Chapter 055: An Unstoppable Force

Night had fallen, yet the hot spring street of Hailian Town remained ablaze with lights, the radiance unable to disperse the dense mist and the tension seeping through it. Who could have imagined that the strongest ninja squad from the Hidden Leaf and the most elite team from the Hidden Mist were, at this very moment, locked in fierce battle within this seemingly tranquil town?

“Ten o’clock direction, distance two hundred, elevation fifty! There’s an ambush in the bushes!” Sakura reported the firing coordinates with calm precision.

Naruto immediately adjusted the mortar, firing a shell toward the designated target. The shell traced a graceful arc through the air, landing with pinpoint accuracy in the enemy’s hiding place among the shrubs.

There was a thunderous explosion. The bushes were blasted apart, revealing several ragged Mist ninja.

“One o’clock direction, distance five hundred, elevation twenty, two enemies lurking behind Sasuke, preparing to ambush him!”

Naruto, operating the spiritual energy mortar, watched the sight with unwavering eyes, his hands moving swiftly to load and fire the ammunition.

Shells sealed with chakra crystals of various attributes spun within the barrel, gathering momentum. He could select the appropriate shells based on the shifting battlefield, launching attacks as needed.

Under Sakura’s direction, he bombarded the concealed foes, sending them sprawling and disrupting their formations. At the same time, he supported his comrades with special chakra shells: just now, he’d fired a wind-natured chakra shell to amplify the power of Sasuke’s Fireball Jutsu, tripling its force. Another shell infused with Yin Release chakra was sent to Kakashi, replenishing his reserves so he could use the Sharingan without restraint.

Sakura felt a sense of accomplishment unlike any she’d ever known.

She had once feared she’d only drag her teammates down, her own abilities too meager to make any real difference on the battlefield. All she possessed was the knowledge gleaned from the ninja academy.

Never could she have imagined that, with Naruto’s help, she would become so invaluable.

Through the basic artillery consultant set, Sakura observed every detail of the battlefield, relaying the enemy’s positions and movements to Naruto with flawless accuracy. Naruto, in turn, unleashed devastating barrages, leaving the enemy unable to mount any meaningful resistance.

With a roar, a violent gale erupted.

Sasuke had just finished a volley with his steam crossbow and was reloading when the enemy’s movements interrupted him. He was considering whether to use the Divine Suspension Blade to break through the encirclement, when the sudden hurricane intervened like a stroke of genius.

“Knowing Naruto, as well as we coordinate, he isn’t usually so considerate or bold in his support.”

Sasuke glanced back at the two figures on the rooftop, firing shell after shell. In his heart, he thought: “Such meticulous thought... Is that Haruno Sakura? Well done.”

Reloading, Sasuke once more melted into the mist like a phantom. His Sharingan eyes gleamed with a sinister crimson light, discerning every move the enemy made. A slight tilt of his head and he evaded a sneaky attack from behind by a Mist ninja.

He turned.

The attacker saw only, suspended in midair, two scarlet wheels spinning rapidly, each with three tomoe swirling within the blood-red sun.

Damn! The Sharingan!

That was the last coherent thought the Mist ninja had before his consciousness blurred. The world around him twisted and warped, transforming into a nightmare realm teeming with monstrous fiends.

He was sucked into an endless nightmare, where only the ceaseless swing of his blade brought the faintest sliver of safety.

To onlookers, the Mist shinobi had gone mad, slashing wildly at everything around him, shrieking in incomprehensible gibberish.

The other Mist ninja, seeing those blood-red eyes gleaming in the fog, felt both envy and dread—none dared approach.

“It’s useless. Stop struggling! Your actions are already laid bare before my eyes!” Sasuke declared coldly. “Shrewdness or cunning, nothing in this world can deceive these eyes!”

Though they knew, rationally, not to meet the Sharingan’s gaze, Sasuke’s words provoked an instinctive reaction among the Mist ninja.

And in that instant, they were all ensnared.

In the blink of an eye, half the Mist ninja had fallen prey to Sasuke’s genjutsu, suddenly turning on their own allies. The other half, though not directly affected by the illusion, were left in utter disarray.

“Heh, heh... Hahahahahaha!”

Feeling the Yin chakra surge into his eyes, replenishing his ocular power, Sasuke couldn’t suppress a triumphant, skyward laugh.

“This is the power of the Uchiha! This is the might of these eyes! Hahahaha—!”

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Kakashi and Mei Terumi were locked in fierce combat. Their figures flickered in and out of the mist, offense and defense interwoven in a deadly dance.

Drawing on his wealth of combat experience and a dazzling array of taijutsu and ninjutsu, Kakashi held his own against the unpredictable and versatile Mei Terumi.

Hearing Sasuke’s wild laughter, Mei was incredulous.

“Does everyone who has the Sharingan become this... uninhibited?” she managed after a pause.

“No, only he’s like that,” Kakashi answered, not daring to admit otherwise, as he too bore a Sharingan.

“You’re strong, White Fang’s successor of the Leaf!” Mei shifted the topic. “But the will of the Hidden Mist is not so easily broken! I will allow nothing to threaten the safety of our village!”

If you’re so determined to protect the Hidden Mist, why are you here in the Land of Hot Water?

Kakashi was at a loss for words.

He offered no reply, only redoubled his assault on Mei. He knew there was no room for conversation. Only by defeating this madwoman could he thwart the Hidden Mist’s ambush. He would not allow Mei to jeopardize his mission.

The battle did not last long. Kakashi’s team began to wrap things up.

Naruto’s bombardments were precise and relentless. Sasuke’s illusions plunged the enemy into chaos. Sakura, with her artillery consultant kit, provided Naruto with flawless targeting data, ensuring every shot struck true.

By now, Mei Terumi realized she had gravely misjudged Kakashi’s squad. The three genin across from her possessed astonishing strength, and not even her elite Mist ninja could match them.

At this point, Naruto and Sasuke had become the greatest threats to her subordinates.

Her foremost priority was no longer to probe the true nature of the target under Kakashi’s protection. Now, all that mattered was getting her people out alive. She had to escape Kakashi’s relentless pursuit, drive back Sasuke, and dismantle Naruto’s firepower platform.

Yet, that was easier said than done.

The reason was Kakashi himself.