Above Blackstone Outpost
A shadow descended silently from the sky.
Looking at the scene below, where the atmosphere was tense but the defense lines remained orderly, Ao Mei exhaled softly in relief. Since no conflict had erupted here, it meant that the other group of Mist ninja had not yet arrived as expected.
Now, as long as Sano Nobuhisa and his team could return before the enemy's arrival, the crisis would likely be averted.
On the Ground
Some Konoha ninjas noticed his arrival, and one by one, their gazes turned skyward.
Although Ao Mei initially intended to ignore them, he reconsidered after reflecting on the possibility of their role in resisting the Mist ninja attack later. Without hesitation, he descended.
The moment his feet touched the ground, a Konoha jonin appeared before him in a flash, having used the Body Flicker Technique.
As soon as the jonin arrived, he anxiously asked, "Ao Mei, how are things on your end?"
His voice carried urgency, tinged with both hope and apprehension.
Understanding what he was worried about, Ao Mei did not keep him in suspense and replied plainly, "Rest assured, Captain Moriki. The ambush was successful, and the enemy suffered heavy casualties. Captain Sano is leading his forces back as we speak."
"Phew~~~"
Hearing this, Moriki Tetsuichi let out a long sigh, his entire posture relaxing significantly.
Seeing this, Ao Mei frowned slightly. Concerned that the man might let his guard down, he shifted his tone and added, "That said, a portion of the enemy escaped and is currently advancing toward this outpost. It's still uncertain whether they will launch a direct assault. You must stay prepared."
"What?!"
This news jolted Moriki Tetsuichi, his expression immediately tensing.
Nearby, other Konoha ninjas who had been listening closely to their conversation also reacted with alarm, visibly raising their vigilance.
Observing their responses, Ao Mei silently nodded in satisfaction.
As the saying goes, "The last mile is always the hardest." Ao Mei wanted no slip-ups at such a critical juncture.
Satisfied that his words had sufficiently alerted them, Ao Mei answered Moriki's questions about the situation surrounding the enemy commander, Ayakiku Yasuda, in detail.
Even though Ayakiku's forces had sustained significant losses, the remaining Mist ninjas still posed a substantial threat to the Konoha defenders at Blackstone Outpost.
Moreover, intelligence suggested another Mist ninja group was on its way across the sea. If the two enemy factions were to converge and launch a coordinated attack, the outpost would be in dire straits.
The more Moriki pondered this, the grimmer his expression became.
Noticing his growing worry, Ao Mei felt compelled to moderate the tension to avoid undue stress leading to poor decisions. He reassured him, saying, "Don't worry. Two squads are tailing Ayakiku's forces, and Captain Sano has dispatched another unit, which is moving at full speed. It's unlikely the enemy will attack directly."
"Is that so?"
Hearing this, Moriki's expression, while still serious, eased slightly.
Seeing his response, Ao Mei knew his message had been delivered. Without further delay, he bid farewell, used Wind Release: Wind Wings to ascend back into the air, and flew toward the sea.
His objective? To locate the second Mist ninja group and assess their progress.
As the saying goes, "Know your enemy, and know yourself." With the advantage of Wind Release: Wind Wings, Ao Mei intended to gather as much intelligence as possible.
Additionally, he was curious to see whether the harassment teams dispatched by Sano Nobuhisa had successfully delayed the Mist ninjas.
Nearly half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Due to his high vantage point and unobstructed view, Ao Mei quickly located the second Mist ninja group. When he arrived, he discovered an ongoing skirmish.
On the ocean's surface, a few Mist ninjas had left their warships and were attacking a handful of Konoha ninjas.
Ao Mei recognized the beleaguered figures—members of the harassment squad Sano Nobuhisa had dispatched earlier.
However, Ao Mei was aware that this group was supposed to be larger.
Activating his Sharingan, he carefully surveyed the surroundings but found no trace of the remaining squad members. It was unclear whether they were lying in ambush or had already perished.
For now, he could only see the small group engaged in combat.
Judging by their abilities, these few would not be able to stop the Mist fleet from advancing.
Indeed, while the Mist ninjas had sent out several combatants to engage the Konoha squad, their main fleet continued to press forward without hesitation.
At their current pace, they were likely to reach the outskirts of Blackstone Outpost before Sano Nobuhisa and his forces could return.
If that happened, and Ayakiku's forces joined them, the outpost would face imminent disaster.
This scenario was one Ao Mei absolutely sought to prevent.
After weighing his options, Ao Mei sighed softly and muttered, "Looks like I'll have to step in after all."
With his decision made, Ao Mei wasted no time. Manipulating the chakra wings on his back, he dived toward the Mist ninjas encircling the Konoha squad at a speed of forty meters per second.
As for why he did not directly attack the Mist fleet?
The reason was simple—it was too dangerous.
Unlike the fleet two days prior, which had been sparsely manned and relatively weak, these ships were filled with well-trained Mist ninjas.
Attacking recklessly might not endanger his life, but it could result in unnecessary hardship.
Moreover, such an attack would only delay them temporarily, without inflicting significant damage. Ao Mei was not one to engage in thankless endeavors.
By first rescuing the Konoha ninjas, he would gain reinforcements. Even if they were just distractions to draw enemy attention, their presence would substantially reduce his risks and provide him with more opportunities.
Seizing those chances, he could potentially destroy one or two Mist warships, significantly disrupting their advance.
Wouldn't that be far more effective than mere harassment?
As Ao Mei launched into action, the Mist ninjas below finally noticed him.
Without Qing, the white-eyed ninja Ao Mei had eliminated earlier, even though Daisuke Yuki had stationed lookouts in the skies, the Mist forces detected him too late.
By the time they spotted him, he was already closing in on the fleet.
And by the time the lookouts reported this to Daisuke, there was little time to react.
This brief delay was all Ao Mei needed to finalize his plan and begin his assault.
Thus, as the Mist ninjas nervously prepared their defenses, Ao Mei swooped into the battle zone.
Shuriken!
Several shuriken whistled through the air.
A Mist chūnin sensed the threat and immediately broke away from attacking the Konoha ninjas, dodging to the side.
But this was exactly the moment Ao Mei had been waiting for.
As the chūnin moved, Ao Mei swiftly completed his hand signs, exhaling a torrent of flames to execute Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!
Though fire techniques were somewhat weakened in a marine environment, as long as the chakra input was sufficient, such limitations were negligible.
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