Chapter 172: Pursuit and Evasion

Words : 922 Updated : Oct 4th, 2025

Although he successfully forced Seimei back, Han didn't continue his attack. Instead, he stopped about ten meters away, watching Seimei with vigilance. Both the previous surprise attack with kunai and jutsu, and the precise sword strike just now, had made him feel threatened. He didn't dare to act rashly. Now, he just wanted to wait for his other six teammates to arrive before taking down Seimei together. Unlike many jinchuriki, Han was cautious despite his strength. When he realized the potential danger of facing Seimei alone, he opted for a more conservative approach - waiting for backup. However, while Han could afford to delay, Seimei couldn't. His Sharingan's pupils shifted slightly as he glanced into the distance. The other six Iwa ninja were rapidly approaching along the path Han had cleared. Although confident in his abilities, Seimei couldn't face seven Jonin simultaneously, especially with a jinchuriki among them. 'I need to retreat first!' he thought, pushing off the ground and swiftly moving backward. Han immediately gave chase. He was cautious but not cowardly. Seeing Seimei flee, he naturally pursued. His red armor, enveloped in steam, seemed even brighter under the high temperature. His speed increased, closing the distance between him and Seimei. Just as he was about to be caught, Seimei suddenly turned and formed hand seals. A powerful mental pressure emanated from his Sharingan, sweeping across the area. "What?" Han's pupils constricted. He felt an overwhelming pressure from Seimei's Sharingan. He had fought Uchiha Jonin before, but their Three-Tomoe Sharingan hadn't given him such pressure. What was going on with this kid? Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, but he couldn't find an answer. 'Forget it,' he thought, lowering his hat to block his vision and avoid eye contact with Seimei. This was the opportunity Seimei was waiting for. The moment Han's vision was obscured, he changed his hand seals, switching from the planned Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique to Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu. Anyone familiar with these techniques would find this impossible. They were completely different, and a seamless transition shouldn't be possible. Indeed, it was impossible for most people. But Seimei was different. He had mastered the Demonic Illusion: Shackling Stakes Technique to Lv5 (0/0), allowing him to control it freely. He had also trained the Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu to Lv4, and his Chakra Control was at Lv4. Combined with his understanding of Fire Style from the mastered Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, he achieved the impossible - a seamless hand seal transition. As a result, his Fireball Jutsu was incredibly sudden. By the time Han realized something was wrong, a massive fireball, three meters in diameter, was already upon him. Feeling the intense heat, Han knew he couldn't withstand it. At the critical moment, he roared, ejecting a large amount of high-temperature steam from his armor's gaps. Using the steam's recoil, he moved several meters sideways, narrowly avoiding the fireball. Seeing the attack about to miss, Seimei immediately detonated the fireball. A terrifying explosion and shockwave hit Han from behind, sending him flying and crashing to the ground. He quickly got up, seemingly unharmed. Even the intense flames were blocked by his steam armor. Seimei wasn't surprised. The armor could withstand high-temperature steam, so blocking the Fireball Jutsu wasn't unexpected. Glancing at the approaching Iwa ninja, Seimei knew he couldn't stay any longer. He threw several kunai with explosive tags at Han and continued to flee. The kunai seemed randomly thrown, but they weren't. With his Sharingan's keen eyesight, he aimed them at Han's vulnerable spots, hindering his pursuit. Loud explosions erupted behind him, followed by the whooshing sound of Han's steam-accelerated movement. Seimei used the sound to gauge Han's position. Whenever Han got close, he would turn and attack, always starting with genjutsu. This forced Han to block his vision. And once Han did that, Seimei would change tactics, switching to ninjutsu, throwing tools, or setting traps. He used various methods to prevent Han from getting close. Han, wary of Seimei's Sharingan, fell for his tricks every time. Despite his strength, he couldn't utilize it effectively and was led by Seimei. He had considered fighting back, but whenever he felt the pressure from Seimei's Sharingan, he would instinctively avoid eye contact. His intuition told him that falling for a genjutsu would be disastrous. Moreover, the Five-Tails also seemed wary of Seimei's Sharingan, making him even more hesitant. Thus, the two continued their chase through the forest, heading towards the main Konoha force. The six Iwa ninja behind them, seeing the stalemate, didn't rush to assist. They maintained a leisurely pace. At first, Seimei didn't understand their intention, but after some thought, he realized they were trying to follow him to locate the Konoha main force. Upon realizing this, Seimei ignored them. Their presence confirmed his suspicions about the spy and the possibility of it being an Iwa ninja. The main force's location was no longer a secret; it was just a matter of time before the Iwa ninja received the updated information. So, let them follow. It only meant they would discover the location a bit earlier. Perhaps they could even use this opportunity to eliminate these six. However, Seimei seemed to have forgotten one thing: there were also Iwa pursuers behind them. This was bound to affect his plans. (End of Chapter)

Chapter 172: Pursuit and Evasion

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