With two squads of Konoha Ninja joining the fight, the situation instantly turned around.
The Mist Ninja hiding in the water saw things weren't going well and promptly turned to flee, sprinting toward the nearby bank of dense fog without sparing a thought for his five comrades still fighting behind him.
Comrades? What comrades? Since when did Ninja from the Bloody Mist Village have those?
At that moment, he thoroughly embodied the essence of the four-part battle strategy: "panic, retreat, sell out, and skedaddle."
Higashino Makoto took off after him, likewise leaving his teammates to their fight. They held an overwhelming advantage on all three fronts. Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao might need a little more time, but with Ebisu backing them up, victory was certain.
If they still couldn't take down their opponents—or even got hurt—then that was simply the price of growth. He wanted to protect the people he considered comrades, but he wasn't about to play babysitter, constantly shielding his teammates and depriving them of a chance to train.
In the Shinobi World, the best guarantee of outliving others was always one's own strength. Higashino Makoto couldn't be at their side every moment.
The fleeing Kirigakure Ninja was fast in the water, but not as fast as Higashino Makoto. After a few strides in pursuit, he leaped into the air and slashed downward several times.
The nearly invisible Wind Blades released by Wind Release: Shadowless Sword plunged into the water like cannonballs, pierced through its shallow depths, and burrowed into the ground, blocking the Kirigakure Ninja's escape route.
The Kirigakure Ninja underwater broke into a cold sweat—if he could even sweat underwater.
If he'd taken just one more step forward, that razor-sharp Wind Blade would have cut him in half.
It looked like he wouldn't get away