Run If You Can't Win

Raiga Kurosuki's consciousness had not been controlled, and his body remained fully awake.

He could still see Kushimaru Kuriarare's freshly slain corpse lying not far away. He could also see his other companions rushing toward Uchiha Daiki and surrounding him.

Yet, strangely enough, his body simply would not move.

No matter how hard he tried, he could not make it budge.

In that instant, he realized that he really had fallen under a genjutsu.

And it was an exceptionally dangerous Binding Phantom Technique.

"Binding Phantom Technique..."

Raiga Kurosuki was covered in cold sweat.

Against a powerful opponent, the consequences of being unable to move needed no explanation.

Kushimaru Kuriarare's fate was right before his eyes. He had no desire to become the next one.

After all, he was an Elite Jonin of Kirigakure.

Just as death was about to claim him, Raiga Kurosuki, at the critical moment, used the lightning naturally carried by his lightning blades to stimulate his own body, disrupting the flow of Chakra within him.

At last, he was saved.

The moment his body broke free from the Binding Phantom Technique, Raiga Kurosuki leaped backward and retreated at high speed. He did not dare counterattack Uchiha Daiki as he gave chase.

"This guy has the Sharingan! Don't look into his eyes!!"

Raiga Kurosuki shouted at his companions, then actually turned and fled.

But just as his figure was about to vanish into the forest, two Kunai arrived after him and struck his body.

Raiga Kurosuki let out a muffled grunt. His body swayed several times, and he nearly fell from the tree, but he ultimately steadied himself and fled.

Uchiha Daiki could have pursued him, but the remaining five members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had already surrounded him from different directions and launched a coordinated assault.

This left Uchiha Daiki unable to focus on pursuing the injured Raiga Kurosuki.

"Let's go after him!!"

Seeing this, Might Guy shouted excitedly.

Genma Shiranui was also eager to try, exhilarated by the strength Uchiha Daiki had displayed.

"No. That would be too dangerous."

Might Duy promptly stopped the two young men, who did not know their own limits.

"What if the enemy has an ambush waiting ahead? We could end up in danger..."

After saying that, Might Duy turned his gaze back to Uchiha Daiki. His eyes now held a little more respect for the young Uchiha.

"As expected of Konoha's number one prestigious clan. His Body Flicker Technique has probably reached perfection..."

Ebisu stared at Uchiha Daiki's figure and sighed in admiration.

At that moment, Uchiha Daiki was using his advanced Body Flicker Technique to toy with the remaining five members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

Suikazan Fuguki, Munashi Jinpachi, Juzo Biwa, Hozuki Senjin, and Jinin Akebino, five Elite Jonin of Kirigakure, gave it everything they had in an attempt to strike Uchiha Daiki.

Yet every one of their attacks fell just short of hitting him.

Each time, Uchiha Daiki easily evaded them at the very last moment.

It made the five of them miserable.

Even worse, they could not relax at all and could only maintain this intense pursuit.

The slightest sign of slackening would bring immediate disaster, allowing Uchiha Daiki to exploit an opening.

They had only been fighting for a short while, yet they had already brushed past death several times.

If this had not been a five-against-one battle, they knew full well that any one of them facing this Uchiha man alone would have been doomed.

"Damn it, who the hell is this brat? Why does he know Body Flicker Shisui's signature ninjutsu too?"

Suikazan Fuguki gritted his teeth as he spoke and glanced in the direction Raiga Kurosuki had fled.

At that moment, he too began to consider retreating.

Five of them against one Uchiha clansman had already turned into such a difficult battle. If anything went wrong, he would likely be as good as dead.

Juzo Biwa had also begun to consider retreating.

He might seem reckless, like the sort to start throwing punches at the slightest disagreement, but he was no true fool.

Retreating when faced with an opponent he could not defeat was the wisest choice.

On the other hand, Jinin Akebino, wielding Kabutowari; Hozuki Senjin, wielding Hiramekarei; and Munashi Jinpachi, wielding Exploding Blade Shibuki—

The three of them showed no intention of backing down before the troublesome Uchiha Daiki. Instead, they only grew fiercer as the battle continued.

"This brat's Body Flicker Technique consumes Chakra too! No matter how fast he is, he'll eventually slow down! Wear him to death!"

"Just don't let my blade hit you! Otherwise, I can blow you to pieces in an instant!!"

Munashi Jinpachi grinned viciously as he rapidly swung Exploding Blade Shibuki.

One side of the weapon had the shape of an ordinary blade.

That was the side he was currently using to attack Uchiha Daiki.

The other side, however, was covered in countless Explosive Tags, ready to be unleashed at any time to attack an opponent and inflict devastating explosive damage.

The more enemies there were, the more this move could display its cost-effectiveness.

Blowing dozens of people to death in one go would be no problem.

Hearing Munashi Jinpachi say this, Jinin Akebino immediately grew excited as well. He rushed in from Uchiha Daiki's rear flank, bringing Kabutowari, which resembled a war hammer in his hand, crashing down fiercely toward Uchiha Daiki.

But his true killing move was not the hammer. It was the ordinary sickle-shaped blade hidden at the hammer's other end, connected to it by a chain.

Besides Jinin Akebino and Munashi Jinpachi, the two enemies attacking like madmen, Hozuki Senjin was also giving it his all as he tried to strike Uchiha Daiki.

Watching the three of them fight as though they intended to perish alongside their opponent, Suikazan Fuguki spotted an opportunity and leaped backward.

"The enemy is too powerful. Fighting an Uchiha like this is unfavorable for us. Retreat first!"

After tossing out that high-sounding excuse, Suikazan Fuguki spun in midair and fled into the distance, reaching dozens of meters away in the blink of an eye.

Seeing Suikazan Fuguki choose to retreat as well, Juzo Biwa immediately fled in another direction.

He too left behind a seemingly reasonable excuse. "Our goal isn't to fight Konoha's strong fighters to the death. It's to weaken their forces. Let's go!"

Having said that, Juzo Biwa was already seventy or eighty meters away.

With another leap, his figure disappeared into the forest.

"They actually ran away... Decisively abandoning their own companions! Those Kirigakure bastards really are cold-blooded and heartless."

Seeing this, Ebisu could not help frowning slightly.