Chapter 15

Although Kaito was truly amazed at the whimsical nature of fate, encountering Raiga in such a situation, he never forgot what was most important to him. He also never forgot how a ninja should act.

Ambushing was the most fundamental skill of a ninja. Kaito had no interest in engaging in lengthy conversations or posturing with his enemies. If he had to speak, it was only to divert their attention, seizing the opportunity to strike. He was highly skilled in this line of work.

However, Kaito's approach didn't guarantee success every time, especially against an experienced and battle-hardened ninja like Raiga.

Clang!

The crisp sound of metal collision resonated in an instant. Raiga's reaction was extremely swift. In the blink of an eye, he drew the ninja swords from behind him and swiftly blocked Kaito's kunai!

Immediately, Raiga launched a counterattack. The twin swords in his hands moved with extraordinary agility, emitting a whistling sound as they swung in a peculiar pattern.

In his relentless onslaught, Kaito found himself momentarily on the defensive. He realized that Raiga was more intriguing than he had imagined.

Raiga's swordsmanship was formidable, and his speed was remarkable. Most importantly, he consistently avoided direct eye contact with Kaito's Sharingan.

Just imagine, maintaining such formidable attack intensity while avoiding eye contact to evade genjutsu. This clearly demonstrated Raiga's prowess.

"However, he is still affected. He's thinking about creating distance," Kaito observed.

Although Kaito was suppressed, he could still relatively easily evade the series of attacks with his Sharingan.

Moreover, Kaito could clearly sense that Raiga's rhythm in his attacks had some issues. These issues made Raiga appear fierce, but the actual effectiveness was quite ordinary.

In this situation, Raiga naturally didn't want to engage in close combat with Kaito. By creating distance, he could utilize various jutsu at his disposal.

Whether it was his weapon-specific jutsu or the Mist Shadow Jutsu that countered the Sharingan!

As expected, amidst the fierce clashes of their weapons once again, Raiga decisively seized the opportunity while Kaito evaded and swiftly created distance between them.

Although his expression appeared somewhat solemn, his tone was filled with a mocking undertone: "Do you think you're qualified to take my life? Even though I defected from Kirigakure, it doesn't mean you can easily control me!"

"Indeed, Raiga, your swordsmanship is undoubtedly formidable." Kaito steadied himself and gazed at Raiga with a smile. "Whether I am qualified or not will be determined in battle. And as a rogue ninja, didn't Raiga anticipate this day would come?"

"As a rogue ninja, of course, I knew the fate that awaited me. However, I never expected it would be a shinobi from Konoha who would come for me."

In that moment, Raiga suddenly burst into laughter while simultaneously swiftly forming hand seals.

"But I'm in luck, aren't I? Even though I don't know where your teammate is, currently it's just you, and an Uchiha at that. Haven't your elders taught you that an Uchiha shinobi should be cautious when facing a Mist ninja?"

As he spoke, Raiga's jutsu had already been prepared. Chakra surged within him, and in an instant, mist enveloped the surroundings.

Clearly, it was the Misty Shadow Technique. Faced with the threat of the Sharingan, Raiga didn't hesitate to unleash this jutsu.

"I admit, the Misty Shadow Technique does have a certain restraining effect on the Sharingan, especially when you inject such a large amount of chakra."

Kaito witnessed this scene without a trace of panic, instead revealing a faint smile. This smile made Raiga feel somewhat uneasy.

However, Kaito didn't give Raiga any chance to react. Chakra burst forth from his body, and he began to float in the air.

"So, let me ask you a question. How large of an area can your Misty Shadow Technique cover?"

As he spoke, Kaito flew directly into the sky. He stood high above, looking down on Raiga with a disdainful expression on his face.

The range that the Misty Shadow Technique can cover depends on the amount of chakra he puts into it. However, as a shinobi, it's impossible to easily gamble with a large amount of chakra just to trap a single enemy, unless one has absolute certainty.

Raiga was a normal shinobi, and he wouldn't do such a thing. Moreover, he was now incredibly frustrated because he never expected that this Uchiha would be able to fly!

"Flight ninjutsu, huh? What a hassle."

Raiga cursed inwardly, but he didn't immediately dispel the Misty Shadow Technique. He wanted to see how long Kaito could sustain his flight and at what height he could reach.

If Kaito couldn't fly for long or couldn't reach a high altitude, then Raiga could use that to his advantage or escape.

However, Kaito didn't give him any time for testing or planning. Without any hesitation, Kaito formed hand seals in mid-air, ignoring Raiga's presence and polite demeanor.

Chakra surged vigorously within Kaito's body, and suddenly, the air around him became scorching hot.

"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!"

Accompanied by a roaring sound that reached the sky, a colossal fire dragon erupted from Kaito's mouth. The dragon coiled in the air before fiercely diving towards the ground.

Seeing this scene, Raiga's expression slightly changed, and he immediately turned around to evade the massive fire dragon. At the same time, he increased the density of the mist.

He painfully realized that if he didn't do this, that damn Uchiha would lock onto him from the sky and relentlessly bombard him with ninjutsu.

"Boom!"

The roaring flame dragon collided with the ground, creating an enormous explosion that reverberated across the plains. The white mist was tinged with the glow of fire, taking on an orange hue in that moment.

In that moment, Raiga appeared somewhat disheveled. Although the raging flames hadn't directly touched him, he could feel the intense heat. The power of that fire dragon was no joke.

"Damn guy, can flying ninjutsu and fire release be combined like this?"

Raiga cursed inwardly, then looked up towards the sky through the dense mist. However, his expression became incredibly grim at that moment.

He painfully realized that his attempt to hide within the thick fog had been utterly useless. That cursed Uchiha didn't pay any attention to the mist at all.

He saw the Uchiha gathering chakra once again, and then rapidly forming hand seals.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"

Flames resembling phoenix flower seeds burst forth from the mouth of Kaito, spreading in all directions and directly engulfing the thick mist.

Under the control of his chakra, these flames had an incredibly wide coverage, unabashedly enveloping the entire range of the Mist Concealment Technique!

Before mastering the Dance of the Sky, Kaito primarily understood the value and purpose of Fire Release as a tactical support.

However, with the Dance of the Sky at his disposal, Kaito expanded the potential of Fire Release even further. He could now execute carpet-bombing attacks without restraint!

As a time-traveler, Kaito was well aware of the significance of air superiority...