"Enemy attack!" On the second night, just like the previous one, a sharp cry echoed through the base during the latter half of the night.
Immediately afterward, over a dozen of Uchiha Akira's phantom clones scattered in various directions, followed by a barrage of Fire Release jutsus.
Akira came quickly and left just as fast. He spent only a few minutes inside the Iwa base. After causing a commotion, he swiftly retreated.
"Stop! Don't pursue him!" Seeing many Iwa-nin ready to give chase, Kitsuchi immediately ordered everyone to halt.
The previous night, all five squads sent out to pursue Akira had been wiped out. With no clear understanding of the enemy's numbers, Kitsuchi decided it was best to be cautious.
On the third night, the Iwa-nin were on high alert, brimming with frustration as they awaited Akira's arrival. But as the night dragged on into the latter half, Akira still hadn't shown up, causing the Iwa-nin to start wondering.
Could it be that Akira realized they were prepared for him and was too afraid to come?
As dawn approached and the sky began to lighten, many of the Iwa-nin, unable to stay awake any longer, prepared to sleep.
But just then, another round of Fire Release, mixed with the thunderous sound of Lightning Release, erupted.
On the fourth night, instead of attacking during the latter half of the night, Akira surprisingly struck during the first half.
On the fifth day, he even attacked in the afternoon...
The power of habit is indeed terrifying. Over six days, Akira's completely unpredictable attacks left the entire Iwa base unable to get any proper rest. Day or night, there was no set pattern.
It wasn't just a matter of having someone stand guard while others slept. When you're jolted awake by the sudden explosion of Fire Release or the crack of Lightning Release, no amount of tiredness will help you fall back asleep.
And just as you climb out of bed, ready to fight, he's already gone!
Akira wasn't wrong when he said his Shunshin no Jutsu was among the best in the shinobi world. He would pop in just to stir up trouble, toss a few Fire or Lightning Release jutsus, and then disappear.
With his Kage-level strength, top-tier Shunshin no Jutsu, and the confusion caused by his phantom clones, Akira was like an elusive, slippery eel. The Iwa-nin hated him with a passion, but there was nothing they could do about it.
Akira had truly mastered the essence of guerrilla warfare, much to the Iwa-nin's frustration.
On the seventh day, Kitsuchi woke up early, waiting.
After the attack during the latter half of the previous night, Kitsuchi had only managed to sleep for three hours. His heavy dark circles made him look like a panda.
In theory, this would be a good time to get some proper rest, considering most of Akira's attacks happened at night.
But he had also attacked during the day before, so Kitsuchi couldn't afford to let his guard down, even in the daytime.
So, he waited through the night, half-asleep, unable to fully let himself drift off. The first half of the night passed uneventfully.
Kitsuchi was close to tears. Was Akira planning another late-night attack?
Regret gnawed at him. If he had known Akira would attack late, he would have made sure to sleep earlier.
Fine, no point sleeping now. Better to stay awake and wait for Akira's arrival.
Time ticked by slowly, and Kitsuchi felt like the night was dragging on forever.
Every minute that passed without an attack only heightened the sense that Akira could strike at any moment.
It was like opening ten boxes, knowing only one had a prize. As more empty boxes were opened, the chances of finding the prize increased, making the anticipation unbearable.
As the night deepened, Kitsuchi's exhaustion grew, but so did his alertness. He couldn't afford to let his guard down.
Finally, as the sky began to brighten with the dawn, the night passed without incident.
Kitsuchi was dumbfounded.
What was going on?
After six consecutive days of attacks, Akira had suddenly taken a day off?
Shocked, Kitsuchi's mood quickly soured.
Akira had rested for a day without attacking, but he had spent the entire night on edge, waiting!
This rare chance to rest had been wasted, leaving him more frustrated than if there had been an attack.
Kitsuchi wasn't the only one feeling this way. Many of the Iwa-nin had a similar experience, unable to sleep well the previous night. Their nerves were frayed.
The sudden break from the attacks threw their already fragile mental states into chaos.
This time, Kitsuchi, now thoroughly enraged, began organizing his forces.
