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"Konoha's Little White Fang, huh...? Someone like you shouldn't be bound by titles under someone else's shadow. While you lack the Raikage's overwhelming power, you possess a nimbleness that he doesn't. Konoha...hmph!" Ōnoki flew through the air, his cold eyes locked on the distant figures of Ye Zi and Han. The fact that Ye Zi had managed to escape within Ōnoki's own village was already a failure. If they couldn't kill Ye Zi tonight, it would be a complete disgrace for Iwagakure.
Konoha's Little White Fang!
He must die tonight!
At this point, it wasn't even about the conflict between villages anymore. It was a matter of Iwagakure's pride.
Though Ōnoki and Han had taken up the pursuit, most of the remaining Iwa-nin were still in a state of shock. This was their home turf, and yet, despite being surrounded by so many comrades, a single Konoha shinobi had managed to break through. In the past, not only would no one have dared to invade Iwagakure, but there was no way anyone could have escaped once discovered. Ye Zi's actions tonight set a dangerous precedent.
In a shadowy corner unnoticed by the Iwa-nin, a pale figure emerged from the darkness—it was White Zetsu. Smiling with sharp teeth bared, he observed the direction in which Ye Zi had fled.
"Impressive, Little White Fang of Konoha. To escape even from this... So, Madara, what will you do next?" White Zetsu muttered to himself before sinking back into the ground, vanishing to an unknown destination.
The desolate rock walls loomed everywhere, forming a natural defense that encircled the borders of the Land of Earth, isolating it like a fortress. The interior of the country was even more mountainous and treacherous. This harsh environment presented a considerable challenge for Ye Zi, who was unfamiliar with the terrain.
If it were open land, Ye Zi was confident he could outrun any Iwa-nin. But here in the Land of Earth, his Lightning Release's speed was severely hampered. Even though his eyes could keep up with his speed, he couldn't afford to continually exhaust his focus on maintaining high-speed movement. Thankfully, this applied to most of the Iwa-nin as well, except for Ōnoki...
The Jinchūriki, Han, realized his transformed state was hindering his pursuit, so he reverted back to normal, using the steam from his Boil Release to enhance his speed.
But Ōnoki... that old man could fly, and he was closing in, leading the chase.
This region of the Land of Earth was all mountains, with no forests in sight.
If Ye Zi continued deeper into the country, it was only a matter of time before Ōnoki caught up, and the space to maneuver would grow increasingly restricted, eventually trapping him.
Unable to determine exactly how much distance he had gained on Ōnoki, Han, and the Iwa-nin behind them, Ye Zi decided to start using evasive tactics. Only by exiting the Land of Earth and reaching the forested areas could he hope to lose the Iwa-nin.
With one arm missing, even though he could perform one-handed hand seals, his power would be greatly diminished. Even with both arms intact, he wouldn't stand a chance against the Tsuchikage and the Jinchūriki. Right now, his only option was to run.
Escape was an art form.
This was a skill that every ninja needed to master. Unfortunately, Root only taught pursuit tactics, not how to flee.
Ye Zi began weaving and dodging, all the while contemplating how to deceive Ōnoki.
Ninjutsu came in countless varieties—some useful, some not, some powerful, others weak. The systems they derived from were vast. Some jutsu might seem useless, but only because the right situation hadn't presented itself. For instance, the Transformation Jutsu, often seen as basic and insignificant, had allowed Ye Zi to infiltrate Iwagakure undetected by using it in conjunction with memory extraction.
In his early days, Ye Zi had eagerly learned many jutsu in his quest to find a way home. Though he later realized that accumulating techniques alone wouldn't help, he still retained what he had learned.
To deceive both the Tsuchikage and the Jinchūriki... he needed a perfect plan.
As the chase continued, Ōnoki, flying through the mountain range, could feel the distance between them closing. His cold, murderous gaze stayed fixed on Ye Zi, who was still cloaked in lightning.
Crossing one mountain peak after another, Ye Zi finally began descending. He was calculating his escape, and the only way out was to trick the Iwa-nin and loop back as quickly as possible. To do this, he needed to find a river that ran through the entire Land of Earth.
With one arm gone, no chakra replenishment, and the Tsuchikage hot on his heels, the situation was dire. To turn the situation in his favor, Ye Zi would have to rely on the environment. But this was enemy territory, and finding an advantage on their turf seemed impossible—except for one possibility: a river running through the valleys between the mountains.
Ye Zi had the beginnings of a plan. He regretted not familiarizing himself with the terrain of the Land of Earth beforehand, but it was too late for that now.
"Shokui, if you're still alive, make some noise."
At this point, Ye Zi had no chance of deceiving Ōnoki without Shokui's help. He needed a big distraction, something to draw the Tsuchikage's attention, if only for a moment, and then he had to find a river running through the mountains. If there wasn't enough time, he would just have to jump into the first large stream he came across and hope for the best.
A furious voice suddenly echoed in Ye Zi's mind. "I told you not to get involved in this mess, but no, you wouldn't listen! Now that you're almost dead, you come crawling to me?" Shokui, still recovering from the damage he took in Iwagakure, was clearly annoyed.
While continuing to run, Ye Zi scanned the surrounding environment and calmly responded, "If you don't want to die, help me one more time."
"Dammit! Fine, what do you need?" Shokui growled, frustrated. He had only himself to blame for thinking he could completely control Ye Zi when he first signed that life-binding contract. Now, it felt like he had shot himself in the foot.
"I need you to create a distraction. Something big enough to split the old man's attention for just a moment. I'll use that time to escape through the river."
"You sure you can pull this off?"
"I'm not sure. But this is the only way out. The deeper I go into the Land of Earth, the slimmer my chances of survival become."
Shokui thought for a moment, then agreed. "Fine, I'll do it. Don't you dare die—if you do, I'll make sure we both suffer."
Ye Zi's eyes gleamed with a cold light. He thought to himself, If I die, you die with me. You won't have the chance to make me pay.
With the plan set, it was time to execute. To deceive Ōnoki, Ye Zi needed to hide completely. That meant suppressing all chakra, even though it increased the risk of being caught. However, if he could pull it off, the chances of fooling the Tsuchikage would rise.
Once Ōnoki and Han chased after his decoy, Ye Zi would double back using the river. As long as Shokui and the decoy could hold off the enemies for just a little while, he could put enough distance between them to escape.
The intelligence about Ye Zi's infiltration and escape was relayed to Madara in his underground lair. The frail, white-haired figure leaned on his cane, gazing silently into the darkness.
One of White Zetsu's clones calmly asked, "Shall we intervene?"
Madara remained silent for a long time before his voice, dry like brittle twigs, echoed from the shadows. "Yes. Another layer of security won't hurt, even though he is not an Uchiha."
White Zetsu grinned silently.
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