I Have a Plan

Including the two ninjas who had been disguised as resting beneath the trees, six dark figures swiftly pursued Xing Ran and Yamaki Atsushi in the direction they had fled.

This group now held an absolute advantage in numbers. One of their companions had been caught instead of catching the enemy, making them somewhat wary, but the leader, a jonin, was no pushover. After hesitating for less than five seconds, the remaining five quickly chased after Xing Ran and Yamaki Atsushi, carrying the already unconscious Junpei with them.

"Sorry, I didn't detect the enemy's presence earlier." On the other side, Xing Ran, who had escaped a few seconds ahead, carried the captive in one hand as he followed beside Yamaki Atsushi and apologized.

"You can't be blamed. I'm responsible too. They came prepared. I should have warned you to watch out for Earth Release ninjutsu. Those were Rock Concealment Technique and Fish in Mud Technique. Unless one is specifically prepared, even a jonin can't easily detect them." Yamaki Atsushi understood the situation clearly. They had already lost one man; no amount of berating Xing Ran would help. The important thing was how to escape. Xing Ran had captured an enemy alive, so the enemy would be hesitant to act recklessly. They still had a chance.

The enemy's trap had been highly targeted. Perhaps because Xing Ran had successfully led his team to escape last time, several "rogue Stone ninjas" active in this area had prepared in advance.

They hid underground and used the Fish in Mud Technique to observe what was happening through the soil.

Then they used the Rock Concealment Technique to follow them or lie in ambush beforehand at designated points underground. Once Xing Ran's group took the bait, they could emerge and launch a surprise attack with the Double Suicide Decapitation Technique. It was easy to imagine that if Xing Ran had not suddenly captured one of them instead, the two Konoha ninjas dragged underground would never have had the chance to return to the surface. They would have received the full burial package: killed, then buried on the spot.

Xing Ran felt somewhat helpless. Once he understood the trap, he had nothing to say. Stealth ninjutsu was originally meant to blend into nature. Affected by phenomena beyond physics like Chakra, his Superman abilities were not always reliable either. Superman's abilities were most effective against physical phenomena. If the enemy had been careless, he could have spotted them from far away. But with the enemy prepared, relying solely on his family's bottom-tier sensory ability made getting completely outclassed all too easy.

He had been suppressed in terms of technique. This world was neither DC nor Marvel; the true path was combining Superman abilities with ninjutsu. A one-legged giant could easily trip.

"They've caught up." Xing Ran did not have much time for wild thoughts. He quickly noticed the enemies pursuing from behind in a half-encirclement.

"Damn it. I'll cover the rear. You run first. Leave this captive with me. I can use him to buy more time, and you'll have a better chance of escaping without this burden." Yamaki Atsushi gave the order with all the responsibility of a captain.

Ever since the White Fang incident, the choice between comrades and missions had changed from missions being absolute to a situation where missions and comrades each took priority depending on the circumstances. Many Konoha ninjas valued preserving their comrades more, though even more still clung to the old rules.

Clearly, Yamaki Atsushi belonged to the faction that valued comrades, making Xing Ran think even more highly of him. If not for his limited strength, he would definitely have been a character worthy of making a name for himself in the original story.

"We're not running. Let's take a gamble. I have a plan..." Xing Ran knew that whether Yamaki Atsushi stayed behind or not, he had a way to escape alone. Combining Superman speed with Chakra, and after overcoming his mental hurdle last time, his improved speed had reached 150 kilometers per hour through pure physical ability alone—nearly double what it had been before. With Chakra enhancement, he could easily break 300 kilometers per hour, reaching a maximum of eighty meters per second.

There was still a huge gap compared to opening the Fifth Gate of the Eight Gates and reaching 340 meters per second, but if all he wanted was to escape, he could use Super vision to maneuver and make it back to the previous sentry post before being caught.

Xing Ran said he had a plan, making it seem as though he wanted to discuss it with Yamaki Atsushi, but his hands did not stop moving at all. Time was pressing. As long as he acted, Yamaki Atsushi would definitely cooperate.

With a soft crack, the "rogue Stone ninja" Xing Ran had knocked unconscious and held in his hand died silently and miserably. Yamaki Atsushi's eyes suddenly widened at the sight. This... this was tearing up the trump card in their hands.

"Captain, can your Earth Release bury this guy?" This was Xing Ran's first time killing someone. Although he had been a ninja for more than a year, he had only fought other ninjas once or twice. He had not had the opportunity to kill anyone until now.

Yet Xing Ran seemed to have completely inherited the worldview of this body's original owner. He felt sick for only an instant before quickly returning to normal.

"What do you want to do?" Yamaki Atsushi did not waste time with pointless chatter. At this point, the first thing he thought was that Xing Ran had cut off his own route of escape in order to live and die alongside him.

Poof.

A cloud of smoke billowed out as Xing Ran used the Transformation Technique.

Not long after Xing Ran used this basic Three Body Techniques skill taught at the Ninja Academy, the place where they stood was swiftly half-encircled by the pursuing "rogue Stone ninjas."

The five enemies either stood on tree trunks or hid in the shadows of the leaves. Three of them stood closest to Xing Ran and Yamaki Atsushi, with Junpei in their grasp.

They were going to negotiate.

"Release him, and I'll return your companion to you. Fair enough." A voice so flat it carried no emotion emerged from the mouth of the leading ninja who stepped forward to negotiate.

But the proposal itself was anything but calm. In Xing Ran's view, merely exchanging captives would solve nothing, because they would be left in a disadvantaged three-against-six situation. Getting away unscathed would not be easy.

There was a long scar at the corner of this ninja's mouth, likely cut by a sharp weapon. The scar made his mouth look unusually wide, creating a distinctly unsettling appearance.

"We can exchange captives, but all of you need to stand together. I'm worried you'll try something during the exchange." As Yamaki Atsushi spoke, he tightened his grip on the kunai in his hand to make the threat more convincing.

According to Xing Ran's plan, the enemy had to gather together for the next move to have the greatest chance of success. Counterattacking was their only way out. If they truly exchanged captives, they would only become more and more passive. Besides, they no longer had a captive at all.

At this moment, Yamaki Atsushi stood alone, holding the captive at knifepoint, while Xing Ran had vanished. The "rogue Stone ninja" Xing Ran had just strangled to death was now kneeling on the ground unharmed under Yamaki Atsushi's control. Since Xing Ran had crushed one of his palms and snapped his arm earlier, he was now clutching the ruined hand with his other hand, as though that were the only way to suppress the pain. His head hung low, making his expression impossible to see.

"Boss, look below your feet." As the scar-mouthed ninja leader silently considered Yamaki Atsushi's demand, a dark-skinned ninja behind him suddenly reported to his superior in a low voice.

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