Last time, over twenty ninjas had gone after Akira, and none had returned. This time, he decided to take no chances. He assembled a force of five hundred ninjas and planned to lead them personally.
This time, Akira would be captured, no matter what. Otherwise, they wouldn't even need daily attacks—his troops were on the verge of mental collapse already.
Akira's tactics were disgustingly effective.
That night, Akira chose to attack during the first half. He slipped into the base stealthily.
"Get him! Take him down!"
But before Akira could even make a move, and before the most perceptive of the Iwa-nin could sense his presence, a shout filled with pent-up anger erupted.
The Iwa base exploded into action as if a pot of boiling oil had just had water thrown in.
Ninjas appeared from all directions. Led by Kitsuchi, their bloodshot eyes, filled with rage, locked onto Akira like a pack of starving wolves.
Don't misunderstand—their eyes weren't bloodshot because they had awakened the Sharingan. It was from a week of sleep deprivation.
The sight was enough to make anyone's heart ache.
All the resentment built up over the past week had turned into hatred and a burning desire to kill Akira.
Seeing this overwhelming force as he barely began his infiltration, Akira was genuinely startled.
"What the...!?"
From the looks on their faces, these Iwa-nin seemed ready to tear him apart. Akira felt a shiver run down his spine and couldn't help but curse under his breath.
In this situation, Shadow Clone Jutsu wouldn't help.
Even his Shunshin no Jutsu, with its multiple phantom clones, was useless...
No point in staying—time to run!
Akira had barely infiltrated the base, and it was like sneaking into someone's house to steal, only to be met by a dozen people lying in wait. Of course, he turned and ran.
"Third Gate—Life Gate, Open! Fourth Gate—Pain Gate, Open! Fifth Gate—Limit Gate, Open! Sixth Gate—View Gate, Open!"
Normally, once Akira escaped the base, the Iwa-nin would give up the chase.
But this time, Akira had just entered the base and immediately turned to flee, yet several hundred Iwa-nin chased after him, determined not to let him get away.
Seeing this, Akira reacted instantly, opening six gates in one go.
Whoosh!
Even without opening the gates, Akira's speed was already among the top in the shinobi world. Now, with six gates open, his speed surged to new heights, allowing him to pull away from the pursuers.
But even then, the Iwa-nin showed no signs of giving up.
Over the past few days, their hatred for Akira had reached a boiling point.
With that anger fueling them, they were ready to chase him to the ends of the earth.
"Run! This time, it's like Akira kicked a hornet's nest—five hundred Iwa-nin are chasing him!" Hyūga Hiashi, providing his usual live commentary, shouted as he watched Akira being pursued out of the base.
Immediately, the Konoha shinobi waiting outside, ready to pick off small groups of Iwa-nin, turned and ran for their lives.
Five hundred Iwa-nin?
That's a force far beyond what the Konoha shinobi could handle. The difference in numbers was just too great. Trying to take on that many would be like biting off more than they could chew.
A single mad dog is terrifying enough, but being chased by five hundred of them? That's a nightmare.
Even after half an hour of running, the Iwa-nin showed no signs of giving up.
Akira couldn't help but curse under his breath. Had these Iwa-nin lost their minds?
Had he insulted their ancestors or killed their children? Why were they so relentless?
After using the Eight Gates to widen the gap early on, Akira kept running for another two hours. Finally, the Iwa-nin seemed to have exhausted their anger and realized they couldn't catch him, so they reluctantly gave up and started to return to their base.
It seemed the Iwa-nin had finally vented their pent-up frustration.
But being chased by five hundred crazed ninjas for two hours had pushed Akira's patience to the limit.
Besides, what's the essence of guerrilla warfare?
Harass the enemy when they're stationary—something he'd mastered over the past week.
Retreat when they advance—he had just done that perfectly.
But what about the next two points?
Advance when they retreat! Attack when they're exhausted!
They say the best time to strike is when the enemy's momentum has waned after repeated efforts.
These Iwa-nin, who had barely slept for a week, were now at their most fatigued, retreating back to their base.
It was time for Akira and his team to strike back.