novelraw Chapter 488 Rainy Night Rescue
Chapter 488 Rainy Night Rescue
Chapter 488 Rainy Night Rescue
The group of people quickly traversed a narrow, muddy, slippery, and barely discernible path through the dark, rain-swept mountains.
Koyama Futa was carried on the back of a strong Star Ninja. Ignoring the discomfort of being jostled, he stared wide-eyed, desperately trying to make out the blurred and distorted outlines of the surrounding mountains in the rain with the help of the beams of his teammates' searchlights and the occasional flashes of lightning that pierced the night sky, guiding the team to the fastest route.
"To the left! Go through that cedar forest on the left, there's a shortcut worn down by an old hunter!"
"Watch your step! This rock face is prone to landslides!"
"Once you get past that ravine, you should be able to see the river bend where the village is located!"
Guided by Koyama Futa and with the Star Ninja's superb mountaineering skills, the team advanced rapidly through the rugged and treacherous mountains, avoiding several obvious mudslides and landslides.
About ten minutes later, they finally reached the highest point of a mountain nestled among the mountains.
The wind, carrying icy raindrops, lashed at everyone, but no one cared about that at the moment.
Koyama Fuuta slid off the ninja's back, staggered to the edge of the cliff, squinted, and strained to look down into the depths of the valley shrouded in darkness and rain.
Another bolt of lightning tore through the sky, instantly illuminating the raging, turbid torrent below and the valley landscape ravaged by the flood.
"There!" Koyama Futa's heart pounded, his finger trembling as he pointed in a direction illuminated by the lightning, his voice trembling with excitement.
"That direction! The village—the village should be in that direction!"
As he pointed in the direction, Neji had already taken a step forward and stood at the very edge of the cliff.
The next instant, blue veins bulged under the skin around Neji's eyes.
Roll your eyes, open!
Eyes that seemed to see through all illusions and obstacles instantly locked onto the direction Koyama Fuuta pointed, their gaze piercing through the thick rain curtain in the night.
"I see it." A few seconds later, Neji spoke in a deep voice: "About 1.5 kilometers below, there is a village that has been partially submerged by the flash flood. Part of the village, including houses and terraced fields near the riverbank, is completely submerged in the floodwaters. Only some rooftops and treetops are visible. The current is extremely rapid and carries a lot of debris."
"The village—is flooded?" Koyama Futa swayed, his face turned deathly pale, his lips trembled, and he almost collapsed to the ground, but was caught by the side of Kiba.
Taiyi frowned, his expression unusually grave.
"What are the specifics? Have you seen any survivors? Is the floodwaters still rising?"
Kimimaro stared intently for a moment with his white eyes, then shook his head: "It's a bit far, and the heavy rain is causing a lot of interference. We can only see the general outline of the village and the extent of the flood. The water level doesn't seem to be rising for the time being, but the situation upstream is unclear."
"No obvious signs of life were observed."
"No—no way—everyone—" When Koyama Fuuta heard "no signs of life," his last hope seemed to be shattered, and he let out a desperate groan.
"Wait." Neji suddenly spoke up, interrupting Kimimaro and Taichi's conversation and pulling Koyama Fuuta back from his breakdown.
His eyes rolled slightly as he looked further away, at the even steeper mountain ridge opposite the village.
Compared to the Byakugan transplanted by Toneri and Kimimaro, Neji's original Byakugan is purer and allows him to see further.
"There are scattered chakra reactions about two kilometers away, quite a few of them, about thirty or so. They're moving, climbing to higher ground; they're very likely villagers who escaped!"
"There are still living people! On the opposite mountain!" Neji's words were like a lighthouse in the darkness, instantly dispelling the despair in Koyama Fuuta's eyes.
He grabbed Neji's arm tightly, pressing him urgently, "Really? Ninja-sama! You really saw them? They're still alive?"
"Yes, they're still alive and are being moved to a safe place." Neji nodded affirmatively.
Hope has been rekindled, but the challenges ahead remain severe.
Naruto clung to the slippery edge of the rocks, peering down at the wide ravine below, which stretched between the two mountains like an insurmountable chasm, filled with murky floodwaters and emitting deafening roars. He then looked at the mountain peak opposite him, which was faintly visible in the rainy night, and scratched his wet blond hair.
"But—how are we going to get across?"
Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, and the other Konoha members looked at each other, feeling powerless as they gazed at the raging torrent below and the distant opposite bank.
The straight-line distance between the two mountains is about three or four hundred meters, which may not seem like much under normal circumstances, but under such harsh weather and terrain, it is nothing short of an insurmountable barrier.
