Escape

"It's the Hidden Mist Technique!"

All the Sand Shinobi instantly went on guard.

Several of them immediately pulled out prepared scrolls, infused them with Chakra, and summoned their puppets from within.

"As expected of ninja from a great village. You really are well-informed."

Simu's voice drifted out from the hazy mist.

"Captain Taya, what do we do now?"

Faced with an unknown enemy, the Sand Shinobi quickly turned their eyes toward Jonin Taya, who was in command of this operation.

"Kawanishi, can't you sense the enemy's location?"

Kawanishi was the sensory ninja responsible for reconnaissance in this team. He had also been the first to discover the enemy's traces earlier.

Facing his captain's expectant gaze, Kawanishi shook his head somewhat ashamedly.

"This mist is all Chakra. I can't sense the enemy's direction at all. Sorry."

Taya drew his Ninja Blade, his expression extremely grave.

"It's fine. Maybe the enemy is only bluffing. If they were truly confident they could take us head-on, they wouldn't use such a ghostly trick."

His words immediately won the agreement of all the Sand Shinobi.

"Oh? Is that so?"

The next second, Hidan's mocking voice rang out. A scarlet scythe flew from the mist and accurately struck a Sand Shinobi standing at the edge.

Although the Sand Village Chunin reacted in time and used his Kunai to block, the immense force attached to the scythe still sent him flying.

"Over there!"

Taya was experienced in battle and knew this was not the time to worry about his companion. He flung out a Kunai, firing it directly toward the direction from which the scythe had come.

As a muffled grunt sounded, countless Chakra threads shot from one Sand Shinobi's fingertips, controlling a puppet as it charged toward Hidan.

Before it had even gone halfway, a mass