Takigawa vanished into the forest in the blink of an eye. Fugaku quietly climbed into a large tree, leaned against the trunk, and closed his eyes to rest.
Time ticked by. Ten minutes passed in a flash, and a cloud of black mist enveloped Fugaku. He vanished on the spot.
Up ahead, Takigawa ran frantically. Sweat had already beaded on his forehead, and with two Ninja over his shoulders, he was nowhere near as fast as before.
If they were going to put on a show, they had to make it convincing. Sweat mixed with dirt and dried blood made Takigawa look thoroughly battered.
He sprinted ahead, glancing back as he ran, playing the part of a hunted Ninja to perfection.
Just then, Takigawa felt a sharp presence at his back. He instantly picked up speed, and a cold flash swept through the space behind him.
A Ninja shrouded in black mist appeared where Takigawa had been a moment before.
A drop of cold sweat rolled down Takigawa's forehead. He knew it was Fugaku in disguise, but apart from sparing his life, Fugaku was holding nothing back.
An overwhelming aura erupted behind him and bore down on him from every direction.
Takigawa groaned inwardly. He had never felt such a powerful aura before. Fugaku's strength had gone beyond what most people could imagine.
A thought rose unbidden in Takigawa's mind: Fugaku might now be a match for Madara Uchiha at his peak.
He had no way to prove it, but that aura and killing intent, far beyond anything an ordinary Ninja possessed, said enough.
He had seen the Third Raikage's strength firsthand. The Third Raikage had been nowhere near as terrifying as Fugaku was now. Even the Third Hokage fell short.
Takigawa was about to activate his Mangekyo Sharingan, but