Are You a Vortex Too?

Two had died shortly after the battle began, startling the pursuing Kusagakure ninjas!

They had thought it was just a few petty thieves sneaking into the village, never expecting to run into hardened bandits.

Struck by this blow, the Kusagakure ninjas' nature of bullying the weak and fearing the strong was instantly provoked again.

Many stopped chasing, or shouted loudly while staying in place, dragging their feet.

Konan took this opportunity to spread her paper wings, lifting Uzumaki Kayo and two less agile team members, cutting through the sky to retreat swiftly.

Meanwhile, Shiba Seika, Nagato, Kenjiro, and another Akatsuki Chunin, Masuda Ikki, stayed behind to delay the Kusagakure ninjas.

Shiba Seika proposed, "Withdraw deep into the mountain forest, away from open terrain. Use the complex landscape to break their pursuit apart, then find a chance to take out the ones chasing hardest!"

Masuda Ikki was somewhat timid; he was just a standard Chunin from a small ninja village.

"Can we really do that with just us? There are over twenty people chasing us now."

And that was after Shiba Seika's swift kills of two had scared off some of the Kusagakure ninjas.

Originally, the number chasing them had been even larger!

Shiba Seika said, "Don't be afraid, we still have Nagato as our trump card."

Kenjiro frowned slightly, "But Leader Yahiko said Nagato should never use that power if possible. Once exposed, it would be extremely dangerous!"

Kenjiro had genuine loyalty to Leader Yahiko; he would even sacrifice himself to keep Nagato's secret.

But Shiba Seika dismissed him disdainfully, "Why are you so rigid? If you're afraid of exposure, just kill all the witnesses! If you're still worried, dispose of the bodies cleanly too!"

Kenjiro was left speechless.

He had to admit, that proposal was very Seika.

But this time, what Kenjiro didn't expect was that even Nagato spoke up to support Shiba Seika.

"When the time comes, I'll contribute my strength. You decide the moment, Seika."

Even now, Nagato still felt that tonight's events were entirely his fault.

He had stubbornly followed along on his own;

He had dragged everyone into danger to save his blood relative.

He never imagined this could be Shiba Seika's scheme, instead feeling indebted to Seika for risking danger to rescue him.

So he was willing to go against Yahiko's instructions to repay that debt!

Shiba Seika smiled faintly, then nodded solemnly, "Leave it to me!"

At the same time, the pursuing Kusagakure ninjas were also urgently discussing their pursuit plan.

One shouted in reprimand, "What are you all doing? Why are you dawdling? Hurry up and catch that Rain ninja brat!

If we don't quickly exchange that Uzumaki woman back, and this blows up, we'll all be in trouble!"

Kusagakure had been hiding Uzumaki Kayo in secret, and they were terrified of this being exposed.

Not out of fear of moral condemnation, but fear that a major ninja village would use it as an excuse to raid them.

Back when the Land of Whirlpools was destroyed, aside from Konoha and the farthest Sunagakure, the other three great ninja villages had all participated openly or covertly.

But the spoils after the war hadn't satisfied them.

That was the root cause of the Uzumaki clan's miserable fate in the ninja world: the perpetrators hadn't gotten what they wanted, so they kept secretly hunting down surviving Uzumaki orphans.

And Konoha, the ally meant to save this clan, had taken Kushina and then washed its hands of the matter.

Kusagakure couldn't fight those three bullies, nor could they seek help from Konoha, so they had no choice but to hide Kayo in secret.

Exposing this would bring them huge trouble, so the clear-headed Kusagakure higher-ups were very anxious.

But his anxiety was useless.

Someone immediately retorted rudely, "Why are you shouting so loud? If you're so capable, go ahead! You hold off that Rain ninja kid with the sword, and we guarantee we'll catch everyone else!"

The scolded Kusagakure higher-up fell silent, his face flushed red.

The Kusagakure ninja Shiba Seika had killed moments ago with a fluid Kenjutsu combo was a Jonin in the village, on par with the current commanders.

If Shiba Seika could kill that man, he could kill them too.

So argue as they might, no one actually wanted to test Seika's blade.

Several Kusagakure Jonin glanced at each other during the pursuit, none speaking.

Until finally, one couldn't stand the spiral of silence and stepped forward, "I'll handle that kid with the sword. You all catch the others as fast as you can!"

The others all breathed a sigh of relief.

The few Kusagakure ninjas actively chasing Nagato moved nimbly, even seeming to carry a hint of smugness.

If Shiba Seika had seen this, he would have given their courage a hearty thumbs-up!

Soon, amid the complex mountain forest terrain, Shiba Seika faced off against the Kusagakure Jonin who had volunteered.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

The opponent opened with a display of his source of confidence!

This Grass Ninja specialized in Wind Release, excelling at controlling distance in battle, giving him a clear advantage against enemies skilled in Taijutsu or Kenjutsu.

A violent gale tore through the branches, whipping up fallen leaves and dust, leaving devastation in its wake.

Shiba Seika leaped between the treetops, dodging the first wave of the hurricane. Just as he prepared to counter-charge, a barrage of wind blades came flying toward him.

"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique!"

This opponent was dead set on not letting him get close!

Shiba Seika wasn't in a hurry. He feigned retreat, continuing to leap and shift agilely through the forest, searching for favorable terrain to fight.

He wasn't aiming to take out just one or two Grass Ninja—he wanted to cooperate with Nagato to bury everyone who had chased them tonight!

Those overconfident Grass Ninja chasing them had no idea what kind of terrifying existence they were pursuing!

But Shiba Seika's caution was mistaken by his opponent as helpless desperation.

"Hmph! Nothing special!"

The Wind Release-specializing Grass Ninja let out a smug snort, unsure whether his mockery was aimed at Shiba Seika or at his own comrades who had been scared out of their wits.

Ninja were fast on their feet. With one chasing and the other fleeing, they soon plunged deep into the forest.

Just as Shiba Seika had predicted, as time passed, the pursuing Grass Ninja gradually became scattered in the complex mountain terrain.

The younger, less skilled Grass Ninja at the rear had already fallen far behind.

Not long after, Shiba Seika finally found the decisive battlefield he had been searching for!

"Under that waterfall, Nagato—go there and activate your ability!"

As he gave the order, he no longer held back. Without hesitation, he turned and charged straight at the Grass Ninja who had been chasing him!

Tonight, not a single one would be spared!

The pursuing Grass Jonin had no idea that the enemy ahead had already decided to kill. He still followed his instincts, forming hand seals and unleashing his technique.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

He expected Shiba Seika to dodge and scramble away as before, letting him control the distance and wear him down like a kite.

But this time, Shiba Seika didn't evade. He plunged straight into the wind field without even blinking!

"What?!"

In shock, he saw Shiba Seika, clothes tattered and covered in cuts, charge through the Wind Release as if nothing had happened. One hand held his blade forward, while the other raised his wrist to his mouth and bit down.

That familiar motion jolted the Grass Ninja's mind into clarity, and he screamed in horror.

"How?! You're also Uzu—"

He wanted to ask: You're also from the Uzumaki Clan?!

But the rest of his words never left his throat.

Because Shiba Seika, having pushed through the storm with severe injuries, had already brought his blade to the Grass Ninja's throat!