"Screech—!"
Daibai raised its head and let out a metallic cry, its golden eyes burning with fighting spirit.
Ever since the pair of desert giant falcons were slain by Umino Yoru, none of the Suna pursuit squad's flying summoning beasts could match Daibai in the sky. But even the mightiest ruler of the skies could be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
Though the distant Suna forces were delayed by the misty forest and couldn't immediately give chase, they had still sent out scouting falcons to shadow Umino's unit like ghosts.
These feathered pests maintained a safe distance of three kilometers, monitoring Umino's movements while keeping wary of the high-pressure water jet that had once split the heavens.
Umino Yoru had no intention of wasting a cannon on mosquitoes—losing his cool and using a strategic-level ninjutsu like Water Severing Wave on mere scouts would be madness.
Besides, after unleashing that technique earlier, using his own body as a high-pressure pump, his chest still ached faintly.
If not for the incredible regenerative power of the Gluttony Technique, he wouldn't have been able to use that jutsu again so soon.
"Daibai, heal first, then fight."
Umino gently stroked the blood-crusted wounds on Daibai's body before swiftly forming hand seals. A small, watery orb—similar in appearance to the Water Prison Technique—materialized around his hands.
"Water Healing Technique!"
A pale green water bubble enveloped Daibai's injuries.
Sizzle…
The damaged flesh rapidly regenerated, as if new life were sprouting. In moments, all of Daibai's external wounds had fully healed.
While this Water Healing Technique couldn't match the Mystical Palm Technique in potency, it excelled in treating multiple wounds simultaneously over a wide area.
Thanks to this jutsu, not a single member of Umino's unit had been left behind—everyone remained unharmed.
Earlier, when his subordinates saw Umino's pale face, they assumed he had exhausted his chakra after unleashing the S-rank Water Severing Wave. Yet despite that, he still went on to heal the injured genin with his Water Healing Technique.
This act moved his men deeply, and without even intending to, Umino had won their loyalty—making it effortless for him to reorganize the entire unit.
In truth, Umino had only strained his abdomen from forcibly executing the S-rank jutsu. As for his chakra reserves, while they had been nearly depleted at first, they had mostly recovered after Fūjin, Raijin, and Hagumo Hayama eliminated the two Suna jonin covering the retreat.
Using the Water Healing Technique afterward was no challenge at all—it wasn't even a high-level jutsu, just a byproduct of his research into the Gluttony Technique.
Some time ago, he had attempted to refine the Gluttony Technique further, hoping to develop a self-healing ability akin to the Strength of a Hundred Seal. But progress had been minimal—he hadn't even achieved the level of regeneration seen in someone like Yakushi Kabuto.
Still, his Yang Release healing techniques had improved significantly.
After inheriting the full depth of the Second Hokage's water-style secrets, Umino's mastery of water jutsu had skyrocketed. Through experimentation, he managed to merge water-style with Yang Release healing, creating the Water Healing Technique.
The process revealed water-natured chakra's astonishing adaptability.
The pale green water prison not only carried Yang energy but also used the vibration of water molecules to strip away its violent elements—even erasing chakra imprints—allowing the healing energy to seep in as gently as spring rain.
The moment this technique was perfected, its effectiveness surpassed that of the entire medical platoon led by Koyuki.
Had Umino not deliberately left minor injuries for them to practice on, the traditional medical unit might have been forced to transition into a psychological counseling team.
But during this desperate retreat, mental wounds were just as critical as physical ones—therapy was a vital part of medical care.
And Koyuki didn't disappoint.
With her remarkable charisma, she infused the soothing properties of medical chakra into psychological counseling, quietly reshaping the unit's morale like a nurturing breeze.
The once-fearful fugitives had transformed into steely-eyed warriors. A few more decisive victories under Umino's command, and this broken army would fully regain its fighting spirit—forging itself into an unbreakable force.
"Screech—!"
Daibai spread its freshly healed wings, ready to take to the skies and resume its battle with Suna's aerial forces—but Uchiha Shun stepped forward, volunteering to join.
By now, Umino had mostly recovered, so he agreed. Together with Uchiha Shun, he mounted Daibai.
Seeing this, the rest of the unit also clamored to join, but considering Daibai's carrying capacity—which maxed out at three adults—Umino didn't add any more weight.
"Water Style: Sticky Syrup Armor!"
Umino formed seals, coating himself and Uchiha Shun in a thin layer of adhesive armor. Though not thick, it was more than enough to deflect attacks from small-to-medium summoning beasts.
The moment Daibai ascended beyond the unit's position, Suna's flying summons swarmed in like a stormcloud.
Dozens of small, red-beaked ironclaw falcons shrieked as they formed a cone-shaped assault, streaking forward like bullets. Another group of falcons maneuvered to cut off their escape.
Daibai, however, was no stranger to aerial combat. Instead of charging head-on, it used its speed and size to outmaneuver the flock, circling to strike from the flanks.
At that moment, Uchiha Shun—seated atop Daibai—drew eight kunai from his pouch, gripping them between his fingers.
"Three-Tomoe Sharingan!"
Umino's eyes narrowed in surprise.
He hadn't expected Uchiha Shun to be hiding such power—not only had he awakened the Sharingan, but it was already at the three-tomoe stage.
The moment his eyes activated, Uchiha Shun hurled all eight kunai in rapid succession.
The Suna falcons dodged, evading the deadly trajectories—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
But then, the trailing kunai suddenly accelerated, striking the earlier ones with pinpoint precision.
In a flash of redirected steel, the kunai altered their paths like a well-rehearsed circus act—each one plunging straight into a falcon's eye socket.
"Tch—!"
Umino sucked in a sharp breath.
Such precise combat analysis!
The Uchiha throwing style was legendary, but he had never seen it executed with such tactical brilliance.
This single display of kunai mastery carried shades of battle artistry reminiscent of Uchiha Itachi and Namikaze Minato.
Immediately, Umino activated his Sonic Radar Technique, analyzing every detail.
The Uchiha throwing style was undeniably a formidable skill. While it might not decide battles against true elites, against lesser foes, it was nothing short of a reaping technique—a godly method for clearing the battlefield..
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