Revolution in the Ninja World

What was blasted out of the explosive tag's range wasn't a living person, nor a corpse, but a section of log with scattered sparks and nearly completely carbonized… a log used for the Substitution Technique.

This was to be expected. It was hard to imagine a Jonin being taken down by a single explosive tag, even though Habara's timing for the "sneak attack" was impeccable. However, tricks were ultimately just tricks.

Having ensured that Konoha's key intelligence wouldn't be leaked, the defeated Konoha ninjas now only needed to consider one thing: how to escape from the battlefield. After the failed mission and loss of their leader, they focus on escape.

"Mission failed! Disperse and retreat! Regroup at the front-line camp!" Izayo released her grip on her kunai and stood up before speaking. Whether it was out of compassion or guilt, she couldn't bring herself to look down at her brother again.

However, dispersed retreat didn't mean the Konoha ninjas should scatter like birds and flee in panic. To retreat without collapsing into a rout, they had to maintain a squad formation.

Fleeing alone would only make them easy targets for the enemy. Only by moving as a squad, as a group, was there a slight chance of escape… although that chance was very low.

By this time, Nindo was already dead, and Izayo had automatically taken over command of the team. So, Daigo, hidden in the rear, immediately relayed her command without hesitation.

The death of the commander didn't mean the annihilation of the forward squads. Otherwise, the person appearing before Habara and the others wouldn't have been one enemy, but four. The fighting was still ongoing at the front, though the Konoha side had already effectively lost. Konoha was using this squad as disposable, but highly valuable, assets to try to eliminate a high value target.

Because Konoha's higher-ups had already sent this task with a message "Go and die if you must."

After relaying the retreat order, Daigo was the first to start moving backward. Habara, Nobuyoshi, and Izayo provided cover as they moved, maintaining a high level of vigilance and retreating cautiously.

Would the enemy pursue them?

Undoubtedly, yes.

After retreating a certain distance, Izayo and Nobuyoshi would bury an explosive tag in a shallow layer of soil. After ensuring that their own side wouldn't be affected by the blast and carefully changing their retreat direction, they would detonate these tags, seeming to try using the sound and smoke from the explosions to mask their escape route.

During this tense escape, Habara began to think about other issues. Namely, whether he should take this opportunity to flee from Konoha… Although the risk was considerable, this was indeed an opportunity.

But since he was on the battlefield and at an absolute disadvantage, the enemy wouldn't give Habara any time to weigh the risks and benefits.

With a buzzing sound, several shuriken pierced through the smoke, and some were aimed toward Habara. Habara instinctively defends. The enemy ninja appears, bypassing Habara, to target Daigo.

Habara practically watched as the enemy bypassed him and rushed towards Daigo, who was further ahead.

A deep sense of helplessness washed over him, and this helplessness further triggered his "helpless when facing imminent death PTSD". So, the question was, how should this reborn person live his new life? He decides to intercept the Kumo-nin.

As a human being, one should naturally be kind when kindness is called for, selfish when selfishness is necessary; resolute when resoluteness is needed, and sharp when sharpness is required; persistent when persistence is appropriate, and willing to let go when it's time to give up…

Now was definitely not the time to give up. Habara's new moral compass, informed by his past life's trauma.

Even if Habara wanted to flee from Konoha, he shouldn't flee from Konoha now.

In short, run.

In fact, the body was often more honest than the mind. While Habara was still having random thoughts in his head, he had already turned around and started sprinting! Habara chases down the Kumo-nin and temporarily restrains him with his magnet release.

He tells Daigo to flee. The Kumo nin activates his Raiton armor.

The Kumo ninja, covered in lightning, easily broke free. Just as Habara was about to be struck by the lightning, something happened. A bolt of lightning, moving with high speed and agile "footwork," struck from behind and pierced through Habara's right shoulder.

The intense pain makes Habara injured, but not defeated. Daigo tries to help Habara, slowing them both down. Nobuyoshi stays behind.

Nobuyoshi was no match for the enemy, especially since his right arm had already lost its mobility. In fact, he couldn't even delay the enemy's pursuit. He is about to die when the Kumo-nin's gaze turns toward something in the forest.

"What is this chakra strength? Konoha reinforcements?"

Buzz!

"Wha—" Habara, now transformed with Curse Mark, appears and knocks out the Kumo-nin.

A figure shot out from the front like a bolt of lightning. His rapidly moving body even pulled the surrounding air, creating a slight vortex around him.

The Kumo ninja had no time to react at all. In a flash, that figure had already leaped high over Nobuyoshi's head. Then, a horizontally extended leg blocked the Kumo ninja's eyes, followed by a sudden and violent impact!

Boom!

The immense force caused the Kumo ninja's neck to bend at a bizarre angle. Then, pulled by his head, his upright body instantly went from 90 degrees to zero, and he fell to the ground.

