The missing-nin commander panicked a bit but instantly regained composure and began virtuously dodging the "crawling" shadows toward him, trying to spend as little time on the ground as possible to exclude the possibility of contact with this most dangerous technique.
The girl did not lose her head and maximally concentrated, normalized breathing and chakra flow in her body, then her eyes dangerously flashed, and lightning-fast forming seals, she shouted:
"Kage Nui no Jutsu!" All shadow threads instantly "rose" above the ground like octopus tentacles and flew upward like sharp spikes, aiming to pierce the careless enemy who so fearlessly broke away from the ground, having no opportunity to dodge.
At the sight of this technique, the missing-nin commander's heart skipped a beat, and a treacherous thought of possible death at the hands of the one he considered a cunning bitch capable only of running crept into his head.
He gathered his last strength and acted at the limit of his available control and chakra reserves, so at the last moment formed several seals and shouted:
"Doton: Shoheki!" A stone wall instantly materialized under him, on which almost all chakra reserves were spent. Materializing the earth element directly in the air was incredibly costly and barely accessible to Chunin-level shinobi. He immediately stepped on the stone slab, wanting to push off with his feet and jump far aside.
But at the very moment when his feet pushed off the surface, the stone slab was pierced by the strongest shadow needles, and at the last moment one of the needles hit the unlucky missing-nin's foot, piercing his instep.
He was incredibly lucky because the jump was already made, and after penetration, the shadow needle could not stay in the leg for long and capture him for further destruction.
As soon as he landed on both feet, he immediately screamed in pain and rolled aside, jumping again and stepping on one leg.
The girl in turn was not going to let him go and sent shadow needles after the enemy, who only jumped on one leg and both arms, trying to escape as far as possible from the crazed kunoichi.
To her deep regret, the black-haired kunoichi could not finish what she started because at that very moment other missing-nin caught up. She instantly dispelled the technique and, turning around, rushed to escape.
Five minutes later, the wounded missing-nin commander somehow hobbled to the mountains and approached the cave where three of his subordinates stood.
"Why are you standing, where is that bitch?!" he angrily asked.
"Boss, she flew into the cave, and we foolishly rushed after her, but when she stuck torches into the walls, we realized what was coming and ran outside, otherwise she would have killed us all with her shadows in the half-darkness. But do not worry, boss, at the end of this cave — a dead end, so she has nowhere to go from us. We'll sit here for a week, and she'll die of thirst!" the fat-faced man with a big nose and short beard reported with a nasty laugh.
"Idiot! We do not have a week to wait for this elusive bitch!" the commander growled and gave his stupid subordinate a strong slap.
"That you did not go inside — that's right. It would be too much if she killed us all at the cost of her worthless life." Thinking, he praised his subordinates.
Four missing-nin spent several more hours at the cave entrance, and when it began to get dark, the commander finally restored some chakra, climbed the mountain, ending up right above the cave vault, and began forming hand seals.
"Doton: Ganseki Kuzushi!" he growled and slapped the ground with his palm, initiating a rockfall.
Everything rumbled, and large pieces of stones and rock fragments rolled down from above, blocking the cave entrance and blocking the only exit for the kunoichi he hated so much.
"Now this bitch awaits a long and painful death from thirst and hunger!" the missing-nin leader growled maliciously and spat on the stone blocking the cave entrance. Then he ordered his subordinates to gather for the journey and, somehow limping, walked forward.
At the very moment when part of the mountain began to shake, the black-haired kunoichi instantly rose from the ground and prepared to meet the upcoming danger. She did not know what awaited her but was ready to trade her life for the opportunity to tear a piece of flesh from the enemy's throat with her teeth.
When huge boulders rolled into the cave and dust rose, the girl jumped to the far end of the cave and survived the collapse without much problem, coughing several times, choking on dust.
All the next night she did not sleep, expecting a sudden attack. But she waited for nothing. By morning, her torn forearm muscles hurt mercilessly, and she could no longer wield her left hand. She had a small amount of water and alcohol with her, so she washed the wound and bandaged it with a small bandage.
By lunch the next day, she understood that the missing-nin had left and abandoned her to die under the collapse. They physically would not dare stay in one place for so long, risking being destroyed by a squad including a Jonin.
Trying to clear the collapse, the girl realized it was impossible. Until evening, she tried to clear small stones, but there was no end or edge to them. By the end of the "workday", she only reached a huge stone blocking the very edge of the cave. She saw a small crack and, clearing it of dirt, breathed fresh air for the first time in a long time.
The girl understood that she could not move such a large stone, and she definitely would not fit through an apple-sized crack. Only one option remained. She took paper and in the dim light wrote everything needed on it, then took out a small scroll and, forming seals with one hand, whispered:
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
A small pigeon appeared on the scroll and looked around with interest. The girl immediately took it and attached a small note to its leg, whispering:
"Fly home and deliver this note to the clan head!" Stroking the bird on the back, she lightly pushed it into the crack and mentally wished it luck, knowing this was her only chance of salvation.