Great Fire Dragon

The crimson fire dragons had barely appeared when scorching heat swept outward. Rain evaporated around them, and thick steam swirled around the dragons.

Three fire dragons struck Kurozawa's jutsu one after another, weakening the Wind Release attack until it dissipated completely.

The three dragons had lost much of their power. Now little more than red serpents, they shot toward Kurozawa and the others.

Tongmu and Murakami stepped forward together. Their hands flashed through signs, drawing water from the ground into a barrier before the group. Water and fire wore each other down.

White steam billowed out in every direction.

The warehouse had become a crater, and all its supplies had been destroyed. Behind them, the Sand Shinobi were changing course and closing in on Fugaku's group.

Every second spent here was dangerous. If the shinobi behind them managed to surround them, even Fugaku Uchiha could not be sure he would survive.

Several kunai appeared in each of the six shinobi's hands and flew forward. Fugaku Uchiha's throws were unlike anyone else's: his kunai took devious angles, colliding in midair to change direction again and again.

Their opponents answered with projectiles of their own. Sparks flared in the air. Fugaku's Sharingan spun rapidly, bringing every incoming trajectory into sharp focus.

He knocked aside every shuriken and kunai that came close with quick movements of the kunai in his hand.

Fugaku's kunai had entered the enemy's sight as well. The Uchiha's skill at throwing weapons returned to the battlefield, astonishing allies and enemies alike.

Several kunai cut through the air at strange angles and struck three shinobi in succession. None of the wounds was fatal, but they were serious enough to keep all three out of the fight.

The distance between the two sides kept shrinking. What had begun as six against five had become six against two, giving Fugaku Uchiha's side an overwhelming advantage.

Satomaru and Haranoki drew their long blades. The others took out their weapons as well.

"Don't get drawn into a fight," Fugaku Uchiha said. "Jump straight past them."

Fugaku charged Kurozawa, while Hyuga Ning rushed the Sand Shinobi's sole remaining Chunin.

Fugaku's Sharingan genjutsu took hold, and Kurozawa's eyes went blank. Fugaku flashed past him, his kunai slicing across Kurozawa's shoulder and drawing blood.

Kurozawa came to his senses at the last instant and evaded the fatal strike. Hyuga Ning slit the remaining Chunin's throat.

Six figures flashed past and raced for the edge of the outpost. As Fugaku passed Kurozawa, he twisted in midair, kicked backward, and flung several kunai at him.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Metal struck metal several times. By then, Fugaku Uchiha and the others had already put some distance between them.

The kunai were only meant to slow Kurozawa down. If he kept harrying them and forced them to lose speed, Fugaku's group would be in serious trouble.

The Sand Shinobi force behind them had split in two. Several Jonin left the Chunin far behind, rapidly closing the gap with Fugaku Uchiha's group.

The difference between Jonin and Chunin was unmistakable. Dark figures flickered through the rain, each Body Flicker Technique bringing them closer.

Fugaku kept watch on the pursuit. The four Konoha Chunin were moving as fast as they could, but they still could not match the Sand Shinobi Jonin behind them.

His hands formed signs, and chakra surged through his body.

"Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu!"

Five fire dragons burst from Fugaku Uchiha's mouth. Trailing great clouds of steam, they surged from five directions toward the ground ahead of the Sand Shinobi.

Fugaku had aimed ahead of the Sand Shinobi Jonin from the start. He needed to slow them down and buy his teammates time to retreat.

Two B-rank jutsu in succession—eight fire dragons in all—were Fugaku Uchiha's limit unless he pushed himself to the brink. He took out a bottle of Soldier Pills and popped one into his mouth.

Behind them, the five fire dragons wheeled through the air, blocking nearly every route forward. The Sand Shinobi Jonin had no choice but to stop.

The five dragons struck the ground in succession. Explosions continued for several seconds, spraying rain-soaked mud and chunks of earth in every direction.

"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

A wall of earth rose before the Sand Shinobi, blocking the rest of the Great Fire Dragon attack.

In the rainy darkness of the Land of Rain, once a target gained enough distance, finding them again was like searching for a needle in a haystack—unless one was a trained Scout Ninja.

The rain and darkness were the best cover they could ask for.

"Hyuga Ning," Fugaku said, "what's happening behind us? Have the Sand Shinobi caught up?"

Hyuga Ning had kept his Byakugan active. Everything around him lay within his field of view.

"They're still following," Hyuga Ning said. "They shouldn't be able to see us anymore, but they haven't let up. I think they have a sensory or reconnaissance shinobi who can track our route."

Fugaku nodded. The nations had sent their best to the Land of Rain. Encountering one or two shinobi skilled at tracking was hardly surprising.

The six followed their planned retreat route, changing direction again and again. With the Sharingan and Byakugan, traveling at night was little different from traveling by day.

"Captain!" Yamada Shinji called. "You're finally here. Did the mission go smoothly?"

Yamada Shinji and Aburame Nozawa appeared before them.

Fugaku Uchiha glanced at Hyuga Ning to confirm they were who they appeared to be. Hyuga Ning nodded.

A shinobi could never afford to neglect basic caution. That was how one met disaster when everything seemed safe.

The chakra points in every person's body were different. The Transformation Technique could change someone's appearance, but not their chakra points. It could not fool the Hyuga's Byakugan.

Only White Zetsu could absorb another person's chakra and become their exact likeness, down to the pathways and chakra points within their body.

Hyuga Ning's confirmation spared them the time it would have taken to verify the pair's identities another way.

"Are the traps ready?" Fugaku asked. "The Sand Shinobi are getting closer. These traps are our last safeguard for a successful retreat."

"They're ready, Captain," Yamada Shinji said. "Aburame Nozawa and I set quite a few more, too."

"Good work," Fugaku said. "Keep moving, and stay alert. The Sand Shinobi are still behind us. They could catch up at any moment."

"Yes."

The eight changed direction and retreated toward Konoha's Forward Camp. Fugaku formed a sign, and a shadow clone appeared beside him and stayed behind.

The traps they had laid lay a short distance ahead of the shadow clone. Whether the enemy had a sensory shinobi or not, leaving a clone there could still mislead them.

"The Konoha shinobi have changed direction," someone among the Sand Shinobi suddenly said. "Eight are heading toward the Land of Fire. One shinobi is still up ahead."

The speaker was Morinaka, a Sand Shinobi sensory specialist skilled in detection and Wind Release.