In the distant forest, a large number of Sand Ninja were fanning out in a search formation.
They were meticulously scouring every area.
Aokawa quickly scanned the other directions.
His heart sank; the same situation was unfolding in two other directions!
Three groups of enemies, each with about fifteen to twenty people, were closing in from all sides!
Although judging by their Chakra, there were no particularly powerful Elite Jōnin among them, mostly Chunin and Genin.
But even so, with nearly fifty of them in total against the four of them who were injured...
...it was more than enough.
"Kurenai! Come back quickly! Enemies are approaching!"
Aokawa lowered his voice, urgently calling out to Kurenai Yuhi.
At the same time, he lunged toward the sleeping Kurenai Yūhi and Uchiha Tetsubi, slapping their cheeks hard.
The two were forcibly awakened from their deep sleep, their eyes still clouded with confusion and exhaustion as they looked at the grim-faced Aokawa.
"Wake up! Hurry, wake up! We're surrounded!"
The two jolted awake, their fatigue and pain receding instantly as they forced themselves up.
Kurenai Yuhi also rushed back, and the four of them quickly huddled together.
Aokawa briefly and concisely informed the three of the enemy situation he had observed.
Kurenai Yūhi looked solemn upon hearing this: "The three of us haven't fully recovered from the toxins yet, and Aokawa, you've been through consecutive battles and provided healing, so your Chakra reserves aren't high either."
"Therefore, even if these enemies are only Chunin and Genin, we can't take on such a large number."
"We'll retreat toward the Land of Fire first and see if we can meet any allies along the way."
Everyone nodded.
Screech—!
A loud, sharp hawk's cry suddenly pierced the sky!
All four were startled and looked up.
They saw a Ninja Hawk spreading its massive wings, circling high above their heads.
"Not good! We've been spotted! Move!" Kurenai Yūhi said urgently.
Aokawa immediately rushed to the front, using his Byakugan to choose a path and leading the three in a full-speed escape.
After receiving guidance from the air, the pursuers behind them immediately adjusted their direction, their speed noticeably increasing as they gave chase relentlessly.
The four fled frantically, swallowing ration pills one after another to recover some physical strength and Chakra.
But as they moved, Aokawa discovered that no matter how he used the dense forest to block their line of sight or quietly changed directions...
...the Ninja Hawk in the sky continued to circle above them.
Kurenai Yūhi also noticed this fatal problem.
He forced himself to speed up and catch up with Aokawa, sprinting side-by-side as he asked rapidly:
"Aokawa! Can you use that long-range technique of yours to shoot that hawk down?"
Aokawa glanced up at the black speck high in the sky while running and fell silent for a moment. "I can only try!"
He raised his hand to summon the Chakra Spirit Bow and began to condense a Chakra Arrow.
Then, he suddenly skidded to a halt.
He lowered his center of gravity, held the bow in his right hand, and pulled the string back with his left until it was like a full moon, the movements fluid and seamless.
Hum!
The bowstring vibrated slightly, and an azure Chakra Arrow shot upward like a falling star!
The hawk was extremely alert; at the critical moment, it flapped its wings violently to move sideways. The arrow barely grazed it, only knocking off a few feathers.
Screech—!
Startled, the Ninja Hawk shrieked and ascended, flying even higher into the sky.
"No, the altitude is beyond my effective range," Aokawa said, shaking his head.
Not to mention the Ninja Hawk's flight altitude had already exceeded 700 meters.
Even if it were within 700 meters, he wouldn't be able to shoot it down.
When shooting upward, the arrow is affected almost entirely by gravity, and its kinetic energy decays too quickly.
By the time the arrow neared the Ninja Hawk, it had very little speed left.
This was also why the Ninja Hawk had been able to dodge the arrow so easily just now.
But if it wasn't shot down, their position would remain exposed.
Because of the toxins, the movement speed of Kurenai Yūhi and the other two was not fast.
At this rate, they would be caught sooner or later.
Aokawa frowned, lost in thought as he began to run again.
Seeing this, the other three's hearts sank, and they hurriedly followed.
Kurenai Yūhi sped up again, coming alongside Aokawa and pointing toward the forest to the northeast:
"Aokawa, there are too many trees here. Let's head to that sparser forest over there! Use the terrain and that technique of yours to snipe and delay them!"
"No!" Aokawa veered off, turning without hesitation toward the open desert to the northwest. "We're going this way!"
He fixed his Byakugan on the canyon nestled between two mountains behind the desert and ran forward with steady steps.
A dense forest would be a good sniping ground, but it was pointless now.
Even if every arrow killed a Ninja, he couldn't condense enough high-density arrows right now.
Seeing this, Kurenai Yūhi didn't argue and followed silently.
Whether it was the dense forest or the desert Aokawa chose...
...the defense would have to be based on his Kekkei Genkai.
Since it was his technique, he surely knew it best, so they had to rely on his judgment.
The pursuers were getting closer; even without the Byakugan, the other three could see the dust clouds rising behind them and the faint flickers of figures.
Meanwhile, the canyon ahead, looking like the open maw of a giant beast, clearly came into view.
Aokawa adjusted his direction and headed straight for the canyon entrance.
"Wait! Aokawa!" Kurenai Yūhi called out anxiously from behind, startled.
He seemed to remember something: "The map marked that canyon as a dead end! If we go in, there'll be no way out!"
Hearing this, Uchiha Tetsubi and Kurenai Yūhi's hearts sank.
After traveling so far, if this was a trap, wouldn't they be walking right into a snare?
"I know," Aokawa said in a steady voice, his pace never slackening. "I confirmed the terrain when I scouted the surrounding towns."
"But my technique needs a place where the enemies are gathered as closely as possible to exert its maximum power."
"Are you sure about this?"
Kurenai Yūhi began to feel cautious now.
He regretted being overconfident and not asking for clarification earlier.
But on one hand, his mind was still a bit foggy from the poison, and on the other, Aokawa's Heavenly God-like Aura in the forest had inspired great trust in him.
Aokawa looked back, giving them a reassuring look and a confident smile. "Don't worry, it's more than enough to deal with this lot."
Seeing him so calm, although the three were anxious, they could only choose to trust him and followed him into the canyon.
The canyon was deep; the four ran nearly two kilometers inside before reaching the end.
A steep rock wall blocked all further progress.
By now, the chaotic sound of footsteps and shouting from behind surged in like a tide, and the figures of the pursuers filled the canyon entrance, rapidly approaching.
At this moment, the pursuers caught up with them.
The four were forced to turn and face the enemy.
Kurenai Yuhi and Uchiha Tetsubi looked at the dark mass of ferocious enemies before them.
Their hands, gripping their Kunai, trembled uncontrollably...
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