Chapter 24: Kitsuchi!

Kai's words were brimming with arrogance, fully aware that his statement was meant to boost morale and intimidate the enemy.

The Iwa-nin who died at Kai's hands was indeed strong, but even powerful ninjas fear sneak attacks.

Even someone as formidable as Uchiha Madara had been caught off guard before, let alone this unknown Iwa-nin.

Kai had mastered the Body Flicker Technique exceptionally well. Coupled with the fact that Kakashi had already distracted the Iwa-nin and several Konoha ninjas suddenly appeared, breaking his concentration, it allowed Kai to strike him down in one move.

However, now that the enemy was prepared, things would be much more challenging for Kai and his team.

But Kai wasn't too worried. He had the Mangekyou Sharingan and the ability to summon Minato, two powerful trump cards.

Although summoning Minato was a last resort, Kai believed that Minato would appear if he truly needed him.

As for what constituted a critical moment, that was up to Kai's judgment.

"As long as I use my power wisely, I can always summon Minato in the worst-case scenario. I don't believe we can't deal with these guys!"

Kai thought to himself as the Iwa-nin began their attack.

Facing the oncoming Iwa-nin, Kai showed no fear. He quickly pulled out several shurikens from his ninja pouch and threw them with precision.

The Iwa-nin seemed somewhat foolish, running straight into the shuriken. The next second, the shuriken hit their target, but Kai immediately leaped into the air.

The Iwa-nin had already used the Earth Clone Technique, a fact that hadn't escaped Kai's Sharingan.

When the shuriken struck the Iwa-nin, he turned into a pile of mud, but suddenly, the ground beneath Kai turned into a swamp!

"Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld," Kai recognized the technique immediately. It wasn't the first time he'd encountered it.

The ninja who performed the jutsu seemed quite skilled. As Kai soared through the air, he formed seals, and a mud dragon leaped from the swamp!

Kai frowned but didn't worry. He quickly infused chakra into his Sharingan, analyzing the entire attack sequence.

With a simple mid-air maneuver, Kai easily dodged the mud dragon, using its back to launch himself out of the jutsu's range.

The entire move was as graceful as a dragon leaping from water, making the massive mud dragon merely a prop for his elegant display.

While Kai effortlessly avoided the attacks, Aya and the others were much more disheveled, having to roll and crawl to evade the jutsu, ending up covered in dirt and water.

The Iwa-nin who performed the jutsu noticed Kai's unaffected state but wasn't overly concerned.

Facing an Uchiha ninja alone was always like this. Their ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu could all be seen through.

Even if the opponent was a Chunin or a highly skilled young ninja, no one dared underestimate them unless they had superior speed, strong genjutsu resistance, or a decisive jutsu.

Clearly, this Iwa-nin didn't believe his speed could outmatch this boy, and simple Earth Release techniques seemed ineffective. He would have to go all out.

This realization made the Iwa-nin wary of Kai but also sparked his interest.

"Who are you?" the Iwa-nin asked. "Why haven't I heard of someone like you? Just joined the battlefield?"

"No, I've been here for a while," Kai replied, willing to chat while recovering some chakra. "And who are you?"

"You don't know me?" the Iwa-nin chuckled. "Well, let me introduce myself properly, so you know who's killing you."

His gaze turned dangerously intense, and Kai saw through his Sharingan that the man's chakra was overwhelmingly powerful.

Who is this guy?

Kai cursed inwardly. Could this bastard be the Tsuchikage in disguise? No, that can't be right.

Realization dawned on Kai. This Iwa-nin wasn't the Tsuchikage, but he seemed familiar.

"My name is—" the Iwa-nin suddenly exploded with incredible speed, throwing a punch at Kai. "Kitsuchi!"

"Damn!" Kai confirmed his suspicion.

This guy was indeed Kitsuchi, the son of Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage. Onoki was an ancient figure who survived from the First Shinobi War to the Fourth.

Kitsuchi was no less resilient, being around forty during the Fourth War, making him about twenty or thirty now—matching this man.

Dodging swiftly, Kai evaded Kitsuchi's punch, which shattered the ground where he had been standing.

If Kai had been slower, he would have been finished. But Kitsuchi didn't relent, sticking close to continue his assault, indifferent to his chakra consumption, clearly intending to wear Kai out.

This strategy was a nightmare for Kai, whose chakra reserves couldn't match Kitsuchi's, nor did he have the time to waste.

As his shadow clones were being dispelled, Kai realized the other Iwa-nin must be catching on.

Using the summoning technique to confirm, they could soon figure out the real breakout point.

By then, even summoning Minato might not help.

Kai's hand subtly reached for the special kunai.

Just then, the sound of a thousand birds chirping echoed behind Kai.

(Chapter end)