Your team arrives at the mountain pass, preparing to set up an ambush.
Just as you're watching the slowly advancing enemy formation, something feels off. You shout, "Hide!" as you activate your Sharingan, spin around, draw your bow, and release an arrow behind you.
Thud!
The arrow pierces into a rock wall. A scream rings out as a ninja wearing an Iwagakure forehead protector is forced out of camouflage, flames engulfing him instantly.
Clearly, you have walked right into an Iwagakure ambush.
The intel was wrong—hunter and prey have just swapped roles in an instant.
And worse still, you're the only one in the team with sensory abilities!
Fortunately, you're not without countermeasures. Abandoning the ambush plan against the Sunagakure swordsman, you immediately order the Earth Release ninja to raise a defensive wall, then team up with the two Wind Release users to launch a Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique, boosted by wind.
Five massive fire dragons, powered by Wind Release, soar into the sky, raining down from all directions onto the rocky hills concealing the Iwagakure ninja. The scale of the attack causes massive explosions, revealing every last enemy hidden within the stones.
But these Iwagakure ninja clearly have strong Earth Release skills—they quickly cover their bodies in earth armor. Even with your Fire Release attacks, they suffer only minor burns and blunt trauma.
The Iwagakure squad splits into two—one group burrows underground, the other charges straight at you.
Wind Release: Shuriken!
But you're already one step ahead. You unleash three high-speed shuriken wrapped in swirling Wind Release, aimed at several of the approaching Iwagakure.
Wind Release is sharp enough to slice through even Earth Release!
The Iwagakure ninja dodge, flashing away just a meter out of range—only to trigger the hidden Fire Release property embedded within your shuriken.
Wind fuels the flames!
The wind-based outer layer instantly converts into searing, cutting fire. The blast radius doubles in a flash, and the Iwagakure ninja—just barely having escaped—are sliced in half at the waist, flames erupting from their wounds. No level of medical ninjutsu could save them now.
But just then, the Iwagakure ninja who had burrowed underground reach your formation. One of the Root operatives on recon is the first to get grabbed by the ankle.
BOOM!
The ground erupts with countless stone spikes, forcing everyone to scramble for cover.
Still, one of your comrades is lost in the chaos.
Furious, you activate your Sharingan mid-dodge, draw your bow with expert precision, and aim at an enemy still underground. The arrow is enhanced with Fire Release and...
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
With the wind-boosted force, even a ninja several meters underground is no match—your arrow pierces through him, igniting him from the inside.
Elsewhere, your remaining three Root comrades group up on a temporary earth platform constructed by the Earth Release ninja to prevent further underground attacks. They use Wind Release to engage two Iwagakure ninjas chasing them.
Suddenly, you sense a surge of immense power from behind. Though your Sharingan didn't catch it, Root's special training has honed your instincts. Without even planting your feet, you flash away to evade.
A towering Iwagakure ninja appears at your side, his massive fist still radiating the heat of compressed air. Had you not moved, your small frame would've been pulverized.
You quickly grab a handful of shuriken and hurl them at him, but he swats them away with a sweep of his arm. Even when you trigger the embedded Fire Release, it only causes minor stinging on his rock-hard skin.
He charges like a raging bull.
But you don't dodge—instead, you turn your back, draw your bow, and aim at the two Iwagakure held up by your comrades.
Thud! Thud!
Both enemies fall dead on the spot.
In the same moment, you draw a chakra-forged short blade, heat it until it glows white-hot, and stab forward at the Iwagakure brute charging your way.
He's too close to dodge—your strike is about to pierce his skull when...
A razor-thin current of Wind Release slices across your chest like a blade.
Sunagakure!
Fortunately, you spot the near-invisible wind slash with your Sharingan and manage to dodge at the last second.
But the perfect opportunity to kill the Iwagakure leader is lost. You're forced to swing wildly, skimming the edge of the wind blade and slicing off half of his hand instead.
BAM!
He howls in pain and punches back. You can't dodge in time, so you brace with your Iron-Melting Hands, but the force still sends you flying off a cliff. You manage to cling to the sheer cliff face using chakra.
"Baki! You're out of bounds!" you shout.
"Heh… And here I thought they'd send someone important. So Danzo's that cautious, huh? Still—your Iwagakure is getting more and more pathetic."
From his words, it's obvious—your movements were leaked ahead of time. These two ambush squads were deployed specifically to lure and kill you. Who would've thought even Root's intel could be flipped against you?
"You three—keep him busy!"
Without hesitation, you order the three Root operatives—who've just finished off their targets—to converge on the injured Iwagakure leader, while you draw an arrow and take aim at Baki below.
He effortlessly dodges the incoming shot.
BOOM!
The arrow transforms midair, exploding into a cloud of scalding steam that engulfs a nearby wagon and ignites it in flames.
Using the explosion's flash as cover, you leap off the cliff.
Though your Fire Release has elemental advantage over Wind Release, it deals in area-of-effect damage, whereas Wind excels in slicing precision and long-range strikes. Even with mastery over Fire Release transformations, this fundamental gap remains.
To turn the tables, you must close the distance!
But Baki is already one step ahead.
Just as you land, countless poisoned needles burst through the soft sand beneath your feet. You have no time to evade. You coat your body in Fire Release and swing your blade to deflect as many as possible.
Puppet Technique!
You widen your eyes. Deep underground, nearly invisible chakra threads dance through the sand, controlling the trap puppet that fired the poison needles.
Though your swordsmanship blocks most of them, several needles still manage to pierce your body.
The poison paralyzes your muscles. While the dose isn't fatal in the short term, the underground needle trap shows no sign of stopping. If this keeps up, you'll die from attrition.
Without wasting a second, you push off the ground and leap high, gaining time before the next volley. While midair, you rapidly form hand seals and fire three flame bombs to intercept Baki's incoming Wind Release.
With the opening secured, you rip the ninja tool pouch from your waist.
Iron-Melting Hands!
Melt for me!
In a flash, blazing heat radiates from your palms, incinerating everything in the pouch that isn't metal. All your shuriken and kunai melt into a pool of viscous molten iron...
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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