"That's right. It was me!"
Meeting Ao's look of having survived a disaster, Qian replied calmly.
As he spoke, he flicked his long blade, letting the specks of fresh blood on it spatter down.
His movements were utterly casual, perfectly showing what it meant to have nothing to fear.
Since the plan to launch a sneak attack from the shadows could no longer be carried out, Qian was in no hurry. He simply revealed himself openly.
That way, he could also boost his side's morale.
And just as he had expected, the moment he appeared, the surviving Leaf ninja's eyes lit up at once, and strength surged through their bodies.
That was the role a leader played in a large melee. As long as Qian, this banner, did not fall, the ninja under him would not collapse across the board.
Splash, splash, splash—
The sound of water splashing rang out.
Uchiha Tekka finally climbed out of the water. Clutching his chest, he said to Qian, "Be careful. He's very strong!"
"Mm."
Hearing this, Qian nodded and said, "I know."
"An opening!"
Ahead, seeing Qian look away, Ao thought, Good chance, and hurriedly threw the Kunai in his hand.
Whoosh—
A faint sound of something cutting through the air came at him.
Qian swept his gaze from the corner of his eye, swung the long blade in his hand, and knocked the Kunai away with precision.
Ao did not care. His hands formed seals at high speed, his mouth opened, and he unleashed a ninjutsu—Water Release: Wild Water Wave!
Although this was only a relatively basic Rank C Ninjutsu, its hand seals were simple. It required only three seals—Dragon, Ox, Hare—to perform, making it perfectly suited for a sneak attack right now.
Originally, Ao thought he could use this to catch