Konoha Notes

Chapter 45 The Siege of Wasabi (Part 3)

The smoke and dust from the explosion mixed with the lingering moisture to form a chaotic barrier, giving Wasabi Jirocho a precious chance to catch his breath.

Without lingering in the fight, he took advantage of the chaos to quickly escape from the front yard.

Once they retreated to the relatively safe corridor area, the wasabi boss immediately showed his decisive and efficient side.

He suppressed the trembling in his heart and the grief and indignation he felt at witnessing the guards' tragic deaths, and ordered, "Immediately carry the seriously wounded away! Transfer them through the prepared secret passage! Everyone who can still move, prepare to evacuate!"

After arranging the emergency evacuation, Jirocho took a deep breath, changed out of his bloodstained clothes, took a clean outer robe, and walked steadily with a hint of imperceptible heaviness towards the corridor in the depths of the courtyard, half-hidden by bamboo shadows.

The blonde princess with a thousand hands sat cross-legged in the shadows of the corridor, her eyes slightly closed and her expression serene.

Chakra was continuously transmitted forward through the live slug on his shoulder. Jirocho stood respectfully to the side, not uttering a word to disturb him, until Tsunade slowly opened her amber eyes and her gaze fell on him.

"Lady Tsunade." Jirocho bowed slightly, returning the small, white slug with both hands, his movements filled with heartfelt gratitude. "Thank you for your help; this creature is now returned to its rightful owner."

He then quickly described the guards' injuries, focusing on the bizarre wounds caused by the terrifying black water: "...the wounds fester extremely quickly, and there seems to be something wriggling inside. Ordinary hemostatic powders are completely ineffective. Do you have any way to deal with this? Even a temporary relief would be helpful."

Tsunade frowned slightly.

"That's not just water."

"It's insects. An extremely tiny swarm of poisonous insects. The battle is too intense right now to handle them precisely."

She pointed to an inconspicuous wooden cabinet in the corner of the corridor. "There are emergency wound medications in the cabinet. As for the wounds caused by the 'black water'..." Her gaze shifted to a sealed ceramic jar next to the cabinet. "The jar on the left contains a potent insecticidal ointment. Remember, apply it with a clean cotton cloth or gauze. Never touch the wound or the ointment directly with your hands!"

"Understood! I am extremely grateful, Lady Tsunade!" Jirocho thanked her solemnly and immediately summoned the servants waiting outside the corridor, explaining the medicine and precautions to them one by one.

After doing all this, he turned to Tsunade again, lowering his voice to a questioning tone: "Lady Tsunade, in your opinion, given the current situation... should the Wasabi family prepare for the worst?"

"It all depends on whether Shuuji can get back in time," Tsunade said, offering her assessment. "It will be difficult for Shizune and those two children to hold this place. Even if they can hold it off for a while, it's hard to guarantee its safety."

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man remained silent for a moment.

“The Wasabi family has no reason to be reluctant to give up a manor,” he said decisively. “I will arrange for all personnel to evacuate through the secret passage immediately and move to a safe base outside the city!”

He bowed deeply to Tsunade, "Thank you again for your help, Lady Tsunade. Excuse me!"

After saying this, Jiro turned and strode away.

Upon finding the chief retainer who was directing the evacuation of the wounded, Jirocho's order was concise: "Execute the evacuation plan immediately! All wounded, women, and children must be evacuated to the outpost outside the city via the secret passage! Be quick!"

Upon hearing this, the elder's face showed reluctance: "Master, you..."

Jirocho raised his hand to interrupt, his eyes sharp as knives: "I'll stay. Also, select a few volunteers to stay and cover our retreat!"

The elder said urgently, "You are the pillar of the Wasabi family! Leave the rearguard matters to me and the guards! You must..."

"Shut up!" Jirocho shouted, his voice like a thunderclap, carrying an undeniable authority that instantly silenced the elders' attempts to dissuade him.

