=============
30+ chapters: patreon.com/Reborn_noob
This chapter was sponsored by the GOAT Facon_227
============
Yuta discovered that the mutated earthworms were not only on the shore but also beneath the riverbed, and those were more numerous and significantly larger.
At this time, the ground along the riverbank was bulging with mounds, ranging from half a meter to a full meter in width.
Periodically, enormous earthworms would erupt from the earth, only to be swiftly dispatched by the ninja who had been on alert.
Just as the ninja responsible for the area were culling the earthworms on the shore, Yuta suddenly noticed movement beneath the riverbed.
Strips of raised soil were rapidly extending towards the bank, their speed comparable to that of an average Chūnin, and the width of these bulges exceeded one meter, with some reaching up to two meters.
"Fall back quickly!" Yuta, realizing the impending danger, immediately shouted a warning.
However, the ninja were perplexed and glanced back at Yuta and the children. Seeing the youngsters following Yuta, they assumed he was asking the children to retreat for fear of being harmed by the earthworms.
Seeing the ninja still standing their ground, Yuta didn't hesitate. He directly instructed Nawaki and the others to leave at once.
Before Nawaki and the others could take more than a few steps, the colossal mutant earthworms beneath the riverbed surged onto the riverbank.
"Boom!" With a series of deafening roars, the ground, saturated with mud and river water, instantly burst outwards as if pierced by a giant kunai, collapsing into the river and creating massive waves.
Large cavities opened in the ground, and immense earthworms erupted from these holes, with the portions extending above ground easily exceeding ten meters in length.
"This… what is this?! How could such a thing exist here?" The ninja closest to these monstrous earthworms felt the overwhelming, oppressive aura they exuded most intensely.
This time, no reminder was needed from Yuta. The onlookers immediately scattered and fled in terror, while the ninja swiftly employed ninjutsu to prevent the earthworms from reaching the fleeing crowd.
"Retreat! Retreat quickly! There are still many below!" At this moment, Yuta sensed a dense network of mounds rising beneath the riverbed.
While these individual bulges were not as wide as the previous ones, their sheer number was alarming. He shouted again at the ninja who were attempting to contain the earthworms on the shore.
This time, no one mistook Yuta's warning for concern for the children. The ninja simultaneously formed hand seals.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
"Boom!" The Earth Flow Wall, executed by several ninja in unison, was indeed a spectacular sight. A wall approximately fifty meters long and three meters high rapidly ascended from the ground.
But Yuta was so frustrated he almost laughed. With the speed at which these earthworms burrowed underground, such a ninjutsu would be utterly ineffective!
"Stop dawdling! Retreat immediately. You cannot stop those earthworms with that!"
Yuta had already rushed to the side of these ninja and urged the leading one to act.
These ninja all recognized Yuta. After all, the father of the triplets was quite famous.
Moreover, he was one of Konohagakure's Twin Stars, the Silver Fox of Konoha, and had even defeated the legendary Hanzō of the ninja world just a few days prior.
"Jōnin Yuta, what about these monsters?"
Seeing that the leading ninja was still hesitant, Yuta couldn't help but shout, "Get out of here quickly and don't obstruct us!" After that, he disregarded the hesitant ninja.
Yuta clasped his hands together.
"Earth Release Technique: Open Earth Rise!"
A colossal, volcano-like earthen hill rapidly rose from the riverbank and the shallow waters of the river. With a violent eruption from its crater, enormous earthworms were ejected from the ground, soaring directly into the sky.
The writhing earthworms in the air resembled dragons dancing in the heavens from a distance, the only difference being their overwhelming number.
"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Technique!"
At this moment, the Uchiha clan members responsible for the village's security finally arrived. Upon witnessing the scene, they immediately understood that this was not the time for inquiries.
A dozen Uchiha simultaneously performed Fire Release techniques, their fiery projectiles swiftly ascending into the sky, directly incinerating the earthworms that had been launched upwards. The earthworms, already disoriented by their sudden ascent, thrashed even more violently as they were engulfed in flames.
"Yuta, what transpired here?" The leading Uchiha asked Yuta, his expression stern. How could such an incident occur during his watch?
"Ah, Uchiha! You have finally arrived. I have no idea what happened. I was preparing to bring my students and children here for training, but as you can see… such terrible luck!" Yuta feigned innocence.
"Then please hold your position for a moment while we deal with these creatures first."
Seeing that he would gain no further information from Yuta, the Uchiha immediately issued an order to the remaining guards.
"Go and evacuate the civilians immediately! The rest of you, eliminate these earthworms as quickly as possible!"
The Uchiha were considerably more powerful than ordinary ninja. With Yuta's initial intervention, they managed to eliminate all the airborne earthworms in a short time.
As Yuta released his Earth Release technique, he noticed a group of figures rapidly approaching from a distance.
"What occurred here? Why is there such a significant commotion?"
Leading the group was the Sandaime, who had come to provide support after hearing the commotion. Observing the lifeless earthworms scattered across the ground, he looked at Yuta with a serious expression.
"I am unsure myself. I only returned today and was planning to bring Nawaki and the others here for training when this happened," Yuta said with a shrug.
"Teacher, you are here as well."
Tsunade followed, wearing a ninja vest that lent her a heroic air.
She had been in the process of settling the Uzumaki clan members when she suddenly heard the commotion and realized it originated from the area where Nawaki frequently caught earthworms.
She knew this because of the extra gambling money she seemed to acquire daily—a clear indication that her younger brother still provided her with a steady income.
Worried about his safety, she had rushed over immediately upon hearing the disturbance.
"The situation is still unclear at the moment. We need to investigate further. How could something like this appear here?"
The Sandaime Hokage watched the ninja he had brought carefully examine the corpses of the earthworms, taking a deep puff from his pipe. It was evident that he was in a foul mood.
After all, such a significant event had transpired near the village, and the ninja responsible for perimeter security had failed to detect it. It would be surprising if he were in a good mood. Fortunately, no casualties had been inflicted upon the villagers.
But now was not the time to dwell on these failures. The immediate priority was to determine the cause of this sudden proliferation of mutant earthworms.
As time passed, more and more ninja gathered at the scene. No one noticed that after a Root operative within the crowd observed the situation, his expression changed abruptly, and he hastily departed, disappearing towards an unknown location.
"Hokage-sama, preliminary inspection reveals the presence of chakra within the bodies of these earthworms. However, the method of its formation remains unclear and requires further analysis."
At this time, an Anbu operative reported to the Sandaime Hokage.
"Very well. Thank you for your efforts. You should then immediately commence a thorough investigation into this matter and report your findings to me as soon as you ascertain the cause. You are dismissed."
"Yes, sir!"
Subsequently, the Anbu had the majority of the earthworm corpses incinerated, retaining only a few for more detailed examination.
Seeing that the immediate crisis had been averted, the Sandaime Hokage cast a profound look at Yuta.
He did not believe that Yuta was genuinely ignorant of the underlying cause of today's events.
However, he did not intend to pursue the matter further. After all, Yuta was now a significant asset to the village.
As long as his actions did not directly threaten Konohagakure, Hiruzen could afford to feign ignorance.