Chapter 9: Are You Getting Impatient?
In the dense forest of the Land of Whirlpools, Ao was leading five Hidden Mist Ninja on a rapid advance.
However, every one of them wore a grave expression because they were getting closer and closer to the border of the Land of Fire.
"Captain, the truce has lasted so long, why must we still carry out a mission like this?"
Finally, one Hidden Mist Ninja couldn't help himself. He looked at Ao, who was at the very front, and asked in a low voice.
"I don't know either, but this is the order from the Mizukage-sama."
Ao shook his head upon hearing this, speaking calmly.
"So, don't ask too many questions. Let's just do what we are supposed to do."
"Yes!"
Although the Hidden Mist Ninja still had doubts, hearing the name of the Mizukage made them hesitant to say more.
Ao glanced at the people behind him, unable to suppress a sigh in his heart.
He actually didn't understand the purpose of such a mission, especially at this time!
Following the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi's expansion of the Blood Mist Policy, things within Hidden Mist were far from peaceful.
First, Zabuza's assassination attempt on the Mizukage failed, and then the Kaguya Family joined the'Survival Game'.
It was just that the Kaguya Family was rather unlucky; they were wiped out by the Mizukage, who was prepared.
Afterward, more Kekkei Genkai families were successively destroyed, and the cruelty and distortion of the Blood Mist Policy caused increasing dissatisfaction among the populace.
Under such a general climate, Ao felt it would have been best for them to stay in Hidden Mist to stabilize the situation.
Yet, they were actually sent to the Land of Fire to carry out a mission?
"Sigh..."
Ao sighed silently, but a Ninja must obey orders, especially when it was the Mizukage's command.
But a thought also formed in his mind: if they truly encountered major trouble, then he...
Whoosh Whoosh—
Just as he was contemplating, several sounds of air being sliced suddenly came from the forest. A dense barrage of Kunai flew toward them!
This instantly snapped him back to attention, and he shouted loudly.
"Be careful, it's an ambush!"
But as soon as his voice fell, fluctuations of Chakra appeared on those Kunai.
Boom Boom Boom—
A series of violent explosions suddenly echoed through the dense forest, and the flames of the explosions instantly engulfed them!
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
However, they were all elites of Hidden Mist, and the Land of Whirlpools was inherently coastal, making this environment advantageous for them.
In an instant, they immediately deployed Water Release.
The surging water wall collided with the surging flames, causing vast amounts of steam to rise.
For a moment, this steam covered everyone.
"Byakugan, activate!"
Ao immediately unsealed his right eye, rapidly scanning his surroundings.
"One at the nine o'clock position, one at twelve o'clock, one at three o'clock—all are Konoha Anbu!"
Zizizi—
But as soon as he finished speaking, he heard the sound of thunder roaring, immediately followed by the tragic scream of one of his comrades.
On the other side, he clearly saw a vine leap out, instantly piercing through the body of another comrade!
"Chidori, Wood Release..."
Ao's expression changed slightly. He didn't know who the Wood Release user was, but the one using Chidori was definitely Kakashi Hatake!
Ao, who was already somewhat resistant to this mission, didn't hesitate at all at this moment. He immediately shouted loudly.
"Everyone, retreat quickly!"
"Trying to leave? I'm afraid it won't be that easy."
As soon as he finished speaking, a young-looking Anbu rushed in front of him.
Chakra, resembling a ferocious lion, condensed in his hands and was already hurtling towards him!
"Gentle Fist: Twin Lion Fists?"
Ao raised an eyebrow. He had seen this kind of Move before.
The former owner of this Byakugan also used such a Move!
"Hyuga Main Family?"
He muttered internally, and suddenly an idea struck him.
Kakashi and the Wood Release user were clearly very troublesome. If they ran into these two, they might not escape!
"But if we had a hostage..."
His gaze immediately became slightly unfocused. He wasn't afraid of the Hyuga, after all, he held the title of 'Byakugan Killer'!
Boom—
With one punch, the ground shook from the force of the blow, creating a crater.
But Ao had already leaped up. He had made his decision and let out a cold snort.
"You really chose the wrong opponent."
