As the tornado gradually dissipated, the Kumogakure ninja fell from the sky one after another, crashing onto the ground in all directions. Many of them were already badly injured, and those who had been severely wounded beforehand died instantly upon impact.
Aoto knelt on one knee and looked toward the spot where Asuka had been standing moments earlier. Aside from the destruction left behind by the tornado, there was no trace of him.
"Damn it! He escaped!" Aoto slammed his fist into the ground in frustration.
He quickly stood up and glared at the injured Kumogakure ninja around him.
"Get up! All of you!" he roared. "Are you not ashamed that an enemy ninja escaped right before your eyes? How can we, the ninja of Kumogakure, tolerate such humiliation? Get up! The enemy couldn't have gone far. If we pursue now, we can still catch him!"
His words reignited the fighting spirit of the surrounding ninja. Shouting angrily about making the enemy pay, they scattered in different directions to search for Asuka's trail.
Aoto walked over to Darui and checked his injuries. When he saw Darui's severed left arm, a flash of regret crossed his eyes.
After arranging for several people to escort the severely wounded back to the border station, Aoto personally led a team to track Asuka's movements.
---
After creating the tornado, Asuka had used the opportunity to break through toward the interior of the Land of Lightning. However, through his sensory perception, he could feel more and more Kumogakure ninja converging on his position.
"Tsk. Kumogakure's mobilization speed is pretty impressive," Asuka muttered while moving. "They managed to gather this many ninja in such a short time."
Despite the pressure, he didn't slow down. Instead, he chose a direction where the encirclement seemed weakest and rushed forward.
Although Asuka's perception was extremely powerful, the Kumogakure search net was simply too dense. They also had sensory ninja assisting in the hunt.
Before long, he was spotted again.
However, the Kumogakure ninja had already learned their lesson. After discovering him, they did not immediately attempt to intercept him. Instead, they quietly notified nearby squads and began forming a large perimeter around him.
By the time Asuka realized something was wrong, numerous Kumogakure ninja had already appeared within the range of his perception.
Sensing the tightening encirclement, Asuka couldn't help but mutter,
"The Five Great Nations really aren't simple. Even those muscleheads from Kumogakure know how to use tactics."
He immediately changed direction again, attempting another breakthrough.
When the pursuing ninja reached the place where he had just been, they quickly noticed the sudden change.
"Damn it! That bastard noticed us," one of them cursed. "Look, he suddenly changed direction here. It's completely opposite to his previous path!"
"It seems this guy has extremely strong sensory abilities," another ninja said grimly. "Even though we deliberately kept our distance, he still detected us. His perception range must be enormous."
"So what do we do now? If this continues, we'll lose him for sure."
"Hmph. I refuse to believe he's made of iron," another replied coldly. "There will be times when he relaxes his guard—times when he needs to eat or rest. We'll track him in shifts. Once anyone finds his trail, immediately notify the others."
After a brief discussion, the Kumogakure ninja quickly settled on their pursuit strategy. Against an opponent with such powerful sensory abilities, the only viable option was prolonged pursuit—wearing him down through constant pressure.
With their plan decided, the Kumogakure ninja began tracking Asuka in rotating groups.
---
While continuously trying to break through the encirclement, Asuka occasionally encountered isolated Kumogakure search squads.
Every time such a squad encountered him, the result was the same.
They were completely wiped out.
These repeated losses greatly angered Kumogakure, and the number of search teams increased dramatically.
The patrol frequency became more intense, tightening like a massive net and gradually shrinking the space Asuka had to maneuver.
---
Inside the hollow trunk of an old tree, Asuka sat cross-legged, quietly recovering his chakra.
"It looks like Kumogakure is really determined to capture me this time," he murmured.
Over the past few days, the squads he had encountered were clearly stronger and more numerous than before.
Casually tossing a soldier pill into his mouth, Asuka focused his consciousness on the mutant gene pool within his mind and began channeling chakra into a gene segment that was on the verge of awakening.
Ding.
In his mind, the newly unlocked genome activated, and its ability instantly appeared in his consciousness.
Seeing what he had obtained, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Asuka's mouth.
"Looks like my luck has finally turned around. I've finally unlocked something powerful."
His eyes briefly glowed with a faint red light before returning to normal.
The ability he had awakened this time possessed tremendous destructive power even among mutants.
Cyclops.
That's right—the gene came from Scott Summers, the leader of the X-Men.
Cyclops' destructive power was astonishing, capable of easily tearing through large buildings. At maximum output, it could even destroy a small asteroid.
Asuka was extremely satisfied with this new ability.
He had always lacked a method for sustained, high-level destructive power. Cyclops' optic blast perfectly filled that gap.
After familiarizing himself with the changes brought by the new ability, Asuka leaned back against the tree hollow and closed his eyes to rest.
---
Not long after he dozed off, several unfamiliar chakra signatures appeared within his sensory range.
Asuka slowly opened his eyes with a helpless expression.
"These Kumogakure ninja are really persistent," he sighed. "They still haven't given up."
He stood up and stretched slightly, preparing for the next battle.
Soon, a Kumogakure squad arrived near the tree hollow where he was hiding. As if sensing something unusual, they slowed their pace.
The leading ninja made a hand signal, and the others immediately spread out to search the surrounding area.
Before long, one of the ninja approached the tree hollow where Asuka was hiding.
Just as he was about to investigate—
A bone bullet shot out from inside the tree, striking him squarely in the chest.
The ninja collapsed instantly.
The noise immediately alerted the rest of the squad.
After firing a signal flare into the sky, the squad leader moved forward to confront Asuka alongside his teammates. Though they were clearly terrified, none of them took a step back.
The Kumogakure ninja exchanged brief glances before charging forward with grim determination.
A gentle breeze swept through the forest.
In the next instant, Asuka and the Kumogakure squad had already passed each other.
As Asuka calmly brushed the dust off his clothes, the ninja behind him collapsed silently to the ground.
Watching the signal flare smoke slowly disperse in the sky, Asuka set off once again.
---
Not long after he left, another Kumogakure squad arrived at the scene.
Among them was Aoto.
He stepped forward personally and examined the wounds on the fallen ninja. After a moment, he returned to the group and spoke respectfully to a tall, burly man standing nearby.
"Sir, it's confirmed. It was that Kaguya clan ninja. Judging from the wounds, they were all killed almost instantly. The time of death is nearly identical."
The man Aoto addressed as "sir" spoke in a deep voice.
"Can you determine which direction he fled?"
Before Aoto could answer, another Kumogakure ninja hurried over and knelt before them.
"Sir, we've found the enemy's trail."
The man nodded.
"Then what are you waiting for?" he said coldly. "Lead the way."
"Yes, sir!"
The surrounding ninja responded in unison.
The arrival of this man had clearly boosted their morale. Every ninja present believed that with this leader personally joining the pursuit, that troublesome Kaguya clan ninja would finally be defeated.
---------------Author---------------
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