Chapter 86: Energy Weapons
The mountain wilderness felt especially cool at night, though swarms of mosquitoes were abundant. Fortunately, Coulson had brought insect repellent, sparing them from becoming mosquito bait deep in the mountains.
The three Uchiha had no such concerns. As members of a long-established ninja clan, they never lacked basic survival supplies in the wild. The specialized insect repellent was a commercial product meticulously developed by the Uchiha clan—after all, when it came to insect issues, the Uchiha were the true experts.
The reason it was a commercial product was, of course, because the high-grade version was the Uchiha clan's secret. Only the commercial version was an open secret among the Leaf Village ninja clans.
Before bed, Uchiha Tanaka meticulously set up a trap—one that even Coulson couldn't decipher.
"Are these traps even useful? And what are these talisman-like things? Some kind of Eastern curse?"
Coulson felt his own ignorance. Did setting traps really require talismans? That seemed absurd.
"Explosive tags. Don't touch them. They'll blow you straight to kingdom come." Seeing Coulson's curiosity, Uchiha Tanaka specifically warned him, not wanting to risk embarrassing themselves by blowing up their own people. For ordinary folks, getting caught in the blast would be a death sentence.
"Alright, Chasing Wind will be on duty. Just sleep soundly." Uchiha Tanaka knew Chasing Wind's capabilities well. Besides, the ninja cat's natural nighttime advantages would amplify its effectiveness, making any worries unnecessary.
Amidst the mountainous chirping of insects, the Uchiha group soon drifted off to sleep. Only Coulson found it difficult to rest. Sleeping outdoors like this was something he hadn't experienced in a long time, and it felt decidedly unfamiliar.
In the darkness, the ninja cat Chui Feng's black fur blended seamlessly with the night, only a pair of glowing green eyes piercing the darkness.
"Meow~ Enemy attack!" Chase Wind's warning jolted everyone awake.
"Where?" Having just fallen asleep, Coulson already had his M16A2 rifle raised, but he saw nothing.
"Are you sure? No mistake?" Coulson had even put on his night vision goggles, but after scanning the area, he still saw nothing.
"Enemy at 700 meters, 3 o'clock bearing." Chase Wind responded with certainty.
Coulson was speechless. Even S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top-tier night vision gear could only observe targets around 300 meters away. The enemy was far beyond effective range—no wonder the goggles were useless.
"Hold on. We'll set up an ambush based on their position." Coulson knew his weapons couldn't possibly hit targets at 700 meters in the dark. Even in daylight, hitting that distance required near-superhuman marksmanship.
"Chasing Wind, you guys take the lead on the ambush!"
"Got it, meow~"
Chasing Wind and the other two ninja cats swiftly vanished into the grass. In the darkness, they were like ghosts.
"BOOM!" Someone nearby triggered the trap set by Uchiha Tanaka. The detonation symbol ignited instantly. Before the two could even scream, they were blown to pieces.
"Watch out! Ambush! Where's the mine detector? Get it ready now!" Clearly, the enemy had realized they'd stepped into a trap. Though the detonation pattern differed from a landmine explosion, the leader couldn't overlook any possibility.
The mine detector was ready, and the group resumed their slow, encircling advance.
"BOOM!" Another detonator exploded. This time it was even more spectacular—a chain trap. One detonator triggered a cascade reaction.
Then came a deafening roar of explosions.
Amid waves of screams and wails, countless were killed outright. At least five or six suffered severed limbs. A squad of over twenty men was instantly halved.
However, Uchiha Tanaka's traps were now nearly depleted. It must be said that these elite soldiers had suffered a severe setback when confronted with explosive tags from the ninja world.
"Captain? What now?"
The captain grabbed the bloodied flesh smeared across his face, inwardly cursing his luck. With so many men dead, this mercenary job was bound to be a financial loss.
"Retreat! Retreat!" Having suffered over half their force before even encountering the main target, the captain knew the importance of cutting losses quickly.
Unfortunately, the initiative was no longer in their hands.
With a loud bang, several bullets whizzed past the captain's feet. Everyone immediately hit the ground. A jet-black shuriken skimmed the grass tips and pierced a member's throat clean through. The captain's eyes widened as he watched the man's throat shredded, gurgling helplessly before dying right before his eyes.
"Damn it! What is this?"
Chasing Wind lunged forward, his claws slicing through a mercenary's throat. The carotid artery ruptured instantly, spurting blood several meters away.
"What is this?!" Three ninja cats darted through the crowd like ghosts, striking at the mercenaries' eyes and throats—their most vulnerable points—the moment opportunity arose.
Just as Chase Wind prepared to press the attack, a composed-looking man kicked him flying.
"Meow~?" Chase Wind executed a hawk-like somersault, landing smoothly. Yet the force of that kick was considerable, leaving him wounded.
How could an ordinary human possess such speed? Chasing Wind knew well that among common folk, almost no one could match a ninja cat. Cats were naturally gifted with agility, and ninja cats further harnessed chakra for explosive speed. Anyone capable of keeping pace with a ninja cat's movements at this moment simply couldn't be ordinary.
"Earth Release—Mind Severing!" Uchiha Shota reacted with lightning speed. The moment he saw the peculiar, reinforced branch in the man's hand glow with a ghostly blue light, he used Earth Release to pull Chasing Wind underground.
A flash of blue light erupted, and where Chasing Wind had stood moments before was now a gaping pit.
Fortunately, Uchiha Shota's reflexes were sharp enough. Otherwise, Chasing Wind would have been obliterated by that blue light.
Uchiha Shota, who had charged ahead, breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, he'd trusted his instincts just now; otherwise, his Chui Feng would have been obliterated outright.
"That's terrifying. What kind of weapon instantly wiped out that entire patch of land? It's practically a miniature Dust Release technique." Seeing the massive crater on the ground, Chui Feng realized Uchiha Shota had risked his life to save him just now.
"Chasing Wind, go signal Tanaka, Sachiko, and Coulson behind us—especially Coulson. Don't come over lightly."
What they'd thought was a routine ambush had revealed a devastating weapon within their own ranks.
The mercenary captain shot the man a bitter glance, realizing this job was riddled with problems.
"This isn't what we agreed on! Your intelligence is wildly inaccurate! We must retreat immediately!"
The man calmly pointed his gun at the captain. "Continue the assault. Either they die, or we die. My people are still in the group. If you try to run, you won't even know how you died."
"You!" The captain finally snapped to his senses, but it was too late. He was trapped in a no-win situation, with no chance to escape.
Hidden in the distance, Uchiha Shota tentatively fired a shuriken. Hearing the whistling wind, the man shifted his body, dodging the blade.
The shuriken struck the large tree behind him squarely, shaking loose a shower of leaves.
Now the man understood his opponent was no ordinary foe. A cold weapon packing that kind of force could only mean he was another "super soldier."
Just as the standoff intensified, Coulson finally arrived. Yes, poor Coulson had been dragged over by Uchiha Tanaka and Uchiha Sachiko. His pace was simply too slow. He couldn't hold a candle to a ninja's footwork.
"Why are you guys so fast?" Coulson was already panting.
"Mr. Agent, you ask too many questions. How about we deal with the enemy first?"