Taking a detour to find a gentler river crossing or a narrower canyon would undoubtedly waste a lot of precious time, and the villagers on the mountain might face new dangers at any time.
However, this problem did not seem to stump the Star Ninjas led by Uchiha Taichi.
Taiyi turned around and gestured to the six Star Ninja team members behind him.
"Prepare contingency plan number three: build a temporary bridge."
"Yes, Captain!"
The six Star Ninjas responded in unison, their voices clear and powerful despite the wind and rain.
The ninja who was carrying Koyama Futa gently put him down, and then, together with the other five, quickly stepped forward and lined up in a row at the edge of the cliff.
Without any unnecessary words, the six people began forming hand seals almost simultaneously!
Their hands moved swiftly in front of their chests, leaving afterimages in the rain. The hand seals were formed in a neat and uniform order, clearly the result of countless rehearsals.
"Earth Release: Earth Bridge Technique!" the six shouted in unison.
Rumble—!
Suddenly, a violent tremor and a deep rumble came from the ground beneath everyone's feet!
It looked as if a giant beast was turning over underground!
Immediately afterward, under the astonished gazes of the Konoha people, the soil and rocks on the edge of the cliff in front of them seemed to come alive, and began to rise, surge, and take shape wildly!
Under the precise control of chakra, the hard earth and rocks were kneaded as if by an invisible hand, quickly forming a thick bridge foundation that arched upwards, extending at a visible speed towards the dark canyon below and the rushing torrent!
The earthen bridge was wide enough for three people to walk side by side, and simple protective railings even began to form on both sides!
In just over ten seconds, a sturdy arch bridge made of mud and rock, spanning nearly half the distance of the canyon, was initially formed, stubbornly stretching towards the surging torrent and darkness!
However, when the bridge extended to the center of the canyon, about two hundred meters from the opposite bank, it seemed to have reached the limit of the precise control of chakra. The extension speed slowed down significantly, and the bridge began to tremble slightly. Small pieces of rock were stripped off by the wind and rain and fell into the torrent below.
"Now!" The two Star Ninjas at the very front of the arched bridge shouted at the same time.
They pushed off with their feet and rushed onto the arched bridge made of earth magic, then their bodies leaped out from the not-yet-fully-stable bridgehead like large birds!
While they were in the air, a device resembling a wristband on their right wrist suddenly lit up with a blue chakra light!
"Wind Release: Sky Cannon!"
boom!boom!
Two short, powerful explosions!
Two highly compressed air cannons shot out from the devices on their wrists, slamming into the air and rain behind them!
The enormous recoil force gave them a hard shove!
Using this violent thrust, the two accelerated through the air, drawing two graceful arcs, and actually managed to cross the remaining nearly two hundred meters of chasm, landing steadily on a relatively flat rock platform on the opposite mountain peak like shooting stars!
"6
Everyone in Konoha, including Naruto, Sasuke, and Shikamaru, unconsciously opened their mouths slightly.
This kind of coordinated operation, which combines ninjutsu, equipment, tactics, and timing to such a sophisticated degree, left them speechless.
In Konoha, ninjas focus more on individual strength and combat skills. They have never heard of complex tactics like this, which require a high degree of coordination among multiple people to quickly set up temporary passages for non-combat operations.
"Ninjutsu—can it be used like this?" Shikamaru muttered to himself, his mind reeling from the shock.
In his education, ninjutsu was used for combat, reconnaissance, and defense; the greater the destructive power or the stronger the defensive capabilities, the better.
Earth Release techniques like this, which have no offensive capabilities and are purely used to build a bridge, and scientific ninja tools that are clearly standard equipment, represent a completely new approach.
This reflects a completely different concept of scientific ninjutsu application and teamwork model.
Naruto was the first to react. He jumped up, his eyes filled with admiration and excitement, pointed at the earthen and stone arch bridge that was gradually stabilizing in the wind and rain, and shouted, "Amazing! Absolutely amazing! They built the bridge in no time!"
After landing on the opposite cliff, the two Star Ninjas did not pause at all. They immediately turned around, faced this side, and began to form hand seals again.
"Earth Release: Earth Bridge Technique!"
The same technique was used again from the other side!
Solid earth and rocks, like giant vines growing backwards, extend from the opposite mountainside and surge toward the center of the canyon, toward the end of this "broken bridge"!
The two torrents of earth and rocks collided, merged, and fused together dozens of meters above the raging floodwaters in the center of the canyon!
More soil and gravel fill the gaps and reinforce the joints under the precise control of chakra.
The entire process was smooth and seamless. From the initial hand seals to the successful connection of the two bridge sections and the complete formation of a 100-meter-long earthen and stone arch bridge, the entire process took less than two minutes!
