Chapter 631

“We’ve fallen into a trap, fire the signal flare immediately!” Homura Mitokado ordered quickly.

Although he had fallen into a trap, Homura Mitokado was not overly panicked.

Panic could not solve problems; thinking calmly to find a way out was what a qualified Ninja should do.

Whoosh! Bang!

Upon receiving the order, the Konoha Ninja quickly fired the highest-level signal flare.

“Move towards the north!” Homura Mitokado commanded immediately after.

Teacher Chen’s team was not very far from them.

If they could join up with Teacher Chen’s team in time, they would not only be able to escape the crisis but might even be able to turn the situation around and counterattack.

“This place isn’t somewhere you can just come and go as you please.” Yagura Karatachi flew towards Homura Mitokado while wielding an iron rod.

The Hidden Mist elites behind him also took action one after another, clearing obstacles for their leader.

“Let’s see if you can stop me.” Homura Mitokado opened the large scroll hanging on his chest, forming hand seals at high speed to condense Chakra.

“Manipulated Tools: Hidden Weapon Strike!”

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!

Dozens of Kunai flew rapidly towards Yagura Karatachi.

However, Yagura Karatachi did not wave his iron rod to knock the Kunai down; instead, he condensed Chakra and extended his right hand.

“Water Release: Mirror Technique!”

A large amount of water appeared, rapidly forming a huge round mirror in front of Yagura Karatachi.

Boom!!

The Kunai struck the water mirror, triggering a series of explosions that caused the mirror to ripple incessantly.

Although the explosive tags on Homura Mitokado’s Kunai were attached very discreetly and cleverly, they were still caught by Yagura Karatachi.

Whoosh!

The moment he blocked the explosion, Yagura Karatachi dispelled the Water Release and rushed in front of Homura Mitokado, brandishing his iron rod.

At the critical moment, Homura Mitokado summoned an iron staff and swung it with all his might to block Yagura Karatachi’s iron rod.

Clang!!

Accompanied by a crisp and loud metallic clashing sound, the two iron rods collided violently. Because both sides used considerable force, tiny sparks splashed from the point of contact.

Slash!

Yagura Karatachi’s expression remained unchanged as he pressed against Homura Mitokado’s iron staff and slid forward; his iron rod was custom-made and featured an iron hook at the tip.

Under Yagura Karatachi’s immense strength, the iron hook slashed rapidly towards Homura Mitokado’s head.

Homura Mitokado burst with Chakra and twisted his iron staff, causing Yagura Karatachi’s attack to deflect.

His staff technique was something he had learned from Hiruzen Sarutobi in the past, and it was considered the long-handled weapon he was most proficient with.

Whoosh, whoosh!!

Clang, clang!!

The two stepped with steady and powerful footsteps while wielding their weapons, their iron rods and staffs carving silver arcs in the air. Both sides were evenly matched in strength and speed, making it difficult to determine a winner for the time being.

Realizing that close combat would not yield a result, Homura Mitokado burst forth to create distance, threw the long staff in his hand like a spear at Yagura Karatachi, and once again began using his summoning scroll.

A large bow and several arrows appeared in front of Homura Mitokado.

Homura Mitokado completed the process of drawing the bow and nocking an arrow at high speed, firing two arrows imbued with wind-attribute Chakra in succession.

Yagura Karatachi once again raised his hand to use Water Release for defense.

The first arrow tip sank into the water but failed to penetrate the water mirror, only causing a large number of ripples on it.

Swish!

The second arrow shot through the constantly fluctuating mirror surface.

The water splashed by the arrow as it broke through the water mirror hit Yagura Karatachi’s face, stimulating his nerves.

At this extreme moment, Yagura Karatachi jerked his head to the side, leaving a bloodstain on his cheek.

“I underestimated this guy, such fast and accurate arrows!” Feeling the wetness on his face, Yagura Karatachi’s heart pounded wildly.

At this moment, his heart, which had been somewhat floating due to occupying a great advantage, settled down.

There was a reason why Homura Mitokado could sit in a high-ranking position in Konoha; his strength was not to be underestimated.

“What a pity.” Homura Mitokado exhaled slightly and retracted the bow into the scroll.

This move of his was specifically used to ambush people; since it hadn’t succeeded, it was basically useless for the rest of this battle.

“Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!”

Homura Mitokado took out a giant Shuriken from the scroll and threw it at Yagura Karatachi, then quickly formed hand seals.

Under the effect of Chakra, the giant Shuriken split into two, then into four.

“Water Mirror Technique!”

Yagura Karatachi created a water mirror once again, but this water mirror was not meant for defense, but for offense.

A Ninja identical to Homura Mitokado rushed out from the water mirror, also using the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique.

Bang, bang!!

The four giant Shuriken canceled each other out, and the copied Homura Mitokado continued to charge at Homura Mitokado, disappearing immediately after exchanging one blow.

“Water Release: Water Gun Technique!”

