Chapter 47: Escape 2

"Be careful underground!"

The Anbu ninja from the Yamanaka clan had extremely sharp perceptions. As soon as the Iwagakure ninjas launched a counterattack, he noticed something unusual and immediately raised a warning.

However, he was not the first to detect the movement beneath his feet. Bai Shi's Level III [Five Senses Enhancement] afforded him a more sensitive perception.

Therefore, before the Yamanaka ninja could open his mouth, Bai Shi had already leaped high, narrowly avoiding a sharp earth thorn that was rapidly growing below him.

"Earth Style: Earth Lung Spear!"

Shiraishi recognized this iconic earth-style ninjutsu instantly.

Glancing at the earth spikes chasing after him from below, Bai Shi maintained an indifferent expression, showing no sign of nervousness. As he soared through the air, he twisted his body slightly and easily dodged the attack.

However, before he could return to the ground, dozens, even hundreds of earth spikes erupted from the ground, turning an area of over ten meters in radius into a "needle forest."

At the same time, in the sky, Ōnoki seized the opportunity to perform the Dust Release: Original World Separation Technique.

In an instant, a palm-sized transparent cube barrier formed between his palms. With a swift push, it flew rapidly toward Bai Shi.

Sensing the danger approaching from behind, Bai Shi didn't hesitate for a moment. He instantly locked onto the kunai he had thrown earlier and activated the Flying Thunder God Technique.

In an instant, his figure vanished from the spot.

Bang!

A ball of white light exploded, annihilating the place where Bai Shi had just been standing. The "needle forest" formed by the earth spikes was completely erased from existence.

---

**Behind him.**

Bai Shi's expression grew grave. Although he had narrowly avoided the joint attack of Ōnoki and a member of Iwagakure Anbu, he had distanced himself from Xiang and the others.

Moreover, it appeared that this was the other party's intention.

As he watched the four Konoha Anbu trying to regroup but being held back by the Iwagakure Anbu, Bai Shi muttered to himself, "It seems we can't just sit back and watch anymore!"

Originally, he had planned to conserve energy and let Xiang and the others cover his escape. But given the current situation, if he continued to stall, he might not be able to escape at all.

Bai Shi observed Xiang and his companions in peril under the siege of a group of rock ninjas and thought, "We can't let them perish so quickly; we need to stabilize the situation first!"

With this resolve, Bai Shi stopped holding back chakra. He quickly completed the hand seals and performed his signature ninjutsu—Wood Release: Tree World Descent.

In the current predicament of fewer allies against an overwhelming force, this ninjutsu was perfectly suited to turn the tide.

In just a few moments, the deciduous forest within a hundred meters of radius, centered on the white stone, transformed into a verdant jungle filled with vitality.

Hidden among the trees, Bai Shi manipulated the vines to launch attacks on the Iwagakure Anbu while simultaneously searching for an opportunity to escape.

The four Konoha Anbu led by Xiang displayed combat prowess far beyond their usual capabilities, bolstered by the cover of the vines.

In mere moments, they not only countered the offense of the Rock Ninjas but also eliminated several of them.

Particularly impressive was the Anbu member from the Nara clan who, utilizing the unique environment, pushed his shadow techniques to the limit, taking down four Iwagakure Anbu by himself.

However, the good fortunes did not last long. Just as Bai Shi contemplated whether to assist these four individuals with all his strength, a brilliant white light suddenly fell from the sky.

In an instant, a large expanse of the forest Bai Shi had created was obliterated.

Not only that, but the Konoha Anbu who had just successfully dispatched a formidable foe with their shadow technique was also caught in the destruction.

Feeling a chill in his heart, Bai Shi realized he didn't know how many times Ōnoki could use the Dust Release: Limit Separation Technique, but it was certain each use would sap a considerable amount of his chakra.

As the saying goes, "When it rains, it pours."

Bai Shi had just expended a massive amount of chakra to restore the forest when another Iwagakure ninja caused significant damage.

This individual was none other than Kari. With his explosive release capabilities, every punch or kick he threw could create an explosion, and the devastation he caused rivaled that of Ōnoki himself.

'No, we can't let him continue wreaking havoc like this.' This thought raced through Bai Shi's mind as he immediately commanded the vines to attack the other fighter.

However, Kari showed no intention of evading and opted to confront the attack head-on.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The explosions echoed in quick succession. After attacking for a while, Bai Shi decided to halt his offensive.

The opponent's extensive combat experience left Bai Shi unable to find any openings. Continuing the assault would deplete his chakra reserves too rapidly.

Yet allowing the enemy to inflict damage would also have dire consequences.

Just as Bai Shi found himself in this dilemma, the Aburame clan ninja, usually so unobtrusive, sprang into action.

Countless insects poured out from his body, swarming toward Kari.

Kari's explosive escape was indeed formidable, but when faced with a commandable swarm of insects, he was unable to utilize his full power.

With Kari entangled, Bai Shi felt immediate relief, which allowed him to focus more on providing support.

Thanks to Bai Shi's assistance, Xiang and the others managed to hold their ground against enemies that vastly outnumbered them.

However, this situation could not last long for a simple reason: the chakra of several people was depleting too quickly.

Once their chakra was exhausted, they would be like fish on a chopping board, at the mercy of their adversaries.

The Iwagakure ninjas knew this as well, so they refrained from attacking with full force while remaining vigilant against Bai Shi and his team, ever ready to thwart their escape.

---

Time passed minute by minute, and the battle continued, the condition of Xiang and others worsening.

During this time, they attempted to break through multiple times but were thwarted each time.

"A, prepare for action; we'll try one last time."

Suddenly, a voice echoed in Bai Shi's mind—it was the Yamanaka clan ninja.

What he was performing now was his family's secret ninjutsu: the Mind Communication Technique, which allowed him to converse with the target without any external apparatus.

This was how they had communicated during previous breakout attempts.

However, unlike before, Bai Shi did not agree this time. He merely responded in his mind: "Just continue with the current situation."

"What do you mean?"

"It means you don't need to do anything." Bai Shi replied.

The other ninja fell silent for a moment, seemingly comprehending, and then responded: "Okay, understood."

---

In a hidden corner where no one could see, a vine embedded deep in the soil extended into the distance.

Due to the suppression of the 'Four Beasts Spiritual Shock Formation', Bai Shi could sense marks only within seventy meters, a range he had tested not long ago.

He was nearly two hundred meters away from the edge of the 'Four Beasts Spiritual Shock Formation.' Thus, if he wanted to leave, he would have to teleport at least three times.

While this might seem straightforward, one should not forget that the prerequisite for using the Flying Thunder God Technique is that the target location must be marked.

To address this, Bai Shi devised a plan.

He left a Flying Thunder God mark at the front end of a vine and then subtly controlled its growth, continuously extending it outward. Whenever a mark disappeared from his perception range, he would affix another Flying Thunder God mark onto the vine.

In this way, as soon as the third mark fell out of his perception radius, it would mean that the vines had grown beyond the coverage of the 'Four Beasts Spiritual Shock Formation.'

At that point, he would be ready to teleport away.

---