Only after backhanding the nearby enemy did Uchiha Fūyō get a moment to breathe.
Blood seeped from between his fingers covering the wound, but he had no time to bandage it.
Water Release: Water Needle was spread in the air, falling at extremely high speed, the dense sound of air tearing severely interfering with his judgment.
Uchiha Fūyō retreated while defending, but was still pierced by two needles.
His Two-Tomoe Sharingan was enough to see all attacks, but his injured body was insufficient to mobilize the corresponding speed to react.
--This can't go on...
Seeing that the remaining three enemies were still eyeing him menacingly, Uchiha Fūyō gripped his ninja sword, a look of determination on his face.
Just as he raised his Chakra activity to its highest, preparing for a desperate fight, he suddenly felt a chill, a fear from the depths of his soul that went straight to his brain from his back.
It was like prey encountering a famished predator, all it could do was tremble in the latter's bloodthirsty and brutal gaze, helplessly waiting for death to descend upon it.
The three surrounding enemies also froze in place; if one looked closely, they would find that their fright was even greater, their chests heaving violently, and their hands gripping their weapons trembling.
If he didn't know these people were professional Ninja who had undergone rigorous training, Uchiha Fūyō would have suspected they would immediately turn and flee.
The jungle became deadly silent, even the sound of everyone's breathing disappeared.
An invisible wave of air seemed to come from afar, ancient trees swayed in the storm, startling flocks of birds perched among the branches and leaves one after another.
The birds let out sharp, chaotic cries, like withered leaves caught in a whirlwind, gradually gathering above the entire forest, forming a dense, dark cloud.
Sunlight already struggled to penetrate the dense canopy, and now the forest was even darker.
It seemed as if some monster was slowly approaching, lurking in the darkness. Uchiha Fūyō could even feel its footsteps, and its warm breath, reeking of blood, had almost reached the back of his neck.
Thump... The sound of a shoe sole colliding with a tree trunk was like a clap of thunder in the silence.
Uchiha Fūyō turned to look, only to see a black-robed figure standing on a tree.
Judging from his posture, he was undoubtedly watching this small battlefield of desperate struggle.
Watching them, who had become trapped beasts.
The three enemies seemed unable to bear such an excessive amount of fear any longer; their minds plunged into chaos, yet they broke through their physiological reactions and gained the strength to attack.
"Die!"
One of them unfolded a scroll, and various projectiles shot out towards this Mysterious Person.
The next moment, the Mysterious Person had already appeared beside the Ninja who had launched the attack.
Uchiha Fūyō saw or heard no movement or sound, yet the Ninja had already died quietly and without resistance.
The body, devoid of life, began to tilt, rapidly withering into "rotten wood" before it hit the ground, shattering into dark, charred fragments.
The Mysterious Person did not continue to move, but instead tilted his head, as if waiting for his opponents to display some more trivial tricks to entertain him.
The remaining two Ninja, seizing the opportunity to attack, immediately formed hand signs.
Earth Release Barrier: Earth Dome Prison!
The surrounding ground rapidly rose, earth and stones stacking into a hemispherical Barrier prison, trapping the Mysterious Person within it, continuously absorbing his Chakra.
But the indestructible, heavy earth prison had just formed when it instantly began to collapse and shatter; no matter how much Chakra was poured into it, its shape could not be maintained, ultimately leaving only a ring of dust at the Mysterious Person's feet.
"Boring."
The Mysterious Person spat out two cold words; it seemed the mask he wore made his voice somewhat deep, with a strange vibrating quality at the end, making it impossible to discern his true vocal pitch.
He extended his right hand, and the lightning flickering in his palm condensed into a sharp shape.
Uchiha Fūyō's Two-Tomoe Sharingan could barely perceive it: his figure vanished for a moment and then reappeared.
The only two remaining enemies fell one after another without even a chance to resist, their deaths exactly the same as the previous one.
A cold wind blew, and the withered, carbonized bodies disintegrated little by little with the air currents, making a light rustling sound that made Uchiha Fūyō's scalp tingle.
The Mysterious Person noticed there was still one person on the scene and looked in his direction.
--Is it my turn?
Uchiha Fūyō tightened his grip and slightly adjusted his stance.
Even if he was likely no match for the opponent, he had to choose to fight.
An Uchiha would never surrender!
To his surprise, the Mysterious Person did not use that strange Ninjutsu, and after two breaths, he disappeared.
Uchiha Fūyō did not relax his guard for a long time.
Several footsteps approached from afar.
"Fūyō-senpai!"
The faint call allowed him to loosen his grip; looking at his Clan Member, all injured but with no casualties, he realized the opponent had truly left, and he gasped for air to calm his racing heart.
Then he realized his back was drenched in cold sweat, and the palms of both hands were clammy, his gloves almost able to be wrung out.
--Who was he? Why didn't he kill me?
Uchiha Fūyō was puzzled, but this was no place to linger. He signaled his Clan Member to follow him and quickly withdraw... Naraku, using the alias "Kage," hid in the shadows, listening to White Zetsu provide him with information.
"The second group of Uchiha is in the southwest direction, about a hundred kilometers from here."
"Mm."
Naraku responded perfunctorily, then his body tensed, and he bent down, removed his mask, and coughed violently several times.
He only felt better after spitting out blood. He casually wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, enduring the dull pain in his chest as he straightened up to breathe.
"Lord Madara said that using the Mangekyo will only shorten your lifespan; you don't have many days left, you know."
White Zetsu, like a tree root, spoke a reminder.
Naraku said coldly, "I know."
"Such a willful child, aren't you~"
White Zetsu shook his head in an exaggerated manner, completely forgetting his past lessons, and dared to tease with an impudent tone, "Kage, why did you save them? Do you still care about the Uchiha?"
"You might as well stop calling yourself White Zetsu and just call yourself Idiot."
Naraku's expression seemed to indicate an intolerance for stupidity. He raised his hand, swung his ninja sword, and chopped off one of the other's arms, a smile still on his face.
"If I don't let them take the witnesses back, how will Konoha have an internal conflict? With Uchiha Fugaku's cowardly nature, would he dare to turn hostile without concrete evidence?"
White Zetsu was accustomed to losing limbs. He picked up his intact arm and surprisingly felt a surge of emotion, thinking, "He's so gentle today; he didn't even chop my arm into pieces."
Just as he reattached his arm, he heard Naraku issue a cold command.
"Let's go, Idiot."
"Alright!"