January 28, 19:00. Central Land of Hot Springs.
On the outskirts of the battlefield where Hyūga Yu and Hiruko had just clashed, a pale, naked figure emerged from the trunk of a crooked tree. He was half-white, with green hair and eyes, while his other half was encased in a Venus flytrap-like growth. It was White Zetsu.
Suddenly—
Whoosh!
A titanic pillar of azure light streaked across the sky like a descending meteor. In the blink of an eye, it overtook a figure fleeing at supersonic speeds further ahead.
In the next instant!
The colossal blade struck the earth, and the blue light detonated!
A beam of azure energy, connecting heaven and earth, erupted from the ruins on the edge of the small town. It shredded the dark clouds created by Storm Release. The sphere of energy carved out by the falling light-sword expanded at an unbelievable, frenzied rate!
BOOM!!!
Dust billowed upward, rapidly coalescing into a mushroom cloud over six hundred meters high. The earth for ten miles in every direction shuddered under the force!
"Hiss..."
Watching this scene, the half of White Zetsu protruding from the tree narrowed his eyes in genuine surprise. "That kind of power... it's almost on par with a Tailed Beast Bomb."
"Hiruko's chakra signature is fading fast... Tsk, he really did lose."
White Zetsu took a deep breath, internally revising his evaluation of Hyūga Yu once again. Before baiting Hiruko into this fight, he had expected that Hiruko would be no match for Yu. However, that hadn't been Zetsu's own judgment—it had been the judgment of Uchiha Madara.
The Hidden Mist Village had been a vital asset under Madara's influence for many years, so naturally, White Zetsu had been stationed there to keep watch. Every detail of the "Mist Rebellion" had been recorded, including the footage of Hyūga Yu's battle against the Six-Tails Jinchūriki.
After reading White Zetsu's memories via Sharingan Genjutsu and watching the entire battle, Uchiha Madara had given the boy a rare, albeit dismissive, compliment: "Not bad."
At the same time, the opponents Madara had selected for Yu were two extremes. First was Hiruko. During his time hunting Kekkei Genkai shinobi across the elemental nations, the three bloodline limits he had displayed were enough to face Yu head-on. Storm Release could counter Wind Release, while Swift Release and Steel Release could suppress Yu's Wind Style: Flowing Gale, which required time to startup. Hiruko was the perfect tool to drain Yu's chakra and probe for intel.
But the "Killer Move" Madara had truly prepared was a second person—En Oyashiro.
En Oyashiro was the last descendant of the Chinoike Clan. As the former leader of the Uchiha, Madara knew their abilities better than anyone. Their evolved Ketsuryūgan possessed Genjutsu prowess that rivaled even the Mangekyō Sharingan.
And as it happened, the weakest link in Hyūga Yu's combat system was Genjutsu.
Both of these men were unstable elements wandering in the shadows of the shinobi world. Pitting them against Yu was merely a casual move on Madara's chessboard. He didn't truly care about Yu's strength or talent; after all, no matter how gifted, he could never compare to Hashirama...
Doing this served two purposes: it cleared away minor, potential threats to the Eye of the Moon Plan, and more importantly—
It prevented the "anomalous" Hyūga Yu from making contact with Rin Nohara, which would interfere with Madara's upcoming plan to cultivate his successor.
Though it was just a stray move by Madara, it was a high-specification targeted strike. At his current level, Yu was not yet valuable enough for Madara to move against him personally.
"According to the original estimate, the match between Hiruko and the Hyūga brat should have been a toss-up," White Zetsu mused, frowning as he sensed the battlefield. "But now, Hiruko has been beaten to the brink of death..."
He immediately shifted his senses to the other side. "But... fortunately, the brat's aura is also weakening rapidly. His chakra is almost completely exhausted."
An amused glint flashed in Zetsu's eyes as he gave a low, raspy chuckle. "In that case, even if there was a slight deviation in the second move... the outcome is already decided!"
"So, the last 'Tennin' of the Hyūga Clan," Zetsu whispered, "how will you deal with this second hidden hand?"
After confirming the approach of another powerful chakra signature, Zetsu smiled faintly and sank back into the tree. Soon, his presence vanished as if he had never been there at all.
Meanwhile, at the center of the battlefield.
Huff... huff...
Hyūga Yu stood in the center of a massive crater filled with pulverized stone, gasping for air. Almost all the chakra in his body had been spent on that final blow. Fortunately, the result was worth it.
Yu looked up, his Byakugan focusing on the center of the explosion eighteen hundred meters away. Hiruko's body was half-shattered, forced from his child-like form back into his adult state. He lay slumped against a piece of broken wall like a dead dog, coughing up blood helplessly, having lost all ability to resist.
Much like how he was defeated by Naruto's Wind Style: Rasenshuriken in the "movie timeline," Hiruko's strengths and weaknesses were glaring. He was weak to top-tier Wind Release, but his strength was that he had almost no other vulnerabilities.
He had once fought the Konoha 11 and Kakashi Hatake simultaneously, leaving them nearly powerless. In the movie, given his ability set, he—much like Kakuzū—only lost due to "plot convenience." While Dark Release truly couldn't absorb high-frequency, molecular-level Wind Release, his Swift Release gave him supersonic mobility. Theoretically, a Rasenshuriken should never have been able to hit him.
Yet