However, Li Yi soon realized that a large number of Iwagakure shinobi had gathered here, making it impossible to get through. But that made sense, considering this area was close to both Iwagakure and the Hidden Sand Village. The Kirigakure shinobi showing up here, on the other hand, was a little strange.
After all, if Kirigakure was going to attack Konoha, shouldn't they be coming from the Land of Whirlpools or the Land of Hot Water? Instead, they had come to the Land of Rain. It made no sense.
But that wasn't Li Yi's concern. The Iwagakure shinobi had sealed off the border, which left him in a bind. He had no choice but to take a detour.
He could go through the Land of Grass instead.
By now, Kagami Uchiha had mostly recovered. He too noticed the growing number of Iwagakure shinobi and the blockade along the Land of Rain's border. He decided to do the same as Li Yi and go through the Land of Grass.
Unfortunately, Kagami Uchiha wasn't as lucky. Jiaotu of Iwagakure spotted him. As a former disciple of the First Tsuchikage and a contemporary of the Second Tsuchikage, Jiaotu was exceptionally powerful. Among the elite Jonin, few could match his mastery of Earth Release.
So he led several shinobi in pursuit of Kagami Uchiha.
Jiaotu hadn't expected to stumble upon such a big catch. Kagami Uchiha was one of Konoha's senior figures. Though others considered him important, he had little authority in Konoha itself.
What's more, both the Second Tsuchikage and the future Third Tsuchikage were fixated on the Uchiha.
Kagami Uchiha was troubled by Jiaotu's pursuit. He could handle one opponent, but Jiaotu had brought a whole group of Iwagakure Jonin. A fight against them would be even more troublesome than facing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. And the sudden blockade by Iwagakure was strange. Were they guarding against Konoha?
Kagami Uchiha had no idea that the Second Tsuchikage intended to take out the Second Mizukage. The two had been enemies since the Sengoku era. This time, after learning that the Second Mizukage had secretly appeared in the Land of Rain, the Second Tsuchikage had mobilized a large force, hoping to keep him there forever.
By then, the Second Tsuchikage and the Second Mizukage had already killed each other. Neither the Iwagakure nor the Kirigakure shinobi had received the news.
Li Yi was heading toward the Land of Grass. He didn't dare travel during the day, so he could only move at night. Thanks to his caution, no one had spotted him yet.
Kagami Uchiha had it much worse. He couldn't keep a low profile and had been pursued the entire way. If he weren't so powerful, there was no way he could have made it this far.
Even so, Kagami Uchiha had suffered several injuries. Jiaotu kept close on his heels, determined to capture him.
"Lord Jiaotu, something terrible has happened! The Second Tsuchikage has passed away!" Just then, an Iwagakure shinobi suddenly shuddered. After summoning a messenger creature, he spoke with an anxious look.
"What?" Jiaotu froze, forgetting all about pursuing Kagami Uchiha. He grabbed the shinobi and demanded an explanation.
The shinobi could only repeat what he had said. In the meantime, Ōnoki, the disciple of the Second Tsuchikage, had succeeded him as the Third Tsuchikage.
"Damn it! Who killed the Second Tsuchikage?" Jiaotu roared.
The shinobi shook his head. He had only just received the news and didn't know how the Second Tsuchikage had died.
Jiaotu glanced at Kagami Uchiha, who was still fleeing, and snorted. He had more important things to deal with now, so he led his men back.
When Kagami Uchiha saw the Iwagakure shinobi withdraw, he breathed a sigh of relief. If they had kept after him, he might have had to use his Mangekyo Sharingan again.
"I wonder how that kid, Li Yi, is doing." Kagami Uchiha sighed. Too many things had gone wrong this time, leaving him powerless to help. He had no idea whether Li Yi would make it back to the border.
Li Yi was almost at the border of the Land of Grass when, despite his caution, Iwagakure shinobi spotted him.
Now Li Yi felt like crying.
He hadn't expected things to get this bad. Iwagakure shinobi were everywhere, and running was his only option.
He was up against an elite squad led by a Jonin, after all! They were seasoned fighters with extraordinary skill. One wrong move, and he could end up dead.
Li Yi knew this was a fight for his life. He would have to give it everything he had if he wanted to survive. He drew a deep breath and quickened his pace, darting through the forest like a ghost. Every step was light and nimble, as if he had become one with his surroundings.
The Jonin squad pursuing him was just as relentless. They stayed on his heels, steadily closing the gap. Every member was well trained, and they worked together seamlessly. They were clearly no ordinary opponents. They also seemed to know the forest well, always finding the best route to pursue him and leaving him nowhere to run.
Li Yi ran while thinking of a way to deal with them. He had to shake off his pursuers, or they would catch him sooner or later.
And if they did, he would have to face an elite squad led by a Jonin. It might have only ten members, but it included at least one Jonin, three Special Jōnin, and six Chunin. With them all attacking together, Li Yi would be in serious trouble.
They were a squad, and their techniques could complement one another. Fighting a well-organized force like that was difficult.
Just then, Li Yi heard a noise up ahead. He was startled. Could he really be this unlucky? If he ran into more Iwagakure shinobi, he was as good as dead.
Soon, he saw a flash of crimson in the darkness.
"Sharingan!" Li Yi cried. Were there Uchiha from the battlefield here?
Then he got a clear look. It was his teacher.
Clearly, the people on the other side had seen Li Yi too. But the group pursuing Kagami Uchiha was obviously much stronger than the one chasing Li Yi.
Li Yi's mouth twitched. He was about to turn and change direction. He couldn't meet up with Kagami Uchiha; he would only drag him down.
But Kagami Uchiha ran toward him and shouted.
Li Yi stopped at once and hurried toward Kagami Uchiha.
If Kagami Uchiha was calling him over, he must have a plan. In that case, Li Yi had to go to him.
Once Li Yi and Kagami Uchiha met up, Kagami Uchiha's Three Tomoe began spinning wildly. A golden, half-formed skeleton enveloped them both.
Li Yi's eyes widened. Holy crap. I can't believe Kagami Uchiha really awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan.
More importantly, could he already use Susanoo?
Even the first stage of Susanoo wasn't something ordinary people could withstand.
Before you continue