The Land of Waves, situated by the sea, was often shrouded in thick fog—especially now during the rainy season. Visibility was poor, which made the Byakugan of the Hyūga Clan incredibly effective.
The four-man squad moved in formation, with Hizashi taking the lead. His Byakugan was fully activated, scanning the surroundings for any signs of enemy movement.
But with last night’s heavy rain, even if enemy shinobi had passed through, their tracks would have been washed away, and their scents diluted. If that weren’t the case, Inuzuka clan members and their ninja hounds would already be combing the battlefield.
No traces, no scent—it looked like there were no enemies. But thinking that way was how people ended up dead.
Their march continued without incident. The four of them advanced as planned.
Suddenly, Hizashi raised a hand, signaling the team to stop. He narrowed his eyes. Even with the mist and dense forest between them, his Byakugan pierced through the haze.
"One kilometer ahead. A squad of Kirigakure shinobi," he said grimly.
"They’re heading this way. Get into position and set up an ambush. Leave one alive for intel. The rest—eliminate them."
"Yes, sir."
Their mission wasn’t just reconnaissance. If they encountered the enemy, they were to take them out and extract information to bring back to camp.
The squad scattered and hid. Hizashi kept his eyes locked on the approaching Kirigakure team. As they drew closer, the Byakugan picked up more detail—their chakra networks becoming increasingly distinct.
One jōnin, three chūnin.
Hizashi would handle the jōnin himself. The remaining three would be left to Kiyosuke and the others.
Anyone who’d survived this long on the battlefield against Sunagakure was not to be underestimated.
The fog in the forest made it difficult for Kiyosuke’s group to see clearly. Visibility was terrible. They only caught sight of the Kirigakure shinobi once they were within a hundred meters—shadows darting between the branches.
The enemy had been moving swiftly and stealthily, trying not to leave a trace.
Unfortunately for them, they ran into Hizashi’s Byakugan. What they thought would be a sneak attack ended up being a trap they walked right into.
"Eight Trigrams: Vacuum Palm!"
Hizashi struck forward with a burst of chakra. With precise control aided by the Byakugan, the chakra blast hit the lead jōnin square in a tenketsu.
Blood spurted from the jōnin’s mouth as he shouted, "Retreat! It’s Konoha shinobi!"
One of the chūnin reacted instantly, spewing a thick fog from his mouth.
"Ninjutsu: Hidden Mist Technique!"
The already-low visibility worsened drastically as the fog rolled in. But to the Byakugan, it made no difference.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Kiyosuke and Asuma exhaled twin blasts of wind, scattering the mist in seconds.
"Wind Style: Wind Cutter!"
Kiyosuke didn’t hesitate. He unleashed a slicing wind blade—deadly and fast. One of the Mist chūnin reacted quickly.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall!"
Kirigakure shinobi were masters of Water Style. Even away from rivers, they could summon powerful defenses, and the wall of water intercepted the wind blade cleanly.
Asuma jumped in.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Dozens of shuriken multiplied and rained down, but again, the Mist shinobi raised a wall of water to block them.
"Damn it," Kiyosuke cursed. A serpent of flame coiled around him, rising higher.
He leapt into the air, spinning three and a half times before driving his foot down like a comet.
"Final Descent!"
The fire serpent coiled around him as he struck the water wall. This time, it shattered.
"Water Style: Water Whip!"
One of the Mist shinobi formed a whip of water in his hands and lashed out, trying to ensnare Kiyosuke—but suddenly his body froze, eyes wide with horror.
Kurenai’s voice rang out softly, "Genjutsu—complete."
"Perfect," Kiyosuke grinned.
He seized the opportunity. With a flick of his arm, several venomous snakes slithered from his sleeve, wrapping around the paralyzed shinobi and sinking their fangs into his neck. Kiyosuke tossed the body aside and charged toward the last two.
Meanwhile, Hizashi was engaged in a fierce battle with the Mist jōnin.
As the second son of the Hyūga Clan Head, Hizashi’s talent was no less than his twin brother’s. With the Byakugan, he could always stay one step ahead, tracking chakra flow to anticipate enemy techniques before they were even fully formed.
He advanced carefully, closing the distance until the enemy was within range.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
The strikes came fast and relentless—palm strikes and pinpoint finger thrusts targeting sixty-four key chakra points throughout the enemy’s body. Every blow disrupted the chakra flow, sealing it off completely. Even if the target survived, their body would be wrecked and their chakra crippled.
Already reeling from Hizashi’s earlier Vacuum Palm, the Mist jōnin had no way to defend against the full barrage. Blood sprayed from his mouth. He collapsed, limp and lifeless.
Once Hizashi confirmed the enemy’s chakra had faded completely, he turned to check on Kiyosuke and Asuma.
The two were expertly working together, keeping the remaining Mist chūnin on the ropes.
"Asuma—use that jutsu!"
"Oh, this one? Let’s see if you guys can handle my new move."
Kiyosuke kept the pressure on as Asuma formed hand seals, a smirk on his face. His chest swelled as he exhaled a thick cloud of black smoke.
"Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning!"
The suffocating black smoke engulfed the remaining Mist shinobi.
Cough cough!
"What the hell is this? Some kind of Konoha smokescreen?"
"Stay alert. They’re trying to pull something!"
The two Mist shinobi mistakenly believed Asuma was preparing a sneak attack. But just as the last puff of smoke left his lips, Asuma clicked his teeth together—a spark.
BOOM!
The black smoke detonated violently.
"AAAHHHH!"
The blast left them screaming. The superheated ash clung to their skin, causing massive burns. In seconds, their bodies stopped moving. Lifeless.
Hizashi, sensing their chakra vanish, said calmly,
"It’s done. Clean up—we’re moving out."
"Got it."
The team moved quickly, retrieving the enemy corpses and erasing any trace of their presence to prevent compromising their own intel.
Now, the four-man squad would return to base and hand the Mist chūnin over to the intelligence division—hopefully, the prisoner would have something valuable to share that could give Konoha an edge.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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