In an instant, his Chakra surged wildly and converged in his hands. The next moment, he swung out rapidly.
"Water Release: Azure Dragon Palm!"
After obtaining the Byakugan, he combined it with his favored Water Release based on its characteristics.
This also gave him a brand new and unique fighting style!
"Eight Trigrams Palms: First Form."
Hyuga Makoto didn't panic when his strike missed. He immediately raised his hand for a palm strike.
Bang—
The moment their fists and palms crossed, Ao's body suddenly dissolved, transforming into a wave of water.
And this wave of water rapidly enveloped Hyuga Makoto. Simultaneously, Ao's figure reappeared on the other side.
"Kid, you're still too green. Water Release: Water Prison Technique!"
Looking at the fierce incoming wave of water, Hyuga Makoto's eyes flickered slightly. The next moment, he suddenly shifted the momentum of his punch.
Buzz—
The Chakra-infused fist swung out again. The enveloping wave of water immediately rippled in the air.
Then, this wave of water could no longer hold its form, scattering across the ground with a'splash'!
"How is this possible..."
A look of astonishment appeared on Ao's face. He wasn't surprised that this kid had discovered his technique.
After all, with the Byakugan, one could see many things.
He had already prepared for the gap that would appear when the kid evaded the Water Prison Technique, allowing him to launch an attack!
Yet this kid didn't dodge, but casually shattered his technique with a single strike?
"Is it luck?"
But he didn't have time to think further; Hyuga Makoto was already charging at him again.
His fist, carrying immense Chakra, buzzed in the air.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!"
Ao immediately formed the hand Seals, and a massive water dragon roared out.
However, Hyuga Makoto only glanced at it. When the water dragon got close, he swung his fist again!
"Eight Trigrams Palms: Vacuum Palm."
Chakra formed an invisible shockwave in the air. The roaring water dragon suddenly paused.
The next moment, the water dragon split in half, turning back into a pool of stagnant water on the ground!
"This guy is definitely not right!"
Ao had completely discovered the problem now, but he couldn't understand what was happening.
But Hyuga Makoto wouldn't explain, and he himself was extremely surprised and excited!
"Is this the power of the Tenseigan...?"
At this moment, Hyuga Makoto had activated the Tenseigan!
Although he hadn't bought any colored contact lenses, the design of the Anbu mask inherently had the effect of obscuring the eyes without affecting vision.
He didn't need to worry about his eyes being exposed, and he could truly experience the effect of the Tenseigan!
"Although the development level is only one percent, it already provides extraordinary insight..."
He didn't know how the Sharingan worked, but his Tenseigan allowed him to accurately capture the direction of his opponent's Chakra flow.
He could even clearly observe the signs of muscle contraction. These subtle changes, combined, allowed him to instantly judge the opponent's intentions.
It was the same with the jutsu; he could quickly discern its structure. All he needed to do was attack its core to destroy the jutsu!
With this enhancement, his fighting became smoother, and his suppressive power grew stronger.
Conversely, Ao felt increasingly uncomfortable, and his mind grew more bewildered.
"How is this guy different from the Hyuga I've encountered before?"
Hyuga Makoto's chaotic attack style was already making him flustered. The most fatal thing was...
"Why can this guy predict my movements?"
Every time he made a Move, the opponent was already prepared in advance. Even if he tried a feint, it seemed it could be seen through instantly!
He also possessed the Byakugan; he could see the flow of Chakra.
But he absolutely couldn't achieve this level!
Moreover, he discovered one more thing.
"Why do I always feel like my Byakugan is being suppressed?"
Ao truly couldn't understand, but now wasn't the time for him to ponder. He hadn't forgotten the predicament of his subordinates. If he didn't find a way to control this guy quickly, they might really not escape!
Thinking of this, a fierce look appeared on Ao's face.
Since this kind of'subtle' combat couldn't gain an advantage, he would simply resort to 'brute force'!
After blocking Hyuga Makoto's offensive once more, the Chakra within him surged wildly.
However, before he could make a Move, Hyuga Makoto suddenly looked up and spoke lightly.
"What, are you getting impatient?"
"..."