Explosive Encounter 10

The battle raged on as the Silver Team found themselves cornered by the relentless onslaught of the Explosion Corps and the incoming Iwa ANBU. Every explosion shook the earth beneath them, and Silver's mind raced. They needed to buy time and find an opening to escape—preferably before the ANBU arrived in full force.

"We're running out of options, Silver!" Kaori yelled over the chaos, her hands pressed to the ground, desperately trying to stabilize the earth around them with Earth Style: Stone Wall. But the Iwa Explosion Corps wasn't giving them a break.

Silver's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the incoming explosions and the shifting earth. They were surrounded on all sides, and the Explosion Corps wasn't letting up. He slammed his palm to the ground, feeling the vibrations of the fight all around him. His focus sharpened.

"Everyone, follow my lead!" Silver shouted as he dropped into a defensive stance. He had no time to waste.

In a flash, he formed hand seals with practiced precision. He'd use Chidori to punch through the incoming onslaught, but he'd need cover. As he completed the sequence of seals, he slapped his hand to the ground again, activating Earth Style: Earth Wall. A thick wall of earth erupted between them and the enemy's barrage, buying them a few precious seconds.

But that wouldn't be enough. The Iwa ANBU were fast, and their strategies were clean and coordinated. The wall held for a moment, but Silver knew it wouldn't last long against their combined strength.

"Kaori, Hiroshi, buy us time!" Silver ordered, his voice urgent. "Whisper, Sight—stay alert. We're not alone anymore."

Kaori immediately acted, creating more Earth Style walls to create a makeshift fortress, while Hiroshi, seeing the opportunity, unleashed Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu to push back the Explosion Corps's initial assault. The massive fireball consumed several of their opponents, forcing them to retreat momentarily.

But Silver's attention was focused elsewhere—he needed to prepare for the next wave.

With swift hand seals, he activated his Chidori variant, Chidori Senbon, focusing the lightning chakra into thousands of tiny needles of pure electric energy. He threw his hand forward, the senbon shooting out in all directions, striking multiple Iwa ninjas with precision.

"Take cover!" Silver shouted as the lightning needles pierced through the enemies' defenses, creating openings.

In the midst of the battle, Ryota—Sight—activated his Byakugan, his vision sweeping across the battlefield to spot the enemy's weak points. He darted forward, using his Gentle Fist techniques to disable the chakra networks of the nearest Explosion Corps members, sending them crumpling to the ground, unable to fight back. With every strike, Ryota's eyes glowed with the fierce power of the Hyuga clan's secret techniques.

A nearby explosion forced Silver to react instantly. One of the Explosion Corps members had lobbed an explosive tag that was now speeding toward his position. Without hesitation, he launched himself to the side, flickering away in a blur of speed as the explosion shook the earth.

He landed just a few paces away, watching as the Explosion Corps launched another round of jutsus toward their position. They couldn't keep this up for long.

Silver formed another series of seals and thrust his hand to the earth. "Earth Style: Mudslide!" The ground beneath the enemies' feet suddenly became slick with mud and debris, causing several of the Explosion Corps ninjas to stumble and fall.

"Now!" Silver barked, watching as the Explosion Corps struggled to maintain their balance. It was time to push forward.

He dashed into the fray with Chidori Senbon still crackling at his fingertips. As he moved forward, he twisted his body and used Earth Style: Earthquake Jutsu, sending a violent shockwave through the ground to destabilize the enemy forces. The ground beneath the Explosion Corps cracked open, sending chunks of earth flying into the air.

But the Explosion Corps leader—who had been quiet during the chaos—finally spoke.

"Enough of this!" The leader called, his voice cold and commanding. With a rapid sequence of hand seals, he unleashed a massive Explosion Style: Detonation Barrage. The earth shook as dozens of explosive tags were launched into the air, each one pulsing with deadly chakra.

Silver's instincts screamed. "Scatter!" he ordered.

But the barrage came too quickly. Silver quickly spun, his hand making more hand seals. "Substitution Jutsu!" He swapped places with a nearby rock just as the first explosion went off. The blast shattered the rock in seconds, but Silver was safe—at least for now.

"This isn't good." Hiroshi muttered, narrowly dodging a second barrage of explosive kunai.

The enemy wasn't backing down. If they didn't find a way to overwhelm them soon, their team wouldn't survive this fight.

Silver glanced back at his team—tired but still standing. They were all giving their best, but this battle had gone beyond their expectations. His mind raced for a solution.

"Sight!" Silver called. "Keep them distracted! Kaori—cover our backs!"

Silver's team quickly adapted to the new orders. Ryota, using the precision of his Byakugan, identified several of the Explosion Corps's weaker positions. He moved forward with deadly grace, landing a series of Gentle Fist strikes that took down another two Iwa ninjas.

Kaori, seeing the opening, slammed her hand into the ground. "Earth Style: Earth Prison!" The earth shifted and closed around several of the Explosion Corps ninjas, trapping them within a tight, impenetrable cage of stone.

"Now, Hiroshi!" Silver shouted, as Kaori's prison provided a perfect opportunity.

Hiroshi threw several shuriken imbued with chakra toward the trapped Iwa ninjas, each one exploding on contact. The blasts created a chain reaction, destroying the enemies within the stone prison.

"We're almost there." Silver muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow. The battle wasn't over yet, but with every strike, every jutsu, they were getting closer to victory.

"Keep it up!" he urged his team.

They could still win this. They had to.