Freeing up his hands, Shingetsu Hozuki seized the opportunity, made a pistol shape with both hands, aimed at Homura Mitokado, and fired several liquid projectiles that were like bullets.

“Water Release: Water Fang Bullet!”

On the other side, Tosha Kawasawa also quickly formed hand seals, forming a large number of water bullets in front of him and attacking Homura Mitokado.

“Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!”

Yagura Karatachi consumed a large amount of Chakra to create an incredibly thick water dragon.

Suddenly besieged by three powerful Ninjas, even with Konoha Ninja blocking for him, Homura Mitokado was still injured.

Homura Mitokado retreated continuously, utilizing the impact of the water dragon, while his eyes constantly observed the situation of the entire battlefield.

“This is not good; I’m afraid the vast majority of the Hidden Mist forces invading this time are here.” Homura Mitokado frowned.

As the highest combat power, he was not inferior to Yagura Karatachi, but looking at the entire battlefield, Konoha was almost at a complete disadvantage, and trying to fight while retreating was simply unrealistic.

“Is it only possible to fight to the death to break out?” Homura Mitokado hesitated slightly.

If he sacrificed most of the people, he was confident he could take a portion of the elites and escape.

However, in that case, this mission could be declared a failure, as he might lose six or seven hundred Ninjas.

“No, I must persevere.” Homura Mitokado quickly formed hand seals, summoning a large number of Kunai and firing them at the surrounding Hidden Mist Ninja.

He did not want to abandon so many Ninjas here.

Not to mention that most of the seven hundred Ninjas here were Chunin, even if they were seven hundred qualified Genin, it would take a lot of energy to train them.

Konoha was already short-handed due to being attacked on multiple fronts; he could not give up so easily.

Although Homura Mitokado had a tenacious fighting spirit, this still could not change the battle situation.

He and Yagura Karatachi could only be considered evenly matched, and after being injured, he was not even Yagura Karatachi’s equal, and there were many more elites on Yagura Karatachi’s side than on Homura Mitokado’s side.

The Konoha Ninja on the battlefield continued to decrease, and Homura Mitokado’s heart wavered constantly.

It was not that he was afraid of death, but that if he did not choose to sacrifice most of the people to break out, everyone might die here.

“Leaf Dragon God!”

Just as Homura Mitokado was preparing to fight to the death to break out, a green dragon broke through the encirclement of the Hidden Mist, and a powerful storm swept up and tore the Hidden Mist Ninja to pieces.

Accompanying this were a large number of Ninjas wearing Konoha Ninja uniforms.

Homura Mitokado’s face revealed joy, and he hurriedly shouted, “Jonin Chen, let’s break out together, don’t get bogged down in the fight!”

The Hidden Mist’s offensive was fiercer than he had imagined.

Now that he was seriously injured and the team’s losses were not small, it was not suitable to have a decisive battle with the Hidden Mist.

“It would have been better if he had split his forces into three routes.” Yagura Karatachi revealed a regretful expression.

If the arriving Konoha Ninja Force had been reduced by one-third, he would have wiped out Teacher Chen’s Ninja team as well.

“Pursue! Eliminate as many Konoha Ninja as possible!” Yagura Karatachi ordered.

It was unrealistic to keep everyone, but it was still possible to eliminate another portion of the Konoha Ninja Forces.

The two units chased each other until the Konoha Ninja Force reached the north-central region, at which point Yagura Karatachi gave up the pursuit. Chasing any further would likely get himself caught, after all, this was the Land of Fire, and Konoha was fighting on home turf.

Yagura Karatachi couldn’t wait to send the news of his great victory back to the Hidden Mist Village.

The Third Mizukage learned of Yagura Karatachi’s achievements, first held a meeting to commend him, and then sent another six hundred Hidden Mist Ninja to the Land of Waves.

The situation was too good, and the Third Mizukage wanted to see if such a good situation could be maintained; if it could be maintained, then they could increase their investment and achieve their war goals in one go.

The Hidden Mist, having won the battle, were full of joy, while on the other side, Konoha, which had suffered a defeat, was in a bad mood.

Konoha Hospital.

In the high-level ward, Homura Mitokado lay on the hospital bed with an apologetic face.

Utatane Koharu sat on the bed next to Homura Mitokado, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by the window, constantly puffing on his pipe.

A strange silence permeated the entire ward.

“Homura actually lost, and it resulted in nearly three hundred Ninjas killed in action, and over five hundred Ninjas injured…” Hiruzen Sarutobi recalled the battle damage report with furrowed brows.

This was beyond his expectations; he had originally thought that with Homura Mitokado’s ability, even if he couldn’t quickly wipe out the Hidden Mist, he would certainly be able to maintain a steady advantage and then defeat the Hidden Mist step by step.

He didn’t expect such tragic news to come suddenly, and this was fighting on home turf.

“Has it been too long since he was on the battlefield? But it shouldn’t be like this.” Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at Homura Mitokado lying on the hospital bed, feeling puzzled in his heart.

