After finishing his sentence, much to the surprise of Ishi and his team, Uchiha Madara's figure suddenly dispersed with a "puff" of white smoke and vanished.

  "Just a Shadow e?"

  Exhaling lightly, Ishi felt a bit relieved, but the moment, he quickly sed his surroundings.

  "Sazuri!"

  He called out sharply.

  Sazuri had already closed his eyes, carefully searg with his sensory abilities.

  "No trace of anyone, Captain," Sazuri replied softly.

  Ishi's expression remaiense as he gnced around cautiously.

  When Madara had appeared earlier, Sazuri hadn't sensed anything, and even now, there was no sign of him.

  "Uchiha Madara!"

  Murmuring the name, Ishi couldn't shake off a sense of unease.

  "The iated that Konoha is allied with this group, but Uchiha Madara's as..."

  The thought left Ishi baffled. This legendary man had not attacked them upon their first enter. Instead, he had divulged the whereabouts of his supposed allies.

  With his eyes flickering in ption, Ishi deliberated quickly.

  Moments ter, he waved his hand decisively.

  "Head toward the coastal area b Konoha's forest."

  "Sazuri, maintain stant sensory awareness aermihe enemy's position."

  "Yes!"

  The team members replied firmly.

  In the sed, their figures vanished, leaping swiftly from branch to branch, heading straight for the edge of the forest he coastline.

  After they had gone, a lone figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

  With a stern expression and a anding prese was her than Uchiha Madara.

  "I've always suspected that boy's background and identity are unusual. Let me see for myself."

  With those words, Uchiha Madara's figure flickered and disappeared once more.

  Having already decided to leave Konoha to pursue his own path, his pns ged upon entering the Sand Shinobi squad. Hearing about the boy who had fought him reignited his curiosity.

  In fact, Madara began tize.

  "If that boy truly has remarkable potential, he might prove useful to me."

  With this thought in mind, Uchiha Madara began to close in on Qin Yi's group.

  During their previous enter, he haded himself much, yet Qin Yi's performance had astonished him. The boy's array of mysterious Ninjutsu, many of which Madara had never seen before, and his keen judgment in battle strategy had left an impression.

  "He's a talented youngster, but that alone is far from enough."

  "A truly powerful Shinobi must exhibit exceptional intelligend creativity in bat."

  "Let's see if you have what it takes to be of use to me."

  Keeping his distance, Uchiha Madara followed the Sand Shinobi squad at a safe range. He her approached them nor rushed, dispying immeience.

  …

  Konoha's forest, he coastal region

  A massive army of 6,000 soldiers was advang slowly. Due to their sheer numbers, Qin Yi's forces were uo move quickly.

  The forest was vast, filled with t trees that stretched endlessly, its area almost rivaling the ey of Qin Yi's nation. Of course, this was also because his Royal City was still in its state. Ohe King's Way was fully established, the nation's territory would expand rapidly.

  Another day passed. During this time, Qin Yi and the Three Generals tiheir drills deep within the dense forest.

  At the moment, they were engaged in covert bat training.

  The Three Generals teamed up to un atta Qin Yi.

  "Surround from three sides."

  Perched on the branches of t trees, Qin Lin and the other two made hand signals to coordiheir pn, finally pointing toward Qin Yi, who stood below, calmly his surroundings.

  After exging nods of uanding, Qin Lin raised three fingers, curling them down one by one.

  As the final finger bent, the Three Generals dove down simultaneously, bdes fshing as they aimed their strikes at the back of the unsuspeg Qin Yi.

  But just at that moment, Qin Yi spun around sharply.

  "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Teique)!"

  Taking a deep breath, he exhaled a massive fireball from his mouth.

  "Boom! Boom! Boom!"

  Three bursts of smoke erupted instantly, and wooden logs dropped to the ground.

  Qin Yi squinted his eyes, a smile tugging at the er of his lips.

  "A use of the Body Rept Teique."

  He surveyed his surroundings, notig that the Three Generals had already vanished.

  Taking a step forward, he suddenly stopped as a wooden stake to his left abruptly transformed into Qin Lin's figure.

  "Be careful, Your Majesty!"

  With a loud shout, Qin Lin charged, his longsword stabbing straight toward Qin Yi.

  Qin Yi took several rge steps back, skillfully dodging three secutive sshes. His eyes were filled with approval.

  The Three Generals were undeniably profit ieiques, swordsmanship, and taijutsu. Their timing in battle and innovative use of Ninjutsu revealed a wisdom that likely stemmed from years of military leadership and battlefield experieheir growth was rapid and impressive.

  After Qin Yi had expihe basics of Shinobi bat strategies and teiques, the three had quickly expanded on those ideas, developing neroaches to battle.

  After retreating three steps, Qin Yi's expression suddenly shifted slightly.

  "And I'm here too!"

  Another sh out as Yang Yi burst forth from the ground, having transformed into a patch of grass using the Transformation Teique.

  Caught in a pitack— with one oppo pressing from the front and another ambushing from behind— Qin Yi appeared to be in a moment of crisis.

  "Dotoh Release): Sand Sink!"

  Yet Qin Yi's expression remained calm as his hands formed seals with lightning speed.

  As Yang Yi leaped up to strike with his bde, Qin Yi's body sank swiftly into a swirl of sand. In the moment, he reappeared over teers to their side.

  "Excellent teamwork. Your Ninjutsu usage and adaptability are remarkably swift. The Three Generals are indeed formidable!"

  Qin Yi's voice carried a hint of admiration as he expressed his satisfa with their progress.

  "Your Majesty, you seem to have fotten about me!"

  At that moment, another voice rang out from behind him, apanied by a powerful gust of wind surging forward.

  "Fūton (Wind Release): Air Pressure!"

  Qin Yi's expression shifted to one of shock, disbelief, and then despair.

  A sharp wind bde struck, slig through Qin Yi's torso at the waist, cutting him in two.

  As this horrifying se unfolded before their eyes, Qin Lin and Yang Yi froze in shock, terror, and disbelief.

  Behind them, Fang Lan was equally stunned.

  None of them had expected the final ambush to succeed.

  But… that was their Majesty!Did they just kill him?Panic, fusion, and disbelief overwhelmed them, leaving them speechless.

  Then—

  "Puff!"

  A burst of white smoke dispersed into the air, leaving all three dumbfounded.

  "General Fang Lan, of course I didn't fet you. But it seems your reas were… a bit excessive."

  A calm voice floated in the air, and Fang Lan realized in shock that a dark kunai was now pressed against his neck.

  The on, known as a kunai in this Otherworld, could be thrown or used as a short bde. Although the generals weren't yet familiar with it, they uood its lethality.

  "k, k."

  The cold kunai rested against his neck as Fang Lan swallowed nervously.

  "Your Majesty… you're not dead?"

  Qin Yi withdrew the kunai, chug softly.

  "Of course, I'm not dead. But you all were far too careless."

  "If this had been a real enemy, you'd have been dead long ago!"

  (End of Chapter)

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