Unfortunately, the ground beneath his feet wasn't soft soil, but a hard rock base. So, his head suffered a brutal secondary impact, like a dropped watermelon.

Nobuyoshi, who had just been waiting for death, was somewhat incredulous at this scene. After the Kumo ninja collapsed, he instinctively turned his gaze to the person who had knocked down the enemy…

It was Habara?

But compared to just now, Habara's current state was clearly different. His skin was covered with long, thin, dark red lines. It seemed like these lines covered his entire body.

Performance art? A special tattoo?

No, these were traces of natural energy erosion. Nobuyoshi recovers the Kumo-nin's head. Izayo and Daigo return. Izayo is shocked by the sudden change and questions Habara.

"This is…"

Izayo saw the dramatic change in the battle, and she couldn't help but turn her gaze to Habara.

Habara's appearance was very different from before. Even without seeing the battle just now, Izayo knew that what had just happened was most likely Habara's doing.

"Can you explain what's going on?" she asked.

"Actually, I don't know what's going on either… Before joining this squad, I was Orochimaru-sama's test subject. I don't know what kind of modifications I underwent, but I'm certain I was modified." Habara had no need and no way to give a more detailed explanation. The three words "Orochimaru-sama" provided enough persuasive power.

And based on Habara's own speculation, his current condition was an additional phenomenon caused by a large amount of natural energy directly acting on his body. Although his physical abilities had been greatly enhanced, it was clearly an abnormal state…

This certainly wasn't Sage Mode. Sage Mode was the type where the more you fought, the more energetic you became, and your strength would even continue to increase during the battle. Habara was now more like someone who had taken a stimulant.

But there was a key question. When a large amount of chakra entered Habara's body, he didn't turn to stone. Based on this phenomenon, he immediately had two guesses: First, although Sage Mode was generally consistent, the specific modes were different, and Mount Myoboku was just one of them; Second, this was Jugo's influence. Natural energy could be stuffed into that guy's body.

The previous experiment had indeed caused some kind of invisible influence on him. Although what was on him wasn't a Cursed Seal, but something more primitive than a Cursed Seal, it was clear that it produced an effect somewhat similar to a Cursed Seal.

As expected, after hearing Orochimaru's name, the three of them showed expressions of understanding… This indicated that Orochimaru's reputation in this area had already begun to spread among Konoha ninjas, and it also indicated that Orochimaru might not be able to stay in Konoha much longer.

"So, how can this state be eliminated?" Izayo asked again.

In her view, Habara was currently in an uncontrolled state. The unknown power was surprising, but not enviable, because he would inevitably pay a heavy price.

"I don't know. Let's get out of this forest first," Habara said.

Based on common sense, this densely wooded place must be abundant in natural energy. So, the first thing to do was to leave.

They couldn't stay here for long anyway. This place was still very dangerous.

By this time, the wound on Habara's shoulder had begun to slowly heal. At the same time, he might have used too much force when he attacked the enemy, causing a severe tearing pain in his thigh. But now, this feeling was also subsiding.

Since Habara seemed to be in no major trouble for the time being, the squad decisively continued their retreat. This time, the enemy didn't pursue them again. Several hours later, they reached the area under Konoha's actual control, and the environment became relatively safe.

Then, the squad chose to stop and rest, after all, there were two injured members in the squad.

After leaving the forest and resting for a while, the natural energy erosion lines on Habara's body began to fade. Or, more accurately, as his chakra levels began to recover, he also began to gradually return to his normal state.

Then, he felt an indescribable, severe exhaustion. Simply put, he felt completely drained, his muscles were sore, and his head throbbed. By the time the lines on his body had completely disappeared, he could only lie flat on the ground… It looked similar to the result of Kakashi overusing his Sharingan.

It could only be said that although Habara's "transformation" just now was very powerful, it couldn't be used as a skill. It could only be considered a very unstable "passive."

Looking back at the previous battle, Habara, who had come to the battlefield, was actually closer to an ordinary person than a ninja. He had no combat techniques at all and belonged to the type used to make up the numbers… Saying his combat power was 50 was indeed an overestimation.

Being able to escape death, defeat the enemy, and complete the mission was due to luck and chance.

Leaving aside his unstable physical abilities, even Magnet Release was a very powerful attack method under normal circumstances. If Habara had undergone some professional and systematic training, he would definitely have possessed a certain degree of combat power.

What's more, Habara likely possessed a "special Magnet Release", but he just didn't know how to use it well.

He had realized his shortcomings, experienced what it felt like to have double A's in speed and strength, and cleared away some of the confusion in his mind after coming to this world… Habara had gained quite a bit after experiencing a battle.

In short, although this operation was very dangerous, the losses were heavy, and the result was lucky, as ninjas who had completed the mission, Habara and the others could return to the Konoha front-line camp with their heads held high.

But that would have to wait until Habara regained basic mobility.

Three days later, Habara was able to stand on his own two feet, and the squad finally began to return to the camp.