MTLNOVEL Chapter 4: Chapter 4: Since We've Started Killing, None Shall Escape
Chapter 4: Since We've Started Killing, None Shall Escape
The Phoenix Sage Fire Technique differs from the Great Fireball Jutsu in that it is designed to attack multiple targets.
Each fireball can follow a fixed trajectory or be directly controlled by the user through chakra, allowing them to alter its flight path to track and pursue targets.
At this moment, Uchiha Dali was making full use of this feature, controlling over a dozen fireballs to attack the four Kirigakure ninja separately.
These were techniques he had comprehended through his extraordinary talent—something he wouldn't have been able to do in the past. Now, however, he executed them effortlessly.
The four Kirigakure ninja were terrified in the face of the incoming attack.
The one on the far left—perhaps due to prolonged battle exhaustion or sheer shock at Uchiha Dali's sudden offensive—failed to dodge or react in time. A fireball struck him directly in the back.
Instantly, his clothing ignited, and the searing flames scorched his skin, causing him to scream in agony.
"Put out the fire! Quickly!"
A teammate's urgent shout snapped the Kirigakure ninja back to his senses.
Instinctively, he began performing a Water Release jutsu.
After a frantic struggle, he finally managed to extinguish the flames with a Water Release technique. But just as relief set in—
His body stiffened.
Blood gushed from a gaping wound on his neck, spraying wildly into the air, splattering the surrounding grass and trees.
The fatal strike had come from a kunai that had flown in from behind.
The remaining three Kirigakure ninja could only watch helplessly as their comrade was killed, powerless to intervene.
They each had their own troubles to deal with.
Not only did they have to constantly evade the fireballs unleashed by Uchiha Dali, but they also had to be wary of his sneak attacks with shuriken and kunai.
A deep sense of despair welled up inside them.
They couldn't comprehend how the Konoha Chūnin pursuing them was this powerful.
"Damn it! Let's fight him head-on!"
The middle Kirigakure Chūnin roared unwillingly.
Being chased like a rabbit in flight was humiliating.
"Don't be reckless! There are still Konoha ninja behind us!"
"Besides, he's an Uchiha!!"
His two teammates hurriedly warned him in panic.
But it was too late.
The middle Kirigakure ninja suddenly turned around. His earlier words had merely been a diversion to split Uchiha Dali's attention.
In reality, he had already completed his hand seals.
The moment he spun around, he opened his mouth and unleashed a high-pressure water bullet at Uchiha Dali.
This Water Iron Cannon technique, created by compressing chakra-infused water into a high-pressure state, possessed enough force to pierce metal and stone.
At this distance and speed, an ordinary opponent wouldn't have had time to react.
But Uchiha Dali was no ordinary opponent.
From the moment his enemy started forming seals, Uchiha Dali had already seen through his move.
He could even hear the subtle friction of the ninja's fingers against the air while forming hand seals, allowing him to construct a detailed, three-dimensional image of his opponent's actions in his mind.
In other words, Uchiha Dali had preemptively predicted the attack.
So when the high-speed Water Iron Cannon came at him, he simply shifted half a meter to the side.
The deadly water bullet zipped past his right side, missing him entirely.
On the battlefield, where life and death were decided in an instant, such an opening could be fatal.
The Kirigakure ninja had been so confident in his technique, convinced it would kill Uchiha Dali, that he let his guard down.
He had already begun imagining himself escaping, returning home to boast about taking down an Uchiha.
But this fleeting moment of distraction sealed his fate.
A razor-sharp kunai in Uchiha Dali's hand sliced across his throat as he passed by, embedding itself in another enemy further ahead.
The Kirigakure ninja's eyes widened in disbelief. Then, he collapsed—dead.
It all happened too fast.
From the moment Uchiha Dali launched his counterattack and killed the first enemy to the instant the third enemy fell, only about thirty seconds had passed.
By the time Uchiha Dali appeared before the fourth enemy, the panic-stricken ninja, still focused on escaping, hadn't even realized what had happened.
Mistaking Uchiha Dali for an ally, he blurted out in admiration, "Damn, this guy is strong! As expected of an Uchiha!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he sensed something was off.
He quickly turned to look at the "teammate" beside him.
That single glance made his face drain of color in sheer terror.
"You—"
"Thanks for the compliment."
Uchiha Dali smirked coldly. But the kunai in his hands was far from polite.
Gripping the kunai in a reverse grip with both hands, he drove it straight into his opponent's heart.
He only withdrew the blade once he saw the light of life fading from his enemy's terrified eyes.
Raising his head, he turned to the final remaining Kirigakure Chūnin.
That last ninja had just witnessed Uchiha Dali's ruthless execution.
There was no way he dared to fight him.
The moment their eyes met, the Kirigakure ninja turned and bolted, fleeing without a second thought. He didn't even glance back at his fallen comrades.
Having already killed four, how could Uchiha Dali let the last one escape?
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the blood-stained kunai at the fleeing ninja's back, aiming for the heart.
The distance between them had already stretched past thirty meters.
Under normal circumstances, hitting a moving target at this range with a thrown kunai required years—if not decades—of dedicated training.
But as Uchiha Dali made his throw, his mind rapidly reviewed every piece of knowledge and technique he had ever learned about kunai throwing.
At that precise moment, a familiar system notification echoed in his mind.
[Ding! You have recalled and analyzed kunai throwing techniques, comprehending Kunai: Perfect Accuracy!]
[Kunai: Perfect Accuracy allows you to throw kunai with minimal energy expenditure while maximizing impact, guaranteeing pinpoint accuracy on any visible target within range.]