"You bastard! Even if I die, I won't let you get away with this! Earth Release: Earth Path Overturn!"
Knowing he couldn't escape, the Iwa ninja chose to expend every last bit of his chakra on a technique.
In an instant, the landscape around them was transformed.
It was as if a giant beast were moving beneath the earth. The ground all around them split open and heaved.
As the nearby giant trees toppled, a flash of regret and killing intent crossed Uchiha Shisui's eyes.
He only had time to hurl a kunai through the Iwa ninja's neck before hurriedly using the Body Flicker Technique to escape the range of the enemy's jutsu.
"Damn it! Hm?"
Uchiha Shisui let out a frustrated sound, then his voice abruptly took on a note of surprise.
"What an interesting technique! Of course, what's even more interesting is people. Deception can happen at any moment!"
"Indeed! I thought you two were just ordinary people!"
Uchiha Shisui nodded, looking enlightened as he agreed.
"No! By deception, I don't mean my brother and me. I mean that Iwa ninja!"
Lin Cheng shook his head with a smile, a meaningful look on his face.
"What do you mean?!"
Lin Cheng's words shocked Uchiha Shisui, who had shown no strong emotional reaction until then.
"Could it be...?"
In an instant, Uchiha Shisui formed a suspicion.
"That's right! It was all a deception!"
Glancing at a spot behind him, Lin Cheng's smile grew even broader.
"An Earth Clone! Pretending to have exhausted his chakra! And you were distracted by my brother and me!
Heh. If I hadn't been keeping my attention on the entire battlefield, I might have been fooled too!"
"Since you've seen through me, then die!"
Realizing he couldn't escape, the Iwa ninja hiding behind Lin Cheng to his right immediately roared and lunged at him.
The kunai in his hand shot straight for Lin Cheng's heart.
"Just a desperate struggle. Don't you think I'm standing right here for a reason?"
With a broad smile, Lin Cheng instantly switched places with his opponent.
"Ugh—hah! Hah!"
"Some things were decided the moment you chose to attack us."
The ice kunai in Lin Cheng's hand melted away into water, and the smile gradually faded from his face.
"He wouldn't spare you! You wouldn't have survived anyway!"
The corpse fell to the ground with a thud, making the already-toppled giant tree shudder and sending countless dead leaves tumbling down.
As the leaves fell, Uchiha Shisui's body stiffened at the sight of the small figure beneath them.
He knew he hadn't just misjudged Lin Cheng—he had badly underestimated him.
"My name is Uchiha Shisui. What's your name?"
With a leap, Uchiha Shisui landed in front of Lin Cheng and Kimimaro and asked quietly.
"Lin Cheng!"
Lin Cheng answered with a smile, then beckoned Kimimaro over.
"Little Kimimaro! Come here!"
"Mm."
"This is my younger brother, Kimimaro!"
Patting Kimimaro on the shoulder as he came over, Lin Cheng introduced him.
"Hello, Kimimaro."
"Hello!"
After exchanging brief greetings, Uchiha Shisui looked at Lin Cheng again.
"When I look at you, I feel like I'm seeing my younger clansman, Uchiha Itachi. You're just as exceptional!"
"Is that so? I've always been curious about the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan. How about we play around for a bit?"
A smile spread across Lin Cheng's face again. He tilted his head and chuckled.
"I can see a deeper power in your eyes!"
"Sure!"
Lin Cheng's suggestive words and smile made Uchiha Shisui's eyes contract sharply.
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