A glance at his left arm revealed dense black lines spreading from the wound, accompanied by a faint stench.
Clearly, the needle that had grazed his arm was coated in poison.
With no time to treat the injury, Aoming merely channeled chakra to boost the self-healing ability of the affected area, countering the poison for the moment. Then, he turned sharply toward the direction the needle had come from.
There, he saw a familiar figure—it was none other than Ao.
Their gazes locked from a distance. Aoming could feel Ao's white eye, hidden beneath his black eyepatch, locked intently on him.
"No wonder his aim was so precise; turns out he had the Byakugan assisting him," Aoming thought, narrowing his eyes as he flung a few shuriken in retaliation.
Simultaneously, his chakra wings flapped, propelling him skyward as he attempted to disengage from the fight. However, while Aoming wanted to retreat, Ao and the three Mist Jōnin had no intention of letting him go.
The two Special Jōnin could only hurl their poisoned kunai in a hurried attempt to hinder him. But one of the Jōnin had already completed a series of hand signs, unleashing a Wind Release jutsu.
A barrage of vacuum bullets fired from the Jōnin's mouth, rapid and relentless, forcing Aoming to maneuver his chakra wings in a zigzag pattern, barely avoiding the attacks.
Just as the barrage ceased, Ao seized the opportunity to strike. His hands moved swiftly, and a high-pressure water column shot toward Aoming with unnerving accuracy, a testament to Ao's Byakugan-enhanced vision.
The water column left Aoming no room for error. No matter which direction he dodged, it would inevitably find its mark. To make matters worse, Ao could control its trajectory to an extent, further narrowing Aoming's options.
"I can't dodge this one!" Aoming's mind raced. Without hesitation, he sheathed his sword and formed hand seals, unleashing a Fire Release: Dragon Fire Jutsu toward the incoming water column.
Whoosh!
A jet of flame erupted from Aoming's mouth, transforming mid-air into a fiery dragon that charged straight at the water column.
The clash resulted in a loud sizzle, producing a cloud of steam as both attacks canceled each other out.
Despite this, Ao showed no sign of frustration.
The distraction had served its purpose. By now, the scattered Mist Chūnin and Genin had regained their footing. Though individually weak, their numbers could create a formidable threat to Aoming, especially when guided by the Mist Jōnin and equipped with poisoned and explosive-laden kunai.
A swarm of projectiles filled the air, cutting off Aoming's escape path and forcing him to respond.
Meanwhile, the three Mist Jōnin simultaneously unleashed their ninjutsu, aiming to exhaust and trap Aoming. Their strategy was clear: grind him down with wave after wave of coordinated attacks.
But Aoming wasn't fooled. As he deflected attacks, his eyes darted toward Ao.
"They can't outlast me in a battle of attrition," Aoming mused. With his vast chakra reserves, trying to wear him down was a futile effort. He understood that the Mist Ninjas wouldn't resort to this strategy unless they had an ulterior motive.
"There must be a hidden plan at play," he thought grimly.
Using his Sharingan's acute perception, Aoming scanned the battlefield, finally noticing a peculiar detail. A few Mist Ninja were subtly maneuvering closer to him, with the others deliberately providing cover for them.
From his aerial vantage point, the pattern became apparent—those few were the key players in some kind of scheme.
"Could it be those individuals?" Aoming considered, still uncertain of their exact role.
Not wasting time, he unleashed a Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu toward their position.
Boom!
A flaming sphere descended. One of the nearby Mist Jōnin abandoned his own attack to counter with a Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu, nullifying the fireball before it could land.
This confirmed Aoming's suspicion: those ninjas were critical to the Mist's plan.
Aoming wasted no time targeting them repeatedly, forcing the Jōnin to expend energy protecting them while keeping himself at a safe distance.
Time ticked by as the battle continued. The Mist Jōnin, including Ao, soon realized Aoming had unraveled their strategy and was deliberately dragging the fight out to drain their resources.
Abandoning their feints, the Mist forces shifted tactics. The three Jōnin, along with a group of a dozen capable Chūnin, unleashed a barrage of coordinated attacks to corner Aoming and force him within range of the previously protected group.
At the same time, those mysterious ninjas began closing in on Aoming, revealing the purpose behind their previous actions.
Noticing this, Aoming made a split-second decision. Taking a hit from a stray water arrow, he channeled a large amount of chakra to unleash Wind Release: Great Breakthrough once again.
Whoosh!
A fierce gale swept through the battlefield. The ensuing windstorm disrupted the incoming attacks and scattered the Mist Ninjas, leaving them momentarily disoriented.
Despite the chaos, Aoming remained vigilant. He hadn't forgotten how Ao had exploited a similar situation to launch a deadly sneak attack with a poisoned needle earlier.
This time, however, Ao held back, while the previously protected Mist Chūnin sprang into action. Freed from the storm's effects, they swiftly formed hand seals, activating a sealing jutsu.
Dark patterns spread across the ground beneath them, revealing an intricate sealing formation.
"So that's their plan!" Aoming's eyes narrowed. The purpose of the Mist's tactics was now clear: these ninjas were seal masters, and their aim was to bind him.
However, their timing was just a fraction too late. Aoming escaped the sealing formation with ease, rendering their efforts futile.
The Mist forces fell into disarray. Ao's frustration was palpable as he surveyed the battlefield. Aoming, though wounded, remained agile and defiant in the sky, while his own troops were battered and demoralized.
Just as Ao contemplated his next move, the sound of rapid footsteps reached his ears.
Tensing, Ao activated his Byakugan and scanned the area. Through the terrain, he saw a group of battered Mist Ninjas approaching from the distance.
Their appearance reminded Ao of the primary mission at hand, prompting his mind to work at lightning speed.