Land of Whirlpools — Ruins of Uzushiogakure.
After the devastation of war, this place had long since become deserted. All that remained were shattered ruins and the remnants of a once-glorious past.
Shinobi from all across the ninja world had already scoured the area countless times. For anyone arriving later, finding anything of value was nearly impossible.
In recent years, no one had come here anymore to hunt for relics.
Still, no matter how thoroughly they searched, none of those shinobi would ever think of digging up graves.
The ninja world had no tradition of burial offerings.
Hazan walked to what had once been the cemetery of Uzushiogakure. The entire area had been leveled.
Broken gravestones lay scattered everywhere, and from time to time, bare bones were exposed on the surface.
"This is troublesome…" Hazan sighed.
Among so many remains, finding biological material belonging to Uzumaki Ashina would not be easy.
"It looks like I'll have to try them one by one. Hopefully my luck holds."
Squatting down, Hazan began collecting DNA from the scattered bones.
With the Byakugan activated, no corpse could escape his sight, ensuring that nothing would be overlooked.
After gathering enough samples, he once again carefully scanned the entire ruin of Uzushiogakure with his Byakugan. Only after confirming that nothing else remained did he leave.
Border of the Land of Fire — Coastal region.
Amid fierce wind and rain, a group moved swiftly across the terrain.
They wore tight combat uniforms, short swords strapped to their backs, and masks bearing the symbol of the Hidden Mist Village.
A squad of Kirigakure ANBU.
"Raiga, there's a strong chakra reaction ahead, to the right," said a soft, childish voice.
The speaker was a small child being carried on the leader's back. He looked only four or five years old, frail and delicate.
So young… and already fighting as a shinobi.
"Why would there be a ninja in a place like this? Has Konoha already noticed our movements?" Raiga asked in a low voice.
"We'll check it out. Whoever it is, eliminate them," Raiga ordered decisively.
"Yes!"
The six-man ANBU squad immediately changed direction, racing toward the location indicated by the child.
Hazan was hunting a group of rogue ninjas.
The Edo Tensei required a living shinobi as a sacrifice. Since he could not identify which remains belonged to Ashina, he would have to attempt the technique multiple times.
That meant he would need more living sacrifices.
After knocking out the last of the rogue ninjas, Hazan suddenly stopped and frowned, looking into the distance.
He had already noticed the Mist ANBU squad approaching.
Originally, he had no intention of getting involved. But since they were heading straight toward him, he could no longer ignore them.
"There's a sensor-type ninja in the squad… That build… no older than six. Atrophied limbs, so he's being carried… Hm, a heavy concentration of chakra around the eyes… a dōjutsu user…"
A thoughtful look crossed his face.
"So it's him… Kurotsuchi Raiga, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, and that child with the Red Eye Kekkei Genkai…"
The Red Eyes were said to be a Kekkei Genkai capable of countering the Byakugan. They possessed similar abilities, but could create false images using chakra, deceiving the Byakugan and earning the reputation of being its natural enemy.
No one knew where this bloodline originated. Its lineage could not be traced. As far as anyone knew, only the boy named Ranmaru, carried on Raiga's back, possessed this power.
While Hazan was analyzing the situation, the Mist ANBU squad arrived.
Raiga saw the figure before him—white robes, black hair falling loosely down his back, pure white eyes, and handsome features. He looked young, yet his expression was calm and detached, utterly mismatched with his age.
"So it's you… Hahaha! What luck! To run into you here, Hazan of the Hyūga Clan, a deserter from Konoha! Your Byakugan is mine! I'll give you a grand funeral!"
Behind his mask, Raiga's face twisted into a look of cruel excitement.
Holding funerals for others was his hobby. He loved attending the ceremonies of his "friends," mourning them while reminiscing about the past. That sorrow thrilled him.
Hazan stared at the green-haired man expressionlessly as he spoke arrogantly, as if victory were already assured.
"A living sacrifice that delivered itself to me…"
Raiga waved his hand.
Shua! Shua!
The ANBU members used Body Flicker, instantly dispersing and surrounding Hazan.
"Kid, you've got guts. To be labeled an S-rank deserter, you must have some strength to be proud of. Too bad—today is your unlucky day…"
As he spoke, Raiga drew his unusually shaped twin blades from his back: the Lightning Blade — Kiba.
He hated taijutsu specialists from Konoha.
Since that humiliating day in the past, the reputation of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist had plummeted.
That disgrace could only be washed away with the blood of taijutsu shinobi from the Leaf.
"Impressive confidence," Hazan sneered. "I assume that a little over a year ago, when you faced that genin from Konoha, you were just as confident?"
"You insolent brat!" Raiga snapped. "Ranmaru, interfere with his Byakugan!"
At the same time, the Mist ANBU rapidly formed hand seals and activated the Hidden Mist Technique. Dense fog enveloped the area in an instant.
Ranmaru's blood-red eyes glowed as chakra poured out, creating countless false images within the mist.
Each illusion possessed chakra pathways identical to a real person. Under the Byakugan's vision, innumerable figures rushed toward Hazan.
Mixed among them, the ANBU drew their short swords and executed the Mist-style swordsmanship, attacking from all directions.
If Hazan were an ordinary member of the Hyūga branch family—even a jōnin—there would be no escape.
The Byakugan could not see through those illusions. With so many figures charging at once, it was impossible to tell real from fake. A branch family Hyūga incapable of using Kaiten would be cut down in moments.
Even one who could use Kaiten would only buy time.
With no way to counterattack or break the technique, they would simply exhaust their chakra by repeatedly using Kaiten until collapse.
The Mist ANBU were elite shinobi, handpicked from the entire village. Well-trained, experienced, and perfectly coordinated.
From their movements, it was clear they never expected to kill this S-rank deserter immediately. They were fully prepared to withdraw whenever Kaiten was used.
Raiga's plan was simple: use the Red Eyes and constant ANBU harassment to force Hazan to repeatedly expend chakra, until he could no longer use Kaiten.
But—
Shuu!
Hazan, who had remained completely still, suddenly raised a finger.
In an instant, his hand pierced through the mist at incredible speed, striking the vital point of the strongest of the four ANBU surrounding him.
Chakra surged violently from his fingertip and exploded inside the man's body.
The Mist jōnin spat blood, his body froze mid-motion, and he collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
"What?!" Raiga's eyes widened as a painfully familiar sense of disaster welled up in his chest.
Shuu! Shuu!
Like the wind, Hazan moved, swiftly disabling the remaining three ANBU with pinpoint strikes.
These three, he did not kill.
He needed them as living sacrifices.
"Did you really think illusions that can fool incomplete Byakugan… could deceive these eyes?" Hazan said calmly as he emerged from the mist.
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