Sarutobi Ryo turned back to face his group, who were now fully equipped and ready.
Ringo Ameyuri had made a remarkable recovery after three days of treatment.
Although her face was still pale, the threat to her life had passed. She was simply weakened from her recent ordeal.
"Just to be clear," Ringo Ameyuri said, holding up her hands, "I don't have my Lightning Blade, and I'm still recovering from a serious illness..."
So, she implied, don't expect too much from her.
"Just stay in the back and cast some Ninjutsu," Sarutobi Ryo instructed, assigning her a specific role.
He wasn't completely relying on luck, though.
Ringo Ameyuri had a little "insurance" on her.
Small Exploding Tags.
These tags were about the size of playing cards, and their advantage was that Sarutobi Ryo could make them himself, saving money. The downside was their limited explosive power and range.
It was a technique he'd learned from his father, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
During the Chunin Exams, Sarutobi Hiruzen had used similar Exploding Tags against the resurrected First and Second Hokages, blowing off one leg from each of them.
If Ringo Ameyuri dared to betray him, Sarutobi Ryo could send his Chakra to activate the tags hidden inside her clothes, causing them to explode.
It might not completely obliterate her, turning her into a cloud of blood and gore, but it would certainly leave her without an intact corpse.
"Alright, it's time to begin..."
Sarutobi Ryo turned to face the dense jungle.
The air in the forest was incredibly fresh after the rain. Using Thermal Imaging, Sarutobi Ryo could see the heat signatures of every Ninja from the Blood Mist.
"Ah Hui, Ruri, Nonou, Ringo Ameyuri, the four of you break through in the weakest direction..."
Their plan was for the four women to use the forest's cover, retreating while fighting, and trying to defeat the enemies one by one.
"As for me..."
He would be the main attraction, drawing the enemy's attention.
"Understood," Nonou said with a nod. "But, Young Master Ryo, you have to come back alive..."
She looked at Sarutobi Ryo with a serious expression.
In the brief time they'd spent together, she'd come to see him as a true comrade.
And when it came to comrades, words of concern were never excessive. This was the difference between Konoha and the Blood Mist.
The true Will of Fire never treated comrades as expendable tools.
After three days, the barrier's effectiveness had significantly weakened.
The watchful eyes of the Blood Mist Ninjas surrounding them signaled the start of the battle.
"Release!"
Sarutobi Ryo raised his right hand, formed a hand seal, and dispelled the barrier. He charged forward like a fierce tiger unleashed.
There was only the sound of rushing wind, followed by the sharp crack of breaking bones, and a body went flying.
This marked the beginning of the battle.
Shouts of surprise and angry roars erupted all around.
After taking down one person, Sarutobi Ryo's right eye began to spin.
Using the new dynamic vision function of his right eye, he could see every enemy's movement within a wide area.
Three days of training had paid off.
Sarutobi Ryo's Body Art and Steel Release had reached a new level.
The power of a Kekkei Genkai was that one's strength could increase so quickly.
Kekkei Genkai, which subtly altered one's DNA, was one of the greatest advantages in this world.
Sarutobi Ryo was relying on his ability to fuse with a Kekkei Genkai.
This meant he was on the path to becoming more than just an ordinary Ninja --he was becoming something superhuman.
Crack!
He casually twisted off one person's head and kicked another's neck.
The enemies in front of him, mostly Chunin-level, were no match for Sarutobi Ryo. Dealing with them was as easy as playing with toys.
Yamanaka Hui's group of four broke through in the weakest direction.
Yamanaka Hui and Hyuga Ruri were both Jonin.
Nonou was responsible for protecting Ringo Ameyuri.
Their breakout met with little resistance.
By the time the Blood Mist Ninjas realized what was happening and tried to send reinforcements, a rising Earth Wall blocked their path.
"Earth Release: Earth Mausoleum Return!"
Sarutobi Ryo slammed his hand on the ground.
A huge stone slab rose rumbling from the earth.
Earth Release was strong against Water Release.
And most of the Ninjas from the Blood Mist used Water-based techniques.
So, this sudden obstruction was very effective.
It also cut off the two sides from each other.
Looking at the Earth Wall behind her, Nonou felt even more worried.
Can Young Master Ryo really hold back so many people? she wondered.
Just as she was thinking this, Yamanaka Hui stopped moving, knelt on one knee, and began forming hand seals.
The moment several enemies bypassed the Earth Wall and appeared, her hand seals were complete.
"Mind Confusion Technique!"
She used the Mind Confusion Technique on multiple enemies simultaneously, controlling them.
Before they could react, they began attacking their comrades.
A scene of mutual slaughter unfolded in the forest.
Yamanaka Hui spoke, "We need to formulate a counter-attack plan... now is the time!"
"Ha..."
Ringo Ameyuri remained neutral. Having only recently recovered, she slowly began forming a hand seal.
It was a Lightning Release hand seal.
Lightning Release was strong against Earth Release, and also against Water Release, due to water's conductivity.
A flash of electricity appeared in the air, and a large electric net spread across the ground.
How fast was electricity?
Probably the fastest of the five basic elements.
"Lightning Release: Ground Travel!"
The large electric net instantly struck multiple enemies.
After releasing this Ninjutsu, Ringo Ameyuri's face became even paler.
What did it feel like to fight against former colleagues?
It felt like nothing.
The next second, Hyuga Ruri rushed forward, her small figure a blur in the forest. With her amazing Gentle Fist skills, she quickly finished off the wounded enemies.
"Maybe... it really can work..."
Nonou murmured.
Their side was effectively a team of four Jonin.
Even though Ringo Ameyuri had just recovered from a serious illness, and the other three had only recently been promoted.
If they relied on strategy and good timing, taking down thirty Chunin didn't seem impossible...
And just then.
Thunder suddenly echoed through the forest.
Rumble!
The sun, which had been shining after the rain, suddenly disappeared.
Even though it was still morning, dark clouds began to gather.
"Is it going to rain again?" Yamanaka Hui looked up, but she quickly realized the problem. "No... there's a lot of Chakra in those clouds!"
It was that guy named Kurosuki Raiga!
Rumble!
Another clap of thunder.
A pale bolt of lightning lit up the sky.
It was a bolt of electricity that seemed capable of splitting the sky, twisting and falling from high above.
The speed of lightning was incredibly fast.
Unless someone had special observational abilities, like the Three-Tomoe Sharingan or Byakugan.
It was impossible to avoid.
And just after the lightning struck, the Earth Wall shattered.
Scattered fragments of earth flew everywhere.
Then, the figure of Kurosuki Raiga appeared, his twin swords pointing to the sky.
And... Sarutobi Ryo, still standing proudly in place.