Kapitel 73: Chapter 72
AN: Check out my P@treon for extra chapters starting at 3$.
Currently, I have published nearly 50 extra chapters. The storyline is at the stage where the Third Shinobi World War has nearly ended.
www.p@treon.com/noviceauthor777
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The sun was setting, casting its afterglow on Pakura, beautifying her entire body. With her well-proportioned figure and good height, she appeared almost like a goddess at that moment.
It was no wonder the young Sand Ninja felt embarrassed standing before her.
"Were you attacked by a shadow clone just now?" Pakura asked, glancing at the injured person being carried on his companion's back. She didn't think much of it and inquired casually about the situation.
The enemy had been cunning, releasing shadow clones to divert their attention and manpower. Although this tactic was old-fashioned, it was very effective, explaining why it had taken them so long to capture him.
"I'm very sorry! The attack came so suddenly that we couldn't even see what he looked like… But we were attacked in the northwest, about five kilometers away…"
"Is that so?" Pakura responded.
The Sand Ninja Chuunin felt ashamed of his and his companions' poor performance. He felt even more uncomfortable that someone as attractive as Pakura would see him in such a state.
"How is the injured doing?"
"It's nothing serious. He just fell under a genjutsu and had some difficulty moving for a while."
He answered all her questions readily, especially since she seemed concerned about his companion's injury.
"genjutsu?" Pakura asked, looking carefully at the figure on his companion's back. She waved them away after a moment's thought.
Pakura was aware that their unknown enemy was an uchiha ninja. When she first caught up with his shadow clone, she saw the distinctive eyes of the Uchiha clan, realizing the genjutsu used was formidable. Had she not been a Jonin, she might have fallen into his trap.
She hadn't expected him to be so elusive, managing to evade them even now.
"You can't escape..." she muttered to herself. The enemy had created about twenty shadow clones, and by her estimation, he must be near his limit.
Judging by his appearance, he seemed quite young, probably around thirteen or fourteen. Using such ninjutsu frequently was, in her view, like drinking poison to quench thirst.
"I guess he's trying to delay until nightfall. It'll be easier for him to hide then..." she mused.
Delaying until nightfall would indeed complicate the search. She needed to act quickly.
Having deduced his intentions, Pakura wasted no time. She turned and re-entered the woods, heading northwest, without even acknowledging the Chuunin she had just questioned. She had extracted the necessary information and now needed to continue the pursuit.
As she left, she presented a beautiful silhouette, capturing the Chuunin's admiration.
"What a rare beauty..." the Chuunin muttered, still captivated by her presence.
"Wake up, Aida!"
"What a beauty! Don't talk nonsense..." his companion said as he regained consciousness, making the Chuunin feel extremely embarrassed. The injured ninja, who had just woken up, had seen everything, including his awkward behavior.
"You coward, don't deny it!"
"Aida! You…"
His companion seemed slightly different, but he couldn't quite pinpoint the change.
Yes, the injured Sand Ninja was actually Toshiro in disguise. As Pakura had guessed, he was indeed at his limit, both physically and in terms of chakra.
Desperate, he had attacked the ninja team and disguised himself as a wounded Sand Ninja to rest and recover. This risky move was his only option, but it also posed great danger. If discovered, he would be surrounded and attacked by the Sand Ninjas.
When Pakura approached earlier, Toshiro was terrified. Any hint of suspicion from her could have spelled his end. If she had recognized him, the surrounding Sand Ninjas would have swarmed him like sharks to blood.
Fortunately, the ninja he chose to mimic was relatively short, making his disguise more believable. Pakura's questioning wasn't merely casual; she was also checking for any signs of transformation jutsu among the two of them.
After attacking them, Toshiro used genjutsu to make the Chuunin believe he was carrying his friend. Coupled with Toshiro's disguise, he successfully fooled Pakura.
He gambled that the Sand Ninjas wouldn't be familiar enough with each other to spot the deception. The increasing number of teams with different affiliations meant many of them only had vague impressions of one another.
Sharp-eyed ninjas might have noticed using the Sharingan for direct control, but a subtle hint was much harder to spot.
Even so, Pakura's presence had made Toshiro extremely nervous. His extensive practice with genjutsu had allowed him to maintain control, but it had been a close call.
He silently thanked Kishimoto for his survival. Without them, he would have been in grave danger.
Toshiro was being carried on someone else's back, but he remained vigilant even while chatting with the other ninjas. Although he had successfully deceived Pakura, he knew he couldn't relax until he was truly safe.
