Caught between two deadly foes attacking from the front and rear, Jinin Akebino's fate was a foregone conclusion.
He failed to put up even a semblance of resistance. With Uchiha Onibi's bizarre, unpredictable Mangekyō ocular technique interfering with him, Lin Ze tore his throat apart with a single Dragon Claw wreathed in wind and lightning.
The fifth, and the last.
After confirming there were no survivors left, Lin Ze and Uchiha Onibi exchanged a glance. Neither said anything, but both understood what the other meant.
On the way back, Lin Ze slowed slightly to walk alongside Uchiha Onibi and lowered his voice.
"Onibi, I hope we can keep the news that the Kirigakure forces were wiped out today under wraps for now."
Uchiha Onibi gave Lin Ze a mild glance, seemingly seeing through his concerns.
"Why?"
"Konoha is fighting on multiple fronts right now. We shouldn't provoke Kirigakure too much. Besides..."
Lin Ze's gaze swept over Uchiha Onibi's eyes, which had returned to black and white, as he spoke pointedly.
"The fewer people who know about certain abilities, the better. Publicly, we can say the Kirigakure ninja fled too quickly, and we only barely managed to catch and kill one of them-Jinin Akebino, for instance. We can keep the details vague."
Uchiha Onibi fell silent for a moment.
He had only just awakened his Mangekyō and likewise had no wish to expose this trump card too soon, especially if it meant attracting excessive attention from the village leadership.
Lin Ze's proposal served both their interests.
"Agreed."
When the two returned to the ravaged patch of woodland, Might Duy was still down on one knee, gasping for breath, though his expression had eased somewhat.
Ryota Uchiha sat unconscious beneath a tree, leaning against it.
Uchiha Onibi appeared beside his younger