Explosive Encounter 8

Silver stood his ground, eyes scanning the twelve members of the Explosion Corps from Iwagakure. The odds were stacked against them. The Explosion Corps was known for their devastating power, and most of them were at Jonin level, with the weakest being a Chunin Elite. But Silver made up his mind—there was no escaping, and retreat wasn't an option. They would have to fight.

He tightened his grip on the Kusanagi, the blade humming with chakra. His team was ready, his senses sharpened, and his mind focused on one thing: survival.

"We fight," Silver muttered to himself, his voice hardening with resolve.

Aiko—Whisper—moved like a shadow, her kunai already poised and ready. Ryota—Sight—stood silently, eyes already scanning the area as he activated his Byakugan, his ability to perceive chakra signatures far beyond his physical range. Hiroshi—Embers—held his hands steady, ready to weave his jutsu. And Kaori—Verdants—prepared herself to form her earth-based defenses. It was all coming together.

Silver made the first move. With a sudden flick of his wrist, he began weaving through hand seals.

"Lightning Style: Chidori Stream!" Silver shouted, thrusting his hand forward. A surge of lightning chakra shot from his hand in a wide arc, crackling and illuminating the night as it tore through the air. The first few Iwa ninjas were thrown off their feet, convulsing from the electrical shock. The strike also hit the ground, causing a massive explosion of earth and debris as the lightning spread along the earth's surface, damaging the terrain and throwing off several of the attackers.

Aiko wasted no time. With a wave of her hand, she vanished into the shadows, using Silent Step: Phantom Movement to conceal herself. She reappeared behind an Iwa jonin, her kunai flashing as she aimed for a lethal strike.

But the Explosion Corps was fast. One of the Iwa ninjas reacted quickly, weaving his own hand seals to block her attack.

"Explosion Style: Detonation Burst!" he shouted, slamming his palms to the ground. A powerful explosive wave erupted from the earth, sending a shockwave of chakra-infused blasts toward Aiko. She barely dodged in time, but the explosion left her breathless, forcing her to retreat behind cover.

Meanwhile, Ryota—Sight—was locked in combat with a group of Iwa ninjas. His Byakugan allowed him to predict their movements, seeing their chakra flow with deadly precision. He quickly formed hand seals.

"Gentle Fist: Twin Palms!" Ryota struck out with both hands, his chakra flowing through his palms as he hit two of the Iwa ninjas. They staggered back, their bodies locked in a brief paralysis from the strike, but they quickly recovered.

As he was about to strike again, another Iwa ninja used Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet, causing the ground beneath them to shake. Massive earth projectiles erupted from the ground, smashing into Ryota's defensive stance. The explosions caused a burst of dust and debris, forcing him to dodge just in time.

"Damn it!" Ryota grunted as he leaped back, narrowly avoiding the deadly earth barrage.

On the other side, Hiroshi—Embers—had already prepared his next attack. He formed a few quick seals, his chakra flaring up.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Hiroshi breathed out a massive fireball, which shot toward the enemy. The fireball engulfed a small cluster of Iwa ninjas, but they swiftly countered by using their Explosion Style techniques. A massive explosive wave sent Hiroshi flying back, his body bruised but still in the fight.

Kaori—Verdants—was at the back, using Earth Style techniques to protect the team. She slammed her palms to the earth.

"Earth Style: Earth Pillar!" Massive stone pillars shot up from the ground, forming a defensive wall between them and the enemy. As the pillars rose, she quickly formed more seals.

"Earth Style: Stone Rampart!" A series of stone walls shot upward, creating a temporary barricade between the Silver Team and the incoming explosions.

But the Explosion Corps wasn't about to give up so easily. They began using a barrage of Explosion Style jutsus, each one more deadly than the last. Earth Style jutsus bombarded them from all sides, the explosions rocking the ground beneath their feet.

Silver's heart raced as he saw the ground cracking beneath them, the air filled with the deafening roar of the explosions.

"We can't hold out forever," Silver thought to himself. He quickly formed hand seals.

"Chidori Nagashi!" His body surged with lightning chakra as he unleashed a wave of Chidori energy in all directions. The electrical surge sent enemies flying as they were electrocuted by the raw power. Several Iwa ninjas were incapacitated, their bodies twitching uncontrollably from the lightning.

But despite their best efforts, the Explosion Corps had one last trick up their sleeve. They had a leader who had remained in the back, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Silver noticed him—an Iwa jonin, dark-haired and menacing, with a scar running across his face. He was weaving his hand seals quickly, preparing his final move.

"Earth Style: Quicksand Torrent!" The earth beneath Silver and his team gave way as the ground began to turn into a deadly quicksand.

Silver reacted instantly, using his Shunshin no Jutsu to escape the trap, his feet flickering out of danger.

"Everyone, retreat!" he barked. The team had no choice but to fall back. With Aiko moving silently, Ryota using his Byakugan to navigate the terrain, and Kaori and Hiroshi holding back the enemies with their earth and fire techniques, they made their way to higher ground, away from the deadly trap.

But the battle wasn't over yet. The Explosion Corps was still on their tail, and Silver knew they would need more than just brute strength to survive.

"We'll hold them off for now, but we need to make it to the village," Silver muttered. "Keep moving!"