Despite his recent performance, Hyuga Kyo felt a slight sense of pride but was careful not to let his achievements cloud his judgment.
Speaking objectively:
After Zabuza’s intense battle with Guy, both his spirit and stamina were considerably drained. The critical factor was his broken ribs, which, although not outwardly visible, greatly affected his combat capabilities, especially in taijutsu.
This injury was one reason Zabuza chose to push Hyuga Kyo back and then drop his sword to form hand seals for a jutsu. Fighting with taijutsu while injured was a significant disadvantage for him.
As a result, Hyuga Kyo not only took advantage of Zabuza’s injuries but also seized the initiative. Coupled with the Tenseigan’s unparalleled insight, he secured a swift victory.
Of course, this also indicated that Hyuga Kyo was transforming. The mediocre self he once knew was fading, replaced by a decisive, sharp, and opportunistic emerging strong fighter.
Guy, curious, asked, “Kyo, you didn’t seem afraid of those Mist ninjas at all, but aren’t they all Jonin?”
Hyuga Kyo replied, “They should just be Special Jonin.”
Although Special Jonin are considered Jonin, there is a difference between them and full-fledged Jonin. Jonin is a broad concept, encompassing many elite fighters, including some Kage-level ones.
In contrast, Special Jonin is a clear-cut tier. Those who remain at the Special Jonin level typically have slightly less skill than average Jonin, with a much lower chance of housing Kage-level fighters.
Additionally, Hyuga Kyo’s attitude towards the Mist ninjas had a performative aspect.
In reality, Hyuga Kyo had been performing since he encountered the Mist assassination squad confronting his village’s Anbu.
He needed to shed his previous image of mediocrity without overdoing it. Thus, choosing his opponent carefully was crucial, and Zabuza, with his Special Jonin level skill and lack of extensive experience, was an ideal stepping stone.
Moreover, his arrogant demeanor was intentional.
Firstly, children from noble clans often exhibited some level of arrogance, which was the norm.
Secondly, arrogance implied that he was not to be trifled with. Confronting someone with such an attitude made people think twice before acting against him, reducing potential trouble.
However, another reason prompted Hyuga Kyo to start establishing a new image so quickly.
Yesterday, through Rin, he learned that due to the severe shortage of manpower in the village, the higher-ups had decided to promote a batch of Special Jonin from the Chunin ranks.
Hyuga Kyo was determined to seize this promotion opportunity.
Becoming a Special Jonin would bring significant changes in his status and position. Currently, he was a Chunin promoted en masse during wartime, with lower status compared to those promoted through regular assessments.
Therefore, becoming a Special Jonin would mean jumping two levels, placing him above all other Chunin and firmly establishing him as one of the village’s high-level combat forces.
Additionally, as a Special Jonin, he could formally request to learn advanced and secret jutsu by accumulating merits.
Back then, the Fourth Hokage earned the opportunity to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique through his battlefield achievements, laying the foundation for his Kage-level prowess.
After several hours of tracking, Hyuga Kyo and Guy finally found the group of rogue ninjas.
There were five of them, all dressed in Mist ninja attire. The leader had his hair in a topknot and a red dot on each eyebrow, suggesting he was from the renowned Kaguya clan.
Hyuga Kyo whispered, “It looks like the Kaguya clan with their ‘Shikotsumyaku’ (Dead Bone Pulse). Be careful!”
Guy nodded cautiously.
Guy, having experienced the war, knew that famous Kekkei Genkai clans were tough opponents. The Kaguya clan of Mist was notorious for their strength and madness, making them feared on the battlefield.
The Kaguya ninja laughed, “Did Konoha send just you two brats to hunt us down?”
The other rogue ninjas laughed too, with one mocking, “I heard Konoha’s Hokage was killed in his own village recently. Looks like Konoha is really going down.”
Hyuga Kyo scanned the surroundings with his Tenseigan and, seeing no one else nearby, made up his mind.
The Kaguya clan’s Shikotsumyaku, combined with their superior taijutsu, made them formidable in both offense and defense. Regular taijutsu and weapons were ineffective against them, and even Gentle Fist might struggle to penetrate their bone armor. This made the Kaguya clan particularly difficult for taijutsu specialists like Hyuga Kyo and Guy.
Therefore, Hyuga Kyo decided to use his Vacuum Palm to quickly pull the Kaguya ninja towards him and use Gentle Fist to seal his chakra points, preventing him from using Shikotsumyaku.
Having made up his mind, Hyuga Kyo deliberately showed weakness, “This is the Land of Fire. Leave immediately!”
The rogue ninjas laughed even more, with one even pulling out a flask and drinking in a carefree manner.
Hyuga Kyo stepped forward a few more steps, feigning a nervous stance, and shouted, “If you don’t leave, don’t blame Konoha for being ruthless!”
The Kaguya ninja walked a few steps closer, laughing, “Brat, do you know who I am…?”
Before he could finish, the Kaguya ninja suddenly felt a powerful force pulling him towards Hyuga Kyo.
At the same time, Hyuga Kyo leaped forward like a fierce tiger!
The distance between the two was only a little over ten meters, so in a blink, they collided.
Thud, thud, thud…
With a series of muffled impacts, the Kaguya ninja couldn’t even activate his Kekkei Genkai before his major chakra points were sealed by Hyuga Kyo’s Gentle Fist, causing him to collapse like a sandbag.
Sealing his chakra points wasn’t enough. Hyuga Kyo followed up with a set of Eight Trigrams Palms, targeting vital areas, and quickly ended his opponent’s life, destroying his brain in the process.
These targets were rogue ninjas and mission objectives, unlike Zabuza, so they were to be killed without mercy.
As Hyuga Kyo made his move, Guy leaped forward to hold off the other four rogue ninjas.
Aside from the Kaguya ninja leader, the remaining four were not particularly strong. Before Hyuga Kyo could come to assist, Guy had already dealt with them on his own.
After sealing the Kaguya ninja’s body in a mission scroll, Hyuga Kyo and Guy immediately headed back to the village.
On the way, Guy couldn’t help but ask, “Kyo, what was that just now?”
Hyuga Kyo smiled, “Did you think you were the only one with secret techniques? That was my secret technique.”
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