The Trap!

Chiba...

Noticing the subtle movement of Chiba's fingers, Hirohiko and Yukina frowned at the same time.

"Chiba, you..."

At that moment, Yukina could not help but try to warn him.

Although Chiba did not look any different from usual, the fingers tapping ever faster against the sword hilt had betrayed him. Chiba was beginning to grow impatient.

And the moment he grew anxious, he would fall into the enemy's trap.

The reason that old Kumogakure ninja had left behind an Earth Style Clone was to carry out a series of psychological tactics.

Even leaving behind this Earth Clone was an important part of it.

Leaving behind this Earth Clone might have seemed perfectly ordinary, but in truth, it was the old Kumogakure ninja's way of telling them that he was not dead—that he was still watching them from the shadows! If that had not been his purpose, he would not have needed to use an Earth Clone as a substitute. A Lightning Clone would have sufficed. When a Lightning Clone vanished, it turned into lightning and attacked nearby enemies. If the Lightning Clone serving as his substitute had burst apart in the explosion, it would have struck the Water Wall nearby, perhaps causing subtle changes. The added impact of the Lightning Release might have further destabilized the water wall and caused it to collapse. Even if it did not collapse, the wall of water would have become electrified, turning the Water Wall from a shield protecting her and Hirohiko into a cage trapping them.

Then, she and Hirohiko would have had only two choices: jump out of the Water Wall, or remain within it. Either way, it would have created an opportunity for him to attack them.

Clearly, compared to an Earth Style Clone, a Lightning Clone was far more