Bonus chapter
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After Asuka stayed behind alone to block Konoha's pursuers, the members of the Fourth Squad quickly broke through the encirclement.
Although they were occasionally harassed by Konoha ninja, the squad managed to repel them each time. After all, Konoha's main force had been intercepted by Asuka alone, greatly reducing the pressure on the Fourth Squad.
"Kenta, do you think Lord Asuka can break through? He wouldn't…"
"Lord Asuka will definitely break through successfully. What do you think the title 'Immortal Lord Asuka' comes from?"
The ninja was about to continue, but Kenta interrupted him.
"Alright. Instead of worrying about Lord Asuka, we should think about how we're going to break through."
As one of the few veterans in the Fourth Squad, Sato Kenta clearly understood Asuka's strength. Thinking of that terrifying regenerative ability, he didn't believe those Konoha ninja could hold Asuka back.
Suddenly, a fireball shot toward them and exploded heavily in front of the squad, forcing their advance to a halt.
Behind the flames, a pair of blood-red eyes lit up.
"Hmph. Some small bugs actually managed to escape. The Hyuga Clan really is useless."
The arrogant voice carried through the hot wind of the flames. The newcomer stepped forward, his eyes crimson, three tomoe slowly rotating within them.
His identity was obvious.
"The Uchiha Clan… This is going to be troublesome," Sato Kenta thought.
He made a tactical hand signal behind his back. Immediately, two figures leapt out from the squad, gripping ninja swords as they charged toward the Uchiha ninja.
The Uchiha snorted, drew a kunai, and met them head-on.
With the Sharingan's assistance, he fought two against one without falling behind. In a short time, they exchanged dozens of blows.
But one of the Fourth Squad members accidentally met the Uchiha's gaze.
[Genjutsu: Sharingan]
The instant their eyes locked, the squad member's body froze.
Seizing the opportunity, the Uchiha's kunai slashed mercilessly across his throat.
The man clutched his neck and collapsed unwillingly to the ground. Blood poured through his fingers, staining the surrounding grass red.
The other squad member immediately retreated.
"To dare meet my eyes… you truly are bold," the Uchiha said coldly, flicking the blood from his kunai.
The squad fell silent, tightening their grips on their weapons as they remained fully alert.
At that moment, several more figures appeared behind the Uchiha. They wore Konoha's green flak jackets—it was clearly a patrol squad led by the Uchiha ninja.
Most of the newcomers also had blood-red eyes. This patrol unit was almost entirely composed of Uchiha clan members.
Seeing this, Sato Kenta and the others felt a wave of despair. Even at their peak, they might not consistently defeat such an elite squad—let alone now, when they were exhausted.
[Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique]
A clear voice rang out, accompanied by the roar of a water dragon.
The massive dragon crashed down onto the Uchiha patrol squad.
Caught off guard, several Uchiha were struck head-on and immediately knocked unconscious.
Two figures appeared on the battlefield, one carrying another person on his back.
It was Minazuki Murasaki and Hozuki Mangetsu. They had finally shaken off Konoha's pursuers along with Miyagawa Ryosuke, though both were visibly injured.
"Mangetsu, Murasaki, why are you here? What happened to Ryosuke?" Sato Kenta hurried forward, taking Miyagawa Ryosuke from them. Seeing that Ryosuke was already unconscious, he quickly handed him to a squad member skilled in medical ninjutsu.
"Senior Ryosuke was discovered while gathering intelligence and was seriously injured. We fought our way here with him."
"Alright, enough talk. What's going on here? Where did all these Uchiha come from? Did you stumble into an Uchiha nest or something?" Hozuki Mangetsu said with a grin.
Sato Kenta was speechless. He also didn't know why his luck was so bad—running straight into such an elite squad, led by a three-tomoe Sharingan user.
"Two more little bugs? Perfect. Saves me the trouble of hunting you down one by one."
The Uchiha leader remained calm despite the reinforcements. He intended to wipe out the entire Fourth Squad in one go.
"Hmph. Don't talk too big—you might bite your tongue," Mangetsu shot back.
A breeze swept across the battlefield.
Both sides attacked simultaneously.
[Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique]
[Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet Technique]
[Water Release: Water Fang Bullet Technique]
The ninjutsu collided, erupting into a thick cloud of white mist.
Taking advantage of the cover, Hozuki Mangetsu rushed forward.
The Hozuki Clan's Hydrification Technique had a similar effect in close combat to Asuka's regenerative ability. One granted unparalleled recovery, while the other allowed the user's body to transform into water, making them immune to ordinary physical attacks. Unless facing a ninja proficient in Lightning Release, a Hozuki clan member was nearly invincible in close quarters.
Thus, Mangetsu's fighting style resembled Asuka's—both specialized in close combat.
Mangetsu charged straight at the Uchiha squad, allowing shuriken to pass harmlessly through his liquefied body. Enduring the barrage, he rapidly closed the distance.
He raised his hands, fingers shaped like pistols.
[Water Release: Water Gun Technique]
Two high-speed water bullets shot out, piercing directly through the chests of two Uchiha clan members.
The squad immediately realized the white-haired man was no ordinary opponent. A jonin from the Uchiha Clan with a two-tomoe Sharingan stepped forward to confront Mangetsu.
"The Hozuki Clan? Not bad. Worth hunting. Kid, tell me your name."
"I don't make a habit of introducing myself to dead men."
"Hmph. Arrogant brat. I hope your skills are as tough as your mouth."
With that, the Uchiha lunged forward, flames igniting along his ninja sword.
[Uchiha Style: Soaring Flame Dance]
Although fire did not restrain the Hydrification Technique as effectively as Lightning Release, it still had a notable suppressive effect on Water Release.
Seeing the flames engulf the blade, Mangetsu avoided using Hydrification recklessly. Instead, he drew the sword from his back and wrapped a stream of water around it. This was an ancestral sword technique of the Hozuki Clan. With their precise control over water, they could sheath their blades in high-speed currents, increasing cutting power.
The flaming sword and the water-wrapped blade collided.
The Uchiha and Mangetsu locked eyes—or rather, Mangetsu focused on the Uchiha's neck. Staring into a Sharingan during battle was practically suicide, and Mangetsu wasn't foolish enough to make that mistake.
As the clash reached a stalemate, Mangetsu suddenly had an idea.
His legs dissolved into water, breaking the balance between them. At the same time, he activated another technique.
[Water Prison Technique]
The water that had once been his legs surged upward, forming a spherical prison that trapped the Uchiha jonin inside.
"Idiot. Our Hozuki Clan isn't limited to the Hydrification Technique. If that's all you were watching for, you deserve this. Be smarter in your next life."
With that, Mangetsu thrust his ninja sword into the trapped Uchiha's body, ending the battle.
As Mangetsu killed the Uchiha jonin, the other fights across the battlefield also began reaching their conclusions.