บท 48: Chapter 46: Escape

Chapter 46: Escape (Part 1)

A week later.

Land of Waterfalls.

In the dead of night, Baishi stood on a tree branch, surveying the surrounding forest as the oppressive spiritual pressure from the Four Beast Suppression Formation weighed heavily on him.

At a loss for an immediate escape plan, he remained alert, scanning for opportunities.

Elephant, one of Konoha's Anbu, broke the silence. "Iwagakure came prepared. This isn't a place to linger."

Baishi didn't respond, waiting instead for Elephant to continue.

"Jia," Elephant said, using Baishi's codename. "We'll cover for you. Find a way to escape when you get the chance."

With that, Elephant pulled out a scarlet talisman from his cloak. Baishi recognized it instantly—it was a tracking talisman infused with his blood, used by Root during their hunt for him.

Poof!

A small flame ignited in Elephant's hand, reducing the talisman to ash.

It was clear Elephant had resolved himself to sacrifice everything.

However, Baishi didn't feel any gratitude. He understood all too well that Elephant's actions weren't for him but for Konoha. The last thing Konoha wanted was for someone like Baishi to fall into Iwagakure's hands.

Besides, without Elephant leading Iwagakure to him, none of this would have happened.

Baishi gave a faint nod but didn't say anything.

---

The forest was quiet, save for the faint rustling of leaves. Iwagakure's forces had surrounded them but hadn't yet launched an attack.

What are they waiting for? Baishi wondered, his instincts prickling with unease.

Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of dread washed over him, as though death itself loomed just a step away.

Without hesitation, he broke the branch beneath him, propelling himself into the air like a missile.

In the instant he vacated his position, a blinding beam of white light struck where he had just stood.

Boom!

Everything in the beam's path—trees, grass, and even the soil—was disintegrated into particles, leaving behind an eerie void.

Baishi's pupils constricted as he turned to trace the origin of the beam. In the distance, he spotted a small, elderly man floating in the air. The light emanated from between his hands.

"Ōnoki…" Baishi muttered, utterly stunned.

He had not expected the Third Tsuchikage to personally join the hunt.

Considering the ongoing Third Shinobi War, Ōnoki should have been safeguarding his village, prepared for potential assassination attempts or large-scale attacks. Yet here he was, far from Iwagakure.

Why is he here?

A moment's thought provided the answer: with both the Four-Tails and Five-Tails jinchūriki stationed in Iwagakure, Ōnoki could afford to leave. His ability to fly and his exceptional strength made him difficult to target.

Moreover, Ōnoki's mastery of the Dust Release—a technique surpassing most other kekkei genkai—made him one of the most dangerous shinobi in the world.

Dust Release combines earth, fire, and wind chakra—a "kekkei tōta." It's on a higher tier than my Wood Release, which only fuses earth and water chakra.

The only reason Wood Release seemed more formidable was because Hashirama Senju, its wielder, was leagues beyond Ōnoki in power. If you compared Ōnoki to someone like Yamato, the difference was night and day.

Baishi's thoughts raced, but there was no time to dwell.

Before he landed, the white beam shifted, sweeping toward him. Unlike the singular pinpoint attack of the Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World, this was Dust Release: Boundary Removal, a sweeping technique with greater range and destructive power.

Everything in its path—trees, rocks, and earth—was reduced to atoms.

Still in mid-air and with no foothold, Baishi appeared to be out of options. Any other ninja would have been doomed.

But Baishi had the Flying Thunder God Technique. Though the suppression of his sensory abilities prevented him from detecting distant teleportation markers, his kunai provided him with an immediate escape.

At the last possible moment, he hurled his kunai forward and activated the technique.

In a flash, he reappeared five meters away, narrowly evading the beam.

Wasting no time, Baishi threw several kunai in different directions, creating escape routes that made targeting him significantly harder.

Recognizing the futility of pursuing Baishi in this manner, Ōnoki deactivated his technique once Baishi moved out of range.

All of this had happened in mere seconds.

---

Elephant, finally catching up to the situation, appeared beside Baishi in a flash, joined by three other Konoha Anbu.

Baishi glanced at the newcomers, noting familiar details: one was a member of the Yamanaka clan, another of the Nara clan.

The third carried the scent of parasitic insects—an Aburame.

No wonder I barely noticed him earlier. He's an Aburame, Baishi thought, recognizing the clan's natural ability to remain inconspicuous.

"Execute Plan C," Elephant ordered, his voice grave.

"Yes, sir," the three Anbu replied, their tones carrying a hint of sorrow.

Plan C was a contingency for the most extreme situations, requiring the team to ensure Baishi's safety at all costs—even their lives if necessary.

Despite sensing Iwagakure's manipulations in this mission, Elephant had prioritized retrieving Baishi for Konoha. For that goal, risking everything was deemed worthwhile.

---

"Move!"

At Elephant's command, the Anbu sprang into action.

Elephant led the charge toward the approaching Iwagakure forces, with Baishi following closely. The other three Anbu flanked him, forming a protective triangle.

Before the two groups clashed, the Konoha Anbu threw a flurry of kunai, each tied with explosive tags.

An Iwagakure ninja at the front quickly halted, weaving hand signs to cast Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall. A solid barrier of earth rose from the ground, intercepting the projectiles.

However, while the wall stopped the kunai, it couldn't prevent the ensuing explosions.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A deafening series of detonations reduced the wall to rubble in mere moments.

Through the settling dust, Elephant launched his next attack: Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.

From his mouth erupted small, scattered fireballs, each homing in on the Iwagakure operatives.

Though the attack was visually striking, the Iwagakure ninja responded with practiced precision, dodging effortlessly before launching their counterattack.

The battle had begun.

(End of Chapter)