After learning about the squad's plan, Hui made up his mind to hold off the Iwagakure forces.
It was a risky move—among the Iwagakure Anbu was a Kage-level commander, Kamizuru Ishigawa. But the environment favoured Hui, and such conditions would be hard to find again.
Moreover, the real threat among the enemy ranks was only Kamizuru Ishigawa. The other Jonin, Elite Chunin and Chunin posed no significant threats to him.
Still, Hui didn't rush into action. He knew that the enemy was on high alert, with their light sources gathered together, pushing back the darkness.
A hasty attack, even if it succeeded in taking down one of them, would likely expose his position.
So, he waited for the right moment.
Meanwhile, Kamizuru Ishigawa ordered his subordinates to move towards the edge of the forest. It was still hours before dawn, meaning they would remain in darkness for a long time.
Based on the earlier events, he concluded that their ghost-like enemy was likely the Konoha Elite Jonin they had identified earlier—an expert not only in combat but also in concealment.
Judging by the speed of his attacks and retreats, this Konoha shinobi either knew the terrain intimately or possessed vision unaffected by the night. In these favourable conditions, they had suffered significant losses.
Though they were retreating now, there was no guarantee that the shadowy figure would cease his assaults. If he continued attacking, it would be a disaster for them in the pitch-black forest.
Their best option was to leave the woods and head for more open ground.
Out in the open, with their flashlights and the moonlight above, any attack from that ghostly enemy would be much easier to counter, turning the hunter into the hunted.
Hui, tracking their movements, realized the same. If he let them escape the forest, the situation would turn against him.
He needed to act now, to strike while they were still in the dense woods. His goal was to eliminate at least one of the Jonin and then draw Kamizuru Ishigawa away.
If he succeeded, the remaining two Jonin leading the weakened group of Elite Chunin and Chunin would pose no real threat to the larger battle.
As for the idea of killing Kamizuru Ishigawa himself... Hui dismissed that thought. His earlier attacks had been aimed at taking out one of the Jonin through a surprise backstab, not engaging in a direct confrontation.
Kamizuru Ishigawa was no ordinary opponent.
As a battle-hardened Kage-level shinobi, his reactions were extremely fast, and Hui had no confidence in landing a surprise killing blow.
According to Konoha's intelligence, Kamizuru Ishigawa was an expert in sensory and Earth Release techniques, but his other abilities remained unknown. It would be foolish to assume that such a high-level ninja didn't have powerful defensive techniques or trump cards.
Hui checked his supplies—only a few kunai and shuriken remained. He analyzed the formation of the Iwagakure Anbu, searching for a way to eliminate a Jonin, but their cautious movements made it difficult to find an opening.
As they neared the edge of the forest, Hui knew he couldn't delay any longer.
He steadied himself, focusing his energy.
In a moment, his chakra had fully replenished, and the exhaustion from the earlier dissolution of his Light Clone had faded.
He was ready.
Hui hurled his remaining kunai and shuriken. One of the kunai carried his last explosive tag, aimed at Kamizuru Ishigawa to distract him for a few seconds.
At the same time, Hui launched himself at full speed, targeting the nearest Jonin with his sword.
"Watch out!!"
Kamizuru Ishigawa was prepared. Noticing the explosive-tagged kunai, he swiftly formed hand seals, raising a wall of earth from the ground.
Boom!!!
The explosion thundered through the forest, startling the Iwagakure Anbu, even if only for a moment. And that moment was exactly what Hui needed.
"Silver Moon!"
It was Hui's signature sword technique, one he had refined and perfected over countless battles. The slash moved like the rising crescent moon, its silvery light cutting through the darkness.
In a flash, the nearest Jonin fell, his life extinguished before he even hit the ground.
Without wasting a moment, Hui turned and darted back into the shadows.
But this time, his movement was tracked.
"You're not getting away!!"
A furious shout echoed through the trees as a figure launched himself after Hui—Kamizuru Ishigawa.
The two of them sped through the dense forest, their forms vanishing into the darkness.
Back at the ambush site, the remaining Iwagakure Anbu, now gripped with fear and uncertainty of the situation, huddled together in a tight formation, clutching their weapons as they watched the forest around them.
"Captain, should we follow them?" a trembling Elite Chunin finally asked one of the remaining Jonin.
The Jonin grimaced, glancing at the lifeless body of his fallen comrade, cut down so swiftly by the ghostly enemy. He shook his head, trying to keep his voice steady.
"Follow? No, we retreat!"
The other Jonin nodded in agreement. "The commander can handle that enemy. Our job now is to get out of here!"
Without hesitation, the remaining Iwagakure Anbu turned and fled, making their way toward the forest's edge, as if pausing for even a moment would result in certain death at the hands of that phantom in the shadows.
It was clear—this experience had left them deeply scarred. For many of the anbu present here, the thought of dark forests would forever be a source of fear.
Meanwhile, Hui sprinted at full speed through the forest, Kamizuru Ishigawa hot on his heels, matching his pace.
The earlier ambush had revealed his position, allowing Kamizuru Ishigawa to lock onto him.
Now, the Iwagakure commander was focused on a single goal—catching and killing the Konoha shinobi who had cost him so many of his men.
"You damn Konoha rat! After all the lives you've taken, do you think you can get away? I'll make sure you die tonight!" Kamizuru Ishigawa's voice seethed with anger, the fury in his words filling the dark woods.
But Hui felt a strange sense of relief.
Despite the commander's rage, his speed wasn't significantly greater than Hui's—only slightly faster. This meant that for now, Kamizuru Ishigawa couldn't catch him.
And when it came to running, Hui had plenty of experience up his sleeve.
'I'll wear you down... and then…' Hui thought, steeling his heart.
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