Fūmori Masaki sensed that the Third Raikage was not pursuing him, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He prepared to regroup with the others. In that strange form of perception, he saw the ripples others created in the "water," and even with trees obstructing the view, he could see them clearly.
During the battle with the Third Raikage, Fūmori Masaki felt this state was excellent and beneficial to his actions. However, now that the battle had ended, this perception had not ceased; instead, it showed a tendency to intensify.
Fūmori Masaki's pupils trembled slightly. It wasn't just his companions; the swaying of branches and leaves also created ripples. These complex ripples slowly spread across his field of vision. It didn't make it difficult for him to distinguish things—rather, it was just too clear, so clear that it was uncomfortable.
Time seemed to have stopped, and all sounds had vanished. Fūmori Masaki's feeling at this moment was unprecedented. The ripples brought a massive amount of information; every tree, every branch, every leaf, and even the stones on the ground seemed to become part of his perception.
Fūmori Masaki felt as though his consciousness was about to be scattered. In a daze, he seemed to hear Satomi's voice, growing louder and clearer—"Masaki, Masaki, Masaki!"
The last shout felt like a blow to the head, causing Fūmori Masaki to completely break free from that state of perception. Everything returned to normal, and Satomi was right beside him, looking at him with concern.
"Masaki, are you okay? Why aren't you saying anything?" Satomi asked.
"It's nothing." Fūmori Masaki realized just how dangerous that moment had been. He didn't want to worry Satomi, so he didn't say anything, but he couldn't help but ponder the cause in his heart.
This form of perception was too strange. Fūmori Masaki felt it must be due to Ninjutsu, but he didn't know what caused this situation. His Ninjutsu had always been a bit peculiar, and perhaps, unknowingly, a new change had occurred.
"Is that so? You don't look like you're okay," Satomi said, frowning. After all, they had been married for many years, and she could discern some of Fūmori Masaki's thoughts.
"It really is nothing. What about you? Are you hurt?" Fūmori Masaki brushed past his own situation and asked Satomi in return.
"No. Those guys were caught off guard. They were lucky to save their own lives; very few were able to counterattack," Satomi said.
"Yes, she even took down an enemy with her own hands." At this moment, Danzo, who had arrived at some unknown time, said, "I took down two. Masaki, how many did you take down?"
"It's embarrassing to say, but I didn't take down any," Fūmori Masaki said with a bitter smile. "I encountered someone very powerful; my Wind Release could barely pierce the armor on his body."
"To think there is such a person." Danzo was slightly startled. He knew the level of Fūmori Masaki's Wind Release, yet it could only pierce the opponent's armor.
"Although I couldn't use high-power Wind Release, I think even if I did, there's no way it would have caused him a fatal wound," Fūmori Masaki thought for a moment and said.
The sturdiness of the Third Raikage's Lightning Release Armor could withstand the impact of a Wind Style: Rasenshuriken. Although it couldn't fully resist it, the remaining power was not enough to cause significant damage to the Third Raikage's body, which is why Uzumaki Naruto had to use the Third Raikage's strongest spear to pierce him.
Among the Ninjutsu that Fūmori Masaki currently mastered, even with the enhancement of Ninjutsu, his Wind Release might not exceed the Wind Style: Rasenshuriken thrown by Uzumaki Naruto when he possessed the power of the Nine-Tailed. Of course, the current Third Raikage was not in his prime as he would be later, nor was he in the Edo Tensei state where he could continue fighting despite non-fatal wounds. For a living person, even a non-fatal wound would have a significant impact, so perhaps that level of intensity in Wind Release wasn't needed.
"I think to firmly suppress that person, I need to fight alongside you," Fūmori Masaki said to Danzo, believing this to be the most secure method.
Danzo frowned deeply. He did not doubt Fūmori Masaki's judgment. He didn't think the other party would exaggerate. It seemed that even other Ninja Villages possessed very formidable powerhouses.
"Hearing you say that, I feel that this retreat was the right choice." Although Senju Touka was at the front, she had heard their conversation, and she turned her head slightly to say this.
"Lady Momoka, what should we do now?" Satomi, having heard about the strength of the person Fūmori Masaki mentioned, was quite alarmed and asked.
"Kei, what is their current movement?" Senju Touka looked toward Hyūga Kei.
"They are heading back. Additionally, there are signs of movement from two Kumogakure Ninja Squads. I estimate the other Kumogakure Ninja Squads are doing the same; they are likely planning to regroup," Hyūga Kei said.
"Are they preparing for a full-scale assault?" Senju Touka immediately guessed their intention and let out a soft huff. "Just as well; it's more convenient when everyone is gathered. We will do the same, then continue with the previous battle plan to delay their progress—tch, I hope the Samurai Corps acts quickly. That's the trouble with samurai."
Compared to Ninja, samurai often have to form a large unit before they will leave the city to engage in battle. After all, their individual combat strength is already inferior to that of Ninja. If they lack an organized formation, they simply have no power to contend with Ninja. The fact that the Samurai Corps can still exist today relies solely on this point.
Just like the actions of the Kumogakure Ninja Squad, Senju Touka gathered the members of the Third Unit. With the assistance of scout Ninja, they used large-scale Genjutsu and small-scale armed strikes to skirmish with the Kumogakure Ninja Squad. Even though the Kumogakure Ninja Squad had assembled, their situation did not seem to have changed much.
"Damn it, why do those Konoha Ninja seem to always be prescient, knowing which direction we're going to take!" Hahn was forced back once again, and his annoyance grew. In a place like the Land of Lightning, where the customs are fierce, most people born there are hot-tempered. Hahn was naturally no exception. It was only his rich experience that allowed him to control himself, but the increasingly unfavorable battle situation made him lose control somewhat.
"I can only say that the scouting ability of the Konoha Ninja is superior to ours," a person nearby said calmly. "I had a premonition when they ambushed us earlier. The timing of their ambush was too coincidental, and the scale and power of that Ninjutsu could not have succeeded if it hadn't been prepared in advance."
One should say it is worthy of the future Third Raikage; at this time, he already possessed the demeanor of a leader and could see more things. Meanwhile, his junior sister, Sora, seemed to have discovered something as well.
"Speaking of which, I seem to have seen someone among them with eyes of a particularly light color, close to white. Could this person be a member of the Hyuga Clan?" Sora said.
"The Hyuga Clan? Hmm, their Byakugan is said to have extremely powerful insight, but is their insight really that formidable?" Hearing this, Hahn frowned secretly.
It wasn't that he hadn't heard of the reputation of the Hyuga Clan, but after all, hearing a hundred times is not as good as seeing once. Being in the region of the Land of Lightning, he had never encountered the Hyuga Clan. No matter what the rumors were, without seeing it with his own eyes, he wouldn't know the opponent's strength. Now, Hahn finally felt the insight of the Hyuga Clan.
"If only the Land of Lightning also had the eyes of the Hyuga Clan." This thought couldn't help but pop into Hahn's mind.
Regardless, Hahn could only continue to command the battle, encouraging his subordinates to launch attacks toward the front. This time, their fighting spirit was exceptionally high, and the Third Unit found it somewhat difficult to stop their offensive. In order to buy time, Senju Touka had to readjust the battle plan.
Thus, the Third Unit and the Kumogakure Ninja Squad inevitably entered the phase of direct confrontation.