Konoha, reported by the Fourth Hokage at the start.

Chapter 71 Simplified Hand Seals

"The North..." Sarutobi Tenshu frowned slightly.

To the north of Konoha lies the land of small countries like the Land of Grass, and Konoha has the fewest ninja stationed along its borders in this direction.

Most of the ninjas are located in the Land of Rain in the northwest and on the border in the northeast, facing the Land of Lightning, one of the Five Great Nations, across several small countries.

"Could someone have provided Li Yao with information about the Konoha ninja deployment?"

Sarutobi Tenjuro was puzzled. As he pondered why Li Yao was heading north, Hyuga Sika chimed in, "Captain, I also saw the tracks of Li Yao's black chakra chains about a kilometer to the south, heading straight south."

Sarutobi Tenjuro: "..."

Sarutobi Tenjuchi took a deep breath and gave Hyuga Sika a long look.

Hinata Sika shrank back. It wasn't his fault; it was just that the captain's mind worked too fast and he thought too much.

As it turned out, Li Yao had no intelligence at all; he simply split up the routes randomly.

But now a problem has arisen.

Two directions, north and south, going in opposite directions, which one is Li Yao's real body, and which one is Li Yao's shadow clone?

Or perhaps... they are all shadow clones.

Thinking of this, Sarutobi Tenjuro immediately said, "Ayase, Sika, you two expand the search area by ten kilometers. You must make sure that Li Yao has created several shadow clones."

"clear."

Sarutobi Ayase and Hinata Jessica expanded the search area again.

None of the four wanted to repeat their previous mistakes and waste time with a shadow clone.

Ten minutes later.

When Sarutobi Ayase and Hinata Jessica returned, they both shook their heads at Sarutobi Tenshu, finding no other traces within a ten-kilometer radius.

Li Yao and his shadow clones headed in the north and south, respectively.

"Should we split into teams?" Echizen Ryoma, who had been relatively quiet until now, suddenly asked. Sarutobi Ayase and Hinata Jessica looked at their captain, Sarutobi Tensuke.

Sarutobi Tenshu frowned slightly, the words of his father's admonition before his departure beginning to echo in his ears.

"Don't underestimate Li Yao. He's not the child he looks like. Besides the powerful sealing techniques and shadow clones he's shown so far, we don't know what other abilities he has."

"However, the only thing that can be confirmed is that Li Yao possesses at least immunity to genjutsu abilities below the level of the Mangekyou Sharingan."

"You must be careful of his illusion abilities."

People who possess an extremely strong ability to resist illusions generally have exceptional talent in illusions, just like the Uchiha clan.

To understand just how terrifying a ninja with terrifying genjutsu abilities can be, one can refer to the powerful members of the Uchiha clan.

Sarutobi Tenjuro knew exactly how to deal with a ninja with powerful genjutsu abilities; the more people, the better.

Conversely, the fewer people facing a genjutsu-type ninja, the more dangerous it is.

"But... does Li Yao really possess powerful illusion magic?"

Sarutobi Tenjuro was somewhat suspicious. Before leaving, he was surprised to hear his old man say that Li Yao knew the Shadow Clone Technique. He thought that Li Yao might have some special ability that allowed him to easily copy other people's ninjutsu.

Otherwise, how could Li Yao, an outsider, possess the Shadow Clone Technique, a skill unique to Konoha?

It's important to know that the Shadow Clone Technique is not an easy ninjutsu to learn; even among the Jonin of Konoha, very few people know it.

Among the four members of their team, he was the only one who could create shadow clones.

This demonstrates the difficulty of the Shadow Clone Technique.

At that time, Sarutobi Tenjuro was very afraid that Li Yao had also used his special ability to copy the Dark Travel Technique, and he even asked his father Li Yao if he knew the Dark Travel Technique.

If I knew how, that would be too much trouble.

Sarutobi Tenjuro was well aware of the power of the Dark Travel Technique.

Unlike other illusions, once you fall for it, you will be trapped in an illusion and unable to move.

Those affected by the Dark Travel Technique only have their vision blocked; their other senses remain intact, and they can even unleash ninjutsu.

This rendered the usual method of disrupting one's own chakra flow to break genjutsu ineffective.

Because you can mobilize chakra to release ninjutsu, this is already an act of disrupting the flow of chakra.

