Chapter 136: Another One Delivered
"That's... Konoha's Super Beast Imitating Drawing!"
Through the summoned giant eagle, Damoya Noji furrowed his brow as he spotted an ink eagle flying toward him from ten kilometers away. Then he sighed with a helpless smile.
"Looks like Li Yao's whereabouts were leaked by Konoha again."
"Konoha, huh… What exactly are they planning?"
Damoya Noji's eyes narrowed in thought.
"A test subject who escaped from Konoha, possessing the terrifying Wood Release bloodline limit. Yet Konoha doesn't act directly — instead, they conveniently 'leak' his location to others each time."
"Could it be that even Konoha fears Li Yao?"
Recalling the terrifying power Li Yao displayed in his battle with the Raikage, Damoya Noji considered the possibility.
Li Yao's strength was indeed formidable. If even the boss couldn't deal with him, then Konoha likely couldn't either.
"So... Konoha deliberately reveals his location to get others to wear him down, gather intel, and then strike once he's weakened."
"Hmph, Konoha is as devious as ever."
Feeling as if he'd seen through their schemes, Damoya Noji let out a scornful smile. He had always looked down on Konoha.
Still… his body faithfully flew toward the ink eagle.
Soon, the ink eagle and Damoya Noji met in the air.
"Lead the way," Damoya Noji said with disdain. He knew the one on the other end could see and understand him via visual sharing with the ink hawk, even reading his lips.
Whatever Konoha's intentions, confirming Li Yao's location was the mission his boss had assigned.
Besides... Damoya Noji sneered inwardly.
Konoha assuming they'd just scout and gather information before acting was too optimistic.
After their last loss, where even Senior Kress had fallen, the boss had already prepared countermeasures against Li Yao.
This time, once they located him, Li Yao would definitely be taken down.
"Huh… this guy seems..."
Through the ink eagle's shared vision, Li Yao was initially confused. He couldn't read lips, but Damoya Noji's attitude clearly suggested a case of mistaken identity.
"Yeah… he thinks I'm someone else."
Li Yao realized what had happened.
Back when the Third Raikage was hunting him, he had been unable to shake pursuit because Sarutobi Ayase kept using ink birds to alert their allies.
At that time, Li Yao hadn't yet used ink-based ninjutsu, so Kumo didn't know he could use Ink Mimicry.
Now, seeing an ink eagle, they naturally assumed it was another message from Konoha.
Thinking of this, Li Yao grinned slightly, then descended and landed on the ice. He dispelled the ink eagle and activated Transformation Technique.
Poof!
As the smoke cleared, a small glacier appeared where he had stood, radiating intense cold — indistinguishable from a real one.
Except for the chakra flowing inside.
After more than a year of training, Li Yao had mastered Transformation Technique to the point he could turn into many things — birds, glaciers, even inanimate objects.
He then directed the ink eagle back toward him.
Damoya Noji followed closely behind the ink eagle.
Soon, he entered within five kilometers of Li Yao's chakra sensory range.
"Another jōnin."
From Damoya Noji's chakra volume, Li Yao immediately judged him to be at the jōnin level.
Not surprising — sending anyone weaker would be suicide.
Of course, it wasn't much different now.
Damoya Noji followed the ink eagle from about a hundred meters behind, hands ready in a seal formation, his eagle eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Where are the Konoha people?"
A hint of unease stirred within him. Logically, his summoned eagle should have better vision than the ink eagle, able to see farther.
They had already flown over twenty kilometers, yet no sign of any Konoha ninja. There was no reason Konoha should have a better vantage point than he did.
According to the boss's last intel, the Konoha ninja using Super Beast Imitating Drawing had inferior vision to his giant eagle.
So what was going on?
It seemed the ink eagle was being controlled from outside his visual range, guiding his flight.
"Is it a trap?"
Frowning, Damoya Noji released his current jutsu, then formed a new hand seal and closed his eyes.
"Wind Style: Airflow Perception Technique!"
The surrounding currents of air became like strands in a spider web, informing him of every movement within a ten-kilometer radius.
Before long, Damoya Noji flew directly over the disguised Li Yao.
The small glacier transformed by Li Yao was picked up by his airflow perception, but without chakra sensing, he didn't realize it was Li Yao.
Boom!
Zzzing...
At that moment, Li Yao dispelled the Transformation Technique. Two black iron chains launched from beneath him, propelling him like a missile toward Damoya Noji, 2,000 meters above.
"It's a trap!"
Damoya Noji flinched. The moment Li Yao moved, his airflow perception picked it up. He instantly changed hand seals.
"Wind Style: Airflow Guidance Technique!"
Air currents surged around his summoned eagle, boosting its speed to escape forward.
"So fast!"
"But... I can do that too."
With a thought, Li Yao summoned a streamlined ink bird with three pairs of wings, then infused it with Wind Release chakra, generating a high-speed airflow across its surface that removed all drag.
Whoosh!
In a flash, the ink bird shot toward Damoya Noji like a black arrow.
"That's Li Yao!!!"
"Wait, why is he using Super Beast Imitating Drawing?"
Damoya Noji turned and saw Li Yao speeding toward him. Instantly, he recognized the target from his mission profile.
But the ink bird beneath Li Yao left him stunned.
"No good!"
"He's too fast!"
"I absolutely cannot let him get close."
No time to wonder why Li Yao could use Super Beast Imitating Drawing, Damoya Noji's mind raced as he remembered the intel from his boss: Li Yao possessed an immensely powerful genjutsu that had incapacitated four elite jōnin instantly.
"Wind Style: Great Gust—damn it!"
Just as he began to activate an attack, his vision went black. All sensations vanished. He realized he'd been caught in a genjutsu — and couldn't break free.
Thud!
Damoya Noji collapsed atop his summoned eagle. With the airflow technique deactivated, the eagle's speed dropped drastically — and Li Yao closed the gap in seconds.
"Ink Spear: Piercing Bloom Technique."
A long ink spear shot from Li Yao's hand, stabbing into the giant eagle. It then released seven or eight thinner ink spikes from within its belly, killing it instantly.
"Are all summoned beasts this loyal?"
Li Yao extended his Vajra Chain and pierced into Damoya Noji, extracting his chakra and sealing it into his massive scroll.
Watching the giant eagle die without trying to escape, Li Yao was moved.
Summoned beasts could usually return to their origin planes voluntarily.
But this was the second time one had stayed — and died — rather than retreat. Clearly, these eagles were exceptionally loyal.
(END CHAPTER)
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