The tracking methods in the ninja world are highly sophisticated, and the most powerful among them is the ability to track chakra signatures.
Uchiha Kiyo had just "died," and if his chakra aura appeared elsewhere, it would immediately raise suspicion.
Therefore, for the time being, Uchiha Kiyo himself could not take action. At the very least, there couldn't be any trace of his chakra lingering in the air.
Or rather, he had to rely on his clone to act in his stead.
There was still a noticeable gap between the chakra signatures of the clone and the main body.
Looking at the barrier surrounding him, staying inside was not a viable option. If he kept pushing against it, he would only make things worse.
It was better to relocate to a more discreet and concealed area.
However, feeling the intense chakra presence within the barrier, Uchiha Kiyo knew he couldn't dispel it outright.
The barrier itself isolated chakra signatures, preventing their spread. However, inside the barrier, the chakra he had expelled remained concentrated.
Such a dense chakra presence wouldn't dissipate quickly.
It was also difficult to remove manually.
But this wasn't a problem for Uchiha Kiyo.
He quickly formed a series of hand seals.
"Earth Release: Subterranean Voyage."
Uchiha Kiyo sank into the ground, tunneling downward over 100 meters before stopping at a suitable depth.
He then dispelled the barrier.
The chakra contained within the barrier began to diffuse into the surroundings.
Since he was underground, the chakra dispersion was much less noticeable.
It wouldn't be detected by the ninja patrolling the surface.
Upon returning to the surface, Uchiha Kiyo refrained from using any further ninjutsu, ensuring that he left behind no lingering chakra traces.
With his exceptional physical abilities, Uchiha Kiyo relied solely on his body to travel.
The Land of Rivers was abundant with waterways, and Uchiha Kiyo quickly found a small river.
He jumped in, allowing the current to carry him south.
Even the slightest traces of chakra and scent had to be erased.
A little extra caution never hurt.
Meanwhile...
Hatake Sakumo wasn't nearly as constrained as Uchiha Kiyo.
A large group of Konoha ninja had gathered to break through the Sand Shinobi encirclement. With their combined efforts, they managed to force open an escape route.
Hatake Sakumo stayed behind to cover their retreat.
Unfortunately, he became entangled with the enemy and couldn't escape.
For the Sand Shinobi, this was an acceptable outcome.
Capturing or eliminating Konoha's White Fang was their top priority. If they could isolate him, their mission was already a success.
Thirty minutes passed, and still, no reinforcements arrived.
Hatake Sakumo no longer held onto the hope of backup.
In half an hour, he had cut down half of the enemy forces.
Having endured relentless training under Uchiha Kiyo's brutal regimen, Hatake Sakumo had grown accustomed to prolonged, high-intensity combat.
He had honed his ability to control his chakra consumption, recovery rate, and physical endurance.
Sensing that he still had 70% of his chakra reserves left, Hatake Sakumo felt relieved.
With that much chakra remaining, he could still fight at full power. Meanwhile, his enemies had already suffered significant losses.
Though the higher-ranking Sand Shinobi were still intact, the overall threat had diminished considerably.
The attack frequency had decreased, and dodging was becoming easier.
Clutching his White Fang blade, Hatake Sakumo vanished in a blur, reappearing behind a Sand Shinobi jōnin.
A flash of white light.
A severed head hit the ground.
"This can't go on."
"Even if I manage to kill everyone here, I'll be completely drained by the end. There's a high chance of Sand Shinobi reinforcements arriving, so I have to conserve my strength."
Suddenly, Hatake Sakumo's gaze locked onto the two Sand Shinobi commanders.
"If I eliminate them, their forces should descend into chaos."
"At the very least, if I need to escape, no one will be able to stop me."
As a former Anbu captain, Hatake Sakumo was a master assassin.
Now that he had selected his targets, his deadly skillset was on full display.
Assassination wasn't just about stealth and surprise—it was also about overwhelming speed and precision.
Some assassinations happened in broad daylight, using sheer speed and explosive power to end a fight before it even began.
For someone like Hatake Sakumo, speed was everything.
Before his targets could react, he had already closed the distance to the first—Qiankyu.
A single stroke of his blade.
Qiankyu's head rolled to the ground.
Puppet masters were always vulnerable in close combat.
No matter how strong they became, that fundamental weakness remained unchanged.
A ninja capable of fighting against a puppet master and their puppets was already far superior in direct combat. Once engaged at close range, the puppet master's fate was sealed.
With Qiankyu dead, the female Sand Shinobi commander's eyes widened in disbelief.
Then, her fear turned into madness.
She unleashed a barrage of puppets, surrounding Hatake Sakumo from all sides.
But he wasn't going to play her game.
Activating the Body Flicker Technique, he closed in instantly.
Another slash.
Another body fell.
Both commanders had been eliminated.
Despite his success, Hatake Sakumo knew that the remaining Sand Shinobi still outnumbered him.
And with less than 30% of his chakra left, he couldn't afford to push his luck.
Using a final burst of speed, he cut through the remaining puppets blocking his way and vanished into the distance.
Sand Shinobi Frontline
At that moment, Chiyo and Ebizō felt a deep sense of unease.
"Sister, I have a bad feeling," Ebizō muttered, frowning. "Something isn't right."
"I feel the same," Chiyo admitted, her expression dark. "I don't know what Konoha is up to, but something is definitely happening."
"Order the intelligence division to gather information immediately. We need to find out if Konoha has made any moves."
Ebizō, however, couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't just about Konoha's strategies.
It felt... personal.
Then it hit him.
"Wait... Tetsuya mentioned something about tracking the Blood-Eyed Shura."
"And Qiankyu and his wife went after White Fang..."
"Could it be... that all three of them were caught in a trap?"
A chilling realization dawned on him.
Konoha laid a trap specifically to eliminate our rising stars!
If this was true, then Konoha was playing an even deeper game than they had anticipated.
Ebizō quickly relayed his thoughts to Chiyo.
Her expression shifted from concern to horror.
"No… That's impossible," she whispered.
Her son and daughter-in-law were among the Sand Village's greatest talents.
If they had truly fallen into Konoha's trap…
Her grandson, only three years old, would grow up an orphan.
"No… I won't allow this!"
Chiyo sprang into action, rushing to investigate.
Ebizō followed closely behind, while the other Sand Village commanders exchanged uneasy glances.
Konoha's strategy was ruthless.
The Second Great Ninja War had reached its climax.
Tensions flared.
Retribution was inevitable.
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