Encountered by Attack (Part 2)

With Uchiha Hikari's sudden appearance, the one-sided battle instantly became more complicated.

Her arrival not only made it much harder for the attackers to succeed, but also made them realize that the Uchiha brat under her protection must have an extraordinary identity.

The leader's eyes flashed with a ruthless glint. He immediately shouted, "No matter the cost, all of you hold him off! I'll capture that Uchiha brat myself!"

Before his words had even faded, the five or six subordinates beside him exchanged knowing glances and charged at Uchiha Hikari.

At the sight of this, Uchiha Hikari's eyes narrowed. Clearly, she hadn't expected the other side to act so decisively. She drew her sword and prepared to meet them, then looked back and said, "Young Master Qile, find a chance to get away!"

However, despite claiming he was going to capture Qile, the leader made no move to do so.

Instead, he kept his eyes on Uchiha Hikari, who was being held back by his subordinates. A malicious glint shone in his gaze as he searched for an opening...

He knew full well that his subordinates weren't strong enough to hold off such a formidable enemy as Uchiha Hikari for long.

Besides, those seemingly insignificant brats clearly wouldn't be easy to deal with, either.

So he couldn't be sure he would manage to capture Qile and escape before his subordinates were completely defeated by Uchiha Hikari...

The very next moment, the leader's eyes narrowed as he spotted a fleeting opportunity, like a hunter catching sight of his prey.

In the blink of an eye, he launched a vicious sneak attack without hesitation. He moved so fast that Uchiha Hikari was caught off guard and failed to dodge the sudden strike in time.

The incredibly sharp katana in his hand pierced straight through Uchiha Hikari's left hand, and blood gushed out at once.

Yet even after suffering such a grievous wound, Uchiha Hikari showed no sign of retreat. Her Sharingan spun rapidly in its sockets, and her once delicate features hardened with determination.

She swung the long blade in her right hand, unleashing a fierce gust of wind that forced the enemies closing in around her to stumble back several steps.

Then, in a flash, she charged straight at the leader, roaring, "Young Master Qile! Take this chance and go!"

With Uchiha Hikari fearlessly holding them back, Qile knew that if he and F5 turned and fled down the mountain right away, their chances of escaping would increase significantly.

And yet, for some reason, his feet seemed nailed to the ground. No matter what he did, he couldn't take the first step toward escape.

Members of the Uchiha Clan never flee in the face of battle! The moment the thought of running crossed Qile's mind, he crushed it without hesitation.

If I run away this time, what about next time?

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

In an instant, a blazing ball of fire burst from Qile's mouth and flew straight toward the enemies ahead, radiating scorching heat.

At the same time, Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo, standing nearby, showed no sign of backing down. They exchanged a glance, understanding passing between them without a word.

They quickly formed Hand Seals. "Wind Release: Breakthrough!"

A powerful gust roared from their mouths, surging like a raging torrent and slamming into the already enormous fireball.

Fueled by the wind, the fireball swelled in an instant. It became like a burning sun, illuminating the entire battlefield.

If Qile and the others had kept defending, their enemies might have struggled to find an opening.

But now that Qile and the others had launched an attack, openings were bound to appear.

The leader spotted his chance and abruptly stepped back. "Keep him occupied!" Then he flashed forward and lunged straight at Qile and the others.

With a single swing, he cleaved apart the fireball launched by all three of them, without slowing down in the slightest.

Just as he was about to grab Qile, something unexpected happened: in the blink of an eye, Qile vanished from where he'd been standing.

At the same time, a lit Explosive Tag drifted down like a falling leaf, catching the man's eye.

"Body Flicker Technique? An Explosive Tag?" He was startled, but reacted swiftly without the slightest hesitation, using the same Body Flicker Technique to pursue Qile.

Qile kept using the Body Flicker Technique in quick succession, his figure flickering unpredictably as he drew the man's attention.

The others in F5 didn't sit idle, either. They seized every opportunity to harass the man, foiling his attempts again and again to catch the slippery Qile.

Just then, the man spared a glance at the battle beside him and saw that Uchiha Hikari was on the verge of taking out his subordinates.

His eyes narrowed. He hadn't wanted to reveal his jutsu, but he no longer pressed the attack. He roared, "This ends now!" Before the words had even left his mouth, his hands flew through Hand Seals in one smooth, fluid motion.

In an instant, the calm ground began to shake violently.

Then several razor-sharp stone spears burst from beneath the earth with incredible speed, stabbing straight toward Qile as he finished a swift Body Flicker and prepared to land.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears!"

The spears appeared so suddenly that Qile had no time to respond. With several dull thuds, the sharp stone spears pierced both his legs with ease, spraying blood everywhere.

Seeing Qile in danger, Uchiha Hikari, who was locked in a fierce battle with the other enemies, grew frantic. Ignoring the pain from the wound still gushing blood on her left hand, she began forming Hand Seals at lightning speed.

She shouted, "Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!" A huge, blazing dragon roared from her mouth, its claws bared as it hurtled straight toward the leader.

But faced with such a ferocious attack, the man remained unfazed and quickly began forming Hand Seals of his own.

In the blink of an eye, he slammed his palm against the ground. "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

At his command, a thick, sturdy earthen wall burst up from the ground like an impassable barrier, blocking the mighty fire dragon.

Uchiha Hikari's attack had failed, and she was frantic. Before she could do anything else, the man seized his chance, leaping forward and hurtling toward the injured, immobile Qile.

As the attacker drew closer, Qile felt that the chakra in his body was almost completely depleted.

He showed no sign of backing down. A resolute glint flashed in his eyes as he clenched his lips and quickly formed Hand Seals once more.

"Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger!" Qile glared furiously and shouted, "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

In an instant, another enormous, dazzling fireball burst from his mouth and shot straight toward the attacker charging at him.

Unfortunately, despite the fireball's tremendous power, its trajectory was too straightforward. For an agile enemy, dodging it was no difficult feat.

The man shifted slightly and easily evaded the fireball, continuing to close in on Qile...

The next moment, just as his right hand was about to grab Qile...

"Susanoo!"

"Thunder God Slash!"

"Deep Forest Emergence!"

The three voices rang out almost simultaneously.