But the ronin wisely avoided a frontal attack, retreating to the trees to have some chance to create obstacles in front of the enemy and limit his movements.
He was stressed by the shinobi who had remained unharmed after the short fight with the leader, which was an indicator in itself, and his former partner knew his capabilities too well to be afraid of being hit at the most inopportune moment, although the kunoichi was not a problem for the man.
Too focused on each other, moving away from the previous battle site, the three fighters didn't see the shinobi, slumped on the grass and seemingly on his last breath, move slightly and put a green-glowing palm to his bleeding chest.
Iyaku's earned Iyaku Fuin (last chance seal), applied by Ryo to all of his perfect marionettes, allowed him to survive even a fatal blow, and the iryonin skills inherited from the original allowed him to begin patching first the holes in the heart and then the diseased lung with surprising speed.
Forty seconds after the fall, Hiroshi rose from the ground and staggered slightly - the blood loss had not gone away - tossed a few pills into his mouth, then picked up his sword and slid quietly after the three who were still fighting.
Ronin was having a hard time - the shinobi was almost as strong as he was, but his speed was even slightly superior, and the ninjutsu attacks from the kunoichi, who kept trying to come from behind, made him distracted and miss the blows of the metal club.
So far, the only thing that saved him was the chakra-fueled armor worn under his clothes, but it couldn't last long - just one mistake and you could prepare a coffin. The constant pressure in close combat prevented Akashi from using what he excelled at with both of his enemies - chakra manipulation and long-range sword attacks.
- Surrender, Akashi-kun, at least you'll die quickly," Saki urged, glimpsing among the trees.
- I'm on my way, bitch," the samurai snarled, exchanging blows with the shinobi, trying to shield himself from the occasional boulders and focusing some of his attention on the ground beneath his feet, "you better do yourself a favor and die!
Once he was almost tied up in the muddy soil, and the stakes growing out of the ground could pierce even his armor or knock him off his feet.
So far, only the uncoordinated nature of the enemies allowed not only to fight back, but sometimes to attack, giving the enemy a few light wounds, but it could not last long.
Ronin was beginning to think about retreating towards the mansion to even the odds a bit with the three chunin remaining on the lord's guard, but a familiar shadow suddenly flashed behind the enemy, forcing a change of priorities, suddenly exploding with a series of blows.
- Gurk! - Busy parrying, the shinobi was unsuspecting until the tip of a blade covered in lightning came out of his chest.
Hiroshi, who had appeared behind him, jerked his sword and nearly cut the jonin in half, and the ronin blew his enemy's head off in one motion, just in case.
- H-hiroshi, you're alive!? - The shocked kunoichi looked up, frozen in place about thirty paces away from her former comrades.
- Not by your efforts," the man who had risen from the dead smiled, radiating a powerful killing intent.
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