naraku was confident in his abilities, and what they had captured was extremely valuable, so it needed to reach the village quickly.
Once they crossed the border into the Land of Fire, they would be much safer. Generally, pursuers would not easily venture into Fire Country territory.
Especially large groups of shinobi—such an act would be tantamount to declaring war.
Although after a battle, shinobi should normally take time to restore their physical strength and chakra before retreating, Naraku ordered an immediate withdrawal to secure the supplies. The ANBU members obeyed without question.
Watching his squad retreating with the supplies, Naraku surveyed the battlefield one last time before following them.
As the last to retreat, he left traps behind to deter any pursuers.
...
Swish!
Shihouin Naraku landed on the top of a tall tree in the forest, looking back at the way they had come.
Daybreak had arrived, and Naraku, serving as rear guard, had not yet encountered any pursuers.
"If reinforcements from the two villages don't arrive soon, the supplies will cross into the Land of Fire, and they'll never recover them."
At their current pace, the Konoha ANBU, who had set out first, were not far from the Fire Country border. They would reach it within an hour or two.
Just then—
BOOM BOOM BOOM...
A massive explosion suddenly echoed in the distance. Flames and smoke rose into the air, and the shock wave instantly spread outward in all directions.
"Here they come!"
"I wonder if they're shinobi from Iwagakure or Sunagakure!"
Naraku turned and leapt from the treetop, immediately running away.
Due to time constraints, Naraku hadn't made much effort to conceal his trail. Any skilled tracker could easily find various traces. He was intentionally trying to lead pursuers toward himself and away from his team.
...
Rustle...
The sound of light footsteps mingled with the chirping of insects and birds in the forest.
Two squads of Iwagakure shinobi moved silently through the trees, carefully monitoring everything around them.
The Iwagakure leader at the front made several simple hand gestures, and his subordinates immediately advanced forward.
After triggering a trap not long ago, they were now extremely cautious.
But time was also critical. If they took too long, their chance of recovering the supplies would be completely lost.
For the Iwagakure shinobi, the materials originally intended for trade with Sunagakure were considerably valuable, especially the Chakra Metal.
Now, they had neither received payment nor retained their goods. This was absolutely unacceptable.
Suddenly, the ground in front of the Iwagakure leader rippled as if it had turned to water. An Iwagakure shinobi emerged from below and made a gesture to his leader.
The leader looked at another shinobi beside him. This shinobi knelt on one knee and placed his hand on the ground. The chakra in his body surged as he began sensing the surrounding environment.
Suddenly, he stiffened, then whispered:
"There was movement just now, about one kilometre to the southeast."
"Move out!"
"Yes, sir!"
...
Shihouin Naraku stood hidden in the dense foliage of a massive tree.
At this point, he didn't know how many shinobi were pursuing him.
It would depend on which village—Sunagakure or Iwagakure—reacted faster and which valued their lost items more.
What concerned Naraku most was whether there were any sensor-type shinobi among the pursuers. If so, when the battle erupted again, his first priority would be to eliminate the sensor.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Naraku frowned. The forest, which had been teeming with life and the sounds of insects and birds, abruptly fell silent. The killing intent in the air was so intense that even a falling needle could be heard clearly.
"They're here!"
"Earth Style: Stone Spear Jutsu!"
Naraku jumped up immediately, leaving his position in an instant!
BANG, BANG, BANG...
Numerous sharp stone spears suddenly erupted from the ground, stabbing toward Naraku's former position.
In seconds, several sturdy trees were impaled by the razor-sharp stone spears, sending splinters of rock and wood flying through the air.
"Earth Style: Rock Pillar Spikes!"
Naraku had just dodged the first Earth-style attack when, as he landed, the ground beneath his feet erupted with spikes that bloomed like deadly flowers.
The spikes grew rapidly, suddenly impaling Naraku, who had no time to evade.
POOF!
Smoke rose, and Naraku transformed into a wooden log and vanished.
"Substitution Jutsu? When did he make the hand signs?"
The Iwagakure shinobi searched frantically for Naraku, and their sensor quickly located him. "Three hundred meters! Southwest!"
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
To the shock of the Iwagakure shinobi, Naraku performed no hand signs at all. He raised his fingers to his mouth and expelled a massive fireball that struck the centre of their formation.
The next second, the fireball that hit the ground expanded instantly. With a deafening explosion, terrifying flames spread rapidly, covering a large area.
The fire spread so quickly that three Iwagakure shinobi couldn't escape before being engulfed in flames. Their screams were cut short as they were reduced to ashes.
A large section of forest was destroyed in an instant!
The Fire Style attack was devastatingly fast and fierce. Its incredible speed and explosive power had already dealt a severe blow to the Iwagakure pursuers.