Chapter 41
"Boom!" The sound of an exploding tag echoed from behind. Zixu brushed the dust off his pants and continued on his way. He followed the trail left by his clone to track Tenzo and the others, but for some reason, there were explosive tag traps scattered everywhere. Could they have been left by the Kirigakure ninjas?
Zixu concealed his presence and leaped onto a tree trunk to continue his journey. The trees here were tall enough to support adults like Tenzo, so they were no problem for him. However, while traveling through the trees, he encountered some uninvited guests.
"Huh? Are they pursuers from the Hidden Mist?" From a distance, Zixu spotted a group of ninjas moving cautiously, stopping frequently as if avoiding something. Since they hadn't noticed him, he had no intention of creating unnecessary trouble. He swiftly moved away, avoiding the Mist ninjas altogether.
Meanwhile, his clone sensed that the original body was nearby, so he needed to create an opportunity for the real Zixu to return.
"Sensei, I need to use the restroom." The clone put on a strained expression, his hands clenched and his legs trembling slightly.
As the saying goes, 'If you hold your urine, you can travel a thousand miles, but if you hold it too long, you won't move an inch.'
Tenzo had no choice but to let Aburame Hatsuizumi and Hyuga Chinano go ahead while he stayed behind to keep watch. Though the Kirigakure ninjas had been spooked by the Empty Bug Strategy, they would likely figure out the truth soon. Fortunately, they were almost out of Kirigakure's range, though they were still a distance from Konoha.
"Hurry up. As a ninja, you don't have to hold it in at times like this. Just get it done," Tenzo said, his eyes under his forehead protector scanning the surroundings cautiously.
"Boom!"
The unexpected explosion startled him, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was from a detonating tag he had set earlier. Had the enemy already caught up?
Tenzo immediately rushed into the bushes, intending to grab Zixu and flee. Better to have him run like Liu Xiang than risk losing his life. But when he reached the spot, Zixu was nowhere to be found. Unease crept into Tenzo's mind.