Tactical Collapse

A living Kage-level powerhouse had been hiding right under Konoha's nose.

There had been no warning.

No abnormalities.

Even before his defection, all of Konoha had regarded him as nothing more than a Special Jonin with decent potential.

Danzo said coldly, "There is no point in investigating how he grew this strong now."

"What we truly need to guard against is the Uchiha Clan."

Utatane Koharu immediately understood.

"Did the clan know about his strength?"

"There is no evidence for now."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said gravely, "Judging by the Uchiha compound's reaction, they still do not know that Lie Yang defected, nor do they know about the casualties from the pursuit."

"The information must remain sealed."

Mitokado Homura said without hesitation, "The Konoha Police Force must not learn of this."

The conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha's upper ranks had already been steadily deepening.

The radicals believed Konoha was suppressing the Uchiha and stripping them of the right to participate in the core of power.

The moderates had been able to suppress those voices largely because the Uchiha lacked the strength to truly change the situation.

But if they learned that a Kage-level powerhouse had quietly emerged within the clan, everything would be different.

Shisui Uchiha, plus Uchiha Lieyang.

Two top-tier combatants would be enough to make the ambitions of the entire Uchiha Clan rapidly swell.

Even though Lie Yang had already defected, the radicals would see his existence as proof that the Uchiha possessed stronger bloodlines and greater power.

At that point, the rebellious voices within the Konoha Police Force, which could still be suppressed for now, would inevitably spiral completely out of control.

"That is why Danzo and I sealed the information."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the two elders.

"After Takeno Sota and Ayakawa Yukina died, we could not find any reason for Lie Yang's defection."

"He had businesses in Konoha, connections, and a certain degree of prestige within the Uchiha Clan."

"There were no conflicts of interest, no grudges, and he had certainly not suffered direct persecution from the village."

"Yet he abandoned everything."

"After leaving, he did not flee toward the border. Instead, he remained in the Land of Fire and killed every pursuer sent after him."

Danzo added, "That includes ordinary ninja who happened to discover his whereabouts."

"No captives. No survivors."

"Everyone who saw him was silenced."

Utatane Koharu's expression changed completely upon hearing this.

Ninja always had a reason to defect.

For power, money, authority, or to seek refuge in another hidden village.

As long as there was desire, their actions could be inferred.

Yet Uchiha Lieyang had displayed no clear objective whatsoever.

He killed decisively, showing not the slightest mercy even toward his former comrades and Konoha ninja.

Even stranger, he neither hid nor left.

No one could use the mindset of an ordinary ninja to determine what he would do next.

"People like him are the most dangerous."

Mitokado Homura said slowly, "He cannot be recruited, nor can he be threatened."

"Since we cannot determine his purpose, we must not provoke the Uchiha Clan further."

Utatane Koharu made her decision as well.

"Lie Yang's defection, his Kage-level strength, and Root's casualties will all be classified as top-secret."

"If the Konoha Police Force asks, tell them only that he went missing during a mission and that the village is still investigating."

The four quickly reached an agreement.

Seal the information.

Do not alert the Uchiha Clan for now.

All pursuit operations would be carried out jointly by forces directly under the Hokage and Root.

With that settled, the next matter was how to hunt down Lie Yang.

"Ordinary ninja cannot be sent again."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the casualty list on the table.

"Numbers mean nothing against him."

"His Lightning Body Flicker is too fast. If we cannot track his movements, sending more ordinary ninja will only send them to their deaths."

Danzo tapped the latest battle analysis with his cane.

"There are only two ways to deal with that kind of speed."

"First, use ocular powers to see through his movements."

"Second, use supreme taijutsu to keep up with him head-on."

Utatane Koharu frowned. "The Uchiha Clan cannot be used."

"The Hyuga can."

Danzo said, "Though the Byakugan's field of vision and perception are less suited to close combat than the Sharingan, it can see through the chakra structure of Shadow Clones and prevent us from being misled by decoys again."

Mitokado Homura immediately said, "We also need a genjutsu specialist."

"Lie Yang possesses the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Ordinary people would not dare meet his gaze, but someone skilled in genjutsu can at least restrain his ocular powers."

Hiruzen Sarutobi already had someone in mind.

"Kakashi Hatake."

Utatane Koharu's eyes shifted slightly.

"Have him lead the team?"

"Kakashi possesses the Sharingan, inherited the Hatake Clan's swordsmanship, and has also mastered Lightning Release."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said gravely, "No one is more suited than him to analyze Lie Yang's Lightning Body Flicker and swordsmanship."

"Hinata Yota will be responsible for scouting the original body and Shadow Clones."

"Kurenai Yuhi will provide genjutsu support."

"Might Guy will handle close-quarters combat head-on."

Danzo slowly nodded after hearing this.

Sharingan.

Byakugan.

Genjutsu.

Supreme taijutsu.

The abilities of the four men perfectly targeted every trait Uchiha Lieyang had revealed so far.

"Deploy two more Root squads."

"They will handle reconnaissance, blockades, and support along the route. They will not engage in direct combat."

Hiruzen Sarutobi did not refuse.

"Kakashi will be the captain."

"Kakashi's team will serve as the absolute main force. Root will only provide support."

"Agreed."

Thus, the plan to hunt Lie Yang down was finalized.

Several hundred kilometers east of Konoha.

The dark clouds slowly parted, and sunlight filtered through the branches, falling upon the rocks beside a stream.

Lie Yang sat upright on one of them.

The cloth covering his eyes had already been removed, and his Shadow Clones had all been dispelled.

More than a dozen corpses lay sprawled around him.

This was the seventh batch of pursuers.

