Encountering an Ambush

As a massive volume of water erupted from the ninja's mouth, the surrounding area was instantly flooded. As for Li Yi's Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Jutsu, well, it had long since been extinguished.

Standing on the water, Li Yi pondered how to make his escape. Engaging the enemy in direct combat was hardly a wise choice; after all, by current standards, he wasn't even a ninja yet, so he naturally needed to find a Konoha ninja to help.

Seeing that Li Yi seemed to be looking for a way to slip away, the ninja chuckled, his hands moving in a rapid sequence of seals before he slammed them onto the water's surface. Instantly, countless electric currents surged across the water.

Li Yi cursed under his breath. What the hell, he can even use combination ninjutsu? This guy must be close to the level of a Jonin.

Just then, the electricity spread to Li Yi's feet, instantly traveling up his legs and coursing through his entire body.

However, at that very moment, Li Yi transformed into a puff of smoke and vanished.

The ninja paused for a moment, then gave a light laugh, flicking a kunai from his hand toward the depths of the forest.

Elsewhere, Li Yi was fleeing for his life. Don't be fooled by him dispelling a Shadow Clone Technique earlier; in reality, the moment he sensed the attack, Li Yi had created a clone. He had only dispelled the clone, letting the Shadow Clone take the brunt of the assault while he himself had already made his escape.

This was all a ruse to deceive the enemy, making him believe that he had only created one clone and that the one being attacked was the original. The enemy had indeed fallen for it, but unfortunately, the opponent was too strong, disposing of his Shadow Clone in mere seconds.

Sensing the kunai behind him, Li Yi sidestepped several times. As the weapon neared him, his pupils constricted—Damn it, there's an Explosive Tag attached! Li Yi lost his composure; this guy was trying to blow him to bits.

He immediately drew a kunai and threw it, deflecting the incoming projectile just enough before it detonated. By then, Li Yi was already hiding behind a tree, shielded from the blast's shockwave, but the ninja was already in pursuit.

"Little brat, you can't escape!" The voice drifted eerily through the air. Li Yi steeled his heart, drew his Ryujin Jakka, and shouted, "Dance of the Crescent Moon!"

In an instant, Li Yi leaped into the air and split into three figures. It was a pity it wasn't night, or the power of this technique would have been even greater.

The ninja sneered, a kunai appearing in his hand. With a flick of his arm, he blocked Li Yi's attack with ease.

Li Yi's expression darkened. This was an expert—a master of taijutsu who was equally proficient in ninjutsu. This guy was definitely a Jonin.

It seemed his luck had run out.

However, Li Yi wouldn't surrender until the very last moment. After his Dance of the Crescent Moon was parried, he began to sway his arms, instantly unleashing the Konoha Style: Willow!

To the ninja's eyes, Li Yi seemed to transform into a willow tree, with countless branches spreading out to entwine him, making his body feel as if it were paralyzed.

But a Jonin is a Jonin; in a mere heartbeat, the ninja broke free from Li Yi's genjutsu and, turning the tables, slashed his kunai toward Li Yi's throat.

Li Yi was startled, retreating in a hurry while throwing another genjutsu at his opponent.

The Jonin seemed to be a natural bane to genjutsu; Li Yi's minor illusions weren't even enough to tickle him, failing to slow his advance by even a fraction.

Li Yi felt a surge of panic. Is it really this dire? Did I just run into such a powerful spy?

Seeing the unknown Jonin about to grab him, Li Yi spun around, finished his hand seals, and took a deep breath. "Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

A massive fireball erupted, instantly engulfing the Jonin.

Li Yi blinked. Holy crap, can the Great Fireball Technique actually kill someone?

A moment later, Li Yi cursed again. What the hell, this Jonin is just a clone? Where is the real body?

He hadn't even noticed when the ninja had created the clone. He should have known—how could a simple Great Fireball Technique kill anyone?

"Water Style: Hidden Mist Technique!" Suddenly, thick fog filled the air. Li Yi gave a bitter smile. What did I do to deserve this, forcing him to use the signature technique of the Hidden Mist Village? Is this his way of telling me he's a spy from the Hidden Mist?

Without Wind Style, it was impossible to disperse the mist, and he lacked any sensory ninjutsu. Inside this fog, he was effectively blind. Li Yi didn't know what to say. Furthermore, it had been so long—where were the Konoha ninjas? He was reaching his limit.

"Little brat, die!" The voice seemed to come from every direction at once. Li Yi's scalp tingled. When he watched the anime, he used to think, What's the big deal? What kind of garbage is this Silent Killing Technique? But now that he was caught in it, he realized the anime was just an anime—it was too misleading. No wonder Zabuza was so arrogant; he was only unlucky to run into an elite ninja like Kakashi, and even then, it was a toss-up. If things had gone slightly differently, even Kakashi could have fallen to Zabuza.

Of course, as the saying goes, waiting for death wasn't Li Yi's style. He moved his hands in a rapid sequence of seals and shouted, "Fire Style: Fire Dragon Technique!"

It was a C-rank ninjutsu, but Li Yi couldn't afford to be picky. This technique had a unique property: it released a fire dragon to attack the opponent. Naturally, it wasn't without its modifications.

In Li Yi's view, this Fire Style: Fire Dragon Technique could also serve as a defense.

By having the fire dragon circle around him, it barely counted as a shield. At the very least, facing the current assault, Li Yi felt this technique could protect him; if the Jonin insisted on killing him, he would have to take damage himself.

Sure enough, after the fire dragon circled him, Li Yi felt someone retreat rapidly before vanishing back into the thick fog.

Li Yi let out a sigh of relief, but now was not the time to lower his guard. He quickly performed hand seals again, once more for the Great Fireball Technique.

He chose this technique because it consumed relatively less chakra.

Seeing Li Yi's seals, the Jonin spoke, sneering, "Great Fireball Technique? You think you can deal with me using that?"

Li Yi ignored him, as the Jonin's voice was ethereal and impossible to pinpoint. Taking a deep breath, Li Yi blasted the Great Fireball into the sky. He hoped that someone would notice this giant firework.

This was Li Yi's last-ditch effort to save himself. If no one discovered him, there was nothing more he could do. At the very least, he had tried his best; in this battle, Li Yi had exhausted every trick he had.