Although the bridge surface is somewhat rough, its sturdiness and stability are beyond doubt, and it is capable of supporting a large number of people crossing quickly.
Taiyi was the first to step onto the earthen bridge. He stomped on it a few times to make sure it was secure, and then waved to the people behind him.
"Walk!"
Neji, Kimimaro, and Toneri followed closely behind, carrying Koyama Fuuta, whose hope had been rekindled.
Naruto, Shikamaru, Sasuke, and the others also snapped out of their shock, exchanged glances, suppressed their inner turmoil, and followed suit.
Walking on the earthen bridge spanning the raging torrents, with the thunderous roar of the floodwaters beneath your feet, cold raindrops lashing your face, and the howling wind trying to blow you off the bridge.
But at this moment, no one felt fear, only amazement.
As Naruto walked, he couldn't help but look down at the torrent below the bridge. Although he couldn't see clearly, the deafening sound and the rushing water vapor still made his heart pound, and he admired even more the Star Ninja who could quickly build a bridge in such an environment.
After crossing the bridge, guided by Neji's bystander's gaze, the rescue team quickly found the group of villagers struggling through the torrential rain and mud on a sweet potato slope higher up on the opposite hillside.
There were about forty or fifty people, including men, women, and children.
They were soaking wet, covered in mud, and their faces were filled with exhaustion, fear, and confusion.
The man carried the elderly on his back, the woman held the child, and they dragged their simple bundles as they continued to move uphill on the slippery, muddy slope, not daring to stop.
They didn't know when the rain would stop, or how high the floodwaters would rise below the mountain; they could only instinctively move towards higher ground.
Walk where you feel safer.
The sudden appearance of a group of figures emerging from the dark rain and forest caused the already frightened villagers to instantly become agitated, letting out terrified screams.
But when they saw the familiar blue-gray uniform the newcomer was wearing, and the Star Ninja headband that was faintly reflecting light on his forehead, their fear quickly turned into unbelievable surprise and excitement!
"It's a ninja master?!"
"The ninja master has arrived!"
"We're saved! We're saved!"
"Waaaah—finally someone's here—"
The villagers rushed over as if they had seen a savior, but dared not get too close. They looked at Taiyi and the others with expectant, relieved eyes.
Taiyi quickly made arrangements, waving his hand to signal his six Star Ninja subordinates to immediately disperse. Some of them were to maintain order and calm the villagers, while others were to quickly check the villagers' physical condition, especially the elderly and children.
Koyama Fuuta could no longer contain himself and rushed into the crowd, crying out.
"Ryoko! Father! Mother! Koga!"
"Fūta?!"
"It's Fuuta! Fuuta is still alive!"
"dad!"
After a chaotic mix of cries and relief, Koyama Fuuta found his elderly parents and his pale-faced wife tightly holding their two-year-old daughter in the crowd.
The family embraced and wept bitterly, their tears mingling with the rain, but this time, they were tears of joy at escaping a desperate situation.
The appearance of the Star Ninjas and the reunion of Koyama Fuuta's family gave the anxious villagers a much-needed boost of confidence.
The commotion quickly subsided, replaced by a sense of security as if a pillar of support had been found.
Several villagers gathered around an elderly man, who was somewhat hunched over and carrying an old basket on his back, and brought him to Taiyi.
A villager respectfully said to Taiichi, "Master Ninja, this is our village chief, Grandpa Mori Natsu. Thanks to Grandpa Mori Natsu's experience, he sensed something was wrong and woke everyone up early, organizing us to evacuate to the mountains, which is how we managed to escape."
The old village chief, known as Senxia, had a face full of wrinkles, but his eyes, though tired, revealed a kind of tenacity and composure unique to mountain people.
He bowed slightly to Taiichi: "Ninja-sama, you've worked hard."
"I am Mori Natsu, the village chief of Kamishō Village. Sigh, as I get older, I can't sleep. When I hear the rain and something seems off, I get anxious."
Remembering a flash flood I'd experienced in my youth, I wasn't going to be careless. I woke up all the able-bodied young men in the village. At first, the water wasn't too high, but the small river outside the village was rising rapidly. I knew something was wrong, so I quickly told them to knock on doors and tell everyone to bring some dry food and clothes and run up the mountain first—survival was the priority. Livestock and food—we couldn't worry about that now.
He sighed, his face full of regret, but even more so with relief: "It was too dark, the rain was heavy, and time was short. Many families didn't have time to wake up, or were too slow to act—I wonder what happened to them—sigh."
Tai nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.
