As soon as we began moving away from the camp, our team, by the commander's order, shifted to the rear ranks, forming up alongside two other squads.
This isn't so bad—being at the back, less risk of running into the enemy first," I thought, glancing at the backs of the shinobi ahead. "But if they flank us… then there'll be nowhere to retreat. Still, that's unlikely: Fūgaku Uchiha himself is leading the front. If I'm not mistaken, he's at the elite Jonin level? Someone like that won't make mistakes…"
We ran to the rhythmic creak of weapons and the soft rustle of leaves. The column stretched out but maintained order. I caught myself constantly counting—how many people were in our formation, how many were ahead. Numbers spun in my head, only heightening my unease: "Four hundred people… too many..."
After two hours, we were finally stopped deep in the forest. The column spread out, shinobi began dispersing across a clearing, and the commanders were summoned to the center.
"Looks like they're discussing strategy," Genma muttered, sitting on a tree root and pulling out a toothpick.
I, meanwhile, automatically glanced toward the abandoned camp. 'What about my classmates? They weren't on the deployment lists. Maybe they stayed to guard the camp? Or will be deployed later? I'll need to find out.
The thought was interrupted by a voice behind me:
"Stand up. Listen carefully."
I whipped around—our commander had approached, the same Jonin with the stern gaze.
"We are half an hour from the enemy base," he said quietly, but clearly, so everyone could hear. "Our squad will secure a position one kilometer away. The other forward groups will go deeper into the forest and take positions to encircle the enemy."
He paused, scanning our faces.
"The ninth and tenth squads will remain with us. Together, we will form the outer ring. If the enemy tries to break out of the encirclement, we take the first strike. The task is simple: don't let them break through the line."
In other words, we're the shield? That's definitely better than attacking directly, I thought.
Guy clenched his fist, his excitement barely contained:
"Excellent! Time to show the true power of youth!"
I rolled my eyes slightly. "As always… though maybe that kind of confidence is exactly what we need right now."
The commander ignored him, continuing:
"Rest. In twenty minutes, we move to our positions. No noise, no fire. We must remain invisible until we receive the signal."
Having said that, he turned and walked toward the other commanders, leaving us with Guy and Genma.
"Well," Genma said, removing the toothpick from his mouth and clicking it, "we'll need to stay sharp."
"Yeah," I replied, adjusting my headband.
We started moving again.
Twenty minutes later, our squad stopped along a designated line—here, the view opened onto a deep ravine. I squinted: nothing unusual at first glance. "Empty… but too quiet. Maybe there's a barrier? That's why… that's why I can't see anything," I asked myself and answered immediately.
The other squads, without delay, began advancing further into the forest.
"Spread out, what are you standing around for!" our commander barked sharply, and the shinobi began taking positions in the trees. Distance—about ten meters between each, so one technique wouldn't hit everyone. I moved onto a thick branch, trying to maintain a clear view while staying quiet.
A few minutes stretched like an eternity. I felt the tension literally hanging in the air. Even the birds fell silent.
And suddenly—the ground shook. A deafening roar sounded in the distance, then a shockwave hit us. Branches shook violently, leaves tore free and swirled through the air, as if nature itself decided to scatter.
It was as if hundreds of explosive seals detonated at once.
I poured more chakra into my legs to avoid falling. My heart pounded in my throat.
"The first phase has begun," our commander muttered nearby, almost to himself, but I caught the faint tension in his voice.
A second later, new explosions began to flare in the distance. The roar of battle was approaching. Conditional signals passed along the line—the enemy noticed the attack and was pulling forces toward us.
"Everyone, be ready," said the commander, his voice devoid of any doubt.
Minutes passed agonizingly slowly. Explosions echoed ahead, the metallic clash of weapons rang out, occasional screams—but for us, nothing changed. We sat, hidden, like ghosts in the trees.
And then—a hollow explosion came from behind.
I jolted, nearly losing my balance.
"What the…" one of ours started, but at that moment the air filled with a strange low vibration, as if the ground beneath our feet had come alive.
The next thing I saw—two colossal stone blocks erupted from the earth and began converging, like the jaws of a monster. They moved fast, too fast, sweeping everything in their path. Trees cracked and broke, the earth fell away. In an instant, an area fifty meters wide was compressed, flattened into a semicircle, as if nature itself had decided to collapse.
"WHAT?!" was the only word that erupted in my mind.
Rational thought simply evaporated. I, hypnotized, watched the nightmare: rock masses rising fifty meters high, threatening to close and bury everything alive inside.
Sweat soaked my face, my hands trembled. My heart pounded so hard the roar drowned even the cries around me.
And then the panic was broken by our commander's voice, roaring through the forest:
"MOVE IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!!!"
At that instant, he sprang into action, hands rapidly forming seals. The other shinobi also surged forward—some ahead, some to the sides, some up into the trees.
I forced myself to leap from the branch, my legs hitting the ground like springs, and ran after the others, feeling the earth shudder behind me.
Screams, cracking trees, the whistle of chakra—it all merged into a cacophony of chaos.