Chapter 66: How to Breach the Fortress?

“Captain, I feel like there’s something wrong with this tree—there are so many holes in it!”

“Idiot, that’s the work of woodpeckers!”

“What’s a woodpecker?”

“Should I buy you an illustrated encyclopedia for children?”

The group’s startled shouts had Bai Mu running about in all directions. There were bird nests in the trees, the bark bore the marks of bears rubbing their backs, and every little oddity triggered another uproar. Yet, the real watchtower remained elusive.

“A pack of fools. Is there no one who knows any sensory ninjutsu?” Bai Mu cursed.

“If we could use that high-level stuff, why would we bother being rogue ninjas?” The members shrugged helplessly. Most of them had left their villages because they lacked the strength and didn’t want to be cannon fodder—sensory ninjutsu was already considered an advanced technique.

“Could it really not be here?” Bai Mu began to doubt his luck.

“Captain, I found this.” One dull-witted member offered a small puddle of semi-congealed white liquid.

“Idiot! That’s bird droppings!” Sanchi joined in the scolding.

“Damn!” The member was about to throw it away on the spot.

“Wait!” Bai Mu stopped him, dipped a finger in, and put it to his mouth...

“Ugh…” Sanchi was so disgusted he almost gagged.

“It’s sweet—Afei’s taste. Where did you find this?” Bai Mu’s eyes lit up. As expected, this was probably the guiding fluid left by Afei. Having tasted it since childhood, he knew the flavor well.

“Over there!” The excited member pointed.

“Everyone, gather here! Search this area thoroughly. If you find anything similar, report immediately!” Bai Mu ordered loudly.

This command sent a wave of tension through the ninjas hidden in the watchtower.

“What on earth is that stuff?” Captain Hyuga frowned deeply.

“Captain… Let’s attack! One volley could take out half of them!” The young Hyuga’s veins bulged around his eyes as he gripped the chakra crossbow, aiming straight at Bai Mu’s heart, barely restraining himself from firing.

“Hold on… I bet they can’t break through our camouflage,” the Hyuga captain replied, still trusting in their illusionist.

...

Bai Mu’s men found three more clusters of White Zetsu’s fluid, gradually narrowing the search area. Only about thirty trees remained that could plausibly serve as the watchtower. The group quickly spread out, each examining a tree in detail.

Bai Mu found what looked like an ordinary old tree—so thick it would take more than ten people to encircle it. Weeds grew densely around, revealing no flaws. Up close, there was the peculiar musty smell of ancient wood. He hacked twice with a kunai, revealing fresh shavings. He tasted them—slightly sweet and astringent.

To be sure, he activated his scanning lens. A red ripple swept over the trunk...

Bai Mu’s eyes widened. Under the red glow, the bark turned transparent, revealing a cylindrical stone tower at the core, its surface inscribed with dense, mysterious runes.

"Mission acquired: Dismantle a Konoha Watchtower."
"Reward: One hero skill draw."
"As long as I stand, so does the tower!"

“It’s here!!!” Bai Mu roared.

Almost simultaneously—

“Fire!!” The Hyuga captain’s shout rang from the tower’s summit. More than a dozen chakra-powered crossbows unleashed a volley at Bai Mu with blinding speed.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The crossbows, propelled by chakra, fired with incredible velocity—six bolts in the blink of an eye, embedding themselves densely within half a meter of Bai Mu. The accuracy was astounding; in an instant, Bai Mu was engulfed by a rain of arrows.

“Ahhh! The captain’s down!!!”

“Run! Run for it!”

“Let’s go find Deputy Captain Yellow Earth and claim our reward!”

“Captain, I’ll burn incense for you!”

The motley crew bolted in panic—the Konoha watchtower was nothing they could hope to bring down.

“All of you—” Bai Mu rose from the forest of arrows, swung his blood-drenched chain blade, shattering every shaft around him into a flurry of splinters. “Get back here!!!”

This was “Counterstrike Storm.” At the last critical moment, Bai Mu had activated it.

"With superb martial prowess, assume a defensive stance for two seconds, evading all physical attacks, and retaliate at the end."

“What! He’s not dead? Attack again!” The Hyuga captain ordered, redirecting the crossbows, which had just been aimed at the others, back onto Bai Mu.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Another volley of arrows.

“Come on, I didn’t even taunt you!” Bai Mu activated Ghost Step and dashed away, diving into a nearby tree. The bolts were so powerful they pierced trunks half a meter thick.

Under the Byakugan, there was nowhere to hide. The arrows, as if guided, chased relentlessly after Bai Mu.

He finally found an ancient tree less easy to pierce, but behind it, rogue ninjas were already crowded together.

“Captain, your ninjutsu is extraordinary, but there’s no room here. Maybe try elsewhere?” Not a single one of the bastards offered to make space.

“Damn it! Squeeze in tighter!” Bai Mu cursed loudly.

“Switch to explosive tag bolts!” the Hyuga captain commanded.

Thud, thud, thud... More than a dozen bolts trailed burning explosive tags and embedded themselves in the tree.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The great tree was blasted into a shower of splinters; now there was nowhere left to hide. The group scattered in chaos.

“Lie, do something! Hit them with a cannon!” Bai Mu shouted as he ran.

“Here, you fire it!” Bakuton Lie tossed the crossbow, now bristling with bolts, onto Bai Mu and dashed off, his short legs spinning like wheels. The display of destructive power had made him a priority target too, but his stature made him hard to hit.

“Damn it! What use is your stupid cannon to me? I don’t know how to use it!” Bai Mu flung it away, curled into a ball, and launched a power sprint, weaving wildly around the tower.

“He’s too fast—switch to explosive tag area coverage!” the Hyuga captain ordered again.

Thud-thud-thud-thud...

Countless bolts landed densely around Bai Mu, blocking every escape. The burning tags instantly turned the ground into a storm of dirt and debris—the force sent Bai Mu flying, slamming him against a tree hard enough to feel his ribs nearly crack. Even his “Last Stand” was forced out.

“Is this how you play? If you can’t hit me precisely, you just flood the area with firepower?” Blood streaming down his forehead, Bai Mu raised his middle finger toward the tower’s summit.

The Hyuga captain finally dispelled the illusionary disguise, revealing the full grandeur of the watchtower. Looking down at Bai Mu from on high, he slowly raised a hand. “Sorry, but this is the end.”

Click—click—click... The chakra crossbows were loaded and ready. At his command, Bai Mu would be turned into a human pincushion.

“Have you ever heard this saying? The strongest fortress is often breached from within.” Bai Mu looked up at the tower, a confident smile curling at his lips.

A shiver ran through the Hyuga captain’s heart—a sense of doom welling up inside him. The Byakugan couldn’t hear words, but he could read lips—a skill from the Hyuga clan’s advanced reconnaissance training.

“The strongest fortress… breached from within? What does he mean? Could it be Ino-Shika-Cho…?” The captain swallowed hard and turned around with difficulty.

“What’s wrong with you?!” Yamanaka Toya cried anxiously.

On Akimichi’s skin, white spores began to sprout from every pore. In just moments, they covered his entire body, and a swirling white mass sealed his chubby face. Throughout, his eyes remained tightly shut—he had completely lost consciousness.

“Wood Release: Spore Parasitism!”

“Did you aim that eye of yours at my boy just now? It’s fine—I’ll make sure every last bit of you is squeezed out through that eye.”

“Multi-Size Technique—Human Bullet Tank!!”

Instantly, chaos erupted atop the tower. Every crossbow fell silent.