追手 (おいて, oite) Japanese meaning: pursuer | Kotomora彼は追手を撒くために路地に隠れた。
He hid in an alley to shake off his pursuers.
Standard kanji spelling; high priority in news sources.
追い手
Alternate kanji spelling with okurigana, also used.
Etymology
Compound of 追い (chase) and 手 (person), literally 'chasing hand/person'.