Chapter 73: Red Pepper Pill
The river water suddenly exploded.
The water mist mid-air carried a distinct purple hue under the moonlight.
Exploding poisonous fog traps were also set up on the ground along both riverbanks.
After the banging explosions, poison smoke enveloped the surroundings.
Kurozaru Squad was instantly shrouded in poisonous fog.
Salamander packs lived around Hidden Rain Village, and salamanders were highly toxic. Rain Ninja were accustomed to using poison, rivaling Hidden Sand Village puppet masters in poison expertise.
Everyone in Kurozaru Squad swallowed an antidote pill.
The Anbu-provided antidote was targeted at Stone Ninja poison; they hadn’t expected Rain Ninja participation, so the antidote wasn’t effective.
After breaking out of the poisonous fog, coughing sounds rose one after another in Kurozaru Squad.
“Cough cough!” Aries’s voice was full of apology as he said, “Sorry, Captain, I didn’t scout the enemies lurking in the river.”
Kurozaru said, “This isn’t your fault; capturing them alive took too much time! Cough cough! Retreat!
Cover the rear in sequence; we must bring back these 3 prisoners we captured!”
The people nearby ran with uneven steps, all affected by the toxin.
Yoru felt he was still okay.
The physique boost from his forest bloodline limit gave him higher poison resistance.
“Yagura Squad, cover the rear!”
The newly formed Yagura Squad stood their ground without hesitation and turned to cover the rear.
The other squads desperately fled.
Yoru looked back to see the poisoned Yagura Squad holding out for over ten seconds before being completely wiped out by Rain Ninja.
Before dying, they traded their lives for lives, killing five or six Rain Ninja.
The Rain Ninja continued chasing.
Kurozaru looked at Yoru, his eyes full of resolve.
Yoru understood Kurozaru Squad Leader’s idea.
He and Fox were the two strongest in the squad; he was to cover the rear with Fox to buy time for the prisoners and sensor ninja Aries and others.
If chased like this, everyone would grow weaker from the toxin and fail the mission.
Kurozaru Squad Leader was too eager to prove he had fully recovered, too eager to complete the mission.
Yoru nodded to Kurozaru, then turned to Purple Cat and said, “You three, carry the prisoners and keep going forward; from now on, follow Captain Aries’s commands!”
“Captain…” Purple Cat swallowed her words.
Anbu missions were always this brutal.
Yoru and Kurozaru stopped simultaneously and turned to face the Rain Ninja behind them.
Kurozaru steadied his breathing and took out a box.
Yoru looked over; it was the Akimichi Clan’s secret medicine, the three-color pills.
Kurozaru said, “Fox, you’ll assist me next.”
“Okay.”
Kurozaru skipped the blue soldier pill and took the fiercer yellow curry pill.
Sensing Fox’s confusion, Kurozaru said:
“The Rain Ninja toxin seems to exploit my body’s weakness; my newly healed leg is numb and itchy, with bones and muscles all aching badly.
Before my leg is ruined, I must defeat these Rain Ninja.”
Yoru nodded, understanding Kurozaru Squad Leader’s plan.
The crushing fracture had impacted Kurozaru Squad Leader’s combat power.
Yoru said, “Let’s go, Squad Leader, for your first mission after recovery.”
Kurozaru lifted a corner of his mask, swallowed the yellow curry pill, and said, “If I get injured again, I’ll probably have to retire. Fox, how does it feel to be Acting Squad Leader?”
“Captain, with Princess Tsunade at the front line, you won’t retire even if injured.”
Kurozaru said no more, focusing on the battle.
Visible chakra steam rose from his body.
“Partial Expansion Jutsu!”
His right hand instantly enlarged, the palm over ten meters wide, the arm stretching like a mallet.
The massive hand swept out, directly sending five Rain Ninja who couldn’t dodge flying.
Yoru seized the chance, throwing kunai to kill those Rain Ninja knocked unconscious.
Kurozaru turned into a massive human boulder, rolling toward the Rain Ninja.
The Rain Ninja Captain shouted, “Don’t be afraid! He’s poisoned by salamander toxin! He won’t last long! Wear him down!”