However, this level of chakra disruption is clearly insufficient to break the Dark Walk Technique.

It is precisely because of this difficulty in breaking the Dark Travel Technique that the Second Hokage was able to develop it specifically to counter the Sharingan genjutsu of the Uchiha clan.

After all, the second generation's goal was to counter the Mangekyou Sharingan, so it couldn't be easily broken by conventional methods.

In fact, until now, there are only two ways to break the Dark Walk spell: either kill the caster or stay away from the caster.

All other methods are ineffective against the Dark Walk technique.

Once Li Yao also possesses the Dark Travel Technique, coupled with unparalleled resistance to ninjutsu and taijutsu, and the Black Chakra Chain Sealing Technique capable of imprisoning and sealing the chakra within others, he will be able to achieve this.

Well... Sarutobi Tenjuro can only say that this is too troublesome.

Fortunately, his father said that Li Yao learned the Shadow Clone Technique because he read Kimura Takuya's Ninjutsu Research Notes, studied how the Shadow Clone Technique was developed from beginning to end, and memorized the original hand seals.

The hand seals for the Dark Walk Technique are simplified, so even if Li Yao saw the Third Hokage perform the Dark Walk Technique using the hand seals, he would not be able to learn it.

Many powerful, unique ninjutsu have simplified hand seals to prevent others from copying the corresponding ninjutsu by using the hand seal gestures and sequence.

This can be said to be to counter the Sharingan's ability to copy ninjutsu in the Uchiha clan.

The second generation considered this point when developing the Dark Walk Technique, and even simplified the original Dark Walk Technique, which required hundreds of hand seals to perform, to an insane degree, requiring only one hand seal to perform.

In this way, even the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan cannot be copied.

Li Yao is even less capable.

Li Yao doesn't know the art of darkness, Sarutobi Tenjuro is certain of that, but whether he knows other illusion techniques? He expressed doubt.

Especially when dealing with Li Yaoying's clone, Li Yaoying did not use illusion magic at the first moment, and he did not even have the thought of using illusion magic in the moment of crisis.

Generally speaking, ninjas skilled in genjutsu will first use genjutsu when facing an enemy, and then use other ninjutsu to strike.

The ninjutsu that Li Yaoying's clone subconsciously chose to use during the battle didn't seem like someone who knew powerful genjutsu at all.

Of course, the possibility that Li Yao deliberately hid it cannot be ruled out.

The best solution is actually not to separate.

The four of them were capable of both ranged and melee combat, and even Li Yao's powerful illusion magic could not deter them.

However, if they are split into two teams of only two people, and one of them is caught in an illusion while the other is attacked, Li Yao's powerful sealing technique would easily control both of them.

However... if they don't separate, they can only gamble that the direction they're heading is the same direction Li Yao's main body is heading.

If they make the wrong bet, they will most likely lose track of Li Yao.

At this moment, the words of the Third Hokage's father echoed in Sarutobi Tensuke's ears again.

"Our primary task is to track Li Yao's movements; we will not pursue killing him."

Ultimately, fearing that Li Yao could directly use the Spirit Transformation Technique to leave and possess another person, the Third Generation did not require his son, Sarutobi Tenjuro, to kill Li Yao.

Of course, killing them would be the best option.

Even if he can't be killed, that's fine, as long as they can keep tracking Li Yao. Eventually, powerful individuals who covet the art of immortality will come looking for Li Yao.

Their job is simply to provide Li Yao's location.

Thinking of this, Sarutobi Tenjuchi sighed, finally setting aside his pride and deciding to heed his father's advice.

"Let's split into teams."

"Ayase and I will travel north together, while Jessica and Ryoma will travel south together."

Sarutobi Tenjuro instructed Ryoma and Sika, "Remember, for this mission, all you need to do is follow Li Yao from a distance; you don't need to fight him."

After being tricked by Li Yao's shadow clone, Sarutobi Tenjuro realized that Li Yao was not easy to deal with and had many hidden tricks up his sleeve.

Their tactical methods have already been discovered.

Fighting Li Yao before fully understanding his abilities would only expose more of his tactics, which is not worthwhile.

"Understood, Captain." Ryoma Echizen and Jessica Hyuga nodded.

The four then split into two pairs, each heading in the direction of Li Yao's two shadow clones.

……

(End of this chapter)