Just a moment of distraction, and Ye Cang, the leading jonin, immediately reacted.
Although she marveled at the opponent's response method and couldn't understand why the other party could fly in the air, these thoughts didn't change the fact that the opponent was a Konoha ninja, an enemy.
There was no time to be stunned!
"Kenichi! Send a signal immediately, notify other teams to come and help search for the opponent!"
"And Sacheng! Forget about the ballista over there, capturing the opponent takes priority now!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Upon receiving the orders, the two subordinates acted without hesitation. One of them began to retrieve a signal flare from their belongings to launch, while the other put down the scroll he was holding, ceasing the sealing of the machine.
"The opponent flew towards the southeast, Sacheng! You come with me to pursue him. Kenichi, you explain the situation to the reinforcements when they arrive."
"We'll leave marks along the way!"
Before Ye Cang even finished her words, she had already taken a step forward, chasing in the direction of Tōshirō. The flying speed of the opponent was simply too fast; without making a quick move, they would soon lose sight of him.
Although ninja sprinting speed is fast, how could it compare to Tōshirō soaring through the air? And as the opponent's altitude continued to drop, the distance between them expanded, with the adversary soon to disappear from sight.
"Damn!"
Muttering in frustration while leaping onto higher treetops hoping to keep the opponent in view a bit longer, she truly had not expected such a method from the opponent who could descend safely from thousands of meters up. Although she hadn't seen the opponent land yet, mere observation assured her that he would manage to escape unscathed.
Having snapped out of the initial shock, it was now clear to her that the opponent wasn't actually flying but rather gliding like a bird, gradually decreasing in altitude over time until nearing the ground. At that point, he would be moving very fast. Using normal means to land safely wouldn't be possible, but given he had prepared such an apparatus, he undoubtedly had the next steps planned out.
Believing her ambush was a failure, she felt frustration burn as her long legs powered her on, ignoring the subordinates behind, sprinting towards the figure about to vanish from sight.
"Captain! Wait for me... If you exhaust your chakra like this... it will be dangerous when you reach your target!"
Sacheng, the puppeteer barely managing to keep up, called out with concern about the captain's increasing pace, fearing her chakra depletion by the time they reached their target.
Ignoring the well-meaning reminder, Ye Cang continued undeterred, merely giving a brief instruction before vanishing from view.
On the border of the Land of Fire, a hand emerged from the water in a stream that split off from the Land of Rivers. With a steady output of chakra, a figure slowly rose from the water—Tōshirō who had descended from the high skies.
Soaked from head to toe, clad in a peculiar outfit, anyone from his past life would readily recognize this as a wingsuit flying suit frequently showcased online. But this suit was far from sophisticated; it lacked a parachute and any wind-containment designs.
In his past life, an average person jumping with such a suit would face almost certain death. As he scoured Konoha for suitable manufacturers, no professional ninja equipment maker could fulfill his designs, all shaking their heads in helplessness.
Even Granny Cat from Cat Village expressed difficulty but suggested trying—for a price. This strained Tōshirō, whose funds were already tight. But for his life's sake, he dug out his savings, spending 500,000 ryo on this custom tool. The smile of Granny Cat during delivery and the halved balance on his saving book left his heart aching, for it truly was his last savings.
He had considered using a parachute. With era's technology, a large parachute could be made, albeit control would be challenging once deployed mid-air. Arriving surrounded wasn't a pleasant thought, especially as even Granny Cat mentioned possible technical failures in deployment.
He also considered an unpowered hang glider but its bulk and need for a running start led him to opt for the obscure wingsuits. Thus, his flight wasn't purely by skill but aided by some wind release ninjutsu, allowing smooth gliding.
During the rapid descent, he opted for a river for cushioning and used a fire release technique to slow down. Grateful he could form hand seals one-handed, or he might be far worse off. Despite measures, the landing left him quite disheveled.
(Chapter End)