"If we keep going like this, we will be caught sooner or later," Kiyoshi said slowly. "I know Wind Style ninjutsu; I have a way to escape."
Kiyoshi explained this to Kurenai Yuhi. Sacrificing his life for righteousness was far too noble a concept for someone like him. He said it only because he already had a method to flee. By skillfully applying Fire Style and Wind Style, combined with a bit of science, he could achieve a miraculous effect.
Since he had no worries about his own safety, Kiyoshi had to consider how to increase his strength. After this incident, war would break out within a month... no, within half a month, or perhaps even sooner. Therefore, Kiyoshi intended to make one last big profit. He planned to use these Sand ninjas to hone his skills and elevate his ocular power—squeezing out every last drop of value.
"Kiyoshi, you..."
Asuma Sarutobi, tucked under Kiyoshi's arm, was also touched by Kiyoshi's noble spirit and self-sacrifice. For a moment, he was speechless. Asking himself honestly, he knew he couldn't have chosen to stay behind to cover the rear without a moment's hesitation as Kiyoshi had.
"Fine," Tsunade nodded gravely. "I will summon a Katsuyu for you."
"No need," Kiyoshi quickly declined. If Katsuyu saw what he was about to do next, wouldn't his reputation suffer?
Seeing Kiyoshi refuse, Tsunade said no more. Her bright red lips opened once again. "Once you reach the border of the Land of Fire, you'll be safe. There are ninjas from the village stationed there."
"I understand."
Kiyoshi set Asuma and Kurenai down and popped a Food Pill into his mouth. He then charged in the opposite direction—straight toward the Hidden Sand troops!
"Someone turned back!"
"It's the Uchiha ninja!"
The Sand ninjas at the rear spotted Kiyoshi's movement and began to analyze the situation. Tsunade's monstrous strength was too absolute; she punched away anyone who came near. The powerful ninjas in the village were mostly puppet masters who couldn't keep up with her speed, and those who could keep up found her difficult to fight.
Thus, they had opted for a war of attrition, chasing persistently and releasing harassing Wind Style jutsu from the rear. It was impossible to run out of this vast desert with just a single day's journey. Now that someone had stayed behind to cover the rear, it must mean their stamina was failing.
"Everyone, hold on! Our mission is almost complete!" Pakura shouted, boosting morale. Sure enough, the Sand's morale surged, and even their pace quickened.
*Whoosh...*
The sound of the wind whipping up yellow sand blew past Kiyoshi's face, his long black hair dancing wildly. Kiyoshi's crimson Sharingan shifted rapidly in his sockets, utilizing his peerless insight and dynamic vision to clearly identify the characteristics and numbers of the Sand ninjas in the area.
'Is Pakura the strongest here?' Kiyoshi thought to himself.
The veteran ninjas led by Chiyo were strong, but they were old and frail; their stamina had its limits, and they couldn't keep up. The ones who could catch up were these young, energetic ninjas. Additionally, Fujūro, who was strong in taijutsu, had already left to search for traces of Sasori. For the Sand, as long as they could find the Third Kazekage, it didn't really matter whether they stopped Kiyoshi's group from leaving. Therefore, most of the main force wasn't here, and reinforcements would take time to arrive.
"Well then, let's start with the first one."
Kiyoshi held his sword in his right hand and gripped eight shuriken in his left, throwing them out.
*Hiss!*
The shuriken were faintly coated in a layer of whirlwind invisible to the naked eye; only the whistling sound of them breaking the air could be heard.
*Clang!*
On the spot, three Sand ninjas were caught off guard as the whirlwinds slashed their throats. Hot blood gushed out, and they made a wheezing sound like broken bellows. The other Sand ninjas' pupils shrank as they realized the projectiles were infused with Wind Style chakra! At such close range, they could only spew Wind Style jutsu from their mouths. A gust of wind knocked Kiyoshi's shuriken out of alignment.
Seeing their expressions of self-congratulation at having solved the problem, Kiyoshi couldn't help but smile. [Wind Style: Chakra Blade Film] was never restricted to swords; as long as chakra control was high enough, these shape transformations were no problem at all.
In an instant, Kiyoshi's fingers moved with exquisite precision. In the air, specialized rubber cords reflected light, nearly invisible. These cords had a longer range than most ninjutsu—over fifty meters long—and were usually kept in Kiyoshi's sealing scrolls.
Pakura's eyes widened. "Watch out!"
Unfortunately, the shuriken that had been knocked aside suddenly swerved, stabbing into the backs of the Sand ninjas. Kiyoshi continued to throw more shuriken, using the Manipulated Shuriken Technique to harvest the Sand ninjas. Before the two sides had even fully clashed, Kiyoshi had already killed dozens of ninjas! His movements grew increasingly proficient, efficiently using the shuriken to slit the throats of the Sand ninjas.
Even a Kage-level expert would die if struck in the vitals by a shuriken. In the original story, that was exactly how Pakura had died.
"!"
Bloodshot veins nearly burst from Pakura's eyes. Kiyoshi was recklessly slaughtering her comrades! She stared fixedly at him. Several fireballs of staggering heat were already swirling in her palms; if someone touched them, the moisture in their body would be sucked dry in an instant, turning them into a dried corpse.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Kiyoshi stopped his dash and spat out a massive fireball. Immediately, the Sand ninjas stopped as well, with several people simultaneously spewing fierce winds from their mouths.
Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!
The yellow sand, tinged with the scent of blood, flew up at this moment, intertwining with the orange flames. The distant Kurenai cast a worried glance back. She could only see Kiyoshi's tall figure rushing into that cloud of yellow sand. Then came the sounds of slaughter, the clashing of blades, and the occasional screams of agony.
"Keep moving. Once we reach the border, we can call for reinforcements," Tsunade frowned and glanced back. From her observations of Kiyoshi, she knew he wasn't the type to show off arrogantly. Now, she could only hope he would return safely. At this moment, delivering intelligence and ensuring the survival of as many as possible was what a ninja should do—and she couldn't stand the sight of blood. Once she saw it, her hemophobia would kick in.
Time passed bit by bit.
Faint arcs of electricity flickered at the soles of Kiyoshi's feet. The afterimages left by the Body Flicker Technique had not yet dissipated before his burning blade pierced the throats of two more Sand ninjas. Before the blood could hit the ground, it was evaporated into a crimson mist by the high heat. He flicked his sword hilt to push away the corpses, his two-tomoe Sharingan shining terrifyingly in the dust.
With every action, his flaming katana claimed another life. Ninjas who did not train in taijutsu were essentially as fragile as mages. As long as one was fast enough, they could be killed before they even had time to weave hand signs! The remaining Sand ninjas trembled, their faces filled with fear. It was only their honor as ninjas that prevented them from fleeing immediately.
"Aaargh!"
One Sand ninja summoned his courage and tried to launch an attack on Kiyoshi. While clashing with Pakura, Kiyoshi gave the man a cold glare, and invisible ocular power radiated outward. The Sand ninja's body stiffened, and he was cut down by Kiyoshi's free hand, collapsing to the ground in convulsions.
Pakura's expression grew uglier by the second as she fought Kiyoshi with a kunai in hand.
***
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