So, the best decision—and the easier one—was to exploit the Raikage's ignorance that his "Hydrification" did not consume Chakra, stall him, and wait for the Third Mizukage's troops to arrive so they could attack from within and without.
But that meant he had to keep the Raikage tied down for at least six or seven hours, perhaps even longer. Even if the Mizukage broke away from the main force and rushed to the rescue with a handful of elites, they had only just reached the central region of the Land of Fire.
Jiang Rui, near the northern border, was still several hundred, perhaps even a thousand li away.
Even traveling without pause, half a day was the absolute limit!
At that thought, he calmed down slightly. He raised his head without changing expression and grinned. "Scared?"
Before the words had faded, the Raikage came roaring in with savage, thunderous force. Jiang Rui leaped into the air and clapped his hands together, raising a wall of water before him. He then transformed into a streak of lightning and raced south.
To the Raikage, this undoubtedly meant that his opponent was running low on Chakra and was making a final, desperate attempt to flee at full speed.
So, without hesitation, he kicked off the ground as well, blasting forward and sending dust flying into the sky!
Jiang Rui kicked off a pine tree with his left foot. As he leaped, he grabbed a branch with one hand and swung lightly, his small body landing amid the branches of the next tree. His nimble, slender frame gave him some advantage while fleeing through the forest. What surprised Jiang Rui was that he could vaguely sense a trace of energy flowing within the trees.
Natural energy?
Jiang Rui had no time to think about