Broken kunai littered the streambank. Several spent explosive tags clung to tree trunks. Blood ran through the dirt into the stream, staining the clear water a dark red.

Lie Yang did not leave.

He sat quietly in the center of the battlefield with his eyes closed, as though waiting for something.

A ray of sunlight slipped past the clouds and fell across his profile.

At that very instant, the ground beneath him suddenly split apart!

A blade burst from the earth and stabbed straight toward Lie Yang's chest and abdomen.

It was too close.

There was no killing intent, nor had any chakra fluctuation erupted in advance.

The ninja hiding underground had clearly waited a long time, launching his killing blow only after Lie Yang dispelled his Shadow Clones, at his most relaxed moment.

The blade's tip pierced his clothes.

Lie Yang's eyes snapped open.

He gripped his short sword in reverse and precisely blocked it before his chest and abdomen.

Clang!

The two blades collided violently.

Rather than resist the force from underground head-on, he turned his wrist and guided the incoming ninja blade along his short sword, redirecting it to the side.

The blade scraped past his waist.

At the same time, blue-white electricity erupted from Lie Yang's palm, flooding through the connected ninja blades and into the ground.

Crackle!

A muffled groan came from underground.

Then white smoke burst forth.

The ambusher turned into a Shadow Clone and vanished.

"Damn it, he found us!"

A Konoha ninja hiding in the distance had just started to warn his companion when he met a pair of scarlet eyes.

Three tomoe slowly turned.

The surrounding scenery vanished in an instant.

Several invisible chains wrapped around his limbs, pinning his entire body in place.

Genjutsu: Golden Binding Technique!

"Disrupt your chakra!"

The ninja shouted with all his strength, "Don't look into his eyes!"

His companion immediately rushed toward him, preparing to help break the genjutsu.

Too late.

Lightning exploded beneath Lie Yang's feet.

His entire body vanished from the streambank, wrapped in electric currents.

In the next instant, his short sword had already swept across the genjutsu victim's throat.

Blood sprayed out.

Before the corpse could fall, Lie Yang had already turned toward the second man.

The Konoha ninja had no time to form hand seals and could only draw a kunai, stabbing toward Lie Yang's heart.

Lie Yang did not dodge.

Though his eyes were clearly open, his gaze held a trace of confusion and vacancy, as if he had not seen the fatal attack coming at all.

The kunai was only inches from his heart.

Yet Lie Yang's body shifted half a step to the side in advance.

The blade grazed his clothes without cutting flesh.

At the same time, his short sword slashed upward, cutting through the man's wrist before piercing straight through his jaw.

Squelch!

The second man fell.

"Pull back!"

A Konoha Jonin in the treetops shouted an order.

"Do not fight him at close range!"

The ninja on both sides immediately retreated, forming hand seals at the same time.

Yet Lie Yang did not pursue the nearby men.

He turned and looked toward his right rear.

There was no obvious figure there, only dense bushes swaying in the wind.

The next instant, lightning streaked across the battlefield.

The ninja hiding behind the bushes had his pupils suddenly constrict.

He had never exposed his position.

He had not even made a move.

Why had Uchiha Lieyang charged straight at him?

Before he could figure it out, the short sword was already before him.

He raised both arms to block.

Lie Yang changed direction just before the blade struck the bracer, slashing backhanded at his neck.

The ninja ducked in haste.

The blade sliced open his mask.

Before he could rejoice at avoiding a fatal wound, Lie Yang's knee had already slammed into his chest.

Crack!

His sternum shattered.

His body flew backward.

Lie Yang followed close behind and drove a blade through his heart.

"Third!"

The remaining ninjas' breathing fell completely out of rhythm.

Lie Yang did not defend at all.

He ignored the attacks from nearby, intent only on killing the members hiding at a distance and preparing to cast ninjutsu.

Yet whether it was kunai, wire, or blades striking from behind, he evaded them in advance.

It was not the Sharingan's perception.

Those crimson eyes had not even looked toward the attackers!

"Something's wrong with his sensory ability!"

"We can't even ambush him from behind!"

"Form up and restrict his movement!"

Several Konoha ninjas swiftly spread out.

Two cast out steel wires while the other three prepared hand seals.

Lie Yang vanished again.

Lightning repeatedly changed direction through the forest.

The wires had barely been stretched open when he passed through the gap before it could close.

One ninja saw only a flash of lightning before the hand gripping the wire separated from his wrist.

"Ah!"

The scream had barely left his mouth when the blade severed his throat.

On the other side, the Konoha ninja tasked with suppressing him with ninjutsu had only formed his third seal.

Lie Yang crossed more than ten meters and appeared before him.

His short blade pierced the man's chest.

The hand seals stopped abruptly.

"Monster..."

The last few stared at the corpses strewn across the ground, their limbs ice-cold.

They had studied Lie Yang's intelligence beforehand.

Do not meet the Sharingan's gaze.

Combine close-range and long-range attacks.

Use wide-area ninjutsu to restrict the Lightning Body Flicker.

But once they truly clashed, every preparation lost its meaning.

They could not see him clearly.

They could not keep up.

They could not predict him.

Lie Yang always evaded attacks one step ahead, then killed the caster before the ninjutsu could be completed.

They could not even find a chance to retreat.

One Konoha ninja suddenly turned around and was about to dash into the woods when blue-white lightning swept past him.

His body continued running two more steps.

Then his head slid from the side of his neck.

The remaining ninjas had barely raised their kunai when Lie Yang charged into the crowd atop lightning.

The blade swept horizontally.

Blood sprayed.

One man's throat split open.

He turned.

The second man's chest was pierced through.

Another step.

The third man's hands, still forming seals, fell to the ground along with his wrists, and the short blade immediately pierced his brow.