Chapter 167: Capturing Another Descendant of Otsutsuki Kaguya
Large keep, fourth floor.
The moment Hyuga Ritsu released Wood Release: Nativity of a World of Trees, the intense chakra fluctuations proved detectable even to Dodai. He startled suddenly, leaping up from the tatami mats, yet didn't panic in confusion.
He looked up, seeing dark brown tree roots drilling through the ceiling like serpents, spreading downward. His pupils contracted sharply. Immediately forming hand seals, he opened his mouth and spat.
Lava Release: Rubber Wall.
From his mouth emerged massive amounts of soft, resilient earth-yellow rubber—extremely adept at countering piercing force. The entire ceiling became covered in thick layers. From the rubber's deformation, one could see how powerful and vigorous those roots' piercing proved. But the rubber's flexibility and solidity proved superior. Ultimately, it firmly caught the downward-drilling roots.
Dodai slightly relaxed. These past many years serving as Third Raikage's sparring partner—while helping Third Raikage forge the "Strongest Spear"—his Lava Release bloodline limit likewise elevated to his talent's limit through that high-intensity confrontation. Handling such piercing attacks proved quite effortless for him.
He frowned, looking toward Xi beside him, asking aloud. "Xi, discovered anything?"
Xi opened his eyes, rapidly answering. "The attacker is only one person, currently exchanging blows with C-senpai in the sixth floor keep above. The person's chakra aura proves quite obscure—feels somewhat similar to chakra remnants left by the attacker who killed Troy, there's something strange about it..."
Speaking to the end, obvious conflicted expression appeared on his face.
Dodai didn't care about all that. The attacker's identity could be investigated and researched afterward. The urgent priority was quickly supporting C. Though C's strength proved formidable, since the attacker dared single-handedly intruding their camp launching attacks—how could they lack capabilities?
Therefore, they must support C as swiftly as possible, preventing that terrible worst-case scenario.
Dodai spoke in a deep voice. "Xi, don't worry about that. We must quickly help C!"
Xi's expression concentrated. He decisively suppressed distracting thoughts in his mind, nodding affirmatively. "Yes, Dodai-senpai."
Dodai looked up at the ceiling sealed by his rubber, asking. "Xi, did you sense routes going up earlier?"
Hearing this, Xi repeatedly shook his head, answering. "The fifth floor is completely blocked dead by trees. Either break through upward, or climb from outside—no other routes exist."
Break through upward?
Dodai frowned. Breaking through trees completely filling the large keep's fifth floor—how much effort would that require? Time pressed urgently. Climbing from outside would prove faster!
He instantly made his decision. "Go outside."
As his words fell, the two rushed outward. At this moment, they weren't the only ones taking action. Fourth floor, third floor Cloud ninja also all moved. Only fifth floor Cloud ninja suffered—Ritsu's Nativity of a World of Trees directly captured and killed four people. Two jonin broke through windows and jumped out, suffering light injuries, remaining downstairs without rash movements.
In any case, when Dodai and Xi rushed to the large keep fourth floor balcony, they just happened to converge with numerous Cloud ninja. Dodai's gaze swept once—naturally grasping command authority. He cleanly and decisively ordered. "Everyone, hear orders! Immediately proceed to the keep, support C."
"Yes, Dodai-sama."
All Cloud ninja responded in unison.
The next instant, everyone employed various methods, racing straight up along walls. However, Nativity of a World of Trees grew not only vertically but also expanded horizontally. Wanting to reach the keep required finding methods to break through forest spreading like eaves.
Lightning Release: Lightning Ball.
Lightning Release: Lightning Snake.
Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique.
Numerous techniques—mostly Lightning Release—were thrown out, exploding with flying wood fragments. But watching that completely unremarkable result, Dodai's brow furrowed increasingly tightly.
As expected, these timbers' strength proved shocking. Breaking through upward truly proved difficult—absolutely requiring high-power offensive techniques. Ordinary low-level techniques proved fundamentally useless.
But—
High-power offensive techniques weren't something just anyone could casually master. Even ordinary jonin struggled wielding such tremendously destructive techniques. Talent limitations, chakra limitations—each barrier distinguished the gap between genius and ordinary people.
