Hunted

At the same time, the lead ninja in the Cloud Village pursuit team began to contemplate Amada's escape route.

As he sprinted, he said to the companion beside him:

"If that guy isn't a fool, he should know that running straight toward the Land of Fire makes it hard to escape. He might change direction."

"Then where could he go?"

Another ninja asked.

"There are only two viable directions—either the Land of Fields or the Land of Iron."

The lead ninja analyzed calmly, "The Land of Fields is a small nation with complex terrain, suitable for hiding; the Land of Iron is a neutral nation, and Cloud Village ninjas dare not cross its borders lightly. He will definitely choose one of them."

"Then what should we do?"

The companion pressed.

"Split up!" the lead ninja ordered decisively, "One group will head toward the Land of Fields to intercept, and another will head toward the Land of Iron. Of course, do not abandon the direction of the Land of Fire. No matter what, he must not be allowed to escape!"

Following the order, the Cloud Village pursuit team quickly split into two additional groups, each sprinting toward the directions of the Land of Fields and the Land of Iron respectively.

Amada was already approaching the border of the Land of Iron.

His speed was extremely fast, but he dared not let his guard down for even a second.

The three-man Cloud Village pursuit team heading toward the Land of Iron soon discovered the traces Amada had left along the way.

One of the ninjas crouched down, carefully examining the footprints and broken branches on the ground before standing up:

"Found him, he really did head toward the Land of Iron!"

Another ninja nodded and quickly proposed:

"I am the fastest; I will go after him alone. You two go back to notify the others, then catch up as soon as possible."

"Captain, you're going alone?"

The third ninja asked with some concern.

The lead Cloud Village Special Jonin, Moi, smiled confidently:

"Rest assured, they generally wouldn't send a Jonin for a contact mission like this; that would be overkill. Therefore, he is at most a Chunin. Just a Chunin, nothing to worry about."

His tone was filled with contempt, clearly extremely confident in his own strength.

The other two ninjas exchanged a look, and although they still had doubts in their hearts, they said nothing more, simply nodding before turning back to notify the others.

Special Jonin Moi continued to follow the tracks Amada had left, pursuing him rapidly.

His speed was immense as he wove through the forest, gradually closing the distance between himself and Amada.

At the same time, Amada also sensed the pursuer behind him.

His sensory abilities were already sharp, and with the assistance of his Sharingan, he quickly discovered that someone was rapidly closing in on him.

Running like this is not a solution; his speed is greater than mine.

Amada analyzed the situation calmly while running.

He knew that if he continued to flee, he would be caught sooner or later.

Rather than being a passive target, it was better to take the initiative.

I must finish him quickly!

Amada made a firm resolution in his heart, a flash of coldness crossing his eyes.

Amada quickly scanned his surroundings.

Soon, his gaze locked onto a narrow valley.

The high rock walls on both sides of the valley were the perfect location for an ambush.

I'll finish him right here!

Amada plastered explosive tags all over the rock walls on both sides of the passage, then hid behind a large boulder, holding his breath and waiting quietly for the pursuer to arrive.

Not long after, the Cloud Village Special Jonin, Moi, reached the entrance of the valley.

The moment he stepped into the passage, Amada quickly formed hand seals and let out a low shout:

"Detonate!"

"BOOM—!"

The explosive tags on both sides detonated simultaneously, the massive shockwave causing the rock walls to shatter and send debris flying, while smoke and dust instantly filled the entire passage.

However, Moi was fast, and the shockwave of the explosion did not hit him directly; it only left him shrouded in smoke and dust.

"Petty tricks!"

Moi sneered, yet the moment he steadied his footing, countless kunai and shuriken erupted from the dust, raining down upon him like a storm.

A flicker of disdain crossed Moi's eyes as the lightning on his body surged.

His speed spiked instantly, his figure weaving through the kunai and shuriken like a phantom, effortlessly dodging every attack.

"A mere Chunin, daring to ambush me?"

Moi stood his ground, his tone dripping with arrogance and confidence.

"Let Moi, a Special Jonin of the Cloud Village, be the one to end you!"

Hidden in the shadows, Amada felt a stir in his heart upon hearing the opponent claim to be a "Special Jonin."

He quickly recalled the intelligence regarding Special Jonin—they were essentially Chunin who possessed unique, specialized talents.

Their overall combat standards did not reach the level of a Jonin, but they possessed exceptional capabilities in specific fields.

The Moi before him was clearly an elite Chunin who excelled in speed.

If his speed is his only standout trait, his other aspects might not be that strong,

Amada thought to himself.

He knew he had no time to waste and had to end this battle quickly.

Once other Cloud Village ninjas arrived, he would be in a desperate situation.

With that thought, Amada hesitated no longer.

His consciousness sank into his dantian, beginning to channel the "Qi" he had painstakingly cultivated.

That warm energy circulated through his body, gradually gathering in his hands.

At the same time, he activated his Sharingan, his scarlet eyes emitting a soul-stirring glow.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Wave!"

The power of the Lightning Style rapidly enveloped the katana in his hand.

Blue lightning crackled around the blade, emitting a "zizzing" sound.

Just then, Amada was surprised to discover that as his "Qi" made contact with the Lightning Style, they began to fuse; there was no rejection between the two, but rather, they complemented each other.

The originally blue lightning on his katana gradually turned into a brilliant gold, as if imbued with some mysterious power.

This is...?

Amada was shaken, but he quickly suppressed his surprise.

He knew now was not the time to investigate; the enemy before him was not yet defeated, and other Cloud Village ninjas could arrive at any moment.

Amada swiftly threw several shuriken at Moi to test his reaction.

Seeing this, Moi sneered disdainfully:

"You dare use such small tricks against me?"

He stood arrogantly in place, no longer dodging, and simply parried them easily with the kunai in his hand.

The shuriken were knocked down one by one, producing crisp metallic clangs.

Amada's heart stirred, and he fired even more shuriken, faster and at trickier angles.

"Useless!"

Moi remained full of confidence, his kunai dancing like the wind, batting away the incoming shuriken one after another.

However, he failed to notice that one of the shuriken was wrapped in a faint, golden lightning glow.

"Clang!" The moment Moi blocked that golden shuriken with his kunai, the golden electricity erupted, spreading across his entire body like a golden lightning serpent.

"Ah—!"

Moi let out a scream, his body instantly paralyzed by the golden lightning, unable to move.

Amada gave him no chance to catch his breath, rushing out from the shadows, his katana, trailing fierce golden lightning, slashing directly toward Moi's vitals.