Haruto Saito was absolutely stunned!
He never expected to become the target of Serido's attack. Two enemies were fighting to the death with him, yet instead of dealing with them, he chose to go after Haruto, who was retreating?!
The moment he sensed the imminent danger from behind, Haruto dissolved into black smoke!
BOOM!
Serido's blade slashed through empty air, the terrifying energy of his strike ripping through the surroundings, sending a tidal wave of dirt and debris flying.
Haruto reappeared a hundred meters away, perched on a tree branch, his body still shrouded in swirling black mist. Serido, however, couldn't immediately pinpoint his new location, as Haruto emitted no detectable presence while moving. Moreover, the heavy rainfall and darkness of the night worked in his favor.
"Heh! Your Black Shadow Flicker… how many times can you still use it?" Serido murmured, a cold smirk playing on his lips.
"Fire Release: Erupting Magma Jutsu!"
Jiraiya unleashed his jutsu, causing the ground beneath Serido's feet to violently crack open. Fire and molten lava erupted from below, forcing Serido to leap into the air. While flipping backward mid-air, he suddenly formed a hand seal.
"Wind Release: Breakthrough Jutsu!"
A powerful gust of wind surged from Serido's mouth. Because of his acrobatic maneuver, Jiraiya's magma-covered battlefield, as well as Tsunade and Jiraiya themselves, were now positioned directly beneath him—right in the path of the incoming tornado-like blast.
WHOOSH!
Wind fueled the flames!
The gust swept over the lava-covered ground, causing the blazing fire to expand wildly and surge toward Tsunade and Jiraiya. This wasn't just a mere wind attack—fire and wind combined into an even more devastating force!
Serido's tactical prowess and battle instincts were absolutely monstrous!
He had formed this strategy in an instant—it was practically an instinctive reaction!
One technique had just been forcibly transformed into a devastating combination of two overlapping jutsu!
"Earth Release: Thick Rock Wall!"
As Jiraiya swiftly retreated, he completed his hand seals. The ground in front of him exploded upward, forming a towering rock wall three meters thick. However, its protective coverage was only about two meters wide and high.
On the other side, Tsunade smashed her fist into the ground, sending up a massive barrage of dirt and rubble to counteract the firestorm. This was a technique she had learned from Miyamoto Ikaruga!
The battlefield was now engulfed in chaotic winds and a blazing inferno!
Serido flipped in mid-air, landed gracefully, and once again disappeared into a blur of motion. His speed reached an extreme, circling the flames as he searched for Haruto!
He had been worried before that the mysterious Black Warrior would use the chaotic battle as an opportunity to escape—and that fear hadn't changed!
Haruto was definitely still nearby. Three seconds later, Serido finally spotted him—his dark silhouette wreathed in black mist. Due to the flickering firelight, Haruto was unable to fully blend into the darkness.
Serido charged toward him!
Haruto caught sight of Serido's afterimage and immediately vanished into black smoke once again.
Gone!
Tsunade, relying on the sound of the wind, pinpointed Serido's location and swiftly closed the distance. Jiraiya followed closely behind her, maintaining his hand seal formations.
…
The dark forest was drenched in cold rain, and the chilling wind pierced to the bone.
Haruto crouched on a tree branch concealed by dense foliage, his gaze locked on the fiery battlefield over a hundred meters away.
He had used his Black Shadow Flicker to teleport here. This time, he had retreated far enough to truly stay out of immediate danger. Moreover, he wouldn't be approaching again anytime soon—he had already exhausted his five Black Shadow Flicker uses! Three times inside the cave, twice outside.
Now, he needed time to reactivate the Black Shadow Flicker seal!
Over a hundred meters away, near the blazing inferno, Serido and Tsunade clashed fiercely. Tsunade's left arm was barely functional, but her right arm and legs remained unharmed. Wielding a kunai in one hand, she fought Serido with sheer ferocity!
It was clear that Tsunade was no match for Serido. However, Jiraiya provided crucial backup, using ninjutsu to disrupt Serido's attacks and prevent him from landing a decisive blow. Each time Tsunade found herself in danger, Jiraiya's well-timed jutsu forced Serido to momentarily shift his focus.
Their coordination was impeccable!
Tsunade and Jiraiya's teamwork was seamless!
Serido attempted multiple times to close in on Jiraiya, but Tsunade persistently engaged him, forcing him to turn back and fight her.
The battle quickly reached a stalemate!
Haruto continued retreating. The sheer destructive scale of their attacks meant that the battlefield was constantly expanding. Fire and wind techniques ravaged the terrain, illuminating the darkness, making it impossible for Haruto to remain hidden.
His chakra regeneration was far too slow. Left with no choice, Haruto consumed a basic chakra restoration talisman. Only then was he able to reactivate the Black Shadow Flicker seal!
He now had five more uses!
And yet, Haruto still didn't approach. Instead, he continued to distance himself from the ever-expanding battlefield, ensuring he wouldn't be detected.
"What should I do?"
Run?
If he chose to escape now, he could easily slip away. Serido wouldn't be able to chase him down. But… Tsunade and Jiraiya were locked in a life-or-death struggle against Serido. Should he just abandon them? Could he even afford to interfere?
The power gap was too vast. This was a Kage-level battle between Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Serido!
Haruto, no matter how strong, was at best an elite Jōnin.
That kind of difference…
Haruto clenched his fists. He wanted to help, but he lacked the strength. Tsunade had saved him before, protected him while he was unconscious, and even gotten injured on his behalf. Despite their constant arguments and clashing personalities, Tsunade might be the only real friend Haruto had in this world!
The only one!
"Tsunade… why did you run into that camp to save me back then? I could've escaped on my own if I had just waited… but now, I owe you."
Tsunade had refused to abandon him, so he wouldn't abandon her.
He wouldn't run!
Despite the overwhelming difference in power, Haruto understood his own advantages. He wasn't afraid of getting hurt. His inventory contained plenty of basic healing talismans. As long as he didn't get instantly killed, he could recover instantly!
Additionally, his Black Armor and Bone Pulse abilities granted him powerful defenses. The Black Armor was highly durable, while the Bone Pulse made his skeletal structure nearly indestructible, ensuring that he wouldn't be easily decapitated or bisected in a single strike.
In other words, Haruto could join the fight—as long as he didn't get one-shot!
The battlefield had already decimated a large portion of the forest. The three figures continued to battle relentlessly, shifting their positions constantly, further expanding the range of destruction.
Haruto retreated a little further!
The distance was too great—his naked eye could see the three combatants but not the finer details of their movements.
He clapped his hands together!
Byakugan—activate!
Haruto's eyes widened. Wrinkles appeared at the edges, and his vision transformed into grayscale. The battlefield zoomed into sharp focus!
As expected, the Byakugan was unparalleled! Haruto could now see everything clearly.
His gaze locked onto Serido. He analyzed every movement, every muscle shift… and then he saw it—
"Wait… what's that?"
Haruto's expression stiffened. He noticed something strange about the way chakra flowed through Serido's body. There was another energy circulating alongside his chakra. It originated from his heart and extended to the markings on his body.
"This is… no way… could it be… life force?!"
Haruto's mind reeled in shock.
"This guy… is burning his own life force?!"