Even if they managed to pull him out, he likely wouldn't survive.
They exchanged bewildered glances, momentarily stunned.
But after a moment's reflection, they realized that keeping their eyes intact was indeed something to celebrate.
Two of them dragged Sowa away to escape, while the remaining four moved to defend against Raj alongside him.
Seeing the most foolish of their group being dragged away only emboldened Raj further.
Now in its "Gate of Opening" state, Raj moved with blinding speed.
It had no interest in tangling with the Hozuki clan members, but Raj had overheard earlier that one of them was named Ao.
This was the guy who had obtained the Byakugan in Naruto - how could it possibly let him slip away?
Capturing him would undoubtedly be a major accomplishment.
Ao initially wanted to fight, but when he saw the black shadow hurtling toward him, he immediately activated the Kirigakure Technique.
However, Raj wasn't relying on sight to track him.
The scent hadn't dissipated in the chaos, allowing Raj to follow Ao's trail by smell.
Ao quickly formed hand seals.
Water Formation Wall!
But in the blink of an eye, Raj had already pierced through the water wall, a swirling chakra sphere coalescing on its claw.
The Rasengan shattered the wall instantly, its residual force slamming into Ao and sending him flying backward.
Before he could even hit the water, Raj pinned him down with a claw, its tail sprouting a tuft of fur that bound him tightly.
"Meow! Retreat!"
The newly arrived Kiri Ninja were stunned.
Ao was a rare Sensory Ninja among the Kiri Ninja, and his strength was considerable - not weak even among Jonin.
Yet this cat had subdued him in the blink of an eye, pinning him underwater and rendering him combat-incapable.
They glanced at the sea... Ao's entire team had vanished.
Apart from Ao, the other three couldn't even be sensed.
Either they had fled, or they were dead.
Given the Kiri Ninja's strict discipline, the latter seemed more likely.
'This cat is too strong!'
Though the Kiri Ninja were no slouches in speed, they paled in comparison to Raj.
By the time they arrived, Raj had already completed his initial assault, and the four were still under the effects of the Transformation Technique.
At such close range, even branch family members wouldn't be fooled.
Only two branch family members remained, acting as rear guards, but they were now trapped and unable to escape.
Within seconds, both were dragged underwater, bound, and incapacitated.
"We can't control it anymore. Grab these two and retreat."
With the caster gone, the Exploding Water Surge dissipated, and the tidal wave slowly receded.
Although the Water Transformation Technique could be used outside of water, its power was greatest within it.
As the tide receded, and more enemies approached, escape would become nearly impossible.
"Lord Ao?"
"We can't catch up now. Secure them first..."
"Watch out!"
Amidst their argument, a colossal palm descended from the sky.
The Kiri Ninja immediately erected a Water Formation Wall, but the four Hozuki clan members knew better than anyone the sheer power of Raj's palm strike.
Earlier, one of their comrades had transformed into a water giant, only to be shattered with a single blow.
"Retreat! We can't withstand this!"
"Lord Ao, you retreat first. We're elite Hidden Kiri Ninja, after all..."
The disguised quartet abandoned their charade, reverting to their true appearances.
They couldn't help but feel frustrated.
Their original plan had been to infiltrate as Uchiha, patrol south from the northern border, and then, while the Hyuga Clan's attention was diverted, close within a few hundred meters.
This would have allowed them to encircle the Hyuga patrol team, leaving no one alive.
But what about now?
They had arrived, only to find that everyone had fled, leaving behind just two Branch Family members and a cat that had kidnapped Ao.
They couldn't even catch up to them, leaving them no chance to prove their worth.
Now was their chance.
The Water Formation Wall and Water Dragon Bullet jutsu were unleashed simultaneously.
Two water dragons roared to life, surging skyward.
However, the "claw" before them was ten times larger than before, its fur crackling with azure Wind Release Chakra.
With a single swipe, it shattered the Water Dragon Bullets.
Hiss~
'That stung a bit.'
The Water Dragon Bullets packed considerable power.
Even after combining the Expansion Jutsu, Superhuman Strength, Needle Jizo, and cat hair needles, the backlash from shattering the jutsu still reverberated through him.
The pain felt like... being pricked by a needle.
"Impossible!"
On the other side, the two Kiri Ninja who had cast the Water Dragon Bullets stood dumbfounded.
A single swipe had shattered both water dragons simultaneously.
What kind of cat was this?
Its strength was overwhelming.
Before they could react, the water beneath their feet surged, and all four of them were swept away by the Hozuki Clan's water-encapsulation technique.
Midway through the maneuver, Raj shifted his attack from a swipe to a scoop.
The Water Transformation Technique rendered them immune to physical attacks, but it couldn't stop Raj from snatching them up.
With a single swipe, he grabbed not only the two Hyuga Branch Family members but also a Hidden Kiri Ninja who had been hiding beneath the surface.
Once out of the water, the Kiri Ninja's restraints weakened considerably.
The branch family members immediately activated their Chakra, and the two of them unleashed their Eight Trigrams Domain, targeting the third person in Raj's paw.
After a flurry of finger jabs, the pitiful Hidden Kiri Ninja collapsed like a dead dog in Raj's paw.
Raj then flung all three of them away with a single swipe.
Where they land doesn't matter, as long as they're far from here.
'Buy two, get one free! Nice!'
"Damn it!"
His teammates were furious, but what could they do?
The targets had already been flung far away, leaving them to vent their impotent rage.
The Hozuki Clan ninja acted decisively.
Without further hesitation, they retrieved the body of the only Hyuga Branch Family member they had killed, along with the corpses of their fallen comrades, and retreated.
This cat is a monster.
While the Hozuki Clan wasn't afraid, the Uchiha forces could arrive at any moment.
With Noboru Hyuga already rescued, any further delay would only bring Uchiha reinforcements, putting them at a severe disadvantage.
They retreated.
Raj shrank back to his cat form and quickly devoured a packet of special cat food.
The recent battle had drained him considerably, leaving him with just over thirty percent of his Chakra.
This level of Chakra felt dangerously low.