Counterattack

Seeing the retreating green-haired ninja, Taiichi wasn't about to give him a chance. He rushed forward and launched an upward strike at the Green-haired Takagi's groin, forcing him to retreat repeatedly. Then he swept his arms left and right, attempting to break through his defense.

However, the Green-haired Takagi had already gotten a chance to catch his breath. His Kunai- defended that it blocked and parried Taiichi's attacks from all sides, rendering them all useless.

In just a few exchanges, Taiichi realized he had chosen the wrong way to attack; this green-haired ninja was more like a Taijutsu -type Jonin.

He just hasn't recovered yet, and I only gained a slight advantage because of the first move. Once he adapts to my attack, this close-quarters combat will surely kill me immediately.

What's more, the other side still has two Chunin haven't caught up yet!

Good things don't work, but bad things do.

Just as he thought of those two Chunin, Taiichi corner of his eye.

Seeing this, Taiichi no longer hesitated and immediately added another point to the One-Handed Seal skill.

[One-Handed Seal Lv1 (78/100)]

Instantly, a wealth of knowledge and experience about One-Handed Seal flooded his mind, merging into his brain and his entire body. He immediately mastered the skill he had already studied to a near-perfect degree, and even surpassed it.

Taking advantage of his offensive initiative, Taiichi subtly adjusted his position, positioning the green-haired ninja with his back to the two Chunin. He then used his right hand to slash rapidly with his sword, drawing the green-haired ninja's attention, while his left hand secretly began Hand Seals.

Another heavy slash aimed straight at the face of the Green-haired Takagi, but he had completely adapted to Taiichi's fighting style and easily defended against the attack.

He had just seen Qiantai and the others arrive, and he could immediately retaliate and tear this brat to pieces.

Just then, a sudden sense of alarm rose in Green-haired Takagi's mind, and goosebumps rose all over his body—a premonition of impending death.

Without a second thought, the Green-haired Takagi followed his instincts and quickly retreated to avoid the attack.

At that very moment, Taiichi, who was still wielding his sword, suddenly spat out a large number of Fireball from his mouth.

"Damn it, it's that move from before. When did he form the hand seals? I didn't even notice!" But then he remembered Taiichi switching to a one-handed attack, "Could it be—"

Faced with this area-of-effect attack, the Green-haired Takagi could only retreat at high speed, attempting to escape the exaggerated Fireball attack.

Qiantai Takagi entangled Jonin the brat and were excitedly rushing forward to finish him off. However, Captain Takagi, who had been fighting well, suddenly retreated, and then a barrage of Fireball rushed towards them.

Now, no one was thinking about finishing him off anymore; escaping was the top priority. But the two had already rushed too close, and their reactions were a beat too slow.

Only after the Green-haired Takagi rushed past them did the two stop and retreat as well.

But it was already too late. The Fireball had already landed and exploded not far behind them. Although they only grazed the aftershocks of the explosion, the strong impact still caused them to cough up blood and fall to the ground.

Once the explosion subsided, the Green-haired Takagi returned to check on them. Seeing that the two had only suffered minor injuries, he breathed a sigh of relief.

These two ordeals left him with psychological trauma. Although that kid wasn't as strong as him, he had a lot of tricks up his sleeve and could catch him off guard every time.

Seeing the empty scene again, the Green-haired Takagi's brow twitched with anger. "Are they dead? If not, get up and keep chasing!"

Seeing the two of them dawdling on the ground for ages without getting up, the Green-haired Takagi's veins throbbed with anger. "Hurry up, do you think I'm afraid to kill someone?"

As expected, the threat of a Jonin was quite effective. The two immediately stood up despite the pain. By this time, the three of them had already been delayed for a while, so the Green-haired Takagi didn't wait any longer and took the lead in chasing after them.

The remaining two exchanged a glance, both looking helpless, yet unable to ignore the threat of a Jonin, and could only give chase. However, their speed was noticeably slower than before.

Taiichi, fleeing at breakneck speed, was unaware of what was happening behind him. He hoped the green-haired Jonin would maintain his rage, allowing the distance between them to widen further, giving him a better chance to hold out longer, or even...

With his Chakra plentiful at this moment, Taiichi didn't hesitate to expend Chakra, creating another Shadow Clone to ambush along the way, while his main body continued his escape.

Meanwhile, Shadow Clone Taiichi, used Subterranean Voyage hide in the ground. He waited for more than five minutes before sensing a figure quickly passing by above. After a while, the Jonin had already run far away, and Taiichi emerged from underground and climbed back up to a nearby tree to hide again.

A moment later, the Shadow Clone sensed two figures approaching from afar. The two were clearly in poor condition, their pace appearing perfunctory. After the two passed under the tree where the Shadow Clone hiding, Taiichi seized the opportunity and swiftly charged at one of them with his sword.

