Forest Melee

Chapter update is here.

Find a quiet spot, turn the page, and let’s see what this story has been hiding 🌙

✦

At the same time Team Eleven was swallowed by flames, Kakashi cast a Water Release ninjutsu.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

The surging wall of water collided with the incoming explosion flames, sending thick steam rolling into the air.

Mist spread everywhere.

Feeling a tiny vibration beneath his feet, Naoki warned, "Everyone, careful!"

Before his voice had even faded, countless sharp earth spikes erupted from the ground and shot toward the four of them.

Thanks to Naoki's warning, the four each leaped away, landing on the trunks of nearby trees and narrowly avoiding the silent wave of earth spikes.

Guy looked around. "Where are the enemies?"

Another fierce burst of explosions answered him.

Caught in the blast, the four members of Team Eleven were forced apart again. In an instant, the distance between them widened.

The mist around them did not interfere much with Naoki, who possessed the Tenseigan, but the continuous explosions forced him to dodge back and forth through the forest.

Seeing himself drawn farther and farther from his companions, Naoki vaguely guessed the attackers' goal.

Sure enough, before long, a figure blocked his path.

Naoki frowned slightly. "You."

The person blocking him was none other than the captain of the Hidden Stone beheading unit who had cooperated with Naoki and the others in the Land of Demons to deal with Moryo.

Naoki had considered finding trouble with this group of Hidden Stone shinobi, but after thinking of the more important matters he still had to handle, he had suppressed the impulse for revenge.

Unexpectedly, he had not gone looking for them, but they had come to him.

The captain of the Hidden Stone beheading unit smiled. "What is it? Surprised?"

Naoki asked, "I am curious. How did you discover our route?"

Judging from the series of ambushes, the Hidden Stone shinobi had clearly learned Team Eleven's route in advance. Otherwise, they could not have arranged the ambush so perfectly.

But Team Eleven had been cautious the entire way. With Naoki using the Tenseigan from time to time to scan the surroundings, he was certain no one had followed them.

"Chirp, chirp."

At that moment, a small head popped out from the collar of the Hidden Stone captain.

Looking carefully, Naoki saw what appeared to be an ordinary squirrel.

'A squirrel?' He shook his head, then immediately realized, 'No. That is not ordinary. It is a ninja animal.'

Ninja animals came in many forms. As long as an animal could use chakra, it could be considered a ninja animal. The seemingly ordinary squirrel before him was no exception.

"Its name is Biru. It can track any familiar scent within a radius of more than ten miles." After smiling, the captain continued, "I know you are from the Hyuga clan. Of course I would not personally follow you."

Naoki was slightly surprised. "You remember me?"

From the man's tone, Naoki realized the other party had recognized him long ago. Clearly, during the battle in which Naoki had nearly died, he had not been the only one to remember his opponent. The other side had also remembered the lucky survivor.

The captain put away his smile and said with a heavy expression, "A year ago, you were just an ordinary brat. I never expected you to grow this much. Konoha has so many geniuses that it makes a person envious."

Naoki's voice sharpened. "It seems you regret it."

The captain gritted his teeth. "Yes. I truly regret not killing you when I had the chance. That is why I must correct that mistake myself. I will not allow Konoha to produce a second Yellow Flash. I am responsible for my village."

Naoki was not yet fifteen, yet he had already been able to intervene in a Tailed Beast-level battle. If he continued growing, he would inevitably become another Yellow Flash. That was something the Hidden Stone could never tolerate.

The Hidden Stone had never forgotten the humiliation brought by the Yellow Flash.

A faint explosion sounded in the distance.

Clearly, the other members of Team Eleven had also encountered enemies and fallen into their own battles.

Seeing Naoki distracted, the Hidden Stone captain said, "No need to worry about the others. You brats will reunite in the afterlife soon enough. Remember this. My name is Iwamata, and I am the man who will kill you."

With that, Iwamata pressed his palms together. "Earth Release: Subterranean Movement!"

Seeing Iwamata sink into the ground, Naoki worried about attacks from below and leaped onto a large tree. He activated the Tenseigan and began observing carefully.

However, perhaps because Iwamata had burrowed too deeply, Naoki found nothing.

Then, from not far away, came the rushing sound of water.

Naoki looked toward it and saw a large volume of water surging toward him like a broken dam.

'Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique?'

Although the Great Waterfall Technique posed little threat to Naoki while he was up in a tree, he did not dare lower his guard. The other party was a famous elite jonin of the Hidden Stone. He would not waste chakra on the battlefield for no reason.

After the Great Waterfall Technique swept through the area, the ground below became a field of mud.

The wet, muddy ground made Naoki instinctively feel that something was wrong, but he could not immediately say what. After all, he did not know much about Earth Release.

Suddenly, many thumb-sized pellets flew from the mud. Like bullets, they cut through the air and shot toward Naoki in the tree.

Facing the dense barrage, Naoki did not hesitate. He immediately used Rotation.

Rotation protected Naoki, but it could not protect the tree beneath him.

Within moments, the towering tree, so thick that three or four people could not wrap their arms around it, was pierced with countless holes. Wood chips flew everywhere as it collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Naoki pushed off with his foot, preparing to jump to another tree not far away.

At that moment, several long whips formed from muddy water swept toward him. They wrapped around both his legs and yanked him hard toward the ground.

With a dull thud, Naoki crashed down from midair.

"Cough, cough..."

Naoki curled in on himself and coughed up blood.

The fall left him dizzy and disoriented. Even breathing became difficult. It seemed one of the ribs in his chest had broken.

Seeing that his attack had worked, Iwamata rose from underground, exposing half his body, and smiled. "Looks like I overestimated you. The Byakugan is not as powerful as I imagined."

At that moment, Naoki, still wearing a pained expression, suddenly lifted the corner of his mouth in a faint, unreadable smile.

Iwamata immediately sensed something wrong. But when he tried to sink underground again, an inexplicable and enormous force of attraction dragged him out of the earth by force.

✦
✦
✦

Ready for more?

The next chapters are already waiting on my Patreon, along with early access, previews, and extra story updates 🗝️

https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheBacklotFanfiction