Naruto Shadow Mage

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion suddenly rang out in the silent forest, startling the birds and beasts into fleeing.

After that explosion, having left Yoroi alone to handle Hozuki Mangetsu, Kurenai Yuhi, and Taki Yowa, who had already escaped past the Mist Ninja's perimeter, suddenly looked distressed.

Especially Kurenai Yuhi.

Not having received special training like an Anbu, Kurenai felt that abandoning a comrade was shameful.

Now, hearing the intense battle sounds from behind and glimpsing the rising smoke, she couldn't help but worry and asked Taki Yowa, "Yowa, is it really okay to leave Kage alone? Fighting a Mist Jonin outside their perimeter, will Kage…"

"Will Kage be alright?"

"We have no choice but to trust Kage."

After a few seconds of silence, Taki Yowa gritted his teeth, feeling the same torment as Kurenai.

But having barely escaped the Mist Ninja's perimeter, former Anbu member Taki Yowa knew that even Kakashi might have given the same order as Yoroi if he were their captain.

So, Taki Yowa forced himself to stay calm, managing to squeeze out a composed smile as he said to Kurenai, "Kurenai, our main task now is to reunite with the main force. Only then can we think of rescuing Kage. With just the two of us, it would be extremely difficult to save Kage, not to mention fighting Mist Jonin or even a few Mist Chunin."

"For now, let's just hope Kage can hold on a bit longer, and we must hurry."

"As long as Kage can hold on until we return with reinforcements, everything will be fine!"

"Alright!"

Listening to Taki Yowa's advice, Kurenai knew she had to prioritize the bigger picture.

But inside, she still felt a deep sense of regret, especially recalling how she and Asuma Sarutobi had underestimated Yoroi earlier, which now filled her with guilt.

Meanwhile, Taki Yowa wasn't feeling much better than Kurenai.

Others might not know Yoroi's identity, but Taki Yowa certainly did, having once served with him in Anbu.

Just four years old, already performing dangerous missions as Anbu, facing ruthless Mist Ninjas alone when the mission was at risk of failure.

Thinking of Yoroi's age and identity made Taki Yowa feel utterly useless. So, while escaping with Kurenai and Asuma, Taki Yowa clenched his fists, silently praying for Yoroi to hold on and resolved to train hard in the future, determined not to drag Yoroi down.

If Yoroi could be so outstanding at just four years old, how could Taki Yowa, being much older, be content with being useless?

Without realizing it, because of Yoroi's presence, the originally unremarkable Taki Yowa began to change in some ways, potentially impacting the storyline Yoroi was familiar with.

As for Yoroi,

How was his battle with Hozuki Mangetsu progressing?

"Thud!"

That was the sight when the explosive tags detonated, enveloping Mangetsu's figure in the scorching, immensely powerful explosion.

Due to being trapped by Mangetsu's Water Prison Technique, even though Yoroi wrapped himself in wind chakra and clumsily used the Fourth Hokage's defensive technique to protect himself from the terrifying explosion, the proximity to Mangetsu and his lack of mastery in the Fourth Hokage's defensive technique meant he was still impacted by the explosion, sending him flying.

Yoroi crashed into a tree behind him, falling to the ground with a "thud."

Barely opening his eyes, he could see the scene ahead as the mist gradually dissipated.

Seeing that Mangetsu's figure had completely disappeared, Yoroi took a deep breath, shifting his gaze to his own battered appearance, silently thinking:

"That was a tough victory!"

"If I hadn't used Shadow Clone Jutsu early on to place explosive tags on Mangetsu's ankle, it would have been me who died."

"Ha! Declaring your name early on, Mangetsu, did you think I wouldn't be prepared for your clan's secret techniques?"

"Too bad I don't know Kakashi's Chidori or Lightning Blade; otherwise, I could've used lightning chakra directly against you instead of relying on explosive tags."

"And I ended up injuring myself!"

Silently thinking, Yoroi tried to move his body, but a sharp pain made him gasp in pain.

"The injuries are really severe!"

"There are multiple wounds that need immediate treatment."

"Mangetsu's last attack almost injured my internal organs, I need to find some medicine!"

"As for the burns, they're a minor issue!"

"But treating the injuries isn't the priority right now. The explosion surely attracted Mist Ninja pursuers; I need to escape quickly!"

In a hurry, Yoroi had no time to treat his injuries properly, nor the time to check if Mangetsu was truly dead, so he vanished from the spot.

As Yoroi had predicted, his victory was indeed hard-won.

His body was covered in numerous wounds, none of which were life-threatening but left him bleeding continuously.

Especially the nearly fatal wounds on his shoulder and chest, causing significant blood loss and constant dizziness. Moreover, the explosion further aggravated his injuries. If not treated promptly, even though he defeated Mangetsu, his worsening condition posed a serious threat to his life.

However, without any time for healing, Yoroi could only wrap some medical bandages around himself while fleeing, stopping the bleeding as best as he could. The explosion was loud, and being near the Mist Ninja perimeter, not escaping quickly would mean facing an encirclement.

Fortunately, Yoroi had enough chakra left to use the Fourth Hokage's wind-style instant movement to travel quickly, disappearing into the forest.

When the Mist Ninjas arrived, all they found were the signs of Yoroi's battle with Mangetsu, with Yoroi's tracks expertly erased, forcing them to retreat. Still, several Mist Ninja squads were dispatched to search for Yoroi, hoping to capture him.

Meanwhile, Yoroi, despite being gravely injured and barely escaping the Mist Ninja's pursuit, thought he could finally rest. But his injuries and the relentless Mist Ninja squads were less of a concern compared to being completely separated from Kurenai and Taki Yowa, which became his biggest problem!

"Damn!"

"Kurenai has the map, and Yowa was guiding me!"

"Now that the Mist Ninja issue is resolved, how am I supposed to find the Leaf's camp and reunite with the main force?"