Chapter 69: Ink Penetration
At the same time, Sarutobi Tenchu and his two companions remained alert toward Li Yao, even while they were rescuing civilian hostages below.
As Li Yao used the civilians as a distraction and launched himself toward Sarutobi Ayase by propelling himself with two black iron chains, all three of them immediately reacted.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...!
Among them, Sarutobi Tenchu and one other ninja each threw four kunai, each tied with explosive tags, aimed at Li Yao in mid-air.
The third member, a branch family Hyūga, released a powerful Eight Trigrams Bakuum Palm toward the two black iron chains Li Yao was using to propel himself.
The air cannon created by the chakra burst through the sky in ripples, striking the chains.
In an instant—just twenty meters from Ayase and before he could even launch his attack—Li Yao faced coordinated counterattacks from all three opponents.
He hadn't anticipated such a swift response and had no time to plan a proper defense.
Clang clang clang...!
Almost by instinct, Li Yao summoned over ten black iron chains to form a protective sphere around himself.
Boom boom boom...
BOOM!
The attacks all struck simultaneously as the chain sphere closed.
The explosion from the explosive tags sent Li Yao momentarily higher, but two massive ink birds collided with him mid-air.
The moment of impact, however, revealed that the birds were brittle, dissolving into a huge splash of black ink that splattered across the surface of Li Yao's protective sphere.
At the same time, the Hyūga's attack landed on the two supporting chains from below.
"Seems my black iron chains still have superior defense."
When the attacks subsided, Li Yao remained unharmed within the sphere. The two chains supporting his ascent remained firm and undamaged.
Victory was his—at least for now.
A confident smile crept onto Li Yao's face.
But it didn't last.
"What is this...?"
Just as he attempted to lash out with a chain toward Ayase perched on her ink bird, the ink that had splashed across the sphere clung to it like industrial glue—dense and sticky.
His chains strained, like springs pulled taut, only to be snapped back by the adhesive force.
Worse yet, the ink began seeping through the gaps in his chains toward his body.
"Not good!"
Li Yao's expression changed. If that ink reached his body, he'd be completely restrained and unable to fight back.
With a thought, he summoned his black iron chain chakra cloak, followed immediately by Fire Release chakra that ignited flames around him.
Whoosh!
Blazing fire burst forth inside the iron sphere, forming a fireball.
"No hand seals... and Fire Release too?"
Sensing the heat and chakra quality, Sarutobi Tenchu noted it down—Li Yao could use high-level Fire Release ninjutsu without hand seals.
"But you think fire will burn away Ayase's ink?"
"Heh... too naive."
Tenchu sneered.
Ayase's Super Beast Imitating Drawing didn't use normal ink. It was flowing graphite. Fire wouldn't evaporate it—it would only make it tougher.
"Damn, it's not burning."
"I'll try Lightning Release."
"Ugh..."
Just as Li Yao switched elements, the ink had already slipped through the gaps in his armor.
Within moments, he was completely engulfed.
"Detonate," Ayase murmured.
BOOM!
Just like the Konoha ninjas he had previously crushed with his chains, Li Yao was now crushed and exploded within a cocoon of hardened ink.
"Hmph. So much for the hype."
Hearing the crushing sound from within the chain sphere, Sarutobi Tenchu's eyes filled with disdain. He hadn't even used half of his abilities, and Li Yao was already dead.
"I don't understand why Father was so afraid of him."
But that confusion would not last.
The chains vanished.
Yet there was no shredded corpse inside—no blood, no remains.
Only emptiness.
"A shadow clone…"
Tenchu's expression darkened. The others didn't look any better.
By now, it was obvious: the one they had fought was only a shadow clone.
Though they had defeated it quickly, they had inadvertently exposed a tactic that countered Li Yao's sealing chains.
Next time, he'd be ready. That strategy wouldn't work again.
Worse, despite being elite trackers—
One with Super Beast Imitating Drawing to scout the terrain, another from the Hyūga with Byakugan—
Li Yao had still escaped them.
It was humiliating.
The darkened expression on Tenchu's face showed how much this stung.
Step step step.
Ayase and the two other teammates rejoined Tenchu.
"What now?" Ayase asked.
They had no idea when the real Li Yao had separated from his clone—whether he'd continued east, leaving the clone here, or changed direction earlier.
Tenchu frowned in thought, then said, "Ayase, scan the outskirts of the town."
Ayase nodded. "Understood."
"Shika," he said to the Hyūga, "check if Li Yao's hiding in the town."
"Got it," Hyūga Shika replied.
Tenchu turned to the last member. "Ryoma, come with me. We'll investigate anyone in town who's seen Li Yao."
Ryoma, skilled in memory interrogation, nodded. "Understood."
The four split up and began their search.
Thirty minutes later, they regrouped.
"What did you find?" Tenchu asked.
Ayase and Shika both shook their heads. "No signs of Li Yao."
There was no trace of him in town, and the outskirts revealed no tracks indicating his departure.
"Then it really was just a shadow clone that came here," Tenchu said.
The others nodded. It was the only explanation.
"Retrace the path. Expand the search. Find where he separated from his clone," Tenchu ordered.
If it was just a clone, then the real Li Yao must have split from it along the route.
They had to find that point—no matter what.
This time, they would not let Li Yao play them again.
(END CHAPTER)
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