Calling in Backup

The streets were silent at three in the morning. A night breeze stirred the treetops with a faint rustle, making the darkness seem deeper still.

Tsukimi had recognized where the black-robed man came from by his hand seals, but he did not know how strong the man was or how far his Sensory Ninjutsu could reach. To be safe, he had immediately retreated another kilometer, keeping four kilometers between them—right at the Shadowkhan's limit.

He had to hand it to a mole who had stayed hidden for years. The man was far more cautious than an ordinary ninja.

The little pest kept moving, seemingly without a destination, but every step concealed a test.

At intersections, the black-robed man would abruptly slow down. He took neither the quicker shortcut nor the open main road, deliberately ducking into secluded alleys instead. Several times, he doubled back or turned without any discernible pattern, stopping to look around. He spread his Sensory Ninjutsu in every direction, searching the surrounding streets and shadows inch by inch for signs of a tail.

Not bad. His countersurveillance skills were maxed out!

An ordinary ninja trying to follow him would inevitably slip up under such frequent, meticulous checks, allowing the black-robed man to pinpoint their position.

Unfortunately for him, Tsukimi was about to teach him a lesson. Tonight, he was up against the Shadowkhan, something entirely beyond the Shinobi World's understanding.

The Shadowkhan came from the Shadow Realm. As living manifestations of shadow, they contained no chakra and fell outside the reach of Sensory Ninjutsu. No matter how many times the black-robed man scanned his surroundings, he would find nothing amiss.

You can be as sly as you like, kid. You're still eating my dust!

After several fruitless sweeps convinced him no one was following, the black-robed man