Under those circumstances, it was already extremely difficult to organize the successful evacuation of dozens of people.
He glanced around at the villagers shivering in the downpour, especially the children with purple lips and the elderly who were coughing incessantly, and frowned.
Prolonged exposure to rain and low temperatures can easily lead to hypothermia and other illnesses, so it is essential to find shelter from the rain as soon as possible.
"Neji," Taichi turned to Hyuga Neji, "can we find a cave nearby that can accommodate everyone, or a protruding rock face?"
Neji, who had already been observing the surrounding terrain, immediately replied, "At one o'clock, about five hundred meters away, there's a naturally formed cave in the mountainside. The interior is quite spacious and can accommodate everyone to take shelter from the rain. The path is a bit steep, but if we're careful, it should be fine."
"Okay." Taiyi immediately began to make arrangements in an orderly manner.
"Attention everyone! Follow my instructions! Team one, turn your hand lanterns to maximum brightness and use them to illuminate and guide the way in front and on both sides!"
The second team is responsible for covering the rear and assisting villagers with mobility issues!
"Neji, you lead the way! Kimimaro, Toneri, watch out for falling rocks on the flanks and above!"
Taiyi glanced at Naruto and the others and said, "Everyone, please help support the elderly and children and maintain order in the group!"
Our destination is the cave ahead; once we get there, we'll be safe! Hang in there, everyone!
"Yes!" the Star Ninja team members responded in unison and immediately sprang into action.
All six powerful handheld lamps were turned up to their brightest setting, like six lightsabers piercing the rainy night, illuminating the slippery and steep mountain road ahead.
Naruto, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately responded enthusiastically upon hearing Taiichi's instructions: "Don't worry! Leave it to us! Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"
Bang bang bang————
A series of white smoke burst open, and more than a dozen orange shadow clones appeared on the outer edge of the group. They held hands and formed a human wall, protecting the villagers in a relatively safe area in the middle, while also using their bodies to shield the elderly, weak, women and children from some of the wind and rain.
"Everyone! Follow the lights! Watch your step! It's okay to go slowly!" Naruto's shadow clones shouted.
Shikamaru and Choji together helped an elderly woman with mobility issues to her feet, one on each side.
Ino, Sakura, Tenten, Yakumo, and Shino also volunteered to help the woman holding the child.
Ya and Akamaru ran back and forth, using their keen sense of smell and hearing to be alert to any potential dangers.
Xiao Li carried a little boy who had a high fever and was somewhat delirious on his back.
Sasuke didn't say anything, but silently walked to the side of the group, cautiously observing the dark forest around him, his Sharingan glowing faintly red in the rainy night.
Under the professional organization and guidance of the Star Ninja, and with the assistance of the Konoha villagers and Naruto's shadow clones, this mixed team of ninjas and disaster-stricken villagers began to move in an orderly and determined manner toward the cave that Neji had pointed out.
Although the roads were slippery and difficult to walk on, and people slipped and fell from time to time, no one fell behind thanks to mutual support and assistance.
It took them more than 20 minutes to walk just 500 meters, but they successfully reached the natural cave located in the middle of the mountain wall.
The entrance to the cave was small, but the interior space was spacious and the ground was relatively dry. Although it was a bit cool, it completely kept out the raging rain and cold winds outside.
Upon entering the cave, the villagers were finally able to catch their breath, collapsing to the ground with expressions of relief and exhaustion on their faces.
Taiyi immediately organized a group of people and used the simple fuel they carried with them, as well as some dry branches at the cave entrance, to light two bonfires inside the cave. The orange-red flames dispelled the darkness and chill, and also brought spiritual comfort.
The Star Ninja team members began distributing the emergency food and clean drinking water they had brought with them, giving priority to children, the elderly, and others.
Pregnant women and wounded soldiers.
Sakura and Tenten from Konoha also used their limited medical knowledge, along with a medical ninja from the Star Ninja, to provide basic treatment and comfort to several villagers who had sprained their ankles or started to have fevers during the evacuation.
The cave gradually quieted down, leaving only the crackling of burning firewood, the patter of rain, and the suppressed sobs and whispers of the villagers.
But the atmosphere had shifted from initial despair and panic to a relatively calm waiting.
Time passed while we waited.
The torrential rain gradually subsided before dawn and eventually stopped.
The roar of the mountain torrents weakened considerably, turning into a low, mournful wail.
As the first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds and illuminated the devastated forest, a larger second wave of professional rescue teams, comprised of Nagano Castle police, medical personnel, and engineering teams, finally arrived at the cave with a large amount of supplies, guided by communications.
The subsequent relocation and resettlement work was carried out quickly.
