Chapter 25: Frontline Defense
The porcupine-headed jōnin leaped to dodge, but the massive water dragon seemed to anticipate his move, swinging its tail and swatting him out of the air.
"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"
At that moment, a thick palm rapidly expanded, growing to the size of a windmill in an instant. It snatched the jōnin out of the air before he could even think to counterattack. He was caught fast, with only his head exposed, like a sausage held in a giant's hand. The sound of cracking bone echoed as the immense pressure shattered his limbs and ruptured his internal organs.
It was Akimichi Torifune, a member of the mobile patrol squad that had come to their aid, who had used his clan's signature technique to capture him. On the other side, the only remaining chūnin was covered in a swarm of black kikaichū insects from the Aburame clan, his body twitching as the poison took hold.
Sasuke, however, just stood there, seemingly stunned by the sudden arrival of the Water Dragon. But inwardly, his heart was pounding with excitement. He had been close enough to truly feel the astonishing power of the B-rank technique. And this is just a B-rank, he thought. What would an A-rank, or even an S-rank, feel like?
Even in this cruel ninja world, there was a certain beauty to be found in this kind of power. It was what he had always longed for. After this mission, he resolved, I'll use the merits to exchange for the knowledge of a second chakra nature. I have to solve this chakra deficiency problem.
"Great, we're safe!" Ye exclaimed, overjoyed at having escaped death.
"Huh? What's going on?" Sasuke asked, feigning a dazed confusion. He turned to Ye. "Moonlight, are we dreaming?"
"Senior, it's true, we're safe! The mobile patrol team has arrived!" Ye said, pulling Sasuke into a joyful hug.
"Alright, alright! I get it." Sasuke felt rather awkward being hugged by the large boy and tried to break free.
But at that moment—thwip!—a thousand needles shot out from the mouth of the dying, porcupine-headed jōnin. Their target was Sasuke's head.
Even with his bones and meridians shattered, the Sand jōnin had managed one final sneak attack before he died. As expected, none of the ninja who could become jōnin were simple, and those trained in the harsh Land of Wind were the best of them. With a final, sickening crunch, Torifune's giant hand crushed the jōnin's head into a bloody pulp.
"Watch out!" the Konoha ninja shouted, but it was too late. The attack was too sudden.
"Captain, get out of the way!" Ryo yelled, his keen senses having spotted the attack.
Sasuke's face changed drastically. His sonar, which relied on ultrasonic waves, didn't have the penetrating power of the Byakugan; he hadn't perceived the senbon hidden in the man's mouth. But his radar was still reliable. The moment the senbon were spat out, he sensed them, giving him just enough time to react.
His first thought was to dodge. But then he remembered Ye, standing just behind him in his visual blind spot. If he moved, Ye would be killed. If he sacrificed a comrade, the "Will of Fire" persona he had so carefully constructed for the past six months would be ruined, and he would be branded as a disposable, consumable ninja by the high command.
In that decisive moment, his mind became clearer than ever. A wonderful plan of response formed.
"Moonlight boy, be careful!" Sasuke shouted, and without a hint of hesitation, he stood his ground in front of Ye, as if he intended to block the senbon with his own body, a perfect embodiment of the Will of Fire.
Ting!
The sudden volley of senbon struck Sasuke's forehead protector.
"No!" the porcupine-headed jōnin died with his eyes wide open, a look of utter despair on his face. The one-in-a-million chance, the perfect shot, had been foiled by a simple piece of metal.
"Great!"
"The captain is okay! It hit his forehead protector!"
"Good people are rewarded. The captain is so lucky!"
Tekudō and the others cheered, hugging each other. Ryo was embraced by the plump Chōmi, his face a mixture of joy and a deep blush.
"Senior, mmmph..." Ye, saved once again by Sasuke, was so moved he broke down in tears, burying his face in Sasuke's flak jacket.
Hey, hey! Don't get snot on my vest. This thing is hard to wash, Sasuke thought, trying to push the emotional teenager away. But the boy just clung to him tighter. He's still a kid, Sasuke sighed. It's understandable. He just hoped the exploding tags strapped to his body didn't have a trigger mechanism.