At the ambush site, Uchiha Sou watched the area ahead in silence.
Since they were separated by some distance, Sou and the others would naturally use ninja tactics to deal with their enemies.
A sneak attack never went out of style!
Sometimes Sou wondered if he was simply too good at sneaking up on people, to the point that his Mangekyo had even developed an ability like "Ame-no-Iwato."
Sou had always known that Ame-no-Iwato was useful for far more than just sneak attacks.
But for now, he still thought the ability was best suited to escaping and ambushing people.
After all, the technique combined all the advantages of the Substitution Technique and the Body Flicker Technique. Its only drawback was that it consumed ocular power!
That was probably like how the only downside of something expensive was that it was expensive, right?
"They're here."
Sou's gaze suddenly shifted ahead. Seeing figures flickering in and out of view among the trees, he took a deep breath.
Then he made a tactical hand signal toward the others before silently drawing a kunai.
"Maeda, see anything?"
In the woods, sixteen Mist Ninja spread out and advanced in formation, searching the area ahead.
They seemed fairly cautious. Though they didn't care much about those so-called resistance groups, they'd seen far too many other squads wiped out along the way.
Whoever was responsible was vicious, never leaving a single survivor. More importantly, many of the bodies had been killed with a single blow!
The meaning was obvious: those who'd been attacked hadn't even managed to put up the most basic resistance.
They had plenty of men, and their strength was no small thing. The problem was that none of them knew who'd be the first unlucky bastard to get attacked!
"Nothing so far."
The Mist Ninja named Maeda shook his head, eyes fixed on every rustle around them. He looked a little tense.
"By the way, where are those lords?"
"They're still behind us, checking the bodies. Those Konoha shinobi are really brazen."
"They sure are. You don't see people like that often, but they're definitely dangerous."
Perhaps because the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist weren't with them, or perhaps because more than a month of searching had left them bored and on edge, the Mist Ninja had started to relax a little during their downtime. They remained alert, but could at least chat for a bit.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
But while they were talking, the sound of objects cutting through the air suddenly came from all around them. The next moment, a dense rain of kunai came hurtling toward them!
"Enemy attack! Watch out!"
The Mist Ninja immediately realized what was happening. They shouted warnings to one another and leaped aside in the same instant, dodging the area where the kunai were concentrated.
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"
But they had barely leaped into the air when scorching flames came roaring at them from every direction!
They were all experienced shinobi, though. The ambush threw them into brief disarray, but they quickly steadied themselves.
Through the hazy dust, they clearly saw someone charging at them—and leading the attack was a boy with scarlet eyes!
Sou moved at incredible speed. His Sharingan had activated the instant the fighting began, and three tomoe slowly revolved in his eyes.
The enemy was strong, but not strong enough to make him use his Mangekyo. In fact, he hadn't used it at all during the journey so far.
Not only was it unnecessary, but even with his Three Tomoe, he'd already gotten a considerable boost!
"The Mangekyo's boost to the Uchiha is truly terrifying."
Just as Shisui Uchiha had continued to grow during the six months after awakening his Mangekyo, Sou had also found that he was improving remarkably quickly in certain areas.
For example, his perception with the Three Tomoe had become far more acute. He'd also noticed that his speed had increased considerably!
"Watch out! An Uchiha!"
The Mist Ninja ahead of Sou had clearly caught on. They warned their comrades while drawing their kunai to fight back.
But the next moment, Sou accelerated even faster!
In the space of a single breath, he reached the Mist Ninja right in front of him. He gave them no chance to strike; the kunai in his hand was already swinging.
"What kind of speed is that?"
The Mist Ninja at the front didn't even have time to react. As their figures crossed, he was sent flying backward, his throat slashed open. Bright red blood splattered across the ground.
Sou had taken one of them out in an instant. The other Mist Ninja's eyes flickered. Now they understood why the bodies they'd found looked so strange.
But that was fine, too. One unlucky bastard had drawn the enemy's attention for them. However they looked at it, they were much safer now!
"Die!"
Just as Sou took down the first Mist Ninja, another one beside him reacted and swiftly swung his blade!
Sou's eyes flashed. He dipped low, passing the enemy without breaking stride.
The kunai in his hand spun lightly, then he thrust it upward with force!
The kunai drove straight from the chin of the Mist Ninja he'd just passed through to his skull. The man convulsed and collapsed to the ground. Sou calmly straightened up.
His scarlet eyes gleamed coldly, making him look all the more sinister amid the forest.
"Boom!"
A tremendous crash suddenly rang out nearby. Sou turned his head slightly to look.
Shiranui Genma and Might Guy were already fighting the other Kirigakure Ninja, while Shisui waited behind Sou for an opening.
After all, they were outnumbered, and their enemies were no pushovers. They needed a powerful shinobi like Shisui ready to move wherever he was needed.
One thing did make Sou raise an eyebrow. He wasn't sure if he'd been too ruthless, or if his sneak attacks had become so flawless that they'd provoked everyone's anger.
After seeing him take down two of their comrades in an instant, the Mist Ninja had begun to close in on him!
Seeing this, Sou didn't panic. Even without Shisui behind him, he felt certain of one thing.
He could take these men on. He didn't have to struggle like he had six months ago. He could deal with them easily!
"Ready?"
Sou watched them hold back from charging in. Slowly, he raised his right hand. The bloodstained kunai gleamed in the sunlight.
"I'm about to make my move!"
Before you continue