Injured and sick villagers were given priority to be carried down the mountain on stretchers and sent to hospitals in Nagano Castle.
With the help of rescue workers, the other villagers descended the mountain in an orderly manner and were sent to a temporary resettlement site for disaster victims outside Nagano Castle.
Once all the villagers had been safely evacuated, the sky had fully brightened, though it remained overcast, the rain had completely stopped.
Naruto, Shikamaru, Sasuke, and the others returned to the vicinity of the pavilion where they had taken shelter from the rain the day before.
Watching the vehicles carrying villagers rumble away into the distance, Naruto couldn't contain his curiosity and turned to Neji beside him, asking, "Neji, what will happen to those villagers—their village was flooded, their homes are gone, what will become of them?"
This issue also caught the attention of Shikamaru, Sasuke, Sakura, and others.
They all looked at Neji and Kimimaro.
Having experienced this sudden rescue, they gained a more direct understanding of the differences in the Star Country, but also became more curious about how this country would deal with the more complex issue of post-disaster reconstruction.
Neji watched the departing convoy and explained calmly, "For situations like Kamimatsu Village, where natural disasters have destroyed villages and displaced villagers, the Land of Stars has a complete set of 'Natural Disaster Relief and Reconstruction Regulations'."
"The Star Kingdom will allocate special funds to help villagers rebuild their homes. The new villages will generally be planned in safer nearby areas. During the reconstruction period, the temporary food and lodging for the villagers will be provided by the state."
"The Star Kingdom will compensate and redistribute the farmland, forests, and other means of production they lost due to the disaster from its reserves of public land or through newly reclaimed land, to ensure their future livelihoods."
"In addition, all affected villagers will be exempt from all agricultural taxes and some commercial taxes for three years after the disaster. At the same time, the government will provide each affected household with a five-year, monthly disaster relief subsidy," the amount of which, while not large, is enough to help them get through the most difficult period and start a new life.
Shikamaru frowned slightly after listening and asked a question: "Redistributing land? I heard that the Land of Stars distributed the land previously owned by nobles and large landowners to farmers. Are there still many vacant lands available for distribution? And if land from other places is given to the villagers here, won't the farmers from those original areas object?"
Neji nodded, acknowledging Shikamaru's insight, and continued patiently, "The Land of Stars did indeed carry out large-scale land reforms, distributing most of the land to farmers. But not all the land was distributed."
"The state has retained a considerable amount of land, which mainly includes several categories: first, newly reclaimed land that has not yet been allocated; second, land directly managed by state-owned agricultural reclamation companies or forest farms, which generally belong to the state or local governments, and whose revenue is used for public services and reinvestment; and third, some land that is temporarily unsuitable for allocation due to planning, protection and other reasons."
"In cases like Shangsong Village, the land subsequently allocated to villagers mainly comes from the first two categories. The interests of the original farmers are fully considered during the allocation process. Fairness is achieved as much as possible through negotiation, compensation, or adjustments to the contractual relationship, so as not to affect the livelihoods of the original farmers."
"The goal of the Star Kingdom is to ensure that everyone, whether they are natives, disaster victims, or later immigrants and refugees, has land to cultivate, food to eat, and hope."
After listening, Sakura couldn't help but sigh softly, "It seems like they've thought of solutions for every possible problem in advance. From rescue and resettlement to reconstruction and living conditions—they've considered everything meticulously."
Naruto scratched his head. Although he was still confused, he understood at least one thing: the Star Kingdom would take care of these disaster victims and ensure their survival after the disaster.
At this moment, Sakura noticed that Sasuke seemed a little absent-minded, his gaze quietly drifting in another direction.
Following Sasuke's gaze, she saw Uchiha Taichi standing in a relatively open area not far away, talking quietly with several police officers who had arrived later. He would occasionally point to the map or look towards the valley in the distance that had been ravaged by the flood.
The cold, murderous intent that had filled his face when he first met Sasuke yesterday was gone; instead, he displayed a calm and professional seriousness, fully focused on his work.
Thinking back to Taiyi's strictness and decisiveness in directing the rescue operation during the rainy night yesterday, he seemed like a mature adult.
"Sasuke?" Sakura called softly, her voice tinged with concern and doubt.
Sasuke seemed to be startled by her voice, snapping out of his brief daze.
He glanced at Sakura, and a complex emotion seemed to flash across the depths of his dark eyes.
Sasuke did not respond to Sakura's concern. He simply looked away silently, turned around, and walked alone to the other side of the pavilion. With his back to everyone, he gazed at the clouds gradually dispersing and the outline of the mountains that were becoming visible in the distance.
No one knows what he's thinking.