Might Guy took a deep breath. Although his heart was still filled with unwillingness, he knew that from this moment on, they and Neji had become enemies.
"It seems it's over. Slower than expected."
Yuto wore a faint smile as he looked at Neji walking toward him and spoke lightly.
"My apologies, Lord Yuto."
Neji walked up to Yuto, his voice carrying an apologetic tone as he slightly lowered his head.
Seeing Neji's apologetic expression, Yuto casually waved his hand, clearly not truly bothered.
"That said, since your disciples have all been defeated, how do you intend to handle this?"
Yuto turned to look at Might Guy, wearing an ambiguous expression.
Might Guy, standing nearby, first stiffened, then his body quickly tensed up as he fixed his gaze intently on Yuto. In an instant, the atmosphere between them grew heavy.
Neji, standing behind Yuto, looked at Might Guy with concern and tension in his eyes. While Guy-sensei was powerful, he was no match for Lord Yuto. Although they had now become complete enemies, Neji still felt deep guilt toward Might Guy.
Might Guy swallowed hard, glancing with his peripheral vision toward Lee and the others. Whether intentionally or not, Lee, Tenten, and Hyuga Seiju had all fallen in the same direction, and their bodies were all in the same location.
Seeing this, Might Guy's heart relaxed slightly. He had already decided to fully unleash the Eight Gates before Yuto could act, then escape with Lee and the others. Thanks to their bodies being together, it would save him some time.
Just as Might Guy was about to activate the Eight Gates, Yuto suddenly raised an eyebrow and turned to look behind everyone. In that instant, the heavy atmosphere that had existed between them disappeared completely.
Sensing Yuto's change, Might Guy's face remained grave, but his heart relaxed considerably. Although he didn't know what had happened, from Yuto's change in demeanor, he guessed that a fight might not be necessary.
Whoosh!
A black figure rapidly leaped between the trees, appearing somewhat anxious. In a few blinks of an eye, this figure had appeared before everyone.
Kinoshita Omi looked toward Yuto's direction, his eyes lighting up as he quickly approached.
"What happened? Has something occurred?"
Seeing Kinoshita Omi, who should have been stationed on the ship, appear here, Yuto's curiosity was piqued. For Kinoshita Omi to personally come here, something important must have happened.
"Lord Yuto, Uchiha Madara has made his move!"
Kinoshita Omi knelt on one knee before Yuto, his face filled with seriousness.
So Madara has finally made his move.
Yuto's eyes brightened. He glanced toward Might Guy's direction and spoke calmly:
"Your life is spared for now. Go tell Hashirama Senju that the transformation of the ninja world is about to begin."
With that, Yuto led Neji and Kinoshita Omi back toward the large ship anchored at the coast of the Land of Hot Springs, without looking back.
Only when Yuto's group had completely disappeared from Might Guy's view did his tightly-wound nerves finally relax. Might Guy stomped on the ground, his figure instantly vanishing from the spot. In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Tenten and the others.
Looking at the three lying on the ground, Might Guy's eyes held guilt as he quickly crouched down to examine Lee and Hyuga Seiju's conditions. Finding that neither was seriously injured, only unconscious from excessive chakra depletion, Might Guy breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, the chakra Neji had placed on Tenten's chest acupoint was gradually fading, and Tenten, whose body had been rigid, began to regain sensation.
"Guy-sensei..."
Tenten rose from the ground, her voice weak, her eyes glistening as she looked at Might Guy.
"Neji ultimately held back. However, next time we meet..."
Might Guy sighed softly, as if he had known all along. He didn't finish his sentence, but Tenten understood better than anyone what he meant.
On the other side.
Aboard the Mist Village ship.
The entire vessel had now changed course, departing from the Land of Hot Springs and sailing toward the Land of Water.
Yuto stood at the bow of the ship, quietly feeling the sea breeze, while Kinoshita Omi and Neji stood respectfully behind him.
Kinoshita Omi didn't speak first, only glancing with his peripheral vision at Neji, who stood beside him with cold sweat continuously forming on his forehead.
"This matter is settled. I don't want it to happen again."
Yuto gazed at the distant sea, speaking without turning his head.
"Yes, Lord Yuto."
Neji's heart couldn't help but tremble. His secret assistance to Guy-sensei and Tenten had indeed been discovered by Lord Yuto.
"You've also sustained some injuries. Go rest in the cabin."
Yuto stretched his body, turning to Neji with a light smile.
Neji nodded and promptly turned to leave, heading toward the cabin. Just before Yuto had spoken, Neji had clearly sensed a killing intent. This killing intent hadn't come from Lord Yuto, but from Kinoshita Omi standing beside him.
If Lord Yuto had truly intended to kill him just now, Kinoshita Omi would have likely attacked immediately.
Neji took a light breath. He suddenly understood that Guy-sensei and Team 3's arrival might have been merely a test from Lord Yuto. For now, it seemed he had passed.
Recalling the killing intent Kinoshita Omi had directed at him, Neji knew that this was ultimately not Konoha, but the Mist Village. His identity was too sensitive. Without Lord Yuto's regard for him, he would have no way to establish himself in the Mist Village.
After watching Neji completely enter the cabin, Yuto's gaze fell upon Kinoshita Omi:
"Speak."
"Lord Yuto, according to the intelligence received, Uchiha Madara traveled to the border of the Land of Fire several days ago. He directly seized the Five-Tails and Eight-Tails from the Hidden Stone and Hidden Cloud Villages."
Kinoshita Omi's expression was grave as he spoke softly.
"As expected of Madara. When he doesn't act, it's one thing, but when he does, he directly takes two Tailed Beasts."
Hearing Kinoshita Omi's words, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Yuto's mouth.
[
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