Chapter 108: Desperate Situation
"Boss, Li Yao split again," Damaokelisi said, frowning.
As soon as the Black Iron Shark was destroyed, Li Yao's real body created a shadow clone and split into separate directions once more.
The Third Raikage's team had to face the same decision—choose which one to pursue.
But this time, Li Yao was already four kilometers away.
At that distance, if they chose wrong, by the time they turned back, Li Yao would be even farther.
Repeat this process, and eventually, Li Yao would disappear from the summoned eagle's sight.
"Are the Konoha ANBU still pursuing?" the Third Raikage suddenly asked.
"Let me check," Damaokelisi said, activating his eagle eyes and scanning the surroundings. Soon, he spotted the two Konoha ANBU standing on their ink bird eight kilometers away. Judging by their direction, he reported, "Boss, they're chasing the Li Yao heading north."
"In that case, we'll go after the one flying west," the Third Raikage said.
Damaokelisi immediately directed the summoned eagle westward.
"Huh... lucky."
The real Li Yao, who was heading north, smiled inwardly. Then his gaze flickered. He recalled how the Raikage couldn't do much when the Black Iron Shark entered the water, and realized the Raikage likely didn't know or wasn't good at Water Release.
In that case...
Li Yao made his move.
He had his shadow clone dive into the Black Iron Eagle's belly, then disappear. Retracting part of the chakra from the eagle's chains, he reshaped the remainder into a shark and dove into the sea.
At the same time, the other shadow clone did the same—hiding inside a Black Iron Shark and diving underwater.
Once submerged, Li Yao controlled his shark to a depth of 25 meters, then shifted course slightly and continued swimming forward.
At this depth, even the eagle's vision couldn't reach him—especially in these murky, plankton-filled waters.
"Boss, Li Yao went into the water—I can't see him anymore," Damaokelisi reported.
The Raikage didn't panic. "What about the other Li Yao?"
"He also went into the sea."
"At the same time?" the Raikage asked with a frown.
"Almost exactly."
Same timing, same movements—was it preplanned?
Annoying...
Li Yao.
The Raikage knew now he couldn't use their actions to tell which one was the real body.
"Come with me, Druid," he ordered.
"Yes, Boss."
Druid, a bald, dark-skinned ninja, leapt from the summoned eagle with the Raikage.
Landing on the water, Druid placed his hands on the surface and closed his eyes to sense. Moments later, he opened them and pointed. "That way, 4.5 kilometers out."
"There, huh?"
The Raikage looked in that direction, activated Lightning Chakra Mode, and vanished in a flash of lightning.
Druid followed, though his speed was much slower.
That didn't matter—his job was to locate Li Yao using his Water Release sensing ability and report via headset.
At the Raikage's speed, he'd catch up quickly. Then Druid would board the eagle again and use Water Release to force Li Yao out.
"He's so fast!"
Li Yao was shocked. The Raikage moved faster on the water than the summoned eagle flew.
"This won't do. I need to go faster or he'll catch me soon!"
With a grim expression, Li Yao made a quick decision. Despite the chakra cost, he spread Water Release chakra into the surrounding sea.
"Water Release: Current Control Technique."
He casually named the technique—controlling the surrounding water to push the Black Iron Shark forward, combining that force with his own swimming control.
In an instant, the shark rocketed through the sea like an arrow, leaving a hollow stream behind it.
But… sensing the Raikage's speed, Li Yao silently cursed. Even at full power, he couldn't outpace him.
He had the clone shift direction—but no matter how he changed course, the Raikage kept closing in.
Remembering how the Water Release user had sensed him with hands on the sea surface, Li Yao realized they were tracking him through the water.
He furrowed his brow and hesitated. His real body didn't surface yet.
"Let's wait. Every moment delayed counts."
The clone kept swimming with Water Release acceleration. Li Yao's real body did the same.
Now it was a matter of how long the clone could stall the Raikage.
Ten seconds passed.
Once within 1.5 kilometers, the Raikage released Black Lightning.
It traveled through the seawater instantly, striking the Black Iron Shark containing the clone.
Li Yao blocked it with Vajra Chains, but his position was now exposed.
"Is it Li Yao?"
Sensing resistance to his attack, the Raikage confirmed someone was inside—but he didn't know if it was the real one.
He had no choice but to flush him out to be sure.
"Druid, get moving," the Raikage said into his headset.
"Yes, Boss."
Druid jumped onto the eagle and flew quickly toward the Raikage's position.
Five seconds later, the eagle caught up. Druid leapt into the water again and used Water Release to force the shark out.
This time, with Li Yao's clone inside, resistance slowed him down—taking 15 extra seconds to force it to the surface.
The moment it emerged, Li Yao dismissed the shark and the clone, dispersing them before the Raikage could strike.
One minute had passed.
During that time, Li Yao had put five kilometers between himself and the Raikage's team—combined with the original four, they were now nine kilometers apart.
Normally, that would be enough.
But unfortunately, he was facing a hand-picked elite pursuit team, each with their own specialty.
Despite being underwater and out of visual range, Druid's sensing exceeded Li Yao's expectations.
Before long, he sensed the Raikage again entering his five-kilometer range.
"Damn it..."
Li Yao's face darkened. Their underwater detection was more powerful than he had anticipated.
Splash!
Water exploded upward as a Black Iron Shark broke the surface and transformed into a Black Iron Giant Eagle.
Li Yao stood on its back, personally controlling it.
Underwater, in the air—he realized that the sky was his only hope.
Climbing over 100 meters high, Li Yao created another clone and split paths again.
This time, his luck was bad—they pursued the real him.
He quickly dismissed the other clone and created a new one to split paths again.
This time, his luck turned—they chased the clone.
But when the real Li Yao didn't disappear, they immediately switched to pursuing his direction.
Realizing what had happened, Li Yao instinctively dismissed the clone.
"Damn it..."
The moment he did, he cursed himself. He realized he had made a stupid mistake.
He had acted too quickly.
If the Raikage saw the real one wasn't disappearing, and the other did vanish, then it became obvious who was real.
Even a fool could tell: if both remained, one was a distraction.
Having recognized his blunder, Li Yao tried a new tactic:
Even if they were chasing the real one, he left the clone intact.
This time, he took a risk—he had the clone create another clone to split paths, and combined with the real body's clone, they split into four directions.
At the cost of having no means to resist, he finally confused them.
But every time he thought he'd shaken them off, they would reappear within five kilometers.
Again and again, wearing him down.
He was reaching his limit.
Li Yao once again felt the same hopelessness he had back when escaping Konoha, under the pressure of Mito Uzumaki.
Sealing techniques.
Illusions.
Every method of evasion—he had exhausted everything.
And still, he couldn't shake the Third Raikage's pursuit.
(END CHAPTER)
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