"Everyone, be careful! Earth Style: Multiple Earth-Style Walls!"
At this critical moment, Captain Touma was the first to react, instantly forming hand seals.
Several massive stone slabs erupted from the ground, shielding the caravan members like a fortress and blocking the rogue ninjas' weapon assault.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Uchiha Kazuhiko drew his Xuantie Tachi, deflecting the projectiles aimed at him.
Along with Captain Touma and Ikemoto Kaori, they formed a triangular defense around the caravan, warily watching the surrounding rogue ninja.
"This is bad. Among these rogue ninja, there are actually two jonin and five chunin."
Uchiha Kazuhiko scrutinized the rogue ninja surrounding them, frowning slightly, though he wasn't particularly panicked.
With his current strength, if he was intent on escaping, the enemy's two jonin wouldn't be able to stop him.
However, for some reason, one of the jonin, a one-eyed man, gave him a very dangerous feeling.
Uchiha Kazuhiko glanced at Captain Touma, unsure what he would choose: to continue the mission or abandon it to preserve their lives.
The lead jonin in black revealed a cruel smile, looking at Uchiha Kazuhiko and the others with evil in his eyes, and said mockingly,
"Well, well, as expected of Konoha ninja. Your reaction speed is impressive. I wonder if your speed in rushing to your deaths will be just as fast?"
After speaking, the black-clad jonin threw two heads towards them.
Needless to say, they were the severed heads of Inuzuka Yū and Jūmaro, who had been scouting ahead.
Captain Touma's face darkened, a bitter feeling in his heart.
He never expected the enemy this time to be so powerful.
With Team Touma's strength, completing this mission was probably impossible.
From the other party's words, Captain Touma understood they had no intention of letting the three of them go.
He created two shadow clones that appeared beside Uchiha Kazuhiko and Ikemoto Kaori, commanding in a barely audible voice,
"Abandon the mission. Prepare to break out. I will hold them off. You two find an opportunity to escape. Remember, keep running, never look back."
Before Uchiha Kazuhiko and Ikemoto Kaori could react, a look of scornful cold smile appeared on Captain Touma's face.
He said in a deep voice,
"You trash rogue ninja who like to hide your heads and tails, you actually dare to attack us Konoha ninja? You truly have no regard for your lives."
Captain Touma's taunt was effective.
The faces of the surrounding rogue ninja turned somewhat ugly, especially several of the chunin-level rogue ninja, whose anger was clearly visible.
"Heh heh heh... Ha ha ha ha! You Konoha bastards, I've finally found my chance!"
At that moment, the other jonin, whose entire head was wrapped in bandages with only one eye exposed, suddenly let out a mad, cackling laugh.
The one-eyed jonin's insane eye, like a wild beast's, stared fixedly at Uchiha Kazuhiko and the other two, howling,
"You all have to die! Go to hell and apologize to Jirō!"
Hearing this, the black-clad jonin said as if suddenly understanding,
"Oh, so it was them who killed your brother, the one you left to liaise with the Hyappo Gang. No wonder you were willing to help us for free this time."
Uchiha Kazuhiko and the others were initially completely baffled, having no idea who this Jirō was.
The black-clad jonin's words timely reminded them, allowing them to piece together the cause and effect and understand the one-eyed jonin's identity.
So, this one-eyed jonin was the older brother of the rogue ninja Uchiha Kazuhiko had killed during the mission to exterminate the bandits not long ago.
"Ha ha ha, so that was your brother! He was crying and begging me to spare his life at the time. But alas, I ended him with one strike. What a pity."
Captain Touma laughed heartily. His merciless words were like icy blades, stabbing straight into the one-eyed jonin's heart and firmly drawing his hatred onto himself.
"Ahhh! I'll kill you!"
The one-eyed jonin could no longer contain the rage and killing intent in his heart.
He roared and lunged at Captain Touma. Seeing this, the other rogue ninja prepared ninjutsu and kunai, launching their attack on the three.
