Chapter 68: The Situation of the Contractors
Nara Shikaku couldn’t figure one thing out: even if the Mind Body Switch Technique had failed, the Shadow Imitation Technique was still in effect. How had the enemy managed to launch an attack?
Akimichi Choza, who had one eye slashed blind, ceased his assault.
“Dad!”
Akimichi Choji gasped for breath, having witnessed his father lose an eye to a blade.
As the smoke cleared, Su Xiao’s figure emerged.
He was indeed bound by the Shadow Imitation Technique, but the Cyan Steel Shadow Energy radiating from his legs had infiltrated the shadow itself, which was laced with chakra. By devouring that chakra, the shadow would dissipate.
Su Xiao continuously released his Cyan Steel Shadow Energy, and in moments, he broke free from the Shadow Imitation Technique, leaping backward several steps.
The enemy had increased from four to seven. Though he had killed two, new reinforcements had arrived.
Su Xiao’s mind raced. This place wasn’t far from Konoha. Yuuhi Kurenai’s squad must have left markers during their pursuit. Given Tsunade’s hatred and vigilance toward the Akatsuki, she would surely dispatch numerous ninja. Conservatively, at least five or more elite jonin squads would be sent.
Considering the subsequent support from the Anbu, within half an hour, the enemies Su Xiao faced would be several times their current number.
If that happened, with the Ino-Shika-Cho formation present, combined with the intelligence and battlefield command of the Nara father and son, he would likely die here—though Konoha would pay a heavy price for it.
Earlier, he had nearly managed to kill Hinata, a tempting reward. But Hinata, as a major plot character second only to the male lead and deuteragonist, was nearly impossible to eliminate without a full-scale assault on Konoha.
Su Xiao had already used all his strength. Not only had he severed one of Hinata’s arms, but he had also flooded her body with a massive amount of Cyan Steel Shadow Energy.
He had employed every ability at his disposal, yet he still hadn’t killed her. It seemed like a close call, but in reality, the gap was still significant.
Hinata’s injuries were severe, making it unlikely she could use her Byakugan to track him.
Whoosh, whoosh—
The sound of wind-cutting came from afar. More reinforcements had arrived. Su Xiao could handle those present, but Konoha’s support would never stop. Eventually, he would be overwhelmed. Besides, this was Konoha’s territory; their reinforcements would be endless.
With that thought, Su Xiao sheathed his Dragon-Slaying Flash and extended both arms out to his sides.
“What is this?”
Nara Shikaku was momentarily puzzled by Su Xiao’s actions, but soon understood.
Countless white spiders crawled out from Su Xiao’s sleeves—all alchemy bombs.
“You’re lucky.”
Leaving that remark, Su Xiao mounted Bubu Wang.
“Don’t think you can escape.”
“Stop him!”
“Wait, don’t chase!”
Nara Shikaku shouted, but before his voice could reach them, a dense swarm of parasitic insects had already surged toward Su Xiao.
Boom! Boom! Boom!...
Deafening explosions rang out. The shockwaves forced Konoha’s pursuers to crouch and shut their eyes. The white spiders were too numerous, and they didn’t detonate simultaneously, causing the blast to persist.
When the flames of the explosions receded, the surrounding forest was in ruins. Large swaths of trees had been obliterated, and several Konoha ninja lay sprawled on the ground.
“Shikaku, what now?”
Akimichi Choza habitually asked Nara Shikaku for advice.
Nara Shikaku glanced at the two corpses, thought for a moment, then shook his head.
“No need to pursue. It’s pointless. If even the Anbu can’t track him, our chances of catching up are slim—unless Hinata can still hold on…”
Nara Shikaku’s assessment was sound: use the Byakugan to monitor Su Xiao from a distance, keeping a steady but not too close tail. As Konoha’s reinforcements grew, they could overwhelm him with numbers.
“I… can still manage.”
Hinata staggered as she spoke, blood loss making her dizzy.
Nara Shikaku shook his head and picked up the severed arm from the ground.
“Shino, take her back to Konoha as quickly as possible. With the Hokage’s medical ninjutsu, reattaching this arm shouldn’t be a problem. The cut is clean.”
After losing two members, Konoha’s pursuers halted their chase. The trouble caused by Danzo had once again fallen on the Hokage’s faction to bear—this wasn’t the first time in Konoha.
…
In the forest on the outskirts of Konoha, Bubu Wang ran at high speed.
“Bubu, are the enemies still chasing?”
“Woof.”
Su Xiao nodded. As expected, Konoha’s pursuers had stopped.
This battle made him keenly aware of one thing: his mana was critically low.
The fight hadn’t lasted long, but his mana had dropped to just 300 points. The Energy Shield, while extremely durable and convenient to use, consumed far too much mana.
It was good that Konoha hadn’t pursued him. He wasn’t ready to go to war with Konoha yet—the timing wasn’t right.
Even if he did start a war, he didn’t intend to be the main force. Let Nagato take the lead. The main quest clearly stated: assist Nagato in destroying Konoha.
As of now, Su Xiao had been in the Naruto world for about a month. Most of what he needed to do was accomplished, with some extra gains along the way.
With half the time remaining, Su Xiao speculated that the other contractors’ stay wouldn’t be too long. He needed to stall further, ideally waiting until all other contractors had returned to Reincarnation Paradise before executing the plan to destroy Konoha.
If many contractors were present when Nagato attacked Konoha, some would surely try to fish in troubled waters—a troublesome prospect.
The ideal time to attack Konoha would be within the last 15 days of the mission period. The derivative world communication platform could provide traces of those large adventure groups.
Based on Su Xiao’s observations, the Divine Emperor Adventure Group had already left the Naruto world. Otherwise, Divine Emperor would have definitely joined the pursuit, given that he had already established ties with Danzo.
Now, not a single contractor had appeared, indicating that the Divine Emperor Adventure Group’s members were no longer near Konoha.
The Brutal Heaven Adventure Group had been wiped out, and the Divine Emperor Adventure Group had left the Naruto world. The only remaining threat was the Blood Gate Adventurers.
Su Xiao had killed members of Blood Gate before, so he needed to stay far away from them. If they met at close range, a fight would be inevitable. Even medium-sized groups like the Red Spider Lily had the “Blood Mark Pursuit” ability, let alone a large group like Blood Gate.
Su Xiao could take on the Red Spider Lily alone, but facing a large group like Blood Gate solo was impossible. Not only was there a numerical disadvantage, but Blood Gate also had not just second-rank contractors but higher-ranked ones as well. The attribute suppression alone was a headache, let alone being surrounded.
Even if he could single out the group’s leader, Stan, it was uncertain whether Su Xiao could defeat him one-on-one. The leaders of large adventure groups were never easy opponents.
Since he couldn’t win head-on, Su Xiao would avoid their edge and wait until Blood Gate left the Naruto world before making his move.
Blood Gate was expected to leave the Naruto world soon, as internal issues had arisen—a piece of information known to many contractors.
Staying within the Land of Fire was now pointless, especially with Konoha hunting him. Su Xiao decided to head toward Konoha’s border. He planned to meet Obito. If Obito could join him in destroying Konoha, that would be ideal—though the likelihood was slim.
Obito wouldn’t show himself openly for now. But as the Akatsuki’s numbers dwindled, he couldn’t remain hidden in the shadows forever.