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Chapter 164: Retreat Orders
East Line, the former site of Defense Line 13.
Rather than a defense line, it was more like ruins. The originally towering Earth Style Walls had been blasted into debris. The ground was littered with massive craters, looking as if it had been baptized by a meteor shower.
Rain was still falling. Mud mixed with blood gathered into dark red streams in the hollows.
"Oi! Raito! You bastard, how much further are you going to charge!"
A roar of rage pierced through the rain curtain. A wrapped in Lightning Release Armor, looking like a blue lightning bolt, shuttled rapidly through the ruins. But he still couldn't catch up to the figure ahead.
The boy who was shirtless, dark-skinned, and wearing only a pair of shorts.
Garp stood on a massive boulder, holding a Konoha Jonin by the ankle. The unlucky Jonin was already foaming at the mouth, eyes rolled back, passed out.
"Ah? What did you say?"
Garp turned around, digging his ear with his pinky, looking innocent. "The Konoha ninja here are too fragile. This old man... cough, I haven't even warmed up yet."
As he spoke, he casually swung his arm. The poor Jonin flew out like a ragdoll, smashing into a distant mud pit and splashing up a large sheet of mud.
A stopped in front of Garp, his chest heaving violently. Not from exhaustion, but from anger.
"Bastard! The battle plan was to outflank! Outflank, do you understand?!"
A pointed at Garp's nose and cursed loudly. "Who told you to smash straight in from the front? That was a fully manned defense unit! What if you hit a trap?"
Garp grinned, revealing a mouthful of pearly white teeth, exceptionally blinding in this gloomy rainy day.
"Trap?"
He lifted his foot and stomped hard on the ground.
Boom!
The ground cracked instantly. Several explosive tags that hadn't had time to trigger were shaken into the air, then slapped to detonation by Garp with a casual wave of his fist.
Bang!
Firelight exploded in mid-air like a small firework.
"As long as the fist is hard enough, traps and such simply don't exist, bwahaha."
Garp laughed loudly, his heartless appearance making A wish he could hit him with a Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop.
"Fool! Bakayaro! Konoyaro!"
Killer B hopped over from behind, rapping his clumsy rhymes. The seven swords on his back were still sheathed because he hadn't even had a turn to act. "Big Brother is angry, Raito you're gonna suffer, oh yeah!"
Garp glanced at Killer B and scoffed. "Boring."
He turned around, looking towards the direction of the Konoha camp in the distance, a glint of anticipation in his eyes. Although this body was only nine years old, he was very satisfied with its wild power. The only pity was that the body hadn't fully matured, which put him at a disadvantage when facing true powerhouses, especially since he didn't like using ninjutsu.
It was just like facing that brat Kizaru. After the last raid, he had fought that guy a few more times. That guy's wretched fighting style was simply his natural counter.
Just then, a black shadow shuttled rapidly through the rain curtain, landing in front of the three in the blink of an eye. It was a Cloud Anbu. He knelt on one knee, breathing somewhat rapidly, evidently having sped all the way here.
"Lord A! Lord Killer B!" The Anbu quickly pulled out a scroll and presented it with both hands. "Urgent order from the Raikage!"
The anger on A's face vanished instantly, his expression becoming serious. He took the scroll and tore it open. Rain hit the scroll, but it didn't affect the reading. A's gaze quickly scanned the contents, his brow furrowing tighter and tighter.
"What's wrong, Brother?" Killer B leaned in.
"Pops wants us to retreat." A closed the scroll, his tone heavy.
"Retreat?!"
Garp jumped down from the earthen wall, stomping two deep pits into the ground. "Are you kidding? The Konoha camp is right ahead! As long as we charge over and take out their command post directly, the battle here is over, isn't it?"
A glared at Garp. You think you're the God of Ninja?
"This is an order! Raito!"
"Pops said in the letter that we pushed too fast on the East Line and stretched the battle line too long. That old fox Onoki from Iwagakure is moving troops, attempting to cut off our retreat. Furthermore..."
A paused, glancing at Garp. "Intelligence indicates that the commander on the Konoha side is Orochimaru, one of the Sannin. That guy's strength cannot be underestimated."
"This is war, not your personal duel! If our retreat is cut off, we'll be caught in a pincer attack! Forget attacking; even getting back alive will be difficult!"
Although A had a violent temper, when it came to the big picture as the future Raikage, he was much more clear-headed than the current Garp.
"All units, hear my order! Pack up equipment, retreat thirty miles immediately, and regroup with the main force!" A issued the command.
The surrounding Cloud ninja, though reluctant, quickly began executing the order. Garp pursed his lips. Although he was unwilling in a thousand ways, he knew this wasn't the time to throw a tantrum. The dungeon had rules too. If he got this unit wiped out, his score would probably be deducted to zero.
"Truly dull."
Garp turned, dragging heavy steps preparing to leave.
Suddenly.
A chill hit without warning. Not the cold brought by the wind and rain, but a killing intent that pierced straight to the bone marrow. The surrounding rain seemed to freeze in this instant.
Garp's departing footsteps stopped abruptly. Back facing that direction, his originally lazy expression vanished instantly, replaced by the alertness of a beast. This feeling... was too familiar.
Arrogant, domineering, unscrupulous. Just like the fiercest storm on the sea.
"Since you've come, don't hide."
Garp slowly turned around, his gaze piercing through layers of rain, staring dead at a patch of forest in the distance. A and Killer B also sensed something wrong. The two instantly entered combat states. Lightning Release chakra crackled on A's body, blue arcs evaporating the surrounding rain into white mist. Killer B's hand was already on the hilt of the sword on his back.
"Who goes there?!" A shouted sternly.
No one answered. Only that oppression grew stronger and stronger, strong enough to make those ordinary Cloud Chunin feel difficulty breathing.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Heavy footsteps came from the shadows of the forest. A figure slowly walked out.
It was a boy. Wearing the high-collared dark blue top of the Uchiha clan, the red and white fan crest printed on the back. But his walking posture was completely unlike a ninja. He swaggered, arms hanging naturally, every step taken with extreme arrogance, as if this battlefield wasn't a dead zone but his own back garden.
Most striking was that head of long golden hair, draped wildly even in the rain. And those eyes. Crimson three-tomoe Sharingan emitting a bewitching light in the dim rainy night.
"Retreat?"
The boy spoke. His voice was hoarse, carrying undisguised mockery.
"I had a hard time finding this place. If I let you leave just like that, where would I put my face?"
He stopped, tilting his head. His gaze bypassed the combat-ready A and Killer B, falling directly on Garp at the very back.
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