Chaos

A surging water dragon roared toward them, as though it had drained the entire mountain stream, and engulfed the Uchiha group of four in their hiding place.

Shiri cursed inwardly. Senju Arashi was a terrifying opponent.

It wasn't just that she was a powerful elite ninja, proficient in the Senju Clan's signature Water and Earth Release techniques despite her young age, with Taijutsu that was practically flawless.

What was even more frightening was that she was the daughter of the Senju Clan's leader. Powerful Senju Clan ninja were bound to be guarding her.

Just as Shiri had expected, the moment Senju Arashi unleashed the water dragon, the Senju ninja behind her scattered, instantly surrounding the Uchiha group of four and cutting off every possible escape route.

With no time to dodge, Shiri formed hand seals. Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!

The flames slowed the water dragon's advance just a little. Seizing that instant, all four leaped down from the trees, avoiding the water dragon's strike.

Hayasaka Sae had also spotted Keisuke, but before he could say anything, Senju Arashi had already finished forming her hand seals.

He could only marvel at the Senju Clan's strength. Drawing his katana, he charged at the four and shouted, "Who are you?"

Shielding the two children behind her, Shiri whispered, "Don't reveal who we are yet!" Keisuke gave a slight nod.

Hayasaka Sae charged up to the four. Looking at their strange group, he said to Senju Arashi, "Looks like they're ninja from a great clan."

Senju Arashi shared his assumption. Only a great clan would send a team made up of elite ninja and children to carry out a mission.

Hayasaka Sae held his fighting stance and asked them, "What brings you here?"

Shiri was just about to say something when Hayasaka Sae raised his hand and threw three shuriken at them.

Shiri and Keisuke had been ready for that. Shiri whispered to Wuming, "Protect Qiancao. Everyone, break through on your own!" Then she jumped aside, dodging the incoming shuriken.

Wuming grabbed Qiancao and leaped aside, charging toward two Senju Clan ninja. "Stay close to me!" he told Qiancao.

Qiancao hurried after Wuming. A surge of power welled up in his eyes, making his movements much more nimble.

The two Senju ninja in front of them threw a hail of shuriken to stop Wuming. He quickly formed hand seals. Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation! A torrent of flames instantly swallowed all the shuriken before him.

The flames kept surging forward. The two Senju ninja formed hand seals in unison. Water Style: Water Formation Wall! Drawing on water from the mountain stream, they raised a protective barrier that stopped Wuming's flames at the last moment.

Water and fire collided, producing a vast cloud of steam that made it hard to see what was happening around them.

Using the steam for cover, Wuming tried to slip past the two Senju ninja and escape. But halfway there, a thick, tall wall suddenly rose in front of him.

That brief delay was all it took for the two Senju ninja to close in. Wuming couldn't risk fighting them hand-to-hand while protecting Qiancao, so he formed hand seals and raised a wall of flames, trapping the pair inside.

The wall of fire forced the two Senju ninja back. They ran all the way to the earthen wall and tried to climb over it to break through the encirclement.

Just as they were about to reach the top, Senju Arashi was already waiting there. She gestured to her clansmen to leave them to her, then formed a series of hand seals and pressed both hands against the earthen wall.

The once-solid wall instantly softened, turning into a vast stretch of swamp. Wuming lost his footing and nearly fell.

Lurching sideways, Wuming slapped a palm against the wall and bounced away, propelled by the recoil.

Senju Arashi seized the moment when Wuming was airborne and unable to push off anything. She formed hand seals and used a technique. Earth Style: Heaven Falling Lid!

Countless clods of earth shot up from the ground, forming a lid like a pot cover, two meters in diameter, that descended toward Wuming and Qiancao in midair.

Wuming and Qiancao had barely landed before the lid covered them.

Senju Arashi and the two other Senju ninja were about to approach the lid and capture their enemies alive when countless fireballs shot out from inside, spraying in every direction and forcing the three back once more.

Seeing no way to avoid the trap, Wuming had formed hand seals the instant he landed and unleashed Phoenix Flower Jutsu, riddling the lid with holes.

The exchange of techniques was too evenly matched to produce a winner anytime soon. On the other side, Uchiha Keisuke's Taijutsu battle with Hayasaka Sae was just as deadlocked.

Hayasaka Sae had infused his katana with Lightning Release chakra. As he swung it, sparks flashed and dazzled the eye.

Keisuke's movements were far less flashy. He relied on flexibility and speed, dodging again and again.

The rogue ninja gradually tightened their encirclement, but they were afraid of interfering with Hayasaka Sae's attacks and didn't dare get too close. Instead, they hurled vulgar insults from the sidelines, trying to shake Keisuke's resolve.

Shiri, meanwhile, was facing five Senju ninja alone.

She kept them at bay with her agile movements, occasionally darting into view to throw several shuriken. She had also set traps with explosive tags and shuriken to hinder the Senju ninja pursuing her.

For the moment, Shiri couldn't break through the encirclement, but she wasn't showing any signs of defeat either.

Still, Shiri knew that keeping up this war of attrition wasn't a solution. Who knew when Daimyo Imagawa's army would arrive?

And as a veteran ninja, how could Keisuke have made such a low-level mistake, exposing his whereabouts so easily?

I can't trust Uchiha Keisuke. How can Wuming and I break through on our own? Shiri wondered silently.

Unable to come up with a solution, Shiri could only fight while retreating, luring the ninja chasing her toward Qiancao.

But before the groups could join up, an uproar suddenly erupted from Keisuke's side. "The Sharingan! He's from the Uchiha Clan!"

Keisuke had activated his Sharingan, and his movements instantly became much faster.

Hayasaka Sae, who had been gaining the upper hand, was suddenly suppressed. Keisuke even seized one of his hands. Each of them formed hand seals with one hand. Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!

The flames at close range brought back Hayasaka Sae's traumatic memories. The scar on his face throbbed. He could only shut his eyes, raise his katana high, pour all his chakra into it, and bring it down in a slash!

Keisuke's Great Fireball was cleaved in two, but the remaining flames still set Hayasaka Sae's clothes alight.

The fireball was extraordinarily powerful. It didn't stop at setting Hayasaka Sae ablaze, but charged toward the onlookers with overwhelming force, injuring a large number of them.

Seizing the opportunity amid the chaos, Uchiha Keisuke leaped into the crowd. His Sharingan instantly caught the movements of those around him as they tried to counterattack. Like a dancer, he used their force against them, and the rogue ninja were cut down in droves.

The Senju ninja who had heard the Uchiha being identified could no longer hold back. They abandoned their respective opponents and charged toward Keisuke in the crowd!