"Whoosh!"
Rushing into the forest and leaping onto the treetops, Shin'un glanced back at the Konoha and Sand Ninja who were already locked in battle behind him.
Shin'un could understand Hatake Sakumo Yakushi Nonō himself.
After all, Shin'un had once demonstrated to Hatake Sakumo his lightning- Body Flicker Technique speed, far exceeding that of ordinary ninjas, under the enhanced state of Lightning Body Flicker.
The meaning of Hatake Sakumo is quite simple.
If caught up by the enemy and there is no other way, Shin'un can use Lightning Body Flicker to escape all pursuers at lightning speed and get out of the sight of the Sand Ninja.
Hatake Sakumo could have done this himself, but the Sand Ninja probably already guessed his identity Konoha White Fang. This would make him too conspicuous, which would actually hinder his escape from the Sand Ninja's sight with Yakushi Nonō.
The only option was to entrust this task to Shin'un, while he himself stayed behind to buy time for Shin'un with the remaining Anbu Ninja.
Thinking it over, Shin'un turned around, took Yūichi and Shiina Kō, picked up Yakushi Nonō on his shoulder, and rushed into the depths of the forest.
Shin'un left decisively, showing no concern whatsoever for the safety of the Anbu or Hatake Sakumo.
Hatake Sakumo is, after all, one of the most prominent Kage Level shinobi in the current Shinobi World.
Such a display of force was not enough to kill him.
Moreover, among the Sand Ninja who were chasing after them, the leaders were Camel and Camel.
These two puppeteers were Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law, and Sasori's parents. In the original story, they died at the hands of Hatake Sakumo.
This mission to pursue spies is very likely the one that will lead to their deaths.
This mission might be the last time Shin'un hears the names "Camel" and "Camel".
As for those Anbu Ninja...
Being able to become a member of the Anbu is itself a sign of being an elite among Konoha Ninja.
Although there were more Sand Ninja behind them, and after several days of travel, several more Sand Ninja teams arrived and joined the pursuit.
Jonin varied greatly, and Shin'un even saw several children who were clearly younger than him in the group.
It seems that the Sand Ninja is also short of manpower, and has been forced to send children from the Ninja Academy to the battlefield as cannon fodder.
Moreover, this place is deep within the Land of Rivers, not the Land of Wind or the Land of Rain. Even if we spend a whole day fighting off those Sand Ninja pursuers, there is no risk of being worn down by the endless stream of Sand Ninja.
In conclusion, the Anbu Ninja will suffer heavy casualties, but they still have a chance of winning in the end.
With the addition of Hatake Sakumo, a Kage Level powerhouse, the chances of victory are very high.
Shaking his head, Shin'un's thoughts returned to the present moment.
It was the task of Hatake Sakumo and the Anbu Ninja to hold back most of the Sand Ninja pursuers.
Their team's mission was to safely deliver Yakushi Nonō to the border of the Land of Fire, and then wait for them to rendezvous at the Konoha outpost.
It's better to focus on getting on the road.
Hatake Sakumo might not be able to stop all the Sand Ninja Sand Ninja; it's very likely that one or two small teams will be sent to catch up and try to intercept them.
Instead of wasting time daydreaming, you should speed up and run a longer distance.
"Whoosh~"
Shin'un led his team through the forest, the wind they stirred up rustling the leaves around them.
Behind Yūichi, Shiina Kō flanked Yakushi Nonō, protecting her in the center as they followed Shin'un forward.
Previously, after leaving the battlefield where Hatake Sakumo led the Anbu Ninja in a bloody battle against the Sand Ninja, Shin'un had already put Yakushi Nonō behind.
After all, always carrying Yakushi Nonō on his shoulders is like adding another person's weight for no reason, which also puts a lot of pressure on his physical strength.
"Whoosh~"
The whooshing sound behind him immediately put Shin'un on alert. He kept moving forward and turned to look.
Several thick, blurry wind blades appeared behind them at some unknown time, cutting all the tree branches in their path in two. They rushed straight towards Yakushi Nonō behind Shin'un, but also included Shin'un and the other two in the attack range.
Damn it!
Upon seeing this, Shin'un's mind stirred, and a faint, dim electric current once again appeared around his body.
Time seemed to slow down again. Shin'un turned around, hugged Yakushi Nonō, and jumped down from the treetop.
In mid-air, Shin'un looked back, his eyes narrowing.
Following the direction from which the wind blades came, we indeed found several Sand Ninja rushing towards us.
"One person, two people, three people... six people?"
"One Jonin and five Chunin?"
After assessing the number of enemies, Shin'un grabbed onto a protruding tree branch, used it for leverage, and landed safely and easily.
On the other side, Yūichi and Shiina Kō successfully dodged the wind blade attack using a method similar to Shin'un's and landed next to Shin'un.
Upon seeing his companion land beside him, Shin'un immediately issued an order.
" Yūichi, Kō-chan, release smoke!"
Upon hearing Shin'un's order, although Yūichi and Shiina Kō didn't understand why they were releasing smoke at this time, they still did as instructed.
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
The two Hand Seals and released their respective Ninjutsu, their previous training in teamwork coming into play.
" Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Water Release: Water Chaos Waves!
Facing the two groups of Sand Ninja rapidly approaching behind them, Yūichi and Shiina Kō each unleashed their respective preferred escape techniques.
Under deliberate control, flames and water collide in mid-air.
The combination of high temperature and moisture immediately created a large amount of steam, which stood between the Sand Ninja and Shin'un, blocking the view of the Sand Ninja in the distance.
Seeing the steam being generated ahead rapidly dissipating, and knowing that time was precious, Shin'un immediately began to think.
The two Sand Ninja squads chasing after him were exactly what Shin'un had expected.
After all, the number of Sand Ninja who had previously pursued the Konoha group was roughly twice the number of Anbu led by Hatake Sakumo.
Given such a numerical disparity, it would already be difficult to stop most of the Sand Ninja.
One or two groups of Sand Ninja will inevitably leave the battlefield and continue chasing after Shin'un and his group.
However, this means Shin'un will need to consider how to deal with the two Sand Ninja squads that are chasing after him again.
Simply put, to fight or to flee?
Shin'un looked up at Yūichi and Shiina Kō, only to find that they were also looking at him.
They were clearly waiting for Shin'un's decision.
Faced with life and death, a heavy mission, and the lives of his teammates all entrusted to Shin'un, this decision seemed difficult to make.
A few breaths later, Shin'un opened his eyes, and after secretly comparing the strength of both sides, he made a decision in his heart.
It was one thing for dozens of Sand Ninja to chase us before, but now only six Sand Ninja dare to join the fray? Then let's fight!
"But..."
In a flash, Shin'un looked at the Yakushi Nonō beside him.
Now that the decision has been made to defeat the Sand Ninja pursuing them head-on, a battle is inevitable.
Since the other side has more people, they may not be able to take care of Yakushi Nonō's safety.
With a quick glance at the steam created by his escape technique, Shin'un had already made up his mind.
"Looks like we need to hide her before the battle begins."