If he lets his guard down, it could spell trouble.
"Excuse me! Is my friend okay?" asked the Chuunin carrying Toshiro, addressing a medical ninja at the temporary Sand Ninja camp.
"It's nothing serious. He was just under an illusion and couldn't control his actions for a while. He'll be back to normal by tomorrow," the medic responded.
"Really? Thank you so much!"
"I'm sorry for any inconvenience Aida may cause," Toshiro's temporary teammate said, bowing in apology.
"You're too polite," the medic replied.
Toshiro, who was lying nearby, sighed in relief. He had successfully infiltrated the enemy's camp. All his planning had not been in vain.
He was completely worn out from running from the Sand Ninjas for an entire day. If he hadn't found a place to rest, he wouldn't have lasted much longer. Despite mastering senjutu, time was still limited, and the toll on his body was considerable.
Taking this risky gamble paid off. Deceiving Pakura was difficult, but fooling the medical ninjas was simpler. Toshiro knew enough about medical ninjutsu to convincingly feign injuries. By using minor tricks to confirm his identity, he avoided any major suspicion.
Not only did he find a relatively comfortable place to rest, but he also had someone to care for him. This was quite fortunate.
He stayed in the camp, choosing not to flee due to his significant exhaustion and another crucial reason. Instead of breaking through the siege and returning to the Konoha camp, Toshiro decided to escape by air. By morning, he could summon Yamawashi again. Once he was airborne, the ground-bound Sand Ninjas wouldn't be able to stop him.
However, summoning Yamawashi required a significant amount of chakra. If he continued playing cat and mouse with the Sand Ninjas, he wouldn't have enough chakra left.
Lying in the Sand Ninja's temporary camp, Toshiro found irony in his situation. He was now in the same tent as the Sand Ninja he had injured, receiving treatment from them.
To create a deterrent and make the Sand Ninjas cautious, he exerted considerable effort, even killing a group of Genin. Now, he was their patient. Life was indeed unpredictable.
After a few casual exchanges with the medic, Toshiro decided to reduce the risk of exposure by falling asleep. He needed to recharge for the next phase of his plan.
Time passed slowly.
"It's been almost a whole night, and there's still no sign of him?"
"Since the middle of the night, we've lost sight of him. Damn it, he must be hiding somewhere! Where's the sensory ninja?"
"The sensory ninja found nothing…"
"Could he have escaped the encirclement?"
"That's impossible. We have a large number of ninjas on the perimeter. There's no way he could have slipped through our defense line unnoticed."
"Although he's young, his chakra reserves are substantial. Every time we find something, it's just a shadow clone! We can't keep this up."
A group of Sand Ninja Jonin sat in a circle, discussing the operation. Seven or eight of them were present, along with their subordinates. Despite their numbers, the vast border made it difficult to locate Toshiro.
Toshiro had managed to evade them until late at night by using shadow clones to create distractions. These clones, carrying all his explosive tags and shurikens, made noise to draw the Sand Ninjas' attention away from his real location.
"Could he have infiltrated our ranks?"
Some of the Sand Ninjas were smart enough to consider this possibility.
"Not likely! We're all Jonin. Simple transformation techniques wouldn't fool us."
Another Jonin quickly rebutted. They were Jonin, and they weren't susceptible to simple tricks.
"We can't completely dismiss this possibility. He's an Uchiha, and his illusion skills are quite advanced."
Pakura, who had been silent, finally spoke up. She believed that, given the enemy's cunning, it was likely he had infiltrated their ranks. Otherwise, they wouldn't have found anything for so long.
The room fell silent. The reputation of the Uchiha clan was well known. Despite his young age, the enemy's Sharingan was a three-tomoe. Those who had encountered his shadow clones could attest to his powerful illusions.
"Let's split into two groups. One will continue searching for him, and the other will screen our own people," someone suggested. The Jonin quickly agreed to this compromise.
"Agreed!"
"Agreed!"
The Jonin began allocating manpower. Pakura, the Jonin who had objected earlier, and a Jonin puppet master formed a special investigation team. Their task was to check if the enemy had infiltrated their ranks.
"Everyone, gather your subordinates first and start with them. Then, expand the search outward."
With their plan set, the Sand Ninjas moved swiftly to execute it.
AN: Check out my P@treon for extra chapters starting at 3$.
Currently, I have published nearly 50 extra chapters. The storyline is at the stage where the Third Shinobi World War has nearly ended.
www.p@treon.com/noviceauthor777
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