"Earth Style: Earth-Style Wall! Earth Style: Earth Flow River! Earth Style: Rock Pillar Prison!"
Captain Touma and his two shadow clones each released an earth-style ninjutsu.
Massive stone slabs, a churning river of mud, and a forest of rock pillars successfully blocked the rogue ninjas' advance.
"Get out of here, now!"
Captain Touma shouted, signaling Uchiha Kazuhiko and Ikemoto Kaori to seize the chance to leave.
"Captain, I won't go! I'll fight with you!"
Ikemoto Kaori did not obey Captain Touma's order. Her hands began forming seals, preparing to cast a genjutsu on the lower-level rogue ninja.
Captain Touma was so angry he almost choked. He yelled furiously,
"Idiot! Are you an imbecile? Get the hell out of here! Don't stay behind and be a burden! Kazuhiko, take her away quickly! Live on!"
"Yes, Captain."
Uchiha Kazuhiko wasn't like the protagonists in those manhua's who foolishly charge strong enemies head-on relying on plot armor.
Upon hearing Captain Touma's words, he immediately grabbed Ikemoto Kaori to leave.
"Kazuhiko-kun, I'm not going! Let me go..." Ikemoto Kaori was unexpectedly stubborn, refusing to leave with Uchiha Kazuhiko.
Slap!
After pulling at her a few times, a fed-up Uchiha Kazuhiko raised his right hand and slapped Ikemoto Kaori hard.
"What can you, with only genin-level strength, do even if you stay? Rather than staying to die, it's better to live, become stronger, and then avenge Captain Touma. Don't let Captain Touma's sacrifice be in vain."
Perhaps intimidated by Uchiha Kazuhiko's outburst, or maybe Ikemoto Kaori finally understood the reasoning, she glanced tearfully at Captain Touma, who was fighting desperately against the two jonin, and followed Uchiha Kazuhiko to break out.
"Wind Style: Wind Cutter!"
A rogue ninja blocking their path released several transparent wind blades that shot towards Uchiha Kazuhiko and Ikemoto Kaori with a shrill whistle.
"Eight Inner Gates: Gate of Life, Open!"
Without the slightest hesitation, Uchiha Kazuhiko directly opened the Third Gate.
He flashed past the opponent like the wind, the tachi in his hand drawing an elegant arc, leaving behind a dazzling streak of crimson.
"Ah!"
Ikemoto Kaori wasn't so lucky. Facing a chunin-level rogue ninja, she was slashed on the arm by the opponent's kunai, a wound deep enough to see bone.
"Rasengan!"
Uchiha Kazuhiko sent a rogue ninja flying with a Rasengan.
Seeing Ikemoto Kaori in danger, he leaped forward with force, appearing behind her opponent.
"Konoha Great Whirlwind!"
A powerful flying kick sent that rogue ninja flying, his bones shattered, like a cannonball shot from a barrel. He crashed through several large trees before dying instantly.
"Hurry, go!"
Uchiha Kazuhiko urged, then used the Replacement Technique to dodge a fire-style ninjutsu from two rogue ninja, choosing a direction with fewer people to continue the breakout.
"Combination Ninjutsu: Earth Style: Super Earth Dragon Projectile!"
A massive earth dragon composed of mud and slurry appeared on the battlefield through the coordinated efforts of two rogue ninja chunin.
It opened its mouth and spat out dozens of heavy mud-rock projectiles, targeting the fleeing Uchiha Kazuhiko and Ikemoto Kaori separately.
Combination ninjutsu was far more powerful than ordinary techniques. The speed of the Earth Dragon projectiles far exceeded that of a chunin.
While they couldn't catch up to Uchiha Kazuhiko with the Eight Gates opened, they struck Ikemoto Kaori's body in the blink of an eye.
"Ah!"
Ikemoto Kaori was hit by the immense kinetic energy of the projectile, vomiting blood as she was slammed hard against a large tree.
Before she could even get up, she was caught up by the two pursuing rogue ninja chunin and killed with a single sword stroke.
Team Touma had lost another member.