Chapter 226 : First conflict*
The reconnaissance squads traveled day and night, arriving at Mount Kikyo one after another at the fastest possible speed. Under the arrangement of the elite squad stationed there, each was assigned an area to gather intelligence, set traps, and perform other tasks.
The animator did not keep the camera focused on Naraku but started with other squads, detailing their work process.
Especially the teams operating on the west side of the main peak, the anime showed them encountering the Sunagakure advance party first and clashing with them.
The enemies appearing on the main peak rarely used puppets, relying mainly on Ninjutsu for attack. One of the Wind Release Ninja's techniques was exceptionally sharp, causing several Konoha Ninja casualties.
However, the Konoha Ninja's overall combat strength ultimately prevailed, temporarily repelling this advance party and gaining a chance to catch their breath.
The retreating figures of the enemies quickly disappeared. The ending song, departing from its usual gentle and melancholic tone, became tense and intense, with subtle drumbeats hidden within.
The audience knew that when they reappeared in this place, they would bring even more brutal battles to Konoha.
[Sunagakure arrived so fast! They're almost at Mount Kikyo?]
[The vanguard is already at the foot of the mountain; the main force will probably arrive within half a day.]
[It's over! The main Konoha force has probably just set off; they won't make it in time!]
[Are they going to rely on such a small number of people to hold out until the main force arrives as reinforcements?]
[It looks like an impossible mission!]
[Ah ah ah ah ah ah, why did it end?!]
[Do we have to wait seven centuries again? Interesting~]
[I want to see what happens next, ah ah ah ah ah ah!]
As soon as the next episode's opening song began, the screen was filled with layers of bullet comments, indicating that the audience had suffered terribly waiting for updates.
Naraku's Inuzuka squad flashed across the screen, followed closely by Hyuga Hizashi's squad. A total of nine people were searching this vast forest.
The camera focused on Inuzuka Tsume's face, showing that she was still a little worried about Naraku's condition, secretly glancing at him repeatedly out of the corner of her eye.
However, Naraku showed no signs of abnormality, so Inuzuka Tsume was temporarily relieved, and even the audience thought he was fine.
Just as everyone's hearts relaxed a little, they were instantly seized again by Kuro-Maru's warning.
Hyuga Hizashi activated his Byakugan, and the anime also switched to the white, gray, and blue perspective that the Byakugan could see, rapidly zooming in on the enemy's location, clearly displaying dozens of faintly glowing Chakra signatures.
Inuzuka Tsume and another Jonin made a decisive move, first sending their summoned beast back to deliver a message, then arranging combat missions.
Given that Sunagakure was skilled at using puppets, Naraku volunteered to attack from the rear to cut the Chakra strings by surprise.
The brand new white chakra blade was slowly drawn out by an inch, its surface reflecting a cold gleam in the sunlight, intensifying Naraku's murderous aura.
Even if the white fang of konoha could not appear on this battlefield, his sword skills could still, through the hands of his successor, once again be invincible among the enemies.
[Sure enough, they also encountered enemies here. How many scouts did Sunagakure send out?]
[This Byakugan Guy looks so familiar... I feel like I've seen him somewhere.]
[He's quite powerful. Even ignoring various details and focusing on one direction, few Hyuga can observe up to eight kilometers.]
[Ah, I remember now, isn't this kid one of the Hyuga Clan Head's twins?]
[He's probably the younger brother? The older brother is most likely from the Main Branch and can't casually go to the battlefield without the Caged Bird Seal.]
[Naraku-baby with a sword is so cool!]
[The white fang of konoha once dominated, and now his apprentice is here to gain experience!]
[Sunagakure puppet masters are going to have PTSD!]
[Go, Naraku! Let Sunagakure continue to tremble in the shadow of the white fang of konoha!!]
Naraku's figure disappeared from the screen. After several empty shots of trees and bushes, rustling sounds began.
Several spider puppets suddenly poked their heads out from the leaves and grass, searching around. The camera zoomed out, revealing countless similar puppets behind them, leaping across various terrains.
Not only were they terrifyingly grotesque in appearance, but their movements were also incredibly agile and nimble, lifelike, as if a swarm of spiders disturbed by an intruder had poured out of their nests.
In addition, many heavily armed heavy puppets were holding the line in the rear. With each step, the pebbles and grass leaves at their feet trembled slightly, showing how heavy and stable they were.
The continuous 'clank' of colliding joints, combined with the ubiquitous puppet swarm, created an intense sense of oppression, making the audience's scalps tingle.
[Good, good, Sunagakure still can't let go of their obsession with spider models.]
[I'm most afraid of insects with many legs and no legs, ah ah ah ah! *terrified.jpg*]
[BTW, spiders are arthropods, not insects.]
[Their movements are almost identical to living creatures; my hair is standing on end.]
[My trypophobia is acting up, help!]
[These 'spiders' are covered in thorns, which completely counter Taijutsu Ninja, like Might Guy and Hyuga.]
[It's not just thorns; the color clearly indicates they're poisoned. Sunagakure's poisons are unbeatable by anyone except Tsunade.]
[There's no need to make the anime so immersive; it's too scary.]
While many bullet comments were still exclaiming about the bizarre appearance and sound effects of the puppets, the battle was already on the verge of breaking out.
Might Guy charged ahead, using the powerful kinetic energy converted from a high-altitude fall to kick apart the spider puppet crawling at the very front.
The animator even used a close-up slow-motion shot of the fragments scattering, and many bullet comments said it would make a great wallpaper.
After him, Inuzuka Tsume, Shiranui Genma, and Ebisu also appeared, using their most proficient Ninjutsu against the enemy.
Hyuga Hizashi's squad was also given attention by the animator, with many combat scenes interspersed and played.
However, over time, the spider puppets and large puppets gradually gathered, and the defensive pressure increased exponentially. Their range of movement rapidly shrank, and every action became increasingly perilous.
[As expected, it's the same Taijutsu lineage as Uncle Dai. Guy's impact is invincible.]
[Dynamic wallpaper get! Old Thief is still consistently delivering!]
[Puppet masters, when in a group, are truly disgusting. You work hard for ages only to destroy a pile of dead objects, and as long as they have materials, they can create a whole new batch in minutes.]
[Actually, it's not too bad. While these ordinary puppets are quick to make, their quality is generally not great, so they're not too difficult to destroy.]
[Once wireless control technology is available, won't puppet masters just take off?]
[If that were the case, they wouldn't even need to appear on the battlefield; they could just play games at home with a controller, unlike now where they have to follow behind and risk being cut down from the rear if they're not careful.]
[The one before, a genius!]
[U-unmanned drone swarm???]