As Team 11 was engulfed in flames, Kakashi quickly performed a Water Style jutsu.
“Water Style: Water Wall!”
Hiss…
The surging wall of water collided with the explosive flames, creating a massive cloud of steam.
For a moment, the area was filled with mist.
Feeling a subtle tremor beneath his feet, Hyuga Kyo warned, “Everyone, be careful!”
Before he could finish his sentence, countless sharp earth spikes shot up from the ground, aiming at the four of them.
Thanks to Hyuga Kyo’s warning, they each jumped away, landing on the trunks of nearby trees, narrowly avoiding the silent earth spike attack.
Guy looked around anxiously. “Where are the enemies?”
Boom, boom, boom…
Another round of intense explosions forced Team 11 to scatter again, widening the distance between them.
The mist surrounding them wasn’t much of an obstacle for Hyuga Kyo, thanks to his Tenseigan, but the continuous explosions forced him to dodge back and forth in the forest.
As he got further away from his teammates, Hyuga Kyo began to suspect the attackers’ intentions.
It didn’t take long for a figure to block Hyuga Kyo’s path.
Frowning, Hyuga Kyo said, “It’s you!”
The one blocking his way was none other than the captain of the Iwagakure Execution Squad, with whom Hyuga Kyo had previously cooperated within the Land of Demons to fight the demon Moryo.
Originally, Hyuga Kyo had considered dealing with this group of Iwagakure ninjas, but given his more important tasks, he suppressed his urge for revenge to avoid unnecessary complications.
Unexpectedly, he didn’t seek them out, but they had come for him.
The captain of the Iwagakure Execution Squad smiled. “Surprised?”
Hyuga Kyo asked, “I’m curious. How did you track us?”
Judging by the series of ambushes, the Iwagakure ninjas had anticipated Team 11’s route, or they couldn’t have arranged such a perfect ambush.
Despite being cautious and Hyuga Kyo regularly using his Tenseigan to scan the surroundings, he was sure no one had followed them.
“Squeak…”
A small head popped out from the Iwagakure captain’s collar.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be an ordinary-looking squirrel.
“A squirrel!?” Shaking his head, Hyuga Kyo immediately thought, “No, this is not an ordinary squirrel. It’s a ninja beast!”
Ninja beasts come in all shapes and sizes. Any animal that can use chakra can be considered a ninja beast, and this seemingly ordinary squirrel was no exception.
“Its name is Biru. It can track any familiar scent within a dozen miles.” Smiling, the Iwagakure captain continued, “Knowing you’re from the Hyuga Clan, I wouldn’t dare follow you myself.”
Hyuga Kyo was slightly surprised. “You remember me!?”
From the captain’s tone, Hyuga Kyo realized the other had recognized him long ago. It seemed that in the battle where Hyuga Kyo nearly died, not only had he remembered the captain, but the captain had also remembered the lucky survivor, Hyuga Kyo.
The captain of the Iwagakure Execution Squad’s smile faded as he said grimly, “A year ago, you were just an ordinary kid. Who would’ve thought you’d grow to this extent? Konoha’s geniuses are truly enviable!”
Hyuga Kyo replied coldly, “Seems you regret it.”
The Iwagakure captain gritted his teeth and said, “Yes, I regret not killing you back then! So now I must correct that mistake personally. I won’t allow another ‘Yellow Flash’ to appear in Konoha. I must do this for my village!”
A fifteen-year-old Hyuga Kyo was already capable of engaging in tailed beast-level battles. If he continued to grow, he would undoubtedly become another ‘Yellow Flash,’ which Iwagakure could not tolerate.
Iwagakure had never forgotten the humiliation brought by the ‘Yellow Flash’!
Boom…
In the distance, faint explosions could be heard.
Without a doubt, the other members of Team 11 were also facing enemies and were engaged in their battles.
Seeing Hyuga Kyo distracted, the Iwagakure captain said, “No need to worry about the others. You kids will soon reunite in the afterlife. Remember, my name is Iwamado, and I am the one who will kill you!”
With that, Iwamado clasped his hands together. “Earth Style: Hiding Like a Mole Technique!”
As Iwamado sank into the ground, Hyuga Kyo, wary of underground attacks, leapt onto a large tree and activated his Tenseigan to observe closely.
Yet, despite his keen eyesight, he couldn’t detect Iwamado’s presence, perhaps because he had tunnelled too deep.
At that moment, the sound of rushing water echoed nearby.
Looking in the direction of the sound, Hyuga Kyo saw a massive surge of water coming towards him like a flood.
“That’s the Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!?”
Though the technique posed little threat to Hyuga Kyo atop the tree, he didn’t let his guard down. After all, Iwamado was a renowned elite jonin from Iwagakure and wouldn’t waste chakra on a pointless attack.
After the Great Waterfall Technique subsided, the ground around him was muddy.
The soggy ground gave Hyuga Kyo a sense of unease, though he couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason, given his limited knowledge of Earth Style.
Swish, swish, swish…
Suddenly, countless thumb-sized mud pellets shot up from the muddy ground, whistling through the air towards Hyuga Kyo.
Without hesitation, Hyuga Kyo used the Rotation technique.
While the Rotation protected Hyuga Kyo, it couldn’t shield the tree he stood on.
In the blink of an eye, the massive tree, too thick for even several people to encircle, was riddled with holes from the mud pellets and toppled amidst flying wood chips.
Hyuga Kyo kicked off, aiming to land on another nearby tree.
But then, several muddy tendrils lashed out like whips, ensnaring his legs and dragging him to the ground.
Thud…
With a heavy impact, Hyuga Kyo crashed into the ground.
“Cough, cough…”
Curled up, Hyuga Kyo spat out a mouthful of blood.
The fall left him dazed and dizzy, struggling to breathe, with a likely broken rib in his chest.
Seeing his successful attack, Iwamado emerged from the ground, half his body visible, and sneered, “Looks like I overestimated you. The Byakugan isn’t as strong as I thought!”
At that moment, Hyuga Kyo, despite his pained expression, gave a sly smirk.
Sensing something amiss, Iwamado attempted to dive back into the ground, but an inexplicable force yanked him out forcibly…
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