Master and Disciple Reunite

However, Li Yi soon discovered that a large number of Iwagakure ninja had gathered here, making it impossible to pass through. Thinking about it, this was only natural, as this area was close to both Iwagakure and the Hidden Sand Village; it would have been more abnormal for Hidden Mist ninja to be running around here.

After all, if the Hidden Mist Village intended to attack Konoha, shouldn't they be over in the Land of Whirlpools or the Land of Hot Water? Running all the way to the Land of Rain was truly baffling.

Yet, these were not things Li Yi needed to dwell on. The fact that Iwagakure had sealed off the border was frustrating, leaving Li Yi with no choice but to take a detour.

Passing through the Land of Grass was, in fact, a viable option.

At this moment, Uchiha Kagami, who had recovered somewhat, also noticed the increase in Iwagakure ninja and the blockade of the Land of Rain border. He reached the same conclusion as Li Yi: to pass through the Land of Grass.

However, Uchiha Kagami's luck was clearly not on his side, as he was discovered by Jiaotu of Iwagakure. As a former disciple of the First Tsuchikage and a contemporary of the Second Tsuchikage, Jiaotu possessed formidable strength. Among elite jonin, his mastery of Earth Style was nothing short of miraculous.

Consequently, he led a group of ninja to pursue Uchiha Kagami.

Primarily, Jiaotu had not expected to stumble upon such a big fish. Uchiha Kagami was considered one of the high-ranking officials in Konoha today, though in the eyes of others, this "high-ranking" status held little real power within the village.

Furthermore, both the Second Tsuchikage and the future Third Tsuchikage harbored an obsession regarding the Uchiha clan.

Uchiha Kagami found Jiaotu's pursuit quite a headache. If it were just one opponent, he wouldn't care, but the man was leading a large group of Iwagakure jonin. If a fight broke out, it would definitely be more troublesome than the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. The key issue was why Iwagakure had suddenly sealed off this area; could it be to guard against Konoha?

At this moment, Uchiha Kagami had no idea that the Second Tsuchikage had intended to eliminate the Second Mizukage, as the two had held a grudge since the Warring States period. Having received intelligence that the Second Mizukage had secretly appeared in the Land of Rain, the Second Tsuchikage had mobilized his army, intending to leave the Second Mizukage in the Land of Rain forever.

As it stood, the Second Tsuchikage and the Second Mizukage had already perished together, though neither the Iwagakure nor the Hidden Mist forces had received the news yet.

Li Yi was currently heading toward the Land of Grass, but he dared not travel during the day, moving only under the cover of night. Thanks to his caution, no one had discovered him yet.

Uchiha Kagami's situation was far more miserable; he had no way to keep a low profile and had been under constant pursuit. If not for his immense strength, it would have been impossible for him to make it this far.

Even so, Uchiha Kagami had sustained multiple injuries, and Jiaotu remained in hot pursuit, showing no signs of giving up until he took Uchiha Kagami down.

"Lord Jiaotu, this is bad! Lord Second Tsuchikage has passed away!" At that moment, an Iwagakure ninja suddenly trembled, summoned a creature, and spoke with an anxious expression.

"What?" Jiaotu was stunned. He even forgot to pursue Uchiha Kagami, instead grabbing the ninja by his collar and demanding an explanation.

The ninja could only repeat the news: the Second Tsuchikage's disciple, Onoki, had already succeeded him as the Third Tsuchikage.

"Bastard! Who killed the Second Tsuchikage?" Jiaotu roared.

The ninja shook his head; that was all the information he had received, and he was unaware of the specific circumstances of the Second Tsuchikage's death.

Glancing at the fleeing Uchiha Kagami, Jiaotu snorted. Now was not the time to worry about that, so he led his men to retreat.

Seeing the Iwagakure ninja withdraw, Uchiha Kagami breathed a sigh of relief. There was no helping it; if those guys had kept chasing, he might have been forced to use his Mangekyo Sharingan again.

I wonder how that kid, Li Yi, is doing. Uchiha Kagami sighed. There had been too many unexpected developments, leaving him feeling powerless. He wondered if Li Yi would be able to make it back to the border.

Just as he was about to reach the border of the Land of Grass, Li Yi, despite his caution, was discovered by Iwagakure ninja stationed there.

Li Yi felt like crying but had no tears; he never expected things to escalate to this point. With Iwagakure ninja everywhere, he had no choice but to keep running.

He had to realize that he was now facing an elite squad led by a jonin! These were battle-hardened experts with superior strength; one slight mistake could cost him his life.

Li Yi knew this was a life-or-death struggle, and only by giving his all could he hope to survive. Taking a deep breath, he quickened his pace, his figure weaving through the mountain forest like a phantom. Every step was light and agile, as if he were one with his surroundings.

Meanwhile, the elite squad pursuing him showed no signs of weakness. They followed closely, constantly closing the distance. These men were well-trained and coordinated, clearly not ordinary opponents. Moreover, they seemed intimately familiar with this forest, always finding the optimal route to ensure Li Yi had nowhere to hide.

As he ran, Li Yi pondered his countermeasures. He had to find a way to shake off his pursuers, or he would be caught sooner or later.

If caught, he would have to face an elite squad led by a jonin. Even though there were only ten of them, the presence of at least one jonin, three special jonin, and six chunin meant that if they attacked in unison, the odds of Li Yi meeting a grim fate were high.

Because they were a coordinated squad capable of combining their ninjutsu, such a regular army was incredibly difficult to fight.

Just then, there was movement ahead. Li Yi was alarmed. Don't tell me my luck is that bad? If I run into more Iwagakure ninja, I'm truly finished.

Soon, Li Yi saw a flash of crimson in the darkness.

"Sharingan!" Li Yi exclaimed. Is there an Uchiha clansman on this battlefield?

A moment later, he realized it was his teacher.

Clearly, the other side had seen Li Yi as well, but the people pursuing Uchiha Kagami were significantly stronger than those chasing him.

Li Yi's mouth twitched violently. He prepared to turn and change direction; he could not join Uchiha Kagami, as that would only drag him down.

However, Uchiha Kagami sprinted toward him and shouted something.

Li Yi stopped immediately and ran quickly toward Uchiha Kagami.

Since Uchiha Kagami had called out to him, there must be a plan, and if that was the case, Li Yi had to go.

When Li Yi joined Uchiha Kagami, the three-tomoe in Kagami's eyes spun wildly, and a golden, skeletal ribcage enveloped them both.

Li Yi's eyes widened, his heart shouting in disbelief. I never thought Uchiha Kagami had actually awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.

The crucial point was, could he already manifest the Susanoo?

Even if it were only the first stage of the Susanoo, it was not something an ordinary person could withstand.