Illusion or Reality
When you're about a few hundred meters away from the enemy, jump onto a dense tree branch and hide.
The chirping of insects could be heard from time to time. To deceive the enemy, it was best to deceive oneself as well. Otherwise, if one went out on patrol openly and was discovered, it would definitely arouse suspicion.
"They've found you!"
In the black-and-white transparent vision, the Sunagakure squad suddenly stopped, and one of them spoke to the guy in front who appeared to be their captain.
Soon, some members of the team left and retreated, leaving three people behind.
"They might go and notify the main force, so be careful," Akiha said seriously. "I'll help you survey the surroundings. If Sunagakure intends to encircle you, you'd better escape as soon as possible."
Shisui knew in his heart that he should extract chakra and be ready to escape at any time.
This is a rare opportunity, and the most favorable outcome would be for the two sides to engage in a direct war.
He had witnessed the power of the Byakugan firsthand; the initiative was of utmost importance in ninja warfare, far beyond simply finding the enemy's tracks.
The fact that just the three of them could turn the tide this time is something even the most powerful Sharingan couldn't achieve...
About fifteen minutes later, Shisui moved to a more concealed position, slightly out of the enemy's perception range, and acted like a very cautious reconnaissance ninja.
The Sunagakure Squad cautiously followed again, and once they found him, they stayed at the edge of their perception range and didn't move.
When Akiha reported that three other squads had begun to detour and were about to surround him, Shisui remained calm and waited until the two sides were less than 200 meters apart, at which point he immediately set off.
With a whoosh, he darted out and leaped backward to escape, his movements appearing quite frantic, but still far from his true speed.
The Sunagakure immediately noticed the change and had no intention of letting him go. The two groups advanced diagonally to the left and right, closing in on each other, clearly having locked onto his location.
The main force arrived one after another, growing larger and larger, and they hung not far away. Akiha glanced at them and realized there were at least more than 10 teams.
This is indeed rare in peacetime, and if they are all elites, it further demonstrates the importance that Sunagakure attaches to outward expansion.
Before Shisui could escape, Itachi also began to act, sending Shadow Clone to rush towards the Kirigakure's position, deliberately exposing his whereabouts to provoke them into sending out a large number of people to hunt him down.
Even with Akiha's exceptional perception, she was finding it somewhat difficult to keep up. Simultaneously monitoring two different directions consumed chakra at a rate comparable to constant close-quarters combat with a powerful enemy.
Fortunately, she knew this was a crucial moment, and even if the veins around her eyes bulged, she couldn't let her guard down...
"Gotcha! Don't even think about running away!"
A Sunagakure Jonin revealed a mocking smile and appeared behind Shisui in the blink of an eye, throwing several Kunai in quick succession, which pierced his back with a whooshing sound.
Despair!
As if sensing danger, Shisui unleashed an even stronger propulsion from his chakra, narrowly dodging the Kunai attack.
But upon landing, he suddenly stumbled, and just before falling, he reacted quickly, rolled over, and somewhat disheveledly got up and ran away again.
It seemed he couldn't control the Body Flicker Technique at this distance, so he almost got caught. He only managed to escape by luck, which made the Sunagakure Jonin secretly regretful.
In life-or-death situations, ninjas can unleash tremendous potential. Along this journey, Shisui was one of those lucky individuals, narrowly escaping enemy attacks twice.
It looks like... he broke through his Body Flicker Technique level on the spot?
When Shisui dodged yet another blocking Ninjutsu, the Sunagakure members immediately realized something was wrong.
How could a ninja continuously level up during battle? This isn't a fantasy novel about Ninja Pride Firmament...
The opponent's final Body Flicker Technique could Chunin, and his landing was incredibly smooth, almost as if he were on drugs.
No! Drugs definitely won't have this effect...
"There's something wrong with this guy..."
Before the Sunagakure soldier could finish speaking, the deserter in front suddenly raised his hand Hand Seals. Even while moving at high speed, his movements remained incredibly fluid, demonstrating exceptionally powerful chakra techniques.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh--
Shisui then split into five identical versions of himself, each scattering and escaping in different directions at twice the speed.
A quick-thinking Sunagakure Villager instinctively threw out a large number of ninja tools, successfully hitting a figure.
However, the Shisui that was hit burst open like Utakata with a "pop," leaving the pursuers behind dumbfounded.
"How is that possible? It's not Shadow Clone, and it's not Clone Technique either, then what is it..."
The Sensory Ninja beside him immediately Hand Seals, and soon his eyes widened in shock as he exclaimed, "Each clone feels just like Shadow Clone, with chakra fluctuations. I can't distinguish the real body. Could there be such a thing as illusions?"
The Sunagakure members were forced to stop, standing there unsure what to do. They didn't have enough men to split up and pursue all of Shisui.
Moreover, this person's Body Flicker Technique is faster than theirs, indicating they are definitely a master who is hiding their strength. Even if you know where their true body is, you can't catch up with them, and you might not even dare to.
"What should we do now? We've been tricked, and we don't even know what their purpose is..." The two teams of Sunagakure Ninja had grim expressions.
Before they could hesitate for long, urgent shouts came from behind, "What are you doing? A large number of enemies are attacking from not far ahead! Retreat immediately!"
"What?"
"Is this a trap?"
The thought had barely crossed their minds when, too late, several dark figures burst forth from the bushes.
Upon seeing the Sunagakure Forehead Protector, they swarmed forward without saying a word.
They have an overwhelming numerical advantage, and the Land of Wind has been their main rival for the past few years. If they don't act now, when will they?
"It's Kirigakure!"
Amidst gasps of alarm, a shirtless, bandaged man with short black hair charged straight at them, wielding an enormous sword and glaring with murderous intent.
"The Kubikiribōchō! It belongs to Kirigakure, the Demon Momochi Zabuza!"
The Sunagakure Jonin drew his sword to block, his reaction was quite quick, but the two swords were not even in the same league in terms of weight.
A loud clang rang out as the Sunagakure Ninja watched, his face flushed, as his sword nearly shattered and was continuously pressed down by the force of the Kubikiribōchō.
Fortunately, his teammates came to his rescue at the critical moment. One of them quickly drew a short sword from the side and stabbed him straight at Zai Buzai's ribs, forcing him to abandon his plan to use someone else to suppress him.
"Drink up!"
Boom!
However, the battle situation was extremely bad for Sunagakure. A middle-aged man with dark skin roared, his fat sword covered in numerous "explosion" techniques.
The swinging motion wasn't fast, but the Sunagakure Ninja dared not linger nearby.
The opponent struck the tree with their blade, a flash of light followed by a violent explosion, the entire tree trunk turning into splinters that flew out at breakneck speed, scraping blood from the Sunagakure Ninja's face like nails.
Another unlucky soul was caught off guard and had a sharp piece of wood pierce his eyeball, causing him to bleed profusely on the spot.
"It's Exploding Sword: Shibuki! The user doesn't recognize it..."
A young Sunagakure, fearing his teammates wouldn't know the information, instinctively shouted out what he knew, seemingly ignoring the potential special effect of his words.
The dark-faced middle-aged man was instantly enraged. The words "I don't know him" had fueled his bloodlust, and he frantically swung his sword at the young Sunagakure Ninja, clearly achieving a very effective taunt.
"I am Black Ant Daichi, vanish into thin air, you brat!"
The burly man channeled a large amount of chakra into the Exploding Sword, causing it to glow with patterns as he slashed forward with a deafening boom.