Without the system spelling it out, Gong Yi knew what the price of failure would be.
He couldn't afford it, and neither could anyone else!
Death!
Gong Yi fled through the vast darkness of night, gradually releasing the Gravity Technique.
Eleven times, ten times, nine times...
The boy's thin frame tore through the rainy night in a frantic escape, like a bolt of lightning.
You couldn't blame him for retreating without a fight. His opponent was Kitsuchi. Even if he wasn't yet the elite Jonin he would become during the Fourth Shinobi World War, he was still unquestionably Jonin-level.
And Kazama Heitetsu was the renowned head of the Third Kazekage's guards. He was even stronger!
On top of that, there was an unknown Jonin who had spoken with Kitsuchi, along with an unknown number of Chunin and Genin.
Gong Yi was no longer trying to complete his mission. He was trying to survive!
"So it's just a little kid!"
Kazama Heitetsu leaped onto a rooftop and narrowed his eyes at the figure in the distance. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes, sending a chill through anyone who saw it.
"Shaquan, go kill that brat!"
Outside the bathhouse, a group of ninja watched him. The one who had been called stepped forward.
It was the very same man who had spoken with Kitsuchi earlier—a Jonin!
Sending a Jonin to kill a child would have drawn laughter anywhere else.
But no one laughed now. If word of tonight's events got out...
The consequences would be more than one Jonin—or even ten—could bear!
Shaquan said nothing. He picked three ninja and headed straight after Gong Yi.
Kazama Heitetsu returned to the bathhouse, letting the wind and rain wash over him as he stared at Kitsuchi.
"Lord Kazekage sent me with an offer of cooperation. Would your side be willing to accept?"
Kitsuchi didn't answer. Instead, he stared at the wall as if he could see through its thick surface to the ninja who had escaped.
"You arranged this secret meeting and chose the time. Yet something like this happened."
Kitsuchi sneered, his honest-looking face delivering sharp words.
"Your ability to get things done gives me cause for concern. Cooperation with the Sand Ninja hardly inspires confidence!"
Kazama Heitetsu furrowed his brow, then replied firmly, "Don't worry. This won't get out. That brat won't escape!"
Gong Yi held his breath and let the rain beat against his face, keeping his attention fixed on what was behind him.
His Gravity Technique stopped decreasing once it reached nine times.
At that level, he was barely maintaining a speed close to a Jonin's.
A Jonin could catch up, but it would take some time.
He had done this on purpose.
The reason was simple.
The weaker he made himself appear, the fewer pursuers they would send.
If he had gone all out from the start, Kazama Heitetsu and Kitsuchi might both have come after him.
Gong Yi was confident in his own strength. He believed he could hold his own against an ordinary Jonin, perhaps even kill one.
But surviving an attack by three Jonin was a joke.
Kitsuchi was the Tsuchikage's son, after all, and had command of Iwagakure's many secret techniques.
And then there was Kazama Heitetsu. He was the head of the Third Kazekage's guards, famous for his Wind Style, which had deterred countless people from harming the Third Kazekage.
He was incredibly fast. If he came after Gong Yi himself, Gong Yi wasn't confident he could outrun him.
Gong Yi looked back and breathed a sigh of relief.
Only four people were pursuing him. The one in front was the Sand Ninja who had spoken with Kitsuchi earlier.
The other three seemed to be Chunin or Genin.
They made up a standard ninja squad.
They had probably prepared for the possibility that a squad of ninja might be waiting to help Gong Yi.
In that regard, Kazama Heitetsu really was an impressive guard captain. He had made the best possible arrangements in very little time.
Unfortunately, he had underestimated the strength of the little kid he had in mind!
"I can't keep running. If I lead them to the rendezvous point, even if the captain and the others can kill them, we might still suffer casualties!"
Gong Yi narrowed his eyes. Ogawara and Hyuga Senso weren't very strong.
But the ninja who could join Kazama Heitetsu for a discussion of such importance certainly wouldn't be weak.
Thinking of how Ogawara had gone out of his way to look after him before they left, Gong Yi stopped.
He wasn't exactly a good person, but he wouldn't deliberately put others in harm's way, either.
And these four were just right for testing his strength!
He turned and formed Hand Seals!
As rain poured down, the boy stood in the vast darkness and slammed his palm hard against the ground.
Earth Style: Underworld Swamp!
Chakra surged out, instantly softening a large patch of earth in front of him and turning it into a swamp.
Then he poured in even more Chakra, increasing the Underworld Swamp's power and range as much as he could!
In the darkness, Shaquan and his men quickly caught up, their eyes cold.
They had clearly checked the bathhouse earlier and confirmed there was no one inside.
And yet this oversight had happened!
Lord Kazama would surely punish him.
But that brat had to die, too. He couldn't be allowed to carry the intelligence about the Sand Ninja and Iwagakure Ninja working together back with him.
They had been chasing for several minutes and had already left the town behind.
At that speed, the brat must have been running at full strength. He couldn't have much Chakra left, could he?
Shaquan's eyes lit up. The brat really was exhausted. He was crouching on the ground, unable to go any farther.
In that case...
"Capture him alive first. Find out which hidden village he's from and how many people he has with him!"
What happened after that went without saying.
The three Chunin sped past Shaquan and charged at Gong Yi, who was crouched on the ground.
As they went, more than a dozen shuriken flew toward him.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The shuriken struck the boy without missing. He really had run out of Chakra—even his defensive Ninjutsu was beyond him.
Seeing this, Shaquan smiled.
But a moment later, he abruptly stopped in his tracks.
"Ah! What is this?"
"Help!"
"Lord Shaquan, help!"
There was no blood, no fighting—only the silence and chill of the night.
The three Chunin vanished into the ground without a sound as they cried out.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. Shaquan couldn't save his companions, even after using Ninjutsu.
"Earth Style Ninjutsu, Underworld Swamp! Such a huge area! You're from Iwagakure! That bastard Kitsuchi betrayed his allies!"
Shaquan gritted his teeth, his face twisted with rage.
Gong Yi was stunned. Then he laughed.
Before you continue