Although everyone felt that Hyuga Aokawa's circling was a sign of being at his wit's end.
They were still forced to adjust their positions accordingly; otherwise, the distance between them would only grow further.
In this way, the three people in front performing the Earth Release: Hardening Technique became completely useless.
It was impossible for them to change their formation at every single moment.
Thus, everyone in the team became a sitting duck.
"Swish!"
The sound of breaking air rang out again, but this time the Chakra Arrow didn't come from directly ahead; instead, it struck from a tricky angle on the flank.
"Ugh!"
A Ninja on the outermost edge didn't even see the incoming object before his neck was instantly pierced, warm blood splashing all over the companion beside him.
Before the group could regain their composure, the next Chakra Arrow had already whistled through the air, piercing a large man's chest and pinning him firmly to a tree trunk behind him.
Time slipped away in fear; every few breaths, that death-summoning sound of breaking air would ring out punctually.
Accompanied by it was the passing of a life.
In just a minute or two, five more people in the team had been accurately sniped and killed.
"Damn it!"
Everyone was filled with a pent-up rage that had no outlet; instead, they were being led around from a distance like clowns.
"Don't panic!" Mizutani Yūya shouted, forcing himself to stay calm. "That bastard is maintaining such a high speed; his stamina will be consumed very soon. When that happens, it will be the end of him."
Hearing this, the group felt as if they had been enlightened.
That's right.
This guy was running in circles like crazy, and the Chakra Arrows were condensed from Chakra. With those two things combined, it probably wouldn't be long before he'd have to lie there and wait for death.
However, before they could settle their minds.
Two more sounds of breaking air rang out, and two more people in the team were left permanently on this land.
"Bastard!" Inada Takuma's heart bled as he watched his subordinates being harvested like wheat.
He looked at the moving black dot in the distance, feeling both furious and a bit apprehensive.
Should they continue the pursuit?
His team of thirty, in order to catch this kid, had one run away and fourteen die.
Now the team he had worked so hard to pull together, including himself, only had fifteen people left.
But if he stopped now, the brothers who died before would have died in vain.
Damn it!
I shouldn't have been greedy.
I didn't expect my last bounty mission to run into such big trouble.
"Captain, he's almost at his limit!" Mizutani Yūya's voice suddenly rang in his ear.
He handed a Chakra Arrow he had just pulled from a companion's body to Inada Takuma's eyes:
"The thickness of the Chakra Arrow is only half of what it was; it shows he's about to lose his grip..."
Inada Takuma looked at the Chakra Arrow in his hand, which had already begun to gradually dissipate, his face filled with uncertainty.
As if to confirm Mizutani Yūya's guess, the speed of the next Chakra Arrow was much slower.
Even though it still bypassed the three people in front using the hardening technique, it was narrowly avoided by a large man in the back.
Cheers rang out from the crowd.
This was the first time since the pursuit began that they had avoided an enemy's Chakra Arrow.
For the team's morale, this was a great encouragement.
Inada Takuma's gaze instantly became firm; I don't believe that with so many of us, we can't handle just one of you.
He roared, "Everyone, put in more effort! This guy is almost finished!"
"When we catch him, I won't take a single cent of the bounty; it will all be divided equally among the brothers!"
"Kill!" With the stimulation of money, the battle cries were earth-shaking, echoing through the forest.
As time passed, the opponent's speed gradually slowed down, as if he really couldn't run anymore.
But Inada Takuma's side also paid with four more lives, including Mikami Haruna, who had been responsible for sensing.
Fortunately, the distance between the two sides finally closed to a hundred meters, and they could see each other without needing sensing.
Inada Takuma finally saw clearly the culprit who had been hunting them down.
He saw a very handsome youth in the distance, holding a huge Chakra Spirit Bow, staring at them with cold eyes.
"Kid! I'm going to tear you into ten thousand pieces!"
Inada Takuma's eyes were blood-red, his teeth clenched. Holding his Ninja Blade and pointing at Hyuga Aokawa ahead, he roared with a sinister grin, "At all costs, catch him for me!"
"Kill!"
Having chased to this distance, the group also went all out, no longer reserving their stamina, sprinting with all their might.
Running at full speed, the front three even continuously used the Body Flicker Technique, suddenly closing the distance and lunging in front of Hyuga Aokawa.
Just as they pulled out their Ninja Tools with hideous expressions, ready to capture Hyuga Aokawa...
His figure blurred for a split second.
In the next moment, like a ghost, he had already appeared dozens of meters away.
At the same time, three Chakra Arrows arrived later but struck first, accurately piercing the three Ninjas who were charging at the very front.
Inada Takuma felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, and he instantly woke up.
Movement techniques of this speed... where did he look like his strength was exhausted?
Damn it!
This dog-thing was acting for me.
He looked around; with only seven people left in the team, he calmed down in an instant.
They couldn't chase anymore. High movement speed combined with long-range shooting was invincible in this forest.
"Retreat, we're not doing this bounty anymore." Inada Takuma made a prompt decision, stopped his steps, and turned to leave.
"Captain, it's just a little bit more." Mizutani Yūya looked at the bounty that was already within reach, feeling unwilling, and tried to stop Inada Takuma.
"To hell with your 'little bit more'!" Inada Takuma was instantly filled with rage. If it weren't for this dog-thing, he would have retreated long ago.
Thinking of this, he was suddenly overcome with fury, and his pent-up rage exploded instantly.
Under Mizutani Yūya's disbelieving eyes, he stabbed a blade ruthlessly into his heart: "Go die for me!"
Pulling out the blood-stained Ninja Blade, Inada Takuma roared at his remaining six stunned subordinates: "What are you still standing there for! Retreat!"
The group felt as if they had been granted a grand pardon. Following Inada Takuma, the seven people fled down the mountain like stray dogs.
Seeing this from a distance, Hyuga Aokawa felt a bit of regret.
His last move was still a bit too ruthless; the flaw had been seen through.
He made a'safe' gesture toward the mountain peak, and then unhurriedly trailed far behind Inada Takuma's group.
Continuously using Hirenkyaku and Holy Arrow, his body needed to recover a little.
He also had to prevent the enemy from becoming desperate... on the mountain peak.
Hyuga Fū didn't wake up from his daze until he saw Hyuga Aokawa's gesture.
One person against thirty, among whom there was even a Jonin.
He had forcefully transformed himself from prey into a hunter, killing thirty people until only seven stray dogs remained.
This kind of terrifying hunting ability.
Thinking about how he had just wanted to lead the enemies away, he couldn't help but find it a bit funny.
Fortunately, Aokawa had stopped him in time.
Otherwise, besides becoming a burden that would affect his performance, he wouldn't have been of much use.
His son's strength improvement was becoming more and more exaggerated.
It seemed he really should stay at home in the future and try not to come out to make his son worry.
This family no longer needed him to work so desperately.
He shook his head, suppressed these thoughts for the time being, and turned to the oblivious Kurenai Yuhi beside him: "Kurenai, let's go down and meet up."
On the other side, Inada Takuma was leading his only six remaining subordinates, frantically fleeing down the mountain along the path they came.
Having lost their sensing Ninja, they were like headless flies, only able to flee by relying on memory and survival instinct.
Their eyes, however, couldn't help but frequently glance back, for fear that the life-taking Chakra Arrow would whistle through the air again.
Just then, on the road ahead of them, leaves all over the sky began to spin and dance without any warning, making a soft rustling sound.
And then they slowly began to condense...
more chapter available in p@tréøñ(Atoki_29)