Chapter 26 Completed (Seeking monthly ticket)
AI Model: gemini-2.0-flash
After seeing Uchiha Namiichi leave, Xuan Yi's gaze fell upon the corpses on the ground, and he replayed the battle in his mind.
There were no mistakes in his performance.
If there hadn't been any Jonin present, it would have been perfect.
"Even with my vision stripped away, I couldn't kill a Jonin."
"But Sakumo Hatake only used two strikes."
"The gap is too vast, and it's not just a difference in Chakra."
Xuan Yi couldn't help but ask himself, "Is my current Chakra insufficient to support me becoming a Jonin?"
Not necessarily!
His Swordsmanship wasn't refined enough.
If he had the superb Swordsmanship of Sakumo Hatake, combined with Darkness Genjutsu, he would be able to hold his own among Jonin.
However, achieving Sakumo Hatake's level of Swordsmanship was not easy.
"It's even hard for me to do, after all, Water Release nature transformation doesn't seem very suitable for Swordsmanship…"
Suddenly, Xuan Yi raised an eyebrow: "It might not be."
Sakumo Hatake took the path of high attack and high speed; perhaps he could take the path of heavy blade?
The Hozuki Clan had secret techniques that used Water Release to enhance strength.
Xuan Yi pondered deeply, then couldn't help but sigh.
The road ahead was difficult!
"Let's talk about the heavy blade path later; Blade Drawing still needs to be grinded, and there's also improving speed. I don't have Lightning Release, so even if I train, it'll be hard to achieve results. It's better to place my hopes on the Nine Syllable Mantra Hand Seals."
"Nine Syllable Mantra Hand Seals, perhaps this is my way out…"
Xuan Yi mused to himself.
Rumble!
A roar suddenly came from afar.
Xuan Yi looked up, and flames soared into the sky.
Uchiha Namiichi had made his move.
Xuan Yi focused and prepared.
Five minutes, at most five minutes. If Uchiha Namiichi didn't come, he would go check.
Fortunately, after only about three minutes, Xuan Yi saw Uchiha Namiichi leap over.
He was injured!
Xuan Yi saw Uchiha Namiichi's left hand hanging limply.
"You go first!"
Xuan Yi yelled, forming hand seals.
Water Release: Water Surge!
Uchiha Namiichi didn't speak, sweeping past Xuan Yi.
After he left, the water of the entire Lake surged, then swept towards the pursuers like an overwhelming tide.
These pursuers included Ninja and Samurai.
However, facing Xuan Yi's momentum of draining the entire Lake, they had no choice but to retreat.
But Xuan Yi did not immediately retreat. Instead, he stepped on the giant waves, moving forward with the surging water.
Splat!
The water exploded, and Xuan Yi shot into the air, then drew his blade.
Under the moonlight, the blade light was like silk, and a Ninja who had just avoided the water's impact was cut in half and fell.
Clang, clang, clang~
Xuan Yi moved with the water, killing three people in a row before quickly retreating.
When the water receded, the pursuers all stopped.
They were scared!
Moreover, the Daimyo was already dead. Was there still a need to pursue?
Wasn't it more important to enthrone a new Daimyo now?
Several leaders exchanged glances, then all shouted, leading their men back.
On the other side, Xuan Yi looked back. Seeing no one pursuing him, he immediately let out a sigh of relief, then swallowed another military ration pill, gritting his teeth and speeding up to catch up with Uchiha Namiichi.
"Let's do emergency treatment first!"
Xuan Yi called Uchiha Namiichi to a halt, then skillfully bandaged him.
He had taken a blade to the arm, but the injury wasn't too severe.
After emergency treatment of the injury, the two continued to retreat, but changed direction, not following the route Sakumo Hatake had taken earlier.
This was to avoid running into returning pursuers.
However, even after taking a detour, the two still left the Land of the Daimyo before Sakumo Hatake and met up with Yamanaka En.
"Where's the captain?"
"Is the mission completed?"
Yamanaka En asked eagerly.
Uchiha Namiichi smiled: "The mission is completed. As for the captain, he should be here very soon."
"Get ready."
Yamanaka En breathed a sigh of relief, his gaze fixed on the other end of the bridge.
Yes, placing the rendezvous point here was so that they could blow up the bridge later to delay the pursuers.
Xuan Yi also didn't worry about Sakumo Hatake's safety. He reached out to untie the bandage on Uchiha Namiichi's left arm, then used Medical Ninjutsu to heal him.
Yamanaka En turned back: "How's the injury?"
Uchiha Namiichi said: "Not serious."
Xuan Yi said: "My Chakra isn't much. For now, I can only stop the bleeding and heal part of the wound, but I can't fully cure it."
Uchiha Namiichi said nonchalantly: "This small injury won't affect my combat power."
He's being stubborn!
Xuan Yi said: "Recover your Chakra as soon as possible. There might be another battle later."
Uchiha Namiichi silently took out a military ration pill and ate it.
After about five minutes, Yamanaka En exclaimed softly: "They're here!"
Xuan Yi, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and saw Sakumo Hatake sprinting towards them, with only three pursuers behind him.
Seeing Sakumo Hatake already halfway across the bridge, Yamanaka En immediately held up one hand.
Rumble!
The bridge on the other side collapsed and disintegrated, and the pursuers on it immediately retreated.
"Go!"
Sakumo Hatake's figure did not stop.
Xuan Yi and the other two immediately followed.
On the other side of the bridge, the three Sand Ninja watched Xuan Yi and the other three leave, not pursuing them further.
Their expressions were all very grim, though.
When Sakumo Hatake's Shadow Clone was exposed, they realized something was wrong.
But it was already too late.
"Captain, aren't we pursuing them?"
A Sand Ninja asked unwillingly.
Ryosugi, the captain, shook his head: "That's Konoha White Fang. There's no way to take them down."
He was also unwilling, but what could he do?
… …
On the other side.
After confirming that the enemy had not continued to pursue them, Sakumo Hatake ordered them to stop and rest by a river.
Xuan Yi plopped down, not wanting to move at all.
Sakumo Hatake took off his mask and said with a smile: "Xuan Yi and Langyi did very well on this mission."
Uchiha Namiichi smiled, his vanity greatly satisfied.
He was the one who killed the Daimyo!
Xuan Yi took off his mask and habitually said humbly: "It was you, Sakumo Hatake, who attracted the enemy's attention, and Langyi who took care of the target."
"And without En's support, we wouldn't have escaped the enemy so easily."
The credit certainly wasn't for one person alone.
Sakumo Hatake smiled and said: "I will report your performance truthfully to Hokage-sama."
"Langyi, how's your injury?"
Uchiha Namiichi raised his arm: "With Xuan Yi's treatment, there's no major problem."
Sakumo Hatake nodded: "Then we'll rest for an hour and continue our journey. We'll rest properly once we enter the Land of Fire."
Xuan Yi and the other two naturally had no objections.
They were still in the Land of Rivers, and there was still danger.
It would be troublesome if the Sand Ninja pursued them again.
So, after resting for an hour, the four set off again, crossing the border in one go and only stopping to rest again after entering the Land of Fire.
By this time, it was already dawn.
Xuan Yi leaned against the tree trunk, his eyes lowered: "This should have changed the original plot, right…"
Although character determines fate, as long as Sakumo Hatake's character and beliefs didn't change, the situation of abandoning a mission for comrades would still eventually occur.
But at least for a short time, Sakumo Hatake wouldn't commit suicide.
"I can also learn more things."
"However, it's a bit too utilitarian…"
Xuan Yi thought, and before he knew it, he fell into a deep sleep.