chapter 43: Escape

Between two massive rocks, Bai Shi stood atop the wooden dragon, gazing down at the defenseless Huang Tu. He turned his head to narrowly evade an incoming kunai, and a smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

Worrying that his information had been leaked, he assessed the situation and realized he had been overthinking. If that were the case, things would be much simpler.

When the kunai flew into the blind spot of Huang Tu's vision, Bai Shi quietly activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, and in an instant, his figure vanished from the spot.

Seeing this, Huang Tu was taken aback. Before he could process what had happened, he heard Mitsui's anxious shout: "Captain, be careful!"

Along with the warning came an overwhelming sense of impending doom and the familiar chakra of Bai Shi, now positioned behind him.

'Danger! You're going to die!'

Huang Tu's heart raced at the thought of imminent death. Faced with this life-or-death crisis, he no longer cared about maintaining his ninjutsu. Instead, he rolled to the side, attempting to evade the lethal presence behind him.

In Bai Shi's eyes, however, all of this unfolded in slow motion. When he appeared in the opponent's blind spot, the outcome was already decided.

A wooden spike erupted from Bai Shi's hand, piercing directly toward Huang Tu's heart.

Just as the wooden spike was about to strike, a kunai shot toward Bai Shi's temple from the side.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye, Bai Shi recognized the one who had thrown the kunai as Mitsui, the perceptive ninja who had warned Huang Tu earlier.

"Perceptive ninja?" Bai Shi thought, instantly discerning the kind of threat he posed. Only a perceptive ninja could issue a warning and initiate an attack in the moment he teleported.

Observing the kunai aimed at his vital point, Bai Shi sneered inwardly: "You think you can attack me to save your captain, huh? Hehe~"

With a slight tilt of his head backward, Bai Shi avoided a fatal strike, though the kunai grazed his forehead, leaving a deep gash.

Huang Tu, who had been half-squatting on the ground, suddenly felt a sharp pain as the wooden spike from Bai Shi pierced through his back.

While Mitsui's kunai had indeed distracted Bai Shi, preventing him from accurately striking Huang Tu's back, the injury was still grievous.

"Wood Release: Grafting Technique!" Bai Shi commanded, channeling chakra without the need for hand seals to execute this cruel ninjutsu.

The wooden thorn embedded in Huang Tu's body grew wildly, splitting into countless branches. In an instant, these branches burst through his skin, completely piercing his body from within.

If the initial injury from the wooden spike could have been treated, this new injury required no such intervention.

"Team leader!"

"Loess!"

The cries of the Rock Ninjas echoed in horror as they witnessed the gruesome scene, feeling a chill wash over them.

Everything transpired within a heartbeat. By the time they comprehended what had happened, Huang Tu was already lifeless. How could they not be terrified?

However, despite their fear, the Rock Ninjas surged forward to attack Bai Shi.

With the Rock Ninjas rushing at him with wild eyes, Bai Shi showed no mercy. He hurled several kunai, deftly avoiding their attacks while eliminating several of them in the process.

Witnessing Bai Shi's brutal assault, the Iwagakure ninjas, who had been near the brink of fury, regained their senses and finally organized a coherent counterattack.

Unfortunately, with Wood Release at his disposal, complemented by the mobility granted by the Flying Thunder God Technique and his superior physical fitness, Bai Shi was unafraid of encirclement.

In fact, the numerous Rock Ninjas provided him with more room to maneuver. In close combat, he often used his opponents as stepping stones, leaving the Flying Thunder God mark on them.

Initially, the Rock Ninjas noticed nothing unusual. However, as Bai Shi struck down several of their comrades, they finally caught on.

This realization did not reverse their fortunes; instead, it bred suspicion among the Iwagakure forces. When the enemy could appear beside a companion to stab them, how could trust exist?

Such doubt could not be alleviated with mere reassurances.

Thanks to Bai Shi's deliberate manipulation, the battle quickly devolved into chaos. No one knew whose side had marks placed on them, forcing everyone to maintain their distance.

The prospect of winning a battle where trust among allies was absent seemed bleak.

They persisted instead of retreating only because they still had a teammate who could slightly restrain Bai Shi.

---

Observing the Iwagakure ninjas around him, who were now on high alert against one another, Bai Shi smiled with satisfaction. He activated the Flying Thunder God Technique once more, vanishing in an instant.

As he disappeared, the heart rates of the surrounding Iwagakure Ninjas instinctively quickened.

"Shuichi!" Mitsui suddenly called out.

At that same moment, Bai Shi reappeared behind an Iwagakure ninja, but as he prepared to strike, dozens of shurikens came flying toward him.

Clearly, Mitsui was not only warning his teammate Shuichi but also indicating Bai Shi's direction to the others.

As an exceptional perceptive ninja, Mitsui always pinpointed Bai Shi's location immediately.

However, that was where his insight met its limits.

"That's it!" Bai Shi muttered to himself, ignoring the incoming shurikens and the ninja beside Shuichi. He activated the Flying Thunder God Technique again.

Instantly, he materialized beside an Iwagakure ninja named Kanhara Xiangyang, who was near Mitsui.

Seeing Bai Shi so close, Mitsui's heart dropped. He called out Kanhara Xiangyang's name and instinctively dodged to the side.

What Mitsui failed to notice was a kunai belonging to Bai Shi lodged in the ground ahead.

In the next heartbeat, Bai Shi's figure flashed again, appearing right in front of Mitsui.

The kunai in his hand hurtled toward Mitsui's throat, striking true. Blood gushed forth as Mitsui crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

His fall shattered whatever courage the remaining Iwagakure ninjas had to continue the fight.

With apprehensive glances exchanged among them, the Iwagakure ninjas hastily retreated in all directions.

Seeing this, Bai Shi let out a sigh of relief.

Though he had appeared composed during the battle, he was actually treading a fine line. The continuous use of the Flying Thunder God Technique had heavily drained his mental resources.

After all, maintaining awareness of the chaotic battlefield, analyzing the enemies' intentions, and selecting the right moments to strike were no trivial tasks.

Additionally, his combat experience remained limited. If it weren't for the powerful Flying Thunder God Technique, he might not have endured the assault from dozens of elite Rock Ninjas.

Inspecting the injuries on his body, Bai Shi thought little of them. With Level IV Self-Healing, these wounds were inconsequential. They would heal shortly, leaving no scars behind.

Standing in place, Bai Shi focused on the marks he had left behind, which were now steadily growing more distant. After some deliberation, he decided not to pursue further.

The Flying Thunder God Technique was not easily dispelled, and even if the Iwagakure ninjas escaped back to their village, Bai Shi was confident he could track them down later.

Moreover, keeping these Rock Ninjas around might one day prove useful; there was no need to eliminate them all.

With that in mind, Bai Shi turned his attention away from the fleeing Iwagakure and began to clean up the battlefield.

Without an organization to provide logistical support, he would need to fend for himself.

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