Chapter 310:
Night had fallen.
A huge flock of crows, drawn by the stench of rotting corpses, circled in the sky as faint tremors echoed from the ground.
"They're coming!"
As Shuyu's voice fell, a dense horde of zombies surged toward the group.
"Don't panic! Everyone, use Water Release on the pits we dug earlier!"
Modern Boruto immediately commanded.
"Water Release: Surging Water Wave!"
Over twenty jōnin from the Hidden Mist Village cast Water Release jutsu into the pits, instantly flooding them with water, leaving only a single path for defense.
The swarm of zombies, packed tightly together, pushed the ones in front into the water-filled pits.
"Boruto, the pit's going to be completely filled by these zombies soon!"
Sarada, her Sharingan active, warned Modern Boruto.
"With this many zombies, it looks like the nearby towns have all fallen," Shuyu assessed.
"Boruto, look—our Scientific Ninja Tools aren't working on them at all!"
Kagura ran up to Modern Boruto, pointing to the battlefield. Following his gaze, they saw a zombie struck by a Rasengan fired from a Scientific Ninja Tool get knocked back, only to quickly get up and resume charging forward.
As more zombies poured in and broke through the barricades, several frontline shinobi were overwhelmed and mauled.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Shuyu swiftly formed hand seals and unleashed a fireball the size of a grown adult, halting the zombies briefly. Then he turned to Modern Boruto. "Boruto, we can't hold this place any longer. We have to retreat!"
Modern Boruto stared at the dark mass of zombies ahead, clenched his teeth, and shouted, "Everyone, fall back!"
While the shinobi could manage, ordinary civilians had no chance of outrunning the zombies.
As they fled, more and more civilians were caught and devoured by the horde, only to rise moments later as new members of the undead army.
Outside the Hidden Mist Village, civilians were still digging traps on an open field.
"What's going on? Is it an earthquake?" one man, wiping sweat from his brow while dragging sharp bamboo poles, asked in confusion.
"Zombies! They're here! Close the gates—now!"
On the village wall, Shitomi Makoto shouted urgently.
"But there are still people outside..."
"Do you want the entire village to die with them?! Close it—now!"
Grabbing the hesitant man by the collar, Shitomi Makoto bellowed, his expression twisted.
"Y-yes, Lord Makoto!"
The gates of the Hidden Mist Village slowly shut. A few civilians managed to squeeze in at the last moment, but most were left outside, where they were immediately swarmed by the oncoming zombies.
"Boruto, look ahead!"
Sarada pointed urgently.
"They've circled around? That means the other route's already fallen," Shuyu analyzed.
The roars of the undead grew louder behind them.
"Boruto, there's a sewer nearby! We can go through there!"
"Kagura, lead the way—hurry!" Modern Boruto urged.
Along the escape route, many were separated or taken down by the zombies. By the time they reached the sewer, only about twenty survivors remained.
"Damn it! The grate's locked!"
It was a narrow path with shallow water barely covering their shoes. Kagura stared grimly at the lock securing the sewer gate.
"It's too late to turn back now," Shuyu muttered, just as the zombies appeared behind them, flooding into the narrow corridor.
Although the zombies created by Orochimaru feared water, the shallow stream here was too minimal to pose a threat—they charged through unimpeded.
"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Trees!"
Sarada slapped both hands to the ground, and thick roots burst forth, completely blocking the narrow passage.
"Sarada, are you okay?"
Shuyu caught her as she staggered, her face pale.
"I'm fine, Shuyu. Just used up too much chakra. I'll be okay after a short rest."
Meanwhile...
"Rasengan!"
Modern Boruto slammed a Rasengan into the lock of the sewer gate.
As the lock remained untouched, Kagura shook his head in frustration. "To prevent anyone from sneaking into the Hidden Mist through the sewers, the lock was specially designed to absorb ninjutsu."
Behind them, the zombies clawed relentlessly at the wooden barricade, biting off chunks of wood with every lunge.
"What about Amaterasu?" Shuyu asked, looking to Kagura while still supporting Sarada.
"If it's a Mangekyō technique, it might work. But even Amaterasu would take quite a while to melt that lock," Kagura replied.
"Damn it! Isn't there any other way?!"
Modern Boruto clenched his fists in frustration.
"Let me do it…"
Sarada, leaning on Shuyu, stepped toward the sewer gate, revealing her Rinnegan.
"Sarada, don't push yourself!"
"I'm fine. It's only a short-range space-time portal. I can manage it."
She gave Shuyu a reassuring smile, then activated a spatial portal in front of the grate with her Rinnegan.
"Hurry—everyone, get inside!"
One by one, the survivors filed through the portal. Soon, only Modern Boruto, Shuyu, and Sarada were left.
"Boruto, you go too," Shuyu urged.
"Right."
Boruto nodded and stepped through.
From the other side of the gate, they looked back at Shuyu and Sarada.
"Shuyu, Sarada—hurry! The barricade won't last much longer!" Boruto shouted.
"Sarada…"
As Shuyu helped her toward the portal, the barrier behind them finally gave way, and the zombies burst through, reaching out through the grate with grasping hands and feral growls.
Just as she stepped into the portal, Sarada collapsed in Shuyu's arms, completely unconscious.
"We're leaving," Boruto said solemnly.
They opened a manhole and climbed up one by one.
"You... what happened out there?" a villager cautiously approached and asked.
But none of the survivors, including Modern Boruto, showed any sign of relief after making it out alive. A heavy silence hung over the group. Only after catching their breath did they begin to feel the weight of grief for their fallen comrades—and the despair of an uncertain future.
"This isn't the time for grief. We have to get to the village entrance and help with the defense!"
Taking a deep breath, Modern Boruto turned to Shuyu. "Shuyu, I'm counting on you to take care of Sarada."
"…Yeah."
Shuyu nodded. Even without Boruto's request, he would've done it anyway.
As he looked at Boruto, Shuyu could faintly see a trace of the older Boruto from the future.
Modern Boruto was finally starting to become someone they could rely on.
"The rest of you—come with me to reinforce the front!"