The Byakugan truly is a precious asset.
Except during times of war, Konoha almost never sends Hyūga clan main branch members into battle.
Even when they do, they are usually accompanied by a large number of elite branch members.
Given all these factors, it's already a rare feat that Kirigakure managed to obtain a single Byakugan.
"Uchiha brat, I've already seen through your attacks. It's truly shocking—so the Sharingan can unleash such terrifying dōjutsu."
With the Byakugan, Ao could clearly see Obito's chakra surging rapidly, with energy condensing to an extreme at his eye.
Just like what happened to his comrade who had been attacked earlier.
Realizing his attack had been seen through, Obito frowned and was about to forcefully strike when Takeshi stopped him.
"The mist is thinning."
Takeshi spoke calmly, finally making Kakashi and the others realize that the scene before them was beginning to clear.
"Looks like the ninja who cast this jutsu has already been defeated. Your Byakugan is of no further use—why not leave it here?"
Takeshi didn't respond to Ao's intent, and instead formed hand seals right in front of him:
"Wind Release: Vacuum Bullets!"
A dense barrage of compressed wind bullets shot from Takeshi's mouth like bullets. Caught off guard—having been defending against Ice Release—Ao misjudged:
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
"So that's it… You've mastered Wind Release to such a degree as well?"
The wind bullets didn't weaken despite being blocked by the water wall. They pierced through it and continued toward Ao.
Caught by surprise, Ao's right arm was penetrated by the wind bullets. Fortunately, a massive broadsword suddenly appeared, embedding itself in the ground and blocking the remaining attack.
"That was close. Even the Executioner's Blade was nearly pierced through. Ao, you've really pissed off someone serious."
With half his face painted in red stripes and a cross-shaped scar across it, Jūzō Biwa stepped out from the shadows. He walked over to his Executioner's Blade, grabbed the hilt, and pulled it from the ground.
"Your blood works, but Konoha's blood is even more nourishing."
Glancing at Ao's wound, Jūzō's voice was cruel as he pointed the broadsword straight at Takeshi with one hand.
"Trash always says meaningless things."
The sight of one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen instantly brought back humiliating memories of being hunted by Raiga Kurosuki. Takeshi's voice grew noticeably colder.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!"
Snapping his head back, Takeshi spotted three Kiri-nin leaping from the shadows, attempting to ambush him from behind. A wind blade sliced them down—their blood and organs spilling across the ground.
Taking advantage of the opportunity bought with their lives, Jūzō swung the Executioner's Blade and charged at Takeshi, only to be intercepted by Kakashi:
"Lightning Release!"
"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave!"
Gritting through the pain in his arm, Ao launched a Water Release to support Jūzō's attack.
But using Water Release against Lightning Release only made Jūzō wonder if Ao was retaliating for the earlier taunt.
Kakashi's purple Lightning Release quickly overwhelmed the Water Release. Though it lost some momentum, Jūzō still dodged it with ease.
After dealing with the three suicidal Kiri-nin, Takeshi turned and used Ice Release to meet the Executioner's Blade head-on.
The ice wall cracked under the tremendous force of Jūzō's strike. Judging Jūzō's strength from that, Takeshi wisely decided not to engage in close-quarters combat.
"Kakashi, this one's yours."
Leaving Jūzō to Kakashi, Takeshi threw a Flying Thunder God kunai toward Ao's position.
A Byakugan that can see through thick mist, detect chakra flow, and provide long-range vision, versus a sword that repairs itself using blood—clearly, the one to eliminate first was obvious.
"Flying Thunder God Technique? Useless. I already have your intel."
As Ao knocked away the kunai Takeshi threw, he turned back toward him—only to find a shimmering ice mirror left in his place.
"Secret Technique: Crystal Ice Mirrors!"
Appearing behind Ao, Takeshi's poisoned senbon shot toward Ao's waist, but were kicked away by a spinning counter.
"I've got intel on the Ice Mirrors too! Water Release: Water Bullet!"
As Ao shattered the ice mirror with a water bullet, Takeshi had already teleported using the Flying Thunder God Technique to where his earlier senbon had fallen:
"Ice Release: Ice Age!"
A raging wave of ice burst forth just inches from Ao, sharp ice blades piercing through the arm he instinctively raised to shield himself. Soon, Ao's figure was engulfed by layers of overlapping ice waves.
"I doubt it'll end so easily."
Sinking into the ice layer, Takeshi vanished just as a few kunai landed where he'd stood.
Emerging from the other end of the ice, Takeshi looked at Ao, who remained unscathed.
"As I thought, just a water clone?"
"That's right."
Ao replied while raising his fists, preparing to use the Byakugan's advantages to fight Takeshi in close quarters.
But he soon realized his miscalculation.
The ice beneath his feet had created the perfect environment for Takeshi to dodge. Able to freely move through the ice, Takeshi could vanish and reappear anywhere—while also launching devastating Ice Release jutsu from below.
"Quite the surprise… Even in this disadvantageous position, you're still unwilling to flee?"
Landing a solid strike to Ao's kidney, Takeshi curiously wondered why Ao refused to retreat.
"Hmph."
Ao only snorted coldly, offering no answer.
...
Elsewhere, Kakashi and Obito had worked together to injure Jūzō Biwa, even breaking his Executioner's Blade in half.
"Something's off."
Kakashi watched Jūzō, who now had blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and felt uneasy.
"What is it? Isn't everything going smoothly?"
Obito asked, puzzled.
"The intel said these were just the last remnants of Kirigakure forces in the Land of Fire. But why would a remnant unit possess something as valuable as a Byakugan?"
Glancing at Ao locked in battle with Takeshi not far away, Kakashi felt like he had just grasped the crux of the problem.
Indeed, Ao's Byakugan was Kirigakure's only one and held immense value. It should have been evacuated with the main forces long ago.
In other words—
...
"Hmph. Jūzō, what a sorry state you're in."
A strange blade pierced Obito's body, but its wielder suddenly froze.
"This sensation… I see. My attack went right through?"
As Obito counterattacked as if nothing had happened, the large man hurriedly raised his hair, using it to form a defensive wall.
Violent explosions erupted all around them as a flood of unfamiliar faces appeared among the Kiri-nin.
Danzō had made a miscalculation. He had believed Kirigakure to be too weakened to fight—but it turned out they had used this small unit as bait to lure in Konoha.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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