"I might as well ask—the Byakugan, did you guys get it?" Kamishiro Hagoromo stretched his left arm straight out, hooked his right arm over it, and twisted his waist to stretch. Looking as if he were warming up for some kind of sport, he posed the question to Yagura.
"We did. Though it's a rather unfortunate outcome for you, I can tell you the truth. The ninja carrying the Byakugan has likely already returned to the Hidden Mist by now," Yagura said.
He didn't reveal this because the baby-faced boy was some kind of good Samaritan. Rather, at this point, there was simply no need to hide the intel anymore. The Byakugan being brought back to the Hidden Mist meant their mission was a success. What were the Konoha ninjas going to do, charge straight into the Hidden Mist to take it back?
If they did, the Mist ninjas would give them a very warm welcome.
Furthermore, in Yagura's eyes, Kamishiro was already a dead man. Satisfying a trivial dying wish was no big deal.
Yagura certainly didn't know that having a thought like that was basically planting a massive death flag. With a flag like that raised, it meant Kamishiro Hagoromo absolutely couldn't die here no matter what.
However, this did answer his lingering doubts. Because the mission was successful, that retreat signal was given, prompting this group of Mist ninjas to evacuate the area collectively.
"Can we talk this out? Since we haven't started throwing punches yet, how about we just go our separate ways? We don't have any personal grudges, and you've already gotten what you came for. Our mission is officially a bust. Personally speaking, I have zero reason to keep fighting," he said, sounding deceptively naive. Was this really something open for negotiation?
Did that sound familiar? Well, he had said the exact same thing to Roshi, and the end result was him beating the guy until his true form popped out.
However, his flippant attitude made it completely impossible for Yagura to imagine that this exact guy had killed a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist not too long ago.
In truth, Yagura really didn't have that piece of intel. He only knew Biwa Juzo was dead. How he died, or by whose hands, remained a mystery.
Even if Terumi Mei and Zabuza had voiced their suspicions, it was completely unverified.
"You are a ninja of Konoha, and I belong to the Hidden Mist. What you're suggesting is clearly impossible, isn't it?" Yagura's response carried a smile, but there was zero warmth in his eyes.
"Figures," he replied, his tone dripping with disappointment.
"Are you done warming up?"
So the reason Yagura hadn't attacked yet was simply because he was waiting for him to finish his warm-up routine.
"Hold on!"
"I have one last, slightly personal question... You've got quite the baby face, so pardon me for asking, but how old are you exactly? Otherwise, throwing hands with you is going to feel an awful lot like I'm bullying a little kid."
Sometimes you just had to admit, whether intentional or not, Hagoromo was exceptionally gifted at pissing his enemies off.
So, Yagura's answer to that question was delivered via that bizarre club of his—the one that was thin at the front, thick at the back, hooked on both ends, and decorated with a flower.
As for the opponent's outraged assault, he was obviously well-prepared. He had a pretty accurate estimate of exactly what kind of effect his words would produce.
Furthermore, when dealing with a ninja carrying such a specialized weapon, it was a safe bet that they were highly skilled in a unique brand of taijutsu.
Therefore, Kamishiro's first choice was defense. Lightning flashed, and iron sand shifted to his will, coating the surface of his body... just a split second before the hooked club smashed into him with heavy momentum.
Yagura's first strike aimed straight for his ribs!
He blocked the strike with his right arm, which was thickly wrapped in iron sand. However, it was glaringly obvious that he had grossly underestimated the physical force behind the swing. Although he managed to block the attack, the sheer force knocked his arm high into the air.
Failing to land the first blow, Yagura smoothly spun his weapon, using the hook on the opposite end to slash at his neck from the side.
It was a pity. If a fragile human body part like that took a direct hit, it was an instant game over. Kamishiro naturally focused his defenses there, piling layer upon layer of iron sand. Even though the impact left Yagura's hands numb from the recoil, he couldn't crack the defense.
However, the two were now in extremely close quarters. While Yagura's hands were occupied with his weapon, his feet were completely free. Operating on the principle of maximizing idle limbs, he promptly delivered a brutal kick straight into Kamishiro Hagoromo's abdomen.
It seemed like he was currently in a state of being completely at the opponent's mercy, right?
Had this guy suddenly awakened his inner masochist?
Absolutely not. If forced to choose between being a sadist and a masochist, Kamishiro Hagoromo would pick sadist every single time. And if his hand accidentally slipped while checking the box, he'd end up a super sadist.
Although he appeared to be passively taking a beating, his defenses were actually flawless. In reality, that flurry of attacks hadn't caused him a single drop of real damage.
"His attack speed is incredibly fast."
"His strikes are all targeted at my vital points."
"He has a baby face and short limbs, but his physical strength is absurdly high."
Through that brief exchange, Kamishiro Hagoromo compiled his intelligence... Normal ninjas facing an unknown enemy would use a clone to probe for information. He, on the other hand, had the sheer audacity to face-tank it himself.
The baby-faced boy's strength was genuinely monstrous. That kick had sent Kamishiro Hagoromo tumbling backward across the water's surface several times over.
Yagura didn't immediately pursue. He was equally surprised by his opponent's defensive methods and their sheer effectiveness. He could clearly tell his club strikes hadn't inflicted any substantial damage.
"My turn."
Kamishiro Hagoromo picked himself up off the water like nothing had happened, and then charged straight at Yagura!
In response, the water in front of Yagura rapidly took shape, forming a pristine circular mirror out of thin air. He then hooked the curved end of his club over the top edge of the mirror.
Kamishiro Hagoromo watched as another him burst straight out of the reflection.
What the hell was this?
This was Water Style: Water Mirror Jutsu!
The doppelganger was even coated in the exact same crackling lightning of the Chidori Current. It was a flawless copy.
However, cheap imitations like this were completely useless against the original.
Iron sand snapped up from behind his back. Pitch black as the night sky, the high-frequency vibrating arrows were completely unstoppable.
Kamishiro's expression didn't even twitch as he instantly shredded the counterfeit into pieces!
But due to that momentary distraction, Yagura's next attack had already arrived!
It was that hooked club again!
Kamishiro Hagoromo once again thrust out his right arm to block!
But this time, his arm wasn't knocked away. His lightning-wreathed hand clamped down firmly, catching the opponent's weapon dead in its tracks.
Then, as if he had just completely removed his own limiters, a massive bloom of lightning erupted across the surface of the sea.
The higher the output power, the harder it was to maintain precise control—or rather, precise control was no longer necessary. At this moment, Kamishiro Hagoromo was pure, unadulterated violence. Unrestrained electricity arced and surged wildly across the water.
And so, he spoke again.
He said,
"Caught you!"
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