Boom!!
In the forest, a figure was blasted backward as if struck by a train. His limbs twisted as he spun through the air like a windmill before smashing through several trees and finally embedding himself into a tree trunk.
"…"
A blue flame-like aura radiated from Arata's body. The rain that fell on him was instantly evaporated by his scorching body temperature, turning into white steam.
Looking at the figure in the distance that he had sent flying with a single punch after opening the Second Gate, an exasperated thought popped into his mind.
'Is that guy some kind of comedian?'
This shadow clone had already run out of chakra.
Yet that guy had been standing far away talking endlessly, while the real body had already rushed over, hidden in the shadow cloak.
He thought it would be someone impressive.
But this?
"Your kekkei genkai is Steel Release?" Arata asked bluntly. "Who gave you the courage to stand in front of the Hyūga clan with such half-baked Steel Release?"
Crack, crack!
In the distance, Hiruko stretched his arms out and pulled himself free from the tree trunk.
His body surface glowed with a metallic dark sheen, but his waist had visibly collapsed inward, his flesh clearly destroyed from inside his body.
That was only because he had instinctively dodged. Otherwise, his heart would have been shattered.
But after hearing Arata's mocking words, the already insecure and sensitive Hiruko felt a surge of metallic-tasting blood rise in his throat. Even his breathing carried the scent of blood.
"Damn it! I knew that bastard Orochimaru wouldn't be so kind!"
After just one exchange, Hiruko realized that this guy in front of him was nothing like the easy target Orochimaru had described.
The Chimera Technique was a secret technique he had developed.
It allowed him to fuse ninja or summoned beasts with his own body, even merging with the chakra of kekkei genkai users to obtain their bloodline abilities.
The bloodline limits he currently possesses were Steel Release and Swift Release.
His body's defense was strong enough to easily resist blades and weapons, and his normal speed could rival the Body Flicker Technique. Ordinary taijutsu specialists were no match for him.
But the person before him was nothing like a normal member of the Hyūga clan.
Hiruko had once been a Konoha ninja and naturally knew a bit about the Hyūga.
He had been standing outside the opponent's attack range, yet somehow Arata had released Gentle Fist attacks from afar.
Hiruko could feel that his stomach, intestines, and liver had all been shattered.
Under the penetrating force of that punch, his Steel Release was nothing but a joke.
This wasn't the "lucky useless brat" Orochimaru had described.
This was clearly a monster of the Hyūga clan.
"Hm?"
When Arata heard Hiruko mention Orochimaru, he raised an eyebrow and smiled.
"I see. I didn't expect Lord Orochimaru to still be alive. I thought he'd already died somewhere in a dark corner like a dead rat."
With Hiruko's distinctive appearance, Arata naturally recognized him immediately.
Hiruko, an A-rank missing-nin of Konoha, was once a childhood companion of the Legendary Sannin.
But his talent had never matched theirs.
Inferiority, resentment, and jealousy filled his heart.
To compensate for his natural shortcomings, he secretly conducted human experiments to develop the forbidden technique Chimera Technique.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi discovered his actions and dispatched the Sannin to hunt him down.
Hiruko managed to escape.
Still, Arata hadn't expected Hiruko to be connected with Orochimaru.
But thinking about it carefully, their research paths were indeed very similar.
Orochimaru had originally focused on body research as well.
Only after sneaking into the Forbidden Library and reading the Scroll of Sealing did he begin shifting his focus toward soul research.
"How is Lord Orochimaru doing these days?" Arata asked with a smile.
"…"
Hiruko narrowed his eyes but said nothing, his gaze sweeping across Arata.
At first, he thought Orochimaru's grotesque state had been caused by the Third Hokage.
But remembering the uncontrollable hatred Orochimaru displayed whenever he mentioned this brat.
The one responsible for turning Orochimaru into that half-human, half-monster state was probably this kid.
But why?
Was it really just because of the Byakugan?
"No… impossible… unless it's…"
Hiruko subconsciously looked into the distance, the direction from which Arata's real body had come.
He didn't know it was Arata.
But he had felt that terrifying aura even from more than ten kilometers away.
As someone who lived like a hunted rat, he was extremely familiar with the presence of apex predators.
So he had immediately abandoned his original target and chosen to pursue Arata instead.
'If I could obtain that kind of power…'
'The Sannin and the Five Kage would all kneel beneath my feet.'
Greed rose within Hiruko's heart.
To be fair, Hiruko's personality was extremely twisted.
While he envied Orochimaru and the others, he could never hide his deep inferiority complex.
When someone becomes obsessed with another person, they inevitably clothe that person in glory and even treat them like a god.
That was why Hiruko behaved so flamboyantly and dramatically.
Even after perfecting the Chimera Technique, he didn't choose to quietly grow stronger.
Instead, he publicly declared in broad daylight that he would start the Fourth Great Ninja War.
From an outsider's perspective, it seemed unbelievably stupid.
But if Hiruko didn't behave like that, he wouldn't be Hiruko, and he would never have created the Chimera Technique.
Greed was carved into the bones of humanity.
It was precisely because of desire and greed that humans had survived such harsh environments.
The essence of the Chimera Technique was endless devouring, a reflection of Hiruko's deepest desires.
What he truly wanted was recognition.
He wanted attention.
He wanted acknowledgment from others.
Only that could hide the inferiority deep within him.
Even when he declared the start of the Fourth Ninja War, he still called himself:
"Hiruko of the Konohagakure."
"Those powers… do not belong to you."
Arata's Byakugan was already activated. Looking at the chaotic chakra inside Hiruko's body, he narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke calmly.
Hiruko suddenly turned his head.
After a brief moment of shock, a ferocious expression spread across his pale face.
"This is my power!" he roared, his face twisting in rage.
"It is the power of Hiruko!"
"No," Arata replied calmly.
"That is power you stole."
Boom!!
"How dare you!"
Before the furious shout even finished echoing, Hiruko's figure vanished from where he stood, leaving only a nearly invisible afterimage behind.
All that could be heard was the sharp sonic boom of air splitting apart.
The ground where he had stood cracked apart, fragments of stone flying into the air while dust blossomed outward like a flower.
Kekkei Genkai, Swift Release.
Meanwhile, Arata had already raised his hand as if about to grasp something.
A black sphere condensed in the center of his palm.