He stared directly at the other man, each word ringing out firmly: "This is the responsibility of the head of the household! Do you expect me to abandon my subordinates, abandon the guests who came to help, and run away first? If I die, someone will naturally take my place!" The elder looked at the unwavering determination in Jirocho's eyes, his lips moved a few times, and finally he let out a heavy sigh, bowing his head deeply: "...Yes, sir."

Jirocho said no more and turned to walk towards the weapons rack.

He took down a well-maintained, stiff bow, tested the tension of the bowstring, and then brought out a sealed, heavy wooden box from the inner chamber. Opening the box, he found dozens of explosive talismans neatly stacked inside, each covered with sealing runes.

He personally distributed the detonating tags. "Follow me," he whispered, leading the men quickly up a watchtower within the manor with a relatively open view. From...
From here, one can vaguely overlook the battle in the front yard, and it is also the choke point that blocks the road to the inner courtyard.

The battlefield in the front yard.

As Jirocho and his guards withdrew, the area became much more spacious and less restrictive.

Red Bean was panting heavily. The soreness and numbness in her arms eased slightly under the warmth transmitted by the live slug, but the exertion from fighting the beastman was still enormous.

She looked at the warriors who were closing in again, her fighting spirit still burning, and she was about to grit her teeth and charge forward once more.

"Red Bean, step back! Let me handle this!" Shizune stood in front of Red Bean. She could clearly see that Red Bean's strength and weaponry were at a significant disadvantage against their opponent, and if they continued to fight, the consequences would be unpredictable.

As the oldest ninja in the team, she had to bear the greatest pressure at this moment.

"Senior Shizune, I..." Hongdou was somewhat unwilling, but seeing Shizune's serious eyes, she finally understood that this was not the time to be stubborn.

"That gourd cloak is yours!" Jingyin spoke rapidly, her sharp gaze sweeping over Shui Shi, who was carrying the gourd and whose aura was murky beneath the cloak. "His magic is very strange, so be careful."

The opponent's attempt to switch players did not faze Jubei in the slightest. He remained motionless, but his overwhelming killing intent locked onto Shizune, who was blocking his way, and Anko, who was on his flank!
"Corpse Erosion!" The Beast Guard's icy gaze fell upon the man whose left arm bandage was soaked with dark red blood. "Don't let the rats get away! Chase them down and kill them all!"

Skeleton's murky left eye, as lifeless as a dead fish's, shifted slightly, its gaze fixed on the direction the guards had retreated—deep within the inner quarters. His intact right hand reached once more towards the blood-stained bandages, as if to pull out the deadly, pale bone blade from them again.

Just as the skeleton's attention was diverted!

A short figure took the initiative to meet the erosion!

The kunai, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, pierced straight at the exposed arm joint of the skeleton!
His movements faltered slightly, and he had to withdraw his right hand to block the tricky attack.

My body is very light, and I don't feel any strain when using the Sharingan.

It can stop this ninja.

Itachi was certain.

However, just as Itachi was fully focused on intercepting the Corpse Erosion, and Shizune and Anko were restrained by Jubei's powerful aura and their vision was obstructed by the smoke and fierce battle—

The figure shrouded in a wide oilcloth cloak, carrying a huge brown gourd, silently took a half step back, like a ghost blending into the shadows. The huge gourd on his shoulder tilted slightly, and a thin, almost imperceptible stream of black liquid, almost blending into the dust on the ground, seeped silently from under the hem of his cloak and quickly seeped into the cracks of the bluestone slabs beneath his feet.

His true form, hidden beneath the cloak, faded and disappeared eerily, like smoke blown away by the wind, taking advantage of the chaos created by his companions' battle and the blind spots in his vision. It did not cause any obvious chakra fluctuations or sounds, as if it had never existed.

　Based on reader feedback, long reading sessions on mobile phones were uncomfortable, so we made some minor adjustments in the hopes of providing a better reading experience.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)