Chapter 313: An Even Match
The hand gripping the short sword trembled, but no matter how hard Shisui pushed, he couldn't pierce the heart that was inches away.
"Hahaha! I win in the end!" The crazed woman shoved the sword aside and kicked Shisui away with a heavy blow.
"If you have any other tricks, use them all now. Otherwise, I'll have to punish you for daring to resist," she said, casting a malicious glance at Yamato nearby. But to her surprise, instead of fear, a look of joy appeared on the boy's face.
This strange reaction puzzled her. Had the kid gone insane from fear?
But his next words made everything clear.
"Sensei..."
"Sorry I'm late."
Hearing the voice from behind her, the woman's hair stood on end. Without thinking, she leaped sideways, trying to dodge a potential sneak attack from the rear.
However, Kyosuke had no such intention. He ignored the woman completely and walked straight to the seemingly dead Anko.
Seeing this, the woman walked back with a dark expression, silently watching the so-called "teacher" tend to the little girl.
Feeling slighted, she didn't attack. She decided to defeat this "savior" in front of Shisui and the others, letting them feel profound despair before slowly killing them all.
As a warrior personally trained by that lord, she had this confidence.
After a brief check of Anko's injuries, Kyosuke breathed a sigh of relief. Although she had two fatal wounds, the pill had been taken in time, saving her life.
Handing Anko over to a joyous Shisui, Kyosuke looked at his eyes. He didn't need to ask to know what had happened.
"Good work," he said, patting his disciple's shoulder, then turned to the grinning Yamato.
"Great, Anko's okay. That's... great," Yamato choked out, tears of relief in his eyes. Kyosuke smiled warmly at him.
"You three did well. Supporting each other in the face of a powerful enemy... as your teacher, I am very proud."
"Leave the rest to me."
After comforting his three students, Kyosuke finally turned to face the unknown woman, unleashing his killing intent upon her without reserve.
"State your origins, and I might give you a quick death."
Feeling the almost tangible killing intent, the woman's expression turned grave. But even sensing the enemy's extraordinary strength, her arrogance wouldn't allow her to back down verbally.
"Want to know where Big Sister comes from? Sure, defeat me first."
"Alright then..." Kyosuke nodded silently. In the next instant, the woman's pupils dilated as a sword slashed across her abdomen, leaving a deep wound. If her reaction had been any slower, her intestines would have been spilled.
"This man... cannot be underestimated," the woman muttered fearfully, touching her wound.
Immediately, a blue chakra glow erupted from her body, a sign that she was pushing her chakra to its limits.
Stomping heavily on the ground, cracking the earth beneath her, she charged at the sword-wielding Kyosuke with a speed matching Shisui's earlier movements.
Possessing such strength... who is she? When did the ninja world get so many random powerhouses? Kyosuke pondered her origins while his hands moved swiftly, slashing down at the incoming palm.
Bang!
A violent shockwave erupted from the center of their clash, destroying nearby buildings and walls.
In this head-on collision, they were evenly matched.
Feeling the iron-hard chakra on the woman's palm, Kyosuke had a strange thought. Is this... the Hyuga clan?
He had seen this method of chakra manipulation countless times from Saori. He had initially thought it was a similar technique, but upon contact, he was certain: this woman was definitely a Hyuga.
However, looking at the original story, no Hyuga clan member had ever reached this level of strength. Even Neji at his peak was far inferior to her. This only deepened Kyosuke's curiosity about her origins.
Forcing her back with a powerful sword strike, Kyosuke activated his Sharingan. His free left hand formed seals instantly, and he transformed into a stream of light, taking the offensive.
Since the opponent clearly wanted a close-quarters fight, Kyosuke was happy to oblige.
Since mastering swordsmanship and awakening the Mangekyo, he had never feared anyone in close combat. This unknown woman was no exception.
The seal on his neck released, and six snake shadows transformed into sharp blades floating behind him. Kyosuke, entering Sage Mode, intended to end the fight in a single blow.
"Seven Swords Style: Seven Crescent Moon Slash."
Facing the menacing Kyosuke, the woman took a deep breath, lowered her stance, and positioned her arms in a familiar pose.
An invisible Eight Trigrams formation expanded. Just as it seemed she would use the Eight Trigrams Palms to counter Kyosuke, she unexpectedly used an ability Saori possessed.
"Byakugan: Pressure."
This special move, usable only with high purity, was originally unique to Saori. Yet, this woman successfully executed it, albeit in a very different manner.
The Eight Trigrams formation, usually invisible to outsiders, suddenly manifested clearly. A massive pressure emanated from it, causing Kyosuke's high-speed movement to falter for an instant.
Seizing this opportunity with a cold sneer, the woman moved swiftly to Kyosuke's front, unleashing a flurry of palm strikes at his vital points.
A flash of violet-red light appeared. Forced into a disadvantage by the enemy's strange fighting style, Kyosuke had no choice but to activate Susanoo to defend against the attacks.
He had originally intended to use the Flying Thunder God to teleport to Shisui's side and then counterattack. Unexpectedly, the Eight Trigrams formation beneath his feet not only generated a force that glued him in place but also made sensing spatial coordinates extremely difficult. Thus, helpless, Kyosuke had to withstand the enemy's assault.
Over a hundred rapid palm strikes peeled away layers of the Susanoo's Karasu-Tengu armor. However, the Susanoo, empowered by the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, was not something this level of attack could penetrate.
Seeing that she couldn't harm the enemy, the woman retreated to a safe distance. Her abdominal wound and depleted spiritual energy wouldn't allow her to continue fighting at full capacity.
"That damned Mangekyo again. This guy is tougher than I expected."
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