Chapter 171 - Stone Eye

Effortlessly blocking the enemy's attack, Tōshirō wasn't in a hurry at all. Just as the Rock Shinobi Jounin named Gangshan mused at the beginning, what Tōshirō needed to do now was simply wait for his comrades to eliminate the Chūnin who barely escaped his grasp. After that, whether it was his current opponent or the hidden Rock Shinobi Jounin, they would all be on the chopping board. Escape was the only option left.

A beast that has lost its fangs, no matter how strong it once was, would meet a tragic end when surrounded by hunters. Neither party in the battle noticed the round dark brown stone lying quietly on the grass. Slightly larger than a normal adult's eyeball, it observed the battlefield through the concealing grass. This was a reconnaissance-type jutsu executed by the underground Gangshan Jounin, similar in principle to the original "Sand Eye."

To avoid detection by the Sharingan, it stayed hidden. "This is trouble," Gangshan Jounin muttered after assessing the situation, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot. Hidden underground, with no light around, his expression was invisible. His words stemmed from the current state of the battlefield. Though he reacted quickly to the attack, he could only fend off part of the second wave, protecting himself and a few nearby comrades during the initial swift fireball assault.

During the third wave, he could only hide underground to ensure his own safety. The enemy's attack was not only continuous but also intensely targeted. He, the leading Jounin, faced the brunt of the assault. If not for his timely reaction, things could have been much worse. Their fate was almost sealed from the moment the ambush began, unless he was willing to sacrifice his life to block the attacks at all costs.

They were trapped in a passive position. While their three Special Jounin survived, they were all injured to varying degrees. One was a sensory ninja, equating to an elite Chūnin in real combat. The attackers and another Sharingan user held off their two high-end fighters, while another pair of Sharingan eyes monitored the situation, preventing sneak attacks.

Gangshan had no confidence in killing a Sharingan user quickly, regardless of their young age. Their Chūnin forces were severely outnumbered, with only six Chūnin compared to nearly four full squads of the enemy. Each of them had to face two opponents, rendering endurance unsustainable. To complicate things, many of them were already injured.

The "Stone Eye" turned to the initial attacker, closely monitoring his every move. "The breakthrough must come from here," he concluded.

Clang! Blocking another sweeping strike from an enemy's stone club, Tōshirō felt a numbness in his right arm and internally winced. His opponent's reckless fighting style was frustrating. After revealing himself, the enemy created a nearly two-meter-long, egg-sized dark stone club from the ground and launched a furious assault. Judging by its size, the weapon was heavy, causing the air to howl with each swing.

The sounds it made when clashing with his sword seemed more like those of an iron bar than a stone club. Every attack was forceful and unrestrained, forcing Tōshirō to constantly defend. His opponent used the long weapon to keep him at a disadvantage, and when evasion was impossible, Tōshirō could keenly feel a relentless killing intent from the enemy.

The opponent's approach allowed no respite, taking extreme caution to avoid eye contact. Thinking that merely avoiding the Sharingan was a safeguard? Slightly gathering his energy, Tōshirō decided not to stall any longer.

"Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique!" As the opponent was pushed back, Tōshirō formed a hand sign with his left hand, casting a Genjutsu that was not exclusive to the Sharingan. As the grandson of Uchiha Jūritsu and a reincarnator, his mental energy was exceptional. It would be a waste to focus solely on Sharingan Genjutsu.

"Pheasant!" Upon Tōshirō completing the hand signs, the short but sturdy Rock Shinobi lost his composure, shouting out. He gripped his stone club tightly and swung it at the surrounding air, ignoring his enemy.

"How could Pheasant be here? Didn't she already get..." The Rock Shinobi looked at his surrounded comrades, his confusion mingling with despair. He remembered Pheasant had fallen to Konoha ninjas not long ago.

"How could this be?!" As a Rock Shinobi elite, realization dawned quickly; he knew he was caught in a Genjutsu. "Release!" Without delaying, he formed a hand sign and disrupted his chakra flow to break the illusion. While he was glad to see Pheasant's image again, he knew he was in the midst of a battle. He pinned his hopes on avenging Pheasant, to quell the regrets in his heart.