"Shisui, don't worry about us, retreat quickly," Takagi Shinji said while fending off the attacks from the Hidden Mist.
The enemies were too numerous. Whether Shisui stayed or not wouldn't change the final outcome of the battle. The only difference was that if Shisui stayed, he'd only be able to cause a little more damage to the enemy.
But more importantly, Takagi Shinji believed that Shisui surviving would have greater significance.
Unlike them, who were ordinary people, Shisui was a true prodigy, and with proper growth, he could definitely become a powerful figure.
If possible, Takagi Shinji would have wanted all the other disciples to retreat as well, but he knew that wasn't feasible.
The number of Hidden Mist Ninja was several times theirs. Takagi Shinji couldn't hold off that many enemies, and his disciples would only die quicker if they ran wildly. Only Shisui, whose strength surpassed even his, had hope of breaking through the encirclement and retreating successfully.
"If you manage to retreat and act quickly, you might even find reinforcements to save us. If you don't leave now, everyone will die."
This was a kind lie; unless the distance was very short, there was no way of getting reinforcements in time.
Unmoved, Shisui continued to fight. He was a versatile warrior like Kakashi, skilled in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. Even several Hidden Mist working together would find it hard to gain any advantage against him.
Although Shisui was not old, he'd read a lot. Takagi Shinji's far-fetched lie certainly couldn't deceive him.
If he left, Takagi Shinji's squad wouldn't last three minutes.
After all, there were three Hidden Mist Jonin and nine Chunin and Genin.
"Shisui, even though you are a genius, this time, let me have the spotlight," Uesugi Tatsu said, trying hard to locate Shisui's position through the dense mist.
He wanted to use his Fire Release to create an opportunity for Shisui to escape.
Closest to Shisui, Kobayashi Kenji endured his injuries and tried his best to help Shisui in battle, relieving some of the pressure.
Shisui sighed inwardly, his desire for strength surging continually.
They hadn't known each other for long, only a month.
But perhaps because they lived and died together while executing missions on the battlefield every day, they became familiar and quickly acknowledged each other.
Shisui believed that if it weren't for the dense fog blocking the way, the others would probably prefer to get injured while covering his retreat.
"This is war..." Shisui's heart couldn't remain calm anymore.
This trap was even more brutal than the last encounter with the Seven-Swords Ninja, making Shisui feel the cruelty of war.
Because last time, most of his teammates were Teacher Mokgetsu's disciples, each capable of substantial bursts of power. Even when encountering formidable enemies like the Seven-Swords Ninja, they could repel them after extreme bursts.
This time was different. This time, none of his teammates had mastered the Eight Gates, nor could anyone enter the Transparent World. Even extraordinary performances wouldn't be much stronger than usual.
So even though the opponents weren't famous strong warriors, they were still driven to despair.
"Then let me be their reliance!" Shisui clenched his fists, a fire igniting within his heart.
Shisui wasn't a conceited person, but he never underestimated himself. He was a genius, not just an ordinary genius. He was a prodigy of the Uchiha Clan, having acquired the Three Tomoe Sharingan at just eight years old.
He had an excellent, reliable teacher who had taught him many powerful secret techniques and ninjutsu.
With so many factors stacked onto him, he believed he should have the right to become someone others could rely on.
With this thought, Shisui no longer had any internal struggle. He simply couldn't calmly enjoy the retreat opportunity his teammates fought for with their lives.
Compared to the retreat opportunity gained by his teammates' sacrifices, Shisui wanted more to save his teammates like Might Guy.
At the moment of clarity, memories of asking Teacher Mokgetsu about the Breath of Flame Chakra Mode technique kept surfacing in his mind, and his breathing began to change.
"I see, so this is the Breath of Flame Chakra Mode," Shisui's expression returned to its usual calm after feeling the power continuously emerging from within his body.
The Breath of Flame Chakra Mode felt very peculiar to Shisui. It was an indescribable feeling, as if his insides were burning like a furnace, and the energy produced by that fire turned into power, flowing into every part of his body.
Making a major breakthrough in a critical secret technique was a joyous thing, but now, more than the Breath of Flame Chakra Mode itself, what delighted Shisui was the power he now had to turn the tide.
Woosh woosh woosh!!
Just as Shisui was about to test the enhancement from the Breath of Flame Chakra Mode on the Hidden Mist, a fierce gust of wind suddenly arose.
Rustle rustle!!
A large number of leaves on the trees were blown, creating noise, and the dust, leaves, and small stones on the ground were swept up by the wind.
With this sudden gust, the dense mist was also blown away, and everyone's visibility was restored.
Shisui's eyes lit up; this was a heaven-sent opportunity.
With Chakra gathering in his eyes, Shisui's eyes once again turned scarlet.
"What kind of crazy weather is this, with such a big wind blowing out of nowhere?" A Hidden Mist Jonin cursed internally and then prepared to continue attacking Shisui, only to meet Shisui's blood-red eyes.
The Hidden Mist Jonin's outstretched hand froze, and he appeared in a daze.
"It's a Sharingan Genjutsu, quickly disrupt his Chakra flow!" another Hidden Mist Jonin immediately shouted.
Every Jonin basically knew some techniques to break genjutsu, but Sharingan Genjutsu was different from ordinary genjutsu; it was hard to break with one's own power alone. The simplest and quickest method was to have a companion intervene.
The Hidden Mist Chunin next to the Jonin caught in the genjutsu quickly nodded and stepped forward.