The sound of the attack startled the two Chunin. They hurriedly turned around and were immediately panicked when they saw that the attacker was Taiichi. Wasn't this kid being chased by Lord Takagi? How did he end up here?

Before the two could figure it out, Taiichi's Short Sword was already close to one of them.

Qiantai, seeing the Short Sword so close at hand, finally regained his Kunai and parried the attacking Short Sword with his kunai at the last second.

Knowing how powerful this kid was, he had no intention of attacking. He simply Kunai his sword repeatedly, not seeking merit, but only avoiding mistakes.

At this moment, another Chunin who was traveling with them also reacted and quickly approached to join the battle.

Taiichi Shadow Clone, noticed the two's conservative fighting style and quickly realized that they were probably intimidated by his endless array of tricks.

Taiichi was happy to keep them occupied here. As long as he could Chunin here, it would be the best news for his main body.

Taiichi, the main body, continued to flee forward, but as time went by, he noticed something amiss. He hadn't received any memories of when the Shadow Clone dissipated, which puzzled him.

But upon further reflection, he realized the answer: being able to hold off two Chunin would undoubtedly create a better fighting environment for himself.

Having made up his mind, Taiichi continued his escape plan.

But having previously added Attribute Points, he still had plenty of stamina, and thus escaped for another half hour.

Taiichi finally sensed the movement of the pursuers in the distance. Before he could see them, Taiichi formed Hand Seals and created another Shadow Clone. This Shadow Clone did not stop at all and rushed straight ahead of Taiichi, fleeing into the distance.

Taiichi, in his true form, stopped in his tracks, turned around, and gazed in the direction from which the enemy had pursued him, panting heavily.

The Green-haired Takagi glared at the brat panting a short distance away, gritting his teeth, "Damn brat, weren't you supposed to be a fast runner? Why aren't you running anymore?"

"Hey, you Green Hat Uncle, why are you chasing me like this? I don't even know who your little brother is. You must have mistaken me for someone else." Taiichi, panting heavily, still couldn't resist taunting the green-haired ninja.

"You foul-mouthed brat, I'll tear your stinking mouth apart!" The enraged Green-haired Takagi didn't even have time to catch his breath before charging forward, brandishing his Kunai.

Seeing the green-haired ninja who showed no sign of stopping and was ready to fight, Taiichi's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. He drew his sword and charged forward.

The sounds of clashing weapons rang out continuously. As expected, in a head-on clash, Taiichi was clearly inferior. As soon as the two exchanged blows, Taiichi was put on the defensive.

Green-haired Takagi fully utilized the characteristic of Kunai short and dangerous, constantly closing the distance between Taiichi and the two, repeatedly stabbing Taiichi's head, neck, heart and other vital parts with his Kunai.

Taiichi was ultimately too weak, and faced with the green-haired man's pressure, he quickly had to shrink his defensive perimeter. His Short Sword could only barely block the enemy's attacks. But prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat, and soon Taiichi began to suffer injuries.

Another straight thrust was barely parried by Taiichi, but Takagi clearly felt the force of the block weaken. The Kunai still grazed Taiichi's left hand, adding another wound to Taiichi's left arm.

"Kid, let's see how long you can last?" Green-haired Takagi couldn't help but laugh as he saw his attack succeed again.

Looking at the new scratches on his body, Taiichi remained silent, and while the green-haired man was speaking, he prepared to Hand Seals to release Ninjutsu.

"Haha, how could I let you have your way?" Takagi naturally saw through Taiichi's plan and rushed forward without thinking, his Kunai a sharp, cold light as he slashed towards Taiichi's neck.

Taiichi parried with his sword, sparks flying from the impact of the Kunai. Taking advantage of the moment, Takagi cut inside Taiichi's side, his free hand forming a fist that struck Taiichi's chest. Taiichi could only bend his arm to block, and a heavy punch landed on Taiichi's sword-wielding arm, nearly knocking the Short Sword out of his hand.

Having landed a successful blow, Takagi grinned maliciously as he spun around and pressed down, his left elbow slamming heavily into Taiichi's right ribs.

"Crack." The sound of bone breaking was clearly audible.

Taiichi staggered backward, blood spilling from his mouth. At that moment, Takagi rushed forward, using his elbow as a spear, and delivered a powerful Heart-Piercing Elbow strike straight to Taiichi's chest.

Taiichi had time to cross his hands to block when, with a "bang," he was sent flying by the elbow.

"Kid, let's see if you're still alive now!" Green-haired Takagi didn't give Taiichi a chance to breathe, rushing towards the direction Taiichi landed, wanting to give him the final blow.

Taiichi, having landed, used the momentum to roll and get to his feet. Feeling his arm, which was so weak he could barely hold the sword, he turned and ran without hesitation, disappearing from the green-haired ninja's sight through the trees behind him.