Xi beside him was indeed a genius. But the problem—Xi's research direction didn't focus on offense. His strengths were sensory abilities, genjutsu, and medical ninjutsu, plus that clever, meticulous brain. He was top-tier logistical support talent.
Dodai himself faced similar circumstances. The Lava Release bloodline limit he inherited ranked among the highest offensive bloodline limits. Iwagakure's branch of Lava Release families developed Lava Release's offensive power thoroughly.
But Kumogakure's Dodai clan had abandoned Lava Release's most original and most formidable offensive methods, instead developing the "rubber" characteristic—likewise excelling at defense and support rather than attack.
Dodai took a deep breath. In lightning-fast moments, his mind decided. "Everyone stop. Don't waste chakra. Concentrate explosive tags—paste all explosive tags on. Blow this keep sky-high in one breath!"
Blow the keep sky-high?
Really?
C-sama remained above. Wouldn't this blow up C-sama too? Honestly, many didn't understand the urgency Dodai displayed. Because they deeply knew C's strength. That thousand-times-tempered formidable flesh—even standing motionless letting people kill—lacking some capability couldn't kill him.
Therefore, they figured—no need rushing so anxiously to support C-sama, right?
Watching Cloud ninja who didn't immediately move, Dodai roared. "What are you all standing around for? This is an order!"
This shout brought everyone back to their senses. Regardless of internal doubts, they still obediently retrieved explosive tags from ninja tool pouches.
As one of ninjas' standard tools, most ninja typically carried three to five explosive tags. Currently, even if not everyone carried explosive tags, their nearly twenty people still easily gathered approximately eighty-plus explosive tags.
Then, Dodai gave orders. All explosive tags tied to kunai tail rings were thrown out together, firmly nailing into trees above.
As explosive tags ignited, Dodai and Cloud ninja also rapidly descended one floor, avoiding explosion shockwaves.
Two seconds later, eighty-plus explosive tags detonated almost simultaneously. Deafening explosion sounds echoed above the mountain fortress. The large keep's fifth and sixth floors were swallowed by explosion's bright flames. Sky-shooting firelight illuminated the fortress as bright as daylight.
Standing in the keep exchanging blows with C, Hyuga Ritsu also took in everything below. He saw Dodai's plan ordering explosive tag use to destroy his Nativity of a World of Trees technique.
He immediately viewed this as an opportunity.
One second before those eighty-plus explosive tags detonated, Ritsu moved, rushing madly toward C. Simultaneously activating Shikotsumyaku bloodline limit, manufacturing bone layer defense across his body surface.
The next second, earth-shattering explosion arrived as scheduled.
Extremely intense shockwave crushed Ritsu's exterior Wood Release: Transformation Technique. Even bones manufactured using Shikotsumyaku cracked from the shock.
But he'd prepared in advance, adjusting his posture. While attacked by this explosion-generated shockwave, he also borrowed this shockwave's propulsion. He approached C at faster speed—so fast even C proved caught off-guard. Then Ritsu forcibly endured explosion shockwaves, raising his hand and striking one palm toward C.
C kept his eyelids lowered, resolutely refusing to look at Ritsu's eyes, avoiding Sharingan genjutsu control. Falling from this dozens-of-meters height in stiff posture—even his flesh would inevitably suffer serious injury.
Of course, he constantly watched Ritsu's hands and feet closely. Even though this sudden explosion caused him some impact, those sharp eyes still saw Ritsu's palm swing.
But hastily, no time to dodge remained. Simultaneously, he didn't think about dodging. Because he possessed incomparable confidence in his strong flesh. Even if Ritsu suddenly produced swords from his palm—no matter. His flesh wasn't something mere swords could harm.
He just watched Ritsu's palm heavily slap onto his chest.
Then his pupils violently contracted, revealing extreme shock.
Because he felt heart-piercing pain. Pain made him open his mouth wide, wanting to shout, yet unable to produce any sound. This fundamentally wasn't Uchiha!
This son of a bitch clearly was a Hyuga!!
