"How many enemies are there?" Hanemiya Genma asked.
His earlier decoy strategy hadn't been entirely ineffective—it had, in fact, drawn away a portion of the enemy forces. Now, he could only hope that the number of enemies still pursuing them wasn't outrageously high.
"The enemies still chasing us are roughly equal in number to our group, about fifteen or so," replied the same clansman ninja who had spoken earlier.
Being pursued relentlessly by an enemy force of equal size wasn't entirely unreasonable. On one hand, the enemy's average strength surpassed theirs, their stamina and energy were nearly at peak condition, and they could receive reinforcements much faster. On the other hand… Hanemiya Genma shook his head inwardly. His gaze swept over his comrades, noting the visible exhaustion and weakness etched into their bodies. Truth be told, they no longer had the capacity for sustained combat. Calling them lambs awaiting slaughter wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Forget fighting—they couldn't even keep fleeing.
"Fortunately, I managed to shake off a portion of the enemy earlier. On the bright side, at least we won't be caught in a pincer attack. A few hours from now, it's likely just these fifteen enemies we'll be facing."
Hanemiya Genma mulled it over briefly and realized their options were pitifully few. With a sigh, he said, "To maximize our chances of survival, we have no choice but to continue the decoy strategy. A few of us will have to lure the enemy away as much as possible."
Though he appeared young, the clan's ninjas held deep trust in him. For one, it was thanks to his suggestions that they had survived this long. For another, as the clan leader, he had already taken on the dangerous role of bait for the sake of the entire clan—essentially dying once for them already. His selflessness and dedication were beyond reproach.
He was capable and led by example. Even if he were leading them down a path of no return, no one would voice complaints at this point—he'd done everything he could. Who could blame him when their own weakness had brought them to this desperate state?
"Clan Leader, I'm still in decent shape. Let me take on the decoy role this time," the ninja who had just spoken volunteered immediately.
"Count me in, Clan Leader," another ninja stepped forward almost simultaneously.
The two who stepped up were both young men in their twenties—one named Hanemiya Genkanzawa, the other Hanemiya Genryunosuke.
"Alright, then the three of us will handle luring the enemy," Hanemiya Genma agreed without hesitation. He didn't have the luxury of politeness. He knew these two were among the stronger ninjas in the clan.
"Clan Leader—"
"No need to say more. It's decided."
The upcoming mission, politely termed a "decoy task," was, in harsher terms, a suicide mission. Hanemiya Genma had already taken on such a role once before, so there was no reason for him to risk himself again. Yet, he silenced the protests of his clanmates.
Now wasn't the time for sentimentality.
"Everyone, listen to my orders: For the next two hours, focus on recovering your chakra. Two hours from now, we'll begin the operation… Don't worry too much. I'm fairly confident in the plan I've devised."
No one believed that last part. They took it as empty, baseless reassurance.
In any case, everyone found a spot to sit and began refining their chakra with all their might.
Hanemiya Genma, meanwhile, climbed to the top of a large tree. Standing on a thick, horizontal branch, he gazed into the distance, keeping watch over the surroundings to alert the others of any danger.
For the current him, facing fifteen enemies alone was, of course, a losing battle. But one against five? That was worth a shot. He wouldn't overestimate his abilities—before today, he'd been an ordinary ninja. Beyond the basic Three Body Techniques, he could only muster two or three low-level Fire Release jutsu. With such meager skills, taking on multiple foes was a pipe dream.
But things were different now.
As Hanemiya Genma contemplated his next moves in battle, he activated the "White Zetsu transformation" on his right arm. With a light swing, something miraculous happened—his arm passed through the tree trunk beside him as if by magic.
This wasn't some space-time ninjutsu. It was White Zetsu's "Mayfly Technique."
Most White Zetsu active in the ninja world at this stage weren't combat units. They were reconnaissance and intelligence operatives, their abilities specialized for such tasks. Generally speaking, White Zetsu individuals were frail. But that didn't mean they lacked lethality.
In fact, White Zetsu's assassination capabilities were unmatched—downright perverse, even. Perfect stealth, flawless transformation, and silent movement—these were abilities every ninja dreamed of possessing.
Hanemiya Genma believed that the so-called "White Zetsu Hero" was no empty title.
Two hours passed quickly. Hanemiya Genma returned to the group and said, "Everyone, please shake my hand one by one… Kanzawa and Ryunosuke, stay until the end… Then listen to me."
The group didn't understand what Hanemiya Genma intended, but they complied with his request and stepped forward.
As he shook hands with his clanmates, Hanemiya Genma spoke, "Based on our earlier encounters, compared to the beginning, I've noticed the enemy's approach to combat has grown less disciplined. When pursuing us—remnants with little ability to resist—they seem to treat it like a cat toying with a mouse.
"So, if we continue splitting up to lure them, there's a high chance they'll divide their forces to chase us down, aiming to pick us off one by one and wipe us out completely.
"They have reconnaissance ninjas, and they know we don't. We can turn that to our advantage…"
Hanemiya Genma paused briefly, but at that moment, no one was focused on his words. The ninjas who had shaken his hand all wore strange expressions.
Soon, it was Kanzawa and Ryunosuke's turn.
Hanemiya Genma gripped their hands with his left and right respectively. The moment their palms touched, both men instantly felt a surge of abundant chakra flood into their bodies.
"This… what is this?"
This was White Zetsu's Spore Technique—a jutsu that allowed the user to absorb others' chakra, either for themselves or to transfer it to a third party. What Hanemiya Genma was doing now was drawing chakra from the rest of the clan and distributing it evenly to Kanzawa and Ryunosuke, the designated decoys.
But he didn't have time to explain the ability to everyone.
"Listen carefully. The plan is this: Kanzawa, Ryunosuke, and I will split up in three directions to draw the pursuing enemies away without hiding. Given our desperate situation, it's highly likely the enemy will split up to chase us, giving us a chance to take them down one by one.
"Kanzawa, head toward three o'clock. Ryunosuke, six o'clock. I'll take nine o'clock. Release your chakra fully—taunt them, but don't engage. Run. Keep running as much as you can. Understood?"
"Yes, Clan Leader," the two replied without hesitation, nodding in agreement.
"Once I deal with the enemies in my direction, I'll come to support you immediately. So don't act recklessly."
Concentrating the chakra of over a dozen ninjas into two people would sustain them for a while. If Hanemiya Genma moved quickly enough and their luck held, they might just survive.
"The rest of you, retreat deeper into the forest and stay hidden until the fighting's over."
After Hanemiya Genma finished speaking, several people looked like they wanted to say something but ultimately held their tongues.
At this point, what could they say? Ask, "How can the Clan Leader take on five fully rested enemies with his strength?"
No one could bring themselves to voice it.
This was a desperate bid for survival. They'd do their best, and the rest was up to fate—that was the prevailing sentiment among most of them.
Only Hanemiya Genma knew that his decoy strategy wasn't about throwing his life away.
They couldn't afford to simply sacrifice themselves either. For this plan to work, he'd drawn nearly all the chakra from his clanmates. Without it, they'd be defenseless. If the enemy found them, it'd be a one-sided massacre—no question about it.
"Alright, any questions?" Hanemiya Genma asked one last time.
The group shook their heads. Whatever the outcome, they were mentally prepared.
"Good. Then…"
"Let's begin."