If it were before, this level of casualties wouldn’t count for much; only three hundred Ninjas were sacrificed, and among the five hundred injured Ninjas, the proportion of serious injuries was not high.

But currently, Konoha was at a critical period, not only fighting fiercely with Kumogakure, but there was also Iwagakure eyeing them covetously nearby.

Under such circumstances, suddenly suffering a defeat might trigger a chain reaction.

“Sorry, I let you all down.” Homura Mitokado took the initiative to break the silence.

If one loses, one must admit it; if one is beaten, one must stand straight. He was not the type of person who would use thousands of excuses to argue for himself.

“Homura, was there any hidden expert among the Hidden Mist Ninja force this time?” Utatane Koharu couldn’t help but ask.

“No, it was just a mistake in my decision-making that ultimately led to the defeat. In terms of overall strength, my unit should have been stronger.” Homura Mitokado shook his head and answered.

“This…” Utatane Koharu found it hard to say anything more.

After all, since Homura Mitokado himself said so, there was no need for her to help the other party make excuses.

“Let Muzuki go; he is the most suitable one in the Village right now.” Homura Mitokado looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi and said.

Although Konoha still had Tsunade, the legendary Sannin, Tsunade’s efficiency in killing enemies on the battlefield was far inferior to Muzuki’s, and she was not a suitable choice.

Moreover, Tsunade herself was currently quite resistant to going to the battlefield.

“That is what I was thinking as well.” Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded.

Although he wanted to give Muzuki more time to cultivate, plans could not keep up with changes.

If he didn’t let Muzuki go, then he could only call Jiraiya back, or Hiruzen Sarutobi would have to go to the battlefield himself.

Calling Jiraiya back would be like robbing Peter to pay Paul, which could easily lead to Iwagakure causing trouble.

And as the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi’s every action affected the whole situation and he could not act rashly, so it had to be Muzuki.

After all, this mission was relatively safe; it was fighting on home turf, and the opponents were not overly exaggerated experts.

If it were opponents of the level of the Third Tsuchikage or Third Raikage, Hiruzen Sarutobi would choose to let Muzuki stay in Konoha while he went to the battlefield himself.

Facing experts of that level, the risk of something going wrong was not small, and he could not let Muzuki, who had the opportunity to reach the height of the First Hokage, take the risk.

…

Land of Earth, Iwagakure.

“Refused again. It seems to be a fundamental problem.” Looking at the information sent by Kitsuchi, Ōnoki revealed a regretful expression.

Forming a joint Ninja force with the Shinobi Sect to deter Konoha in the Land of Rain was impossible unless Ōnoki beat the Ninja forces of the Land of Rain down first.

But that made no sense, and instead, it would unnecessarily create another opponent for himself.

Just then, a rather urgent knocking sound suddenly rang out outside the door.

“Enter.”

An Iwagakure ANBU walked quickly into the office and said quickly: “Third Tsuchikage-sama, there is important war intelligence regarding Konoha!”

Ōnoki instantly perked up, picked up the intelligence sent by the Anbu, and began to speed-read it.

“Hidden Mist defeated the Konoha Ninja Force led by Homura Mitokado in the Land of Fire.” Ōnoki was slightly surprised.

Defeating a Konoha Ninja Force outside the Land of Fire, breaking through the Land of Fire’s defensive line, and defeating a Konoha Ninja Force within the Land of Fire—the gold content of the first two was hard to say, but the last one was absolutely the highest in terms of value.

And the Hidden Mist didn’t just defeat an ordinary Ninja force; it was the Ninja force led by Homura Mitokado, a high-ranking official of Konoha.

“Perhaps Konoha is not as strong as I imagined.” Ōnoki revealed a thoughtful look.

As a troublemaker, now that the Land of Fire was so lively, it would be a pity not to participate.

“Notify the high-ranking officials to go to the conference room.” Ōnoki ordered the Iwagakure ANBU.

He had the idea of sending troops, but this matter could not be decided by him alone; a meeting had to be held first.

When the latest intelligence on the Land of Fire was placed in front of the Iwagakure high-ranking officials, they all revealed expressions similar to Ōnoki’s earlier one.

“We have suffered quite a few losses at the hands of Konoha since the war began; we cannot just let it go. I think we can take the opportunity to send troops.” Iwagakure elder Chouki suggested.

“I think we can give it a try.” Ōnoki stated his position directly.

Immediately after, the leader of the Iwagakure Jonin, Teru, also expressed his approval.

Finally, the high-level meeting unanimously passed the resolution to send a Ninja force against Konoha.

As for the candidate to command the Ninja force, after some discussion, it was decided that Retsuishi, the captain of the Iwa Explosion Corps, would take the role.

The blame for the last defeat mainly fell on the deceased Iwakura and the departed Roshi; Retsuishi had returned to the Village early to recuperate due to his injuries, so he was not affected.

Of course, it was mainly because there were no other good candidates; some lacked seniority, and some lacked strength.

PS: Still updated 8k, asking for monthly tickets.