Chapter 7 Attack

Chapter 7.

Land of Fire.

The journey toward the Fire Capital continued without further incident, but the air remained tense. The earlier attack had left them cautious, and the unsettling realization that someone was trying to frame Kirigakure lingered in the back of their minds.

Torifu led the way, his massive frame moving with surprising ease along the winding road. Renzo followed closely, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. Reika and Sakumo flanked Takeshi, keeping a measured distance from the merchant while remaining alert. The road was narrower here, cutting through the mountains, with towering rock formations looming on either side.

And then—it happened.

THUD!!!! THUD!!!!

A deep, rumbling tremor shook the earth beneath their feet. A sharp cracking sound echoed from the right, like thunder ripping through stone.

Renzo's head snapped up just in time to see the upper half of the mountain beginning to collapse

"Move Back!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the roar of falling debris.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!

Massive boulders broke free from the Cliffside, cascading downward with terrifying speed. The entire mountain face trembled as an avalanche of rock came crashing toward them. Dust and loose gravel filled the air, obscuring their vision.

"We really encountered some lunatics!! Cursed Torifu but he reacted instantly. His hands slammed together, forming a sequence of hand seals at an astonishing speed.

"Earth Style: Great Rock Barrier!"

The ground trembled beneath his feet as a massive wall of stone erupted upward, reinforcing the crumbling cliff. But it wasn't enough—there were simply too many falling rocks.

His eyes hardened.

"Expansion Jutsu!!"

Torifu's body swelled, his flesh stretching as he grew to several times his normal size. His massive arms shot forward, catching boulders the size of houses. Muscles strained, veins bulging as he forced back the avalanche with sheer brute strength. The ground beneath him cracked from the force.

For a brief moment, it seemed like they were safe.

"There's still more" Sakumo's face darkened as he gazed above.

Whizz!!! Whizz!!!

From above, a sharp whistling noise filled the air.

Kunai.

Dozens of them.

Torifu's eyes widened as the sky darkened with incoming kunai, each one glinting in the light—each one carrying a paper bomb.

"Scatter!" he roared.

Swoosh!!

"I swear if I survive this I'll donate half of what I own to charity" Takeshi dove behind a rock and swore, never he had encountered this level of danger in his life.

"If you are going to give it away then at least give it to those who are protecting you, at least something for us to survive and look forward to while battling" Renzo who was making sure to protect the mission client couldn't help but roll his eyes at his words and give a suggestion.

They were putting their lives on the line here to save this guy and he was planning on making some strangers rich rather than his lifesavers.

The scared client wanted to say something in response but he didn't get the chance as the attack wasn't finished.

"It's one after another"

Torifu's massive lungs expanded as he formed another set of hand seals.

"Wind Style: Gale Force Cannon!"

BANG!!! BANG!!!

A howling wind erupted from his mouth, tearing through the air like a storm unleashed. The kunai were swept away, flung in all directions—but even so, the paper bombs ignited.

The explosion tore through the mountainside.

"KA-BOOOOOM!!!"

Fire burst outward, rolling like a tidal wave, licking at the air with violent hunger. The blast sent shockwaves through the narrow pass, igniting dry vegetation and scorching stone. Smoke and dust erupted in thick, choking clouds, turning the battlefield into a suffocating storm of debris.

"Are we on a mission or a battlefield? Said Renzo as he braced himself, feeling the intense heat sear through his clothes. The ground trembled as flaming rocks tumbled down, adding to the destruction.

Sakumo and Reika on the other hand were truly taken aback by the strength Torifu was displaying, they were just ten and hardly seen a real battle between top shinobi so this was really an eye opener for them.

Reika had a look of longing as she gazed at earth shattering jutsu released by Torifu, but her one eye was also focused on Renzo who stood next to the client, a hint of worry in those eyes for him.

"HA!!! HA!!!"

"Guess it's finally over" When the dust settled, Torifu stood tall—but his breathing was heavier. Even for an elite Jōnin, using three powerful jutsu in rapid succession took its toll. His forehead glistened with sweat, and his massive chest rose and fell in heavy breaths.

But his guess was wrong as the enemy was relentless.

Swish! Poof!!

A series of small, black canisters arced through the air, landing with soft thuds around Torifu's feet. The moment they made contact, a thick white smoke exploded outward.

Smoke bombs.

Swoosh!!!

Torifu frowned, his instincts flaring. He leaped back, but the sheer number of smoke bombs created a dense fog that wrapped around him like a suffocating blanket.

Wind Style: Gale Palm!

Seeing Torifu tired Renzo step forward and flashing quick hand signs faced his palm towards the black fog as massive gusts of wind roared out of his palm which blew the fog away but it was too late.

The moment the fog had rolled in, Torifu's years of battle instinct screamed danger. He held his breath immediately, but exhaustion made him a second too slow.

His limbs turned sluggish. His vision swayed.

"Poison!" Torifu cursed inwardly.

His chakra wavered, flickering like a dying flame. His massive form shrank as his Expansion Jutsu faltered. His legs buckled, and with a heavy THUD, he collapsed to his knees.

"Ha!!"

A strained gasp tore from his throat as his hand clutched at his neck.

THUD! THUD!

Renzo was the first to react after seeing Torifu on his knees, his figure flickering into an afterimage as he shot forward. But he was a fraction too late.

RUMBLE!

The earth beneath Torifu trembled violently before a dome of blackened stone erupted from the ground, sealing him inside. Strange markings glowed faintly across its surface, pulsing with a sinister energy.

BOOM!

Renzo's gaze snapped toward it, his eyes narrowing. Without hesitation, he prepared to unleash a powerful attack to shatter the dome—

BANG!

A blur appeared in front of him at an unbelievable speed. Before he could react, a crushing kick slammed into his crossed arms with an impact that sent shockwaves through his body.

CRACK!

Renzo was launched backward, his feet digging trenches into the dirt as he fought to stop his momentum. Dust kicked up around him as he finally skidded to a halt, arms aching from the sheer force of the blow.

Swoosh!! Swoosh!!

A crackling hum filled the air—

"Zzzz!!" "Glin!"

Sakumo and Reika wasted no time. The moment Renzo was struck, they lunged forward. Lightning danced along the edge of Sakumo's blade, crackling with deadly energy. Reika's kunai gleamed under the fading sunlight, her crimson eyes burning with fury for some reason.

Swish! Swish!

But just as they closed the distance, shadows erupted before them.

Masked shinobi—twenty in total—materialized like phantoms, blocking their path.

Their expressions darkened instantly. Twenty opponents were no small number.

Meanwhile, the man who had kicked Renzo stood tall, a jagged scar running over his eye. He smirked, his gaze like a predator toying with its prey. With a casual wave of his hand—

Swoosh!!

The masked shinobi surged forward, attacking all at once.

Sakumo tightened his grip on his sword. Reika's fingers twitched around her kunai. Renzo, unlike them, didn't show much of a concern but a realization had hit him.

If they wanted to walk out alive of this situation, it mostly likely depended on him but doing so would surely cause some consequences that he really had no real convincing answer to.