Untitled

"Wind Release: Gale."

Pakura condensed wind-natured chakra, exhaling a violent gust from her mouth.

However, the density of the steam exceeded her expectations, dispersing only a small portion.

It was enough.

She had already caught a glimpse of the Konoha brat's dark silhouette.

Moonlight spilled over the forest.

Pakura leaped high, commanding the orange-red energy spheres to surround him.

"Storm Release: Torrential Lightning Flash!!"

"Brat, let's see how much chakra you have left!"

Scorch Release was a nature transformation created by combining wind and fire chakra, while Storm Release was lightning and water; they barely managed to cancel each other out.

But in reality, Byakuya was at a disadvantage.

Had his chakra quality not fortunately and timely increased by a significant margin, he would have already perished under Pakura's Scorch Release.

Facing Pakura, who possessed nearly Kage-level strength, Byakuya was relying on the cover of night just to escape!

Damn it, I'm not going to die here, am I? he thought indignantly. Think of something, hurry and think of something.

The shadow clone he had sent fleeing in the other direction was killed, its memories flooding back.

The one hunting me is a clone of Pakura?

Judging by the strength displayed by both Pakuras, the one in this direction was significantly weaker.

This was the opening created by the diversion.

"Water Release: Water Wave."

"Storm Release: Torrential Lightning Flash."

Once again, he blocked the orange-red energy spheres of the Scorch Release, creating another massive wave of steam.

Byakuya estimated the amount of chakra remaining in his body...

"Kid, letting your mind wander during a battle is a very dangerous thing."

Even a clone of Pakura possessed terrifyingly high strength!

There was no time left for hesitation; Byakuya quickly formed hand seals, and before her kunai could strike, he shouted, "Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

It was the Second Hokage Senju Tobirama's version of the Water Formation Wall.

The massive increase in chakra quality, looked at from another perspective, had also provided Byakuya with a larger pool of chakra.

Water flowing like a waterfall curled up to form a barrier, protecting him from every angle.

Pakura slashed her kunai into the water flow, only to be sent flying back by the immense impact.

She was shocked: "That is the defensive Water Release ninjutsu, Water Formation Wall? No, no, wait—I remember now, Konoha does possess a special Water Formation Wall developed by the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. This brat, he even knows this kind of ninjutsu?"

Byakuya could not hold it for long; the moment he forced Pakura to retreat, he immediately canceled the Tobirama-style Water Formation Wall and fled toward the Land of Fire.

Pakura's expression turned grim; for a moment, she was unsure whether she should continue the pursuit.

The situation within Sunagakure remained unstable, and Rasa had yet to purge those power-hungry individuals with ulterior motives. If she killed this Konoha brat and invited retaliation from Konoha, the situation would become dire.

The reason she had begun scouting information regarding Konoha's defenses was precisely to wait for Sunagakure's situation to stabilize, so she could immediately mobilize the Sunagakure Ninja to attack Konoha and shift the focus of their internal conflicts, which were on the verge of exploding.

But that was for the future, certainly not now!

"No, I must kill him. Once this brat grows up, Sunagakure will face even greater pressure from Konoha. I absolutely cannot allow a situation I caused myself to come to pass."

A ninja sent by Konoha to the Land of Rivers to purge spies had died; who killed him was self-evident. Even if he died at the hands of his own people, the public narrative would be that he was killed by Sunagakure Ninja.

"Pursue!"

Pakura set aside her concerns and lunged toward Byakuya.

Several minutes later, the thick steam in the area dissipated a little more.

Byakuya's true body, hiding behind a tree while holding his breath and focusing his mind, finally dared to move.

There was not much chakra left in his body—perhaps a little over ten percent.

The massive consumption of chakra had long since pushed his body and spirit to their limits.

It was thanks to his Fate Grid, which had increased his stamina, vitality, chakra volume, and chakra quality, that he could persist even to this point of exhaustion.

He did not choose to continue consuming chakra to dash away at high speed.

Instead, he relied on the complexity of the forest environment, moving with extreme caution, and headed in the opposite direction of the Land of Fire.

Perhaps Pakura assumed he was desperate to return to Konoha and would intercept him on the road; thus, by unexpectedly heading toward the Land of Wind, he might find a path to survival.

He did not know how long he had been walking through the forest.

During this time, any rustle of leaves made Byakuya feel as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

It was not until the dim forest, obscured by lush, dense trees, slowly began to brighten that he found some relief.

Byakuya burrowed into a tree that had been dead for many years.

The trunk was hollowed out into a cave, and he curled up inside to sit.

He truly could not hold on any longer.

Every part of his body ached, and his spirit was exhausted to the extreme.

When Byakuya opened his eyes once more.

He stuffed a Military Ration Pill into his mouth and chewed.

His physical strength recovered partially, and his chakra was at nearly forty percent.

"No, I must wait longer. Who knows if Pakura will go mad and search the forest once she discovers that was also my Shadow Clone Technique."

"Lay low. Staying hidden is the only way to survive. With my current strength, I am no match for her at all; there is no need to take risks."

After consuming a dozen Military Ration Pills, Byakuya drifted off into a drowsy sleep again.

When he woke up once more.

"Physical strength has recovered to eighty percent, chakra to sixty percent."

He took out the remaining Military Ration Pills and ate them one by one.

Now was certainly not the time to hoard rations; the faster he returned to his peak, the better his chances of shaking off Pakura's pursuit.

After the way they had fought, Byakuya was well aware of the killing intent she harbored.

Although he was not sleepy and his mind was clear, he still forced himself to close his eyes and rest.

Sleep was the best way to restore the body.

"If only I had the Three-Colored Pills of the Akimichi Clan, I wouldn't be chased in such a pathetic state."

It seemed to be night.

Listening to the chirping of insects and the faint, intermittent roars of beasts outside the tree hole, Byakuya—now fully recovered in body, spirit, and chakra—leaped out of the tree hole and sped off in the direction of the Land of Wind.

He intended to take a long detour.

Byakuya did not know just how violent Pakura's rage truly was.

She had caught up to that shadow clone and poured out her chakra at any cost, seeking only to annihilate the Konoha brat as quickly as possible so that no more accidents would occur...

But an accident had come nonetheless.

After the explosion, it appeared that Byakuya had been blown to bits, yet Pakura sensed with extreme clarity that it was yet another shadow clone.

That damned Konoha brat had mastered the Shadow Clone Technique to perfection!

Just how afraid of death was he!

She went to search for Byakuya's true body, but she could not find him.

Pakura dispelled her shadow clone.

Her true body reviewed the memories of the shadow clone and shattered a nearby boulder with a single punch.

It still wasn't enough to vent her anger.

She unleashed Scorch Release: Extreme Steam Killing, destroying the forest in a frenzy.

She did not know if she was venting her frustration or hoping to luckily kill the Konoha brat.

It was also at this moment that Byakuya was fast asleep inside his tree hole.

Next, Pakura faced three choices.

The first was to wipe out all the Konoha ninja in the Land of Rivers, but that would be useless for the big picture.

The second was to return to Sunagakure in the Land of Wind, notify the village high command of the intelligence, and then send people to infiltrate Konoha to gather information.

The third was to remain in the forest or block the road to the Land of Fire to intercept and kill the Konoha brat.

Viewing these three choices from the perspective of a Kazekage, she ultimately chose the second with a sense of helplessness.

She would return to Sunagakure, report everything that had happened here, and continue to plant spies in Konoha.

"I hope that Konoha brat does not grow up smoothly; otherwise, it will surely be the worst thing for the other ninja villages."