His heart released this cry.
But could only occur in his heart. Landing one successful hit, Ritsu brought the principle of pressing advantages without mercy to extremes. Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms completely unleashed in one breath.
C's body could still move. Only affected by explosion shockwaves—they both currently occupied midair, fundamentally having nowhere to borrow force. Couldn't execute evasive jumps or similar actions. Could only curl his body, using hands and feet to bear Ritsu's Gentle Fist striking force.
His flesh rivaling diamond and iron proved negligible effect before Ritsu's Gentle Fist striking force. Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist attacked the chakra pathway system—soft internal organs impossible to effectively train.
Of course, theoretically, if muscles proved truly hard enough, they could also dissolve Gentle Fist striking force. Reportedly, Third Raikage had achieved this. During the Second Shinobi World War, he'd forcibly eaten an entire set of Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms from one Hyuga Main Family member as if nothing happened.
But such strength comparisons always depended on circumstances.
Hyuga Ritsu's Gentle Fist mastery profundity had long surpassed everyone in the clan. Even among all heroes throughout Hyuga clan history combined, Ritsu's Gentle Fist brilliance ranked stably in front rows—incomparable to those worthless trash Main Family members.
And though C's flesh proved formidable, it still couldn't reach Third Raikage's "Strongest Shield" degree.
Under this ebb and flow—cruel reality collapsed at first touch.
Ritsu's Gentle Fist easily broke through C's formidable flesh, effortlessly attacking C's chakra pathways.
Even though he curled his body, using hands and feet to bear attacks—after one complete Gentle Fist technique finished, falling C discovered he completely couldn't mobilize even the slightest bit of body chakra. Unable to mobilize chakra—even though his flesh remained strong, explosive power he could unleash proved quite limited.
Wood Release: Smothering Bind Technique.
Ritsu raised his left hand. Seven or eight branches grew and extended from his arm, wrapping C layer by layer. Even his mouth was wound several circles, making him completely unable to speak.
C proved utterly unable to resist—just bound into a dumpling by Ritsu.
Simultaneously, watching the rapidly approaching ground below.
Ritsu formed one-handed seals, directly using Water Release: Hiding in Mist Technique. Gray-white fog spread at shocking speed. Within several breaths, it permeated half the Cloud ninja camp.
As Mist ninja's signature technique, Hiding in Mist Technique could obstruct ordinary sensory techniques, leaving most sensory ninja helpless facing it. Only Hyuga family's Byakugan could completely see through Hiding in Mist Technique. Uchiha's Sharingan could only see through limited degrees of it.
As for unconventional methods like using smell or sound to break Hiding in Mist Technique—not impossible, but problems arose easily when targeted. Simply preparing smell elimination, irritating odor distribution, and noise creation countermeasures could easily invalidate these unconventional methods.
Currently exactly so. Cloud ninja camp also raised ninja dogs. But Ritsu reemployed Wood Release: Transformation Technique, concealing his own aura. As for C's aura—Ritsu used Water Release to wash C afterward. Plus Ritsu tore C's clothing, scattering it everywhere, completely disrupting ninja dog tracking.
Also sound tracking... such methods proved excessively rare. Cloud ninja camp lacked talents skilled in such techniques.
Even though Dodai commanded mobilized Cloud ninja in camp setting tight dragnets intercepting Ritsu, still couldn't withstand Ritsu's Byakugan opening full-map hacks. He found gaps where the dragnet hadn't completely closed, slipping through like a wisp of smoke.
Ritsu thus brought the captured C, under fog's cover, across the castle wall, rapidly fleeing toward the northeast direction. Yes, he didn't return to Konoha camp—instead penetrating deep into Frost Country's interior, moving toward directions approaching Land of Lightning.
What he currently needed was finding a temporarily safe, uninhabited location to employ Chimera Technique. Only after employing Chimera Technique, seizing the Otsutsuki Kaguya bloodline C inherited, could he return.
By then, everything occurring tonight at Cloud ninja camp would be Missing-nin Anonymous's doing—bearing not half a penny's relation to Hyuga Ritsu.
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