Under the Rain Ninja Captain’s command, the Rain Ninja scattered in all directions.
The human boulder charged back and forth among the Rain Ninja, its aura astonishing, but with diminishing results.
The Rain Ninja kept throwing exploding tags, blasting the human boulder.
Yoru circled the perimeter, seeking opportunities to strike.
One Rain Ninja, forced back by the human boulder, landed right in Yoru’s surroundings.
Earth Release: Earth Spear!
The Rain Ninja had just landed when he found his abdomen pierced by the earth spear.
He turned his head with difficulty and saw the Anbu wearing the fox mask, hands forming a rooster seal.
Yoru was very satisfied with the earth spear’s performance: few hand seals, a mid-range attack ninjutsu that didn’t require him to risk his body.
No wonder many ninja switched from taijutsu types to ninjutsu types once their chakra amount increased.
Mid-to-long-range ninjutsu greatly improved personal safety.
Taijutsu ninja were like dancing on knife edges; one mistake could mean severe injury.
The human boulder crushed back and forth over ten times, and with Yoru’s ninjutsu, they killed over ten Rain Ninja.
After the final human boulder charge, Kurozaru crashed to the ground gasping, his body shrinking.
Kurozaru Squad Leader’s fingernails had turned purple, a sign of severe toxin erosion.
Nearby Rain Ninja rushed at Kurozaru, some already drawing kunai and thousand steel needles.
“Water Style: Water Wall Jutsu!”
Yoru appeared in time, blocking the ninja tools for Kurozaru.
Kurozaru got a chance to breathe; he took out his last pill, the red pepper pill.
“Captain, are you going to burn all your fat…”
Kurozaru Squad Leader was going all out for the mission.
This was his final resort.
After swallowing the red pepper pill, visible chakra surged around Kurozaru.
The obese Kurozaru suddenly slimmed down, his frame lean but brimming with power.
Kurozaru Squad Leader’s combat power rose another level.
He sprang up and charged at the water wall jutsu.
The water wall jutsu had just fallen when the three Rain Ninja opposite hadn’t reacted, seeing a fist growing larger before them.
Yoru thought to himself that Kurozaru Squad Leader was too desperate to prove his worth, for the mission.
After a month recuperating, Kurozaru had heard rumors that Anbu High Command had considered removing him from Anbu.
But the Akimichi Clan needed to maintain their influence in Anbu. The Ino-Shika-Cho Clan had generational ties with the Sarutobi Clan, serving as witnesses and teachers for every Ino-Shika-Cho formation.
Kurozaru wouldn’t give up easily.
The battle instantly turned one-sided as Kurozaru massacred the Rain Ninja like a force of nature.
Taking advantage of the brief boost from burning fat chakra, Kurozaru charged straight at the last Rain Ninja Captain.
The Rain Ninja Captain took an umbrella ninja tool from his back.
Kurozaru was too fast; instead of blocking with the umbrella face, the Rain Ninja Captain opened the umbrella and swung it at Kurozaru from the side.
Kurozaru charged right into the Rain Ninja Squad Leader’s embrace.
The umbrella ninja tool also swung around to Kurozaru Squad Leader’s rear.
The Rain Ninja endured heavy injury and closed the umbrella ninja tool.
The over-one-meter-long umbrella bone spikes inside pierced into Kurozaru Squad Leader’s back from behind.
Yoru rushed forward at once, but it was too late.
The previously vanished Stone Ninja Squad Leader burst out, slashing his ninja sword at Kurozaru Squad Leader’s head.
As the Stone Ninja Squad Leader’s blade fell, Kurozaru blocked with his only movable arm outside the umbrella face.
Kurozaru Squad Leader’s sole right arm was severed by the ninja sword.
“Earth Release: Earth Spear!”
The earth spear pierced the Stone Ninja Squad Leader’s heart.
Yoru rushed over, killed the Rain Ninja Squad Leader whose entire body was fractured, and rescued the now armless Kurozaru from the umbrella ninja tool.
“Captain!”
Both arms lost, back pierced by steel needles, every wound spraying purple poisoned blood.
Captain Kurozaru had gone too far; for the Akimichi Clan, was it really worth it?
