Chapter 174: Earth Stone Dragons

"This is truly violent!"

Looking back, Toshirou couldn't help but sweat on his forehead and feel his throat dry as he saw the menacing stone dragon charging towards him. It seemed that this Iwa shinobi really held a grudge against him. Every attack was lethal, leaving him no room for luck.

"Just perfect timing!"

He had just turned his head and had not gone far when he couldn't help but lament his bad luck. Just like running into a downpour while the roof was leaking, there stood a stout figure right in his escape route. With his right arm half-bare and holding a weighty blackish-brown stone club, this man was awaiting him with narrowed eyes.

Thanks to that Jounin of Iwa!

The opponent had already broken out of Toshirou's recent Genjutsu and was powering up, ready to launch another attack at him. It was a classic case of waiting for the rabbit by the tree stump. Along with the two stone dragons forming an angle, Toshirou was completely trapped.

If he made one wrong move, he might meet his end here!

Faced with this perilous situation, the fleeing Toshirou could only grit his teeth and take a risk. Forming a seal with one hand, seven or eight duplicates of Toshirou appeared around him, hiding his true body among them. They began to break out from three directions: left, right, and above. Simultaneously, he threw a handful of shurikens to distract his opponent, hoping this would make the Jounin unable to identify the real one among the duplicates.

Indeed, what he had just used was the Clone Technique from the ninja academy's Three Basic Techniques—mere illusions created by chakra. A Jounin could easily see through this, so the added shuriken attack was necessary for better effect.

In this desperate situation, with his legs feeling weak, he couldn't use his full strength. So this was his only option—to try and fool the opponent.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sure enough, the shurikens were easily deflected by the opponent's stone club, looking as effortless as swatting flies. Fortunately, this distraction made it too late for the opponent to carefully identify the real one, allowing Toshirou to slip past him, leaving only two clones that were dispersed into smoke.

Toshirou's maneuver was effective. Indeed, the basic techniques taught at the ninja academy, like the Clone Technique, are simple and practical, requiring minimal time and chakra to perform. Even in critical situations, they proved their worth.

Yet, just as Toshirou breathed a sigh of relief for his narrow escape, his face changed dramatically. He had not run more than ten meters when he stopped fleeing.

"Damn it! This Iwa Jounin is really pulling no punches. Each move is deadly, leaving me breathless!"

He wasn't willing to escape any further. In his sight, under the Sharingan, massive chakra covered all his possible escape routes. He threw a shuriken to test it out, which quickly sank into the ground without a trace. No wonder the Jounin showed no frustration over his escape—it was all part of the plan.

Now, Toshirou realized that a large semicircular area ahead had been tampered with by the hidden Jounin in the ground. Judging by the shuriken's disappearance, it was a high-level Earth Release technique.

Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld

This technique could transform a large area of land into a death trap. Despite appearing normal, the soil was softened like a swamp, trapping any intruder. Enhanced with additional binding capabilities, it could ensnare enemies, causing them to struggle futilely until they eventually suffocate and die.

Had it not been for Toshirou's Sharingan detecting the abnormal chakra beforehand, he might have stepped into the trap, leading to a dire outcome.

"What a close call!"

Toshirou wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, realizing how cunning these veterans could be. Battling such foes, a single careless move could mean certain death.

Now, the situation was dire. Trapped behind by a pursuing Jounin and two charging stone dragons, it was clear his opponent had no intention of negotiations. After killing many of his comrades, there was no room for words between them—only a fight to the death!