"Run, how much longer can you run?" A boastful laugh escaped Takagi's lips, a laugh filled with the exhilaration of finally getting his revenge.

With that, the Green-haired Takagi followed the trail left by Taiichi and gave chase.

This pursuit was surprisingly easy. After only a hundred meters, the Green-haired Takagi saw Taiichi kneeling on the ground ahead, trembling and curled up, looking like he was about to die.

Takagi had no doubt; he could clearly feel that the elbow strike had broken Taiichi's ribs, and now it might be the time when he was bleeding internally.

A ferocious smile appeared on his face, and the pleasure of revenge filled his entire body. Takagi swung his Kunai and thrust it straight at Taiichi's back.

At this moment, Taiichi, who had fallen to the ground, seemed to realize something. He struggled to turn around and looked at the Kunai that was so close to him. Suddenly, he grinned and revealed a triumphant smile.

You've been tricked!

Outpost 7.

After running for more than an hour, Yohei finally arrived at the outpost and, after some verification, was allowed to enter the Camp.

He didn't have time to search for Captain Yamaguchi; ignoring the astonished looks of others, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Captain Yamaguchi, come quick, I need to save you!"

--

In an instant, everyone in the already small Camp rushed out, wondering what had happened to Yohei.

Captain Yamaguchi heard the commotion and came out of his tent. When he saw that only Yohei had returned, his heart sank and a bad feeling came to his mind.

He quickly came to Yohei's side, grabbed Yohei who was about to speak, and dragged him to the central tent.

"Tell me, what's going on?" Captain Yamaguchi asked, Jonin Chiba in the center of the tent stared at Yohei.

"We followed the fleeing ninja, trailing him all the way to a cave—"

As Yohei recounted the events, Masasuke Yamaguchi and Chiba also came to understand the seriousness of the situation. This was clearly a premeditated border harassment aimed at depleting Konoha's manpower and disrupting Konoha border defenses.

"I will immediately notify the village and issue warnings to the surrounding outposts," Chiba Jonin immediately decided.

"No! Captain, hurry and save Taiichi! He'll die if we're any later!" Yohei grabbed Captain Yamaguchi's sleeve, pleading anxiously.

"Alright, Yohei, calm down!" Captain Yamaguchi shouted.

He then turned to Chiba and said, "Chiba, Yohei is right. How many more men can we spare from the outpost to go with me to the rescue?"

Chiba pondered for a moment, "In last night's battle, the entire outpost participated, and many were injured, but if it were just one or two people, it should be fine."

As she spoke, Chiba stepped out of the tent and, seeing the Chunin busily tidying up the Camp, Chunin out, "Yuka, Yuta, you two come here!"

Upon hearing this, the two ninjas who were carrying supplies immediately put down their items and ran towards the tent. "Lord Chiba, is there anything you need to tell us brothers?"

"Come with me." With that, he walked back into the tent.

"Yamaguchi Jonin, these two brothers are among the best in our outpost. Let them go with you!"

"Yuka, Yuta, Taiichi is being chased by the enemy while escorting intelligence back. You two go with Yamaguchi Jonin to rescue him," Chiba instructed the two brothers.

"Yes."2

"Don't worry, sir. It was Brother Taiichi who treated our injuries. We will do our best to help." The older brother Yuka, said solemnly.

Chiba Jonin, nodded, then turned to Masasuke Yamaguchi, and cautioned, "Yamaguchi, Jonin, you must act within your capabilities. The intelligence Yohei brought back says the enemy numbers are quite large!"

"Yes, I'll be careful!" Captain Yamaguchi nodded in response, then led the three of them out of the tent.

Outside the tent.

"Captain, shouldn't we call Saori? More people mean more strength!" Seeing that they were about to depart, Yohei immediately caught up with the Captain and asked.

Captain Yamaguchi stared at Yohei with an expression that suggested he was an idiot. "We're going to rescue people. If it weren't for needing you to lead the way, I wouldn't even want to guide you."

Yohei blushed slightly, realizing his strength had been underestimated, but he immediately activated his Sharingan and glared at Captain Yamaguchi, saying, "Captain, I've awakened my Two-Tomoe, I won't hold you back."

Hearing Yohei's words, even the Yuka brothers were surprised. Yohei was only eleven or twelve years old, and he had already awakened the Two-Tomoe. He could be considered a little genius.

"Good, good, at least he won't be a burden anymore." Captain Yamaguchi was happy for Yohei as he looked at those Sharingan, and then quickened his pace to leave the outpost.

Led by Yohei, the group quickly headed towards the place where he and Taiichi had parted ways earlier.

Looking at the Kunai Taiichi smirked, "You've been tricked!"

Seeing that mocking smile, the Green-haired Takagi sensed something was wrong, but the speed was too fast and the distance too close, Kunai still pierced straight into Taiichi's back.

With a "pop," a puff of white smoke appeared, leaving behind a bright blue water sphere. It turned out that the Shadow Clone had used its body to shield it.

At this moment, the water sphere, now freed from its restraints, began to surge wildly on its surface, as if something was about to burst forth from within.

Green-haired Takagi knew all too well that this was a trap. Staring at the water sphere as if gazing at Death God, every hair on his body stood on end. He retreated at an unprecedented speed, his hands moving with unprecedented speed, forming hand seals.

Water Style: Water Formation Wall – this was the only defensive Ninjutsu he knew. The moment he finished forming the hand seals, the azure water sphere exploded with a roar.

Countless Water Arrow shot out from the water sphere in all directions. This was the Ninjutsu that Taiichi had just developed: Water Style: Wild Water Dance.

Because it was just developed, Taiichi proficient at using this technique, so he needed to create a Shadow Clone in advance to cast and compress the water sphere to maximize the power of the Ninjutsu.

And there it was, the effect. Although the Green-haired Takagi successfully deployed Water Formation Wall, he was simply too close.

The Water Formation Wall shattered after only a moment under the piercing force of countless Water Arrow. With no further obstruction, the green-haired ninja could only gather all his Chakra in his upper arms to protect his head and other vital areas in order to withstand the Water Arrow attacks.

"Puff~ Puff~ Puff~ Puff~ Puff~"

At least five Water Arrow struck the green-haired ninja. Only after the Ninjutsu ended did Taiichi emerge from behind a large tree 50 meters away.

Looking at the scene riddled with holes by Ninjutsu, Taiichi couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. Even the big tree he had Taiichi dodged felt like it had been hit by Water Arrow, let alone the green-haired ninja who was so close.

Can't you see he can't even stand up straight now? He's swaying precariously, and there are many holes all over his body from which blood is gushing out.

"As expected, those who use clones are all wicked." Even then, the green-haired ninja still stubbornly insisted, "Kid, you also suffered some serious internal injuries just now, and broke quite a few bones, didn't you?"

"How about we call it quits?" The green-haired man tried his best to stall for time. If possible, he could accept the idea of stopping right there. At this moment, he was also afraid.

"Damn it, why haven't those two bastards caught up yet?" Only then did he realize that he still had two companions who hadn't appeared.

Hearing the green-haired ninja's seemingly pleading words, Taiichi mocking expression, "Green Hat Uncle, you and I are indeed quite badly injured. Look, my arm is broken."

As he spoke, Taiichi raised his limp left hand, which had been broken by the green-haired ninja's Heart-Piercing Elbow strike to the chest while he was trying to protect it.

Upon hearing this, the green-haired ninja's face slowly broke into a smile. Just when he thought the two sides could really stop fighting, the scene before him made his eyes almost pop out of their sockets.

Taiichi first straightened and reset the broken bone himself, then One-Handed Seal with his right hand, and the palm of his hand shone with the light of the Mystical Palm Technique, which he then pressed against his injured left hand.

"Damn it, you even know Medical Ninjutsu." This time, the Green-haired Takagi truly broke down. In his emotional state, he spat out a mouthful of blood and could no longer stand, his knees buckling as he knelt on the ground.

"Yeah, I study a lot, so I know a little bit of everything. Don't mind me, Green Hat Uncle." Taiichi was still teasing the green-haired ninja.

"Oh, right, are you still thinking about your two subordinates?" Taiichi asked the green-haired ninja with a look of sudden realization.

Upon hearing about his two companions, the Green-haired Takagi instinctively looked up, hoping to hear some good news.

"Green Hat Uncle, those two of your subordinates are no good. They're slacking off. I held them off for over half an hour with just one Shadow Clone. It'll probably take another half hour for them to get here." Taiichi continued to provoke the green-haired ninja.

As expected, when the Green-haired Takagi heard about the situation of his subordinates, he was so angry that he trembled all over. He said, "Why haven't the two of them arrived yet? They should have arrived by now, even if they are slow. So there's something else going on."

Enraged, the green-haired ninja, who had already lost too much blood, suddenly fainted and collapsed.

Taiichi, watching from a distance, wasn't in a hurry to see the fallen green-haired ninja. He slowly healed his own injuries, after all, there were still two Chunin to deal with.

Once his own injuries were mostly healed, Taiichi finally remembered to finish off the green-haired ninja.

He picked up the Short Sword again and walked to the green-haired ninja's side, the tip of the blade pointing downwards, about to pierce the green-haired ninja's back.

Suddenly, the green-haired ninja who had been lying on the ground flipped over, slammed his palm on the ground, and used the force of the impact to stand up. He then lunged at Taiichi in front of the blade, which pierced straight through his abdomen, while the Kunai in his hand pierced through Taiichi's heart.