Hino Kousuke's words came to a sudden halt.
Just as he let out a chuckle, his body was suddenly struck as if by a cannonball, and in an instant, he was sent flying backward, doubled over.
Sent flying along with him was the unlucky fellow directly behind him.
The smile still lingered on Akiyama Shūgo's face, but the Senior beside him had vanished.
He slowly stopped in his tracks, turning his head toward the rear with a trembling stiffness. "Se... Senior..."
Behind him, Hino Kousuke had been thrown quite a distance, with a burly man pinned beneath him.
The two lay on the ground, blood gurgling out as a thick Chakra Arrow skewered them together, pinning them firmly to the earth.
Hino Kousuke reached out his hand, trying to grab onto something, his mouth agape but unable to make a sound.
Akiyama Shūgo's breathing became increasingly rapid.
Seeing the strongest Senior reduced to this state.
His eyes widened, his pupils trembling continuously, and the expression on his face grew more and more terrified.
A moment later, he suddenly let out a loud cry, turned around, and bolted frantically back the way he came.
Akiyama Shūgo's shout jolted the others around him.
Seeing the two on the ground who had died with their eyes wide open, everyone's faces were filled with terror.
One after another, they began to turn tail and run.
"What are you doing?! What are you doing?! Everyone, halt!"
Mizutani Yūya used a Body Flicker to intercept the fleeing crowd, his eyes wide with rage as he barked, "What is there to fear? There are so many of us. How many shots can he fire of such a powerful Ninjutsu?"
Suppressing the shock in his heart, he deliberately raised his voice. "He's only one person! Spread out and close the distance! We'll drown him with Ninjutsu!"
"Or are you going to flee over such a minor setback?" Mizutani Yūya's expression grew increasingly fierce. "That brat Akiyama Shūgo was just a temporary addition; I don't care about him."
"But you lot!" He gave a cold snort and slowly drew his Ninja Blade. "You know what happens to deserters on the Battlefield."
...A kilometer away, Aokawa watched the fleeing squad, feeling a bit annoyed.
"I shouldn't have taken out the strongest one in the squad instantly. I've scared off all my energy crystals."
He quickly pulled out a second Chakra Arrow, aiming it at the enemy with the second-highest Chakra reserves in the squad, hoping to recover some of his losses.
In the next instant.
That enemy, however, held a Ninja Blade and stopped the fleeing crowd.
"So, he's an ally after all!"
Aokawa smiled slightly and shifted the Chakra Arrow on his fully drawn bowstring toward another target.
"Thrum!"
With a resounding boom, the Chakra Arrow shot forth, piercing through the heart of a man just as a look of hope began to appear on his face.
The latter didn't even have time to scream before being pinned firmly to a tree.
The man behind him watched this unfold with his own eyes, his mouth wide open, eyes filled with unbelievable terror.
Instinct drove him to dodge to the side.
The next moment!
*Puchi!*
With another boom, a Chakra Arrow pierced through his chest in the same manner, pinning him to a tree just like the other.
"Take cover!" Mizutani Yūya finally reacted, shouting as he led the others to hide behind trees.
Looking at the blue-white Chakra Arrows embedded in the trees, Mizutani Yūya's terror grew more intense.
But he was the core of the squad now; he couldn't show a hint of fear before the captain arrived, or the team would fall apart.
"The enemy is to the southeast. Watch that direction," he said, steadying his nerves.
In the next instant!
A rapidly approaching Chakra Arrow sank deep into the large tree in front of him. After passing through the trunk, it pierced through the skull of one of his companions.
Splattering blood drenched his face.
"The... the third one," someone whispered tremulously.
At this moment, Mizutani Yūya's argument about numerical superiority seemed utterly laughable.
Precise and ruthless!
This was their assessment of the enemy. He was like a hunter, hidden in the shadows, reaping their lives at will.
From the hilltop, Hyuga Fū's gaze closely followed Aokawa in the forest.
From the moment Aokawa fired the first Chakra Arrow until now, barely a minute had passed, yet five enemies were already dead.
Such terrifying killing efficiency!
It truly far exceeded his expectations.
"This is my son's strength!" Hyuga Fū's breathing became increasingly rapid.
But while his heart swelled with pride, the worry in his eyes also grew.
Two other groups of enemies had closed in, and the three forces had completely converged.
Even if his son could use long-range attacks to kill enemies...
...there were over twenty Ninjas in total.
Aokawa, can you handle this?
In the forest.
Mizutani Yūya looked around at the crowd on the verge of collapse; he knew he could no longer keep them in check.
Their fear of the Chakra Arrows had far surpassed their fear of him.
Just as he was at a loss for what to do, a life-saving voice rang out.
"It's the Captain! The Captain and the others are here!"
A tall Ninja appeared, leading about twenty others as they closed in.
Seeing this, Mizutani Yūya breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly shouted, "Captain, the enemy is a Sharpshooter! They're in the southeast!"
Hearing this, everyone quickly adjusted their direction, moving toward the southeast in an alternating advance.
"Yūya, what happened?" Inada Takuma questioned as he sped along, recalling the corpses on the ground.
"Captain, the intelligence was wrong this time. The opponent has a long-range Ninjutsu and has killed many of our men..."
Mizutani Yūya spoke rapidly, briefly explaining to Inada Takuma how Hino Kousuke had died and how the others had been killed.
"Bastard!" Inada Takuma's eyes were bloodshot. "I was planning to retire after this job, but I ended up running into a tough nut to crack!"
"However, that Ninjutsu of his must have a limit." Mizutani Yūya recalled the Chakra Arrows from before. "I noticed the Chakra Arrows getting thinner with each shot. With so many of us, as long as we close the distance, we'll definitely make him pay dearly."
Before he could finish his sentence!
A flash of blue light flickered in the darkness ahead, followed immediately by a Chakra Arrow darting out.
*Boom!*
A companion charging at the very front was pierced through the chest, sent flying backward to crash right in front of Mizutani Yūya.
A pair of eyes that had died without closing stared silently at him.
"You bastard!" Inada Takuma roared.
"Everyone! Speed up! Find that bastard at all costs!"
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