Chapter 38: Thrilling Escape
Thanks to the hard practice in the past few years and his Level III [Five Senses Enhancement], Bai Shi's thrown kunai were incredibly accurate. Six kunai flew toward the six Root ninjas respectively. For some reason, they all chose to dodge instead of attempting to block.
Even if the two Special Jonin were unable to react and could only avoid the kunai, wouldn't the other four Jonin also be caught off guard?
A hint of doubt crept into Bai Shi's mind, but the opportunity was fleeting. Trusting in the Flying Thunder God Technique, he decided to act.
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, the Flying Thunder God Technique activated instantly. Bai Shi's figure suddenly vanished, and when he reappeared, he was at the side of one of the two Special Jonin.
In the end, he exercised caution and did not target the four Jonin first. This way, even if something went wrong, he could still respond in time.
In mid-air, Bai Shi swung the kunai in his hand, and with a "swish," he cut the Root ninja's carotid artery.
Blood gushed forth, nearly spilling onto Bai Shi.
At that moment, he activated the Flying Thunder God Technique again.
In the blink of an eye, he felt a flash before his eyes and appeared next to another Special Jonin.
Once again, he executed the same action, cutting this Special Jonin's carotid artery with ease.
Having killed two people in succession, Bai Shi's uneasiness was slightly relieved. Without hesitation, he launched the Flying Thunder God Technique for the third time, appearing next to the third target.
Just as he had done before, he swung the kunai in his hand once more.
However, unlike the previous two instances, this target actually responded.
The opponent ignored the kunai slicing toward his neck and instead, as though he had anticipated the attack, twisted his body and thrust his own weapon into his abdomen.
If Bai Shi didn't block at that moment, the outcome would be the opponent's death and significant injury to himself.
This was not the result Bai Shi wanted, so he once again activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, appearing next to the fourth person.
Again, the same scenario repeated—this person also chose to initiate an attack that would lead to mutual destruction.
It was only at this moment that Bai Shi realized something was wrong. He looked at the other two Root Jonin and saw that their kunai were aimed toward the air.
Seeing this, Bai Shi instantly understood their intentions, and the doubt in his mind resolved itself.
It was clear that the enemy had been aware of his knowledge of the Flying Thunder God Technique beforehand and had chosen to exploit this knowledge.
"No wonder no one chose to block my kunai initially; they were waiting for me to attack," Bai Shi thought.
By actively dodging, they could control his landing point to a certain extent, allowing them to preemptively strike. If he were unintentional, he might even end up injuring himself fatally.
Realization dawned upon Bai Shi, and he felt a pang of fear. The Root Organization was exceptionally well-prepared this time. Not only had they gathered intelligence, but they had also developed countermeasures against the tactics he might employ.
This detail may not have been apparent when he was forced to cancel the Wood Release: Tree World Descent, but it became evident now.
Bai Shi believed that even if he didn't use the Flying Thunder God Technique, employing the Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique would yield the same result. The enemy must have prepared other strategies for such contingencies.
Thoughts raced through his mind. Watching the kunai aimed at his abdomen, Bai Shi chose not to move, instead opting to block.
With a sharp "ding," the two kunai collided, sparks flying as the stillness of their surroundings came to life.
Using the recoil from the clash, Bai Shi leaped back several meters to create distance.
These events may have seemed extensive, but they unfolded in an instant.
To the other Root ninjas, Bai Shi had thrown a kunai, then vanished from sight. After a few rapid shifts, he had killed two opponents, evaded another's attack, and exchanged blows with a fourth before distancing himself.
This encapsulated the fighting style enabled by the Flying Thunder God Technique, making it understandable why Minato Namikaze could single-handedly turn the tide of battle.
Killing dozens of ninjas in an instant—what army could withstand such an onslaught?
Shaking his head and pushing thoughts aside, Bai Shi distanced himself and intended to speak but was suddenly drawn in by commotion nearby.
Suddenly, black sealing techniques enveloped the two Root Ninjas he had killed.
Immediately, their blood erupted in all directions like a fountain, forming a spherical sealed space around them.
Then, the sealed space shrank rapidly, ultimately trapping a large portion of the surrounding land within their bodies.
Seeing this, Bai Shi's mouth twitched slightly. "Is it that serious? They even used the Four Symbols Seal."
He glanced at the other Root ninjas, perceiving them as ticking time bombs.
Initially wanting to inquire further, he decided it was best not to linger any longer.
Clearly, the Root Organization was well-prepared. Continuing the fight would be too dangerous; who knew what other tricks they had up their sleeves?
"In that case, it's better to leave early."
Having made up his mind, Bai Shi prepared to use the Flying Thunder God Technique to escape. But just then, a sound like nails scratching on glass echoed in his mind.
In the next instant, everything before his eyes distorted, and his entire perceptual system was severely disrupted. He struggled to maintain his balance.
Thanks to his Level V [Mental Resistance], Bai Shi was still able to think clearly. He realized he was under an extremely rare illusion attack that employed sound as its medium.
Attempting to sense the mark of the Flying Thunder God Technique in the distance yielded no feedback. Bai Shi's heart sank as he clenched his teeth and said, "Sure enough, you're well prepared!"
However, he didn't panic.
The reason for this was simple: Bai Shi felt he was rapidly adapting to the circumstance. In moments, he would free himself from the illusion's effects.
'Now I just hope the enemy won't take this opportunity to finish me off.'
With this thought in mind, Bai Shi pretended to struggle with maintaining his balance and fell to the ground, even letting his kunai slip from his hand during the pretense.
This way, the enemy's vigilance would lower. Bai Shi believed that if they hoped to capture him alive, these Root ninjas would be unlikely to kill him outright.
As anticipated, the fatal blow did not come, but the Root Ninja did not relax his guard either.
Before Bai Shi could dispel the effects of the illusion, Aburame Ryoma appeared in front of him and placed a talisman on his forehead.
In an instant, dense seals erupted from his body, connecting to the talisman and imprisoning his body and mind.
"Is this the seal to eradicate all evil with the tongue?"
Feeling the familiar binding force, Bai Shi was initially startled, then elated.
The reason for his excitement was clear: although the binding force was significantly strengthened by the talisman, the mental constraint had not reached the limit of Level V [Mental Resistance].
In other words, this 'Seal to Root Out Tongue Trouble' could merely paralyze his body, similar to before.
This meant that as long as he regained his awareness from the illusion, he could activate the Flying Thunder God Technique and escape.
Suppressing his excitement, Bai Shi continued to seek out the distant mark. After a few breaths, he finally sensed it.
At this moment, Bai Shi let out a sigh of relief.
He smiled at Aburame Ryoma, who was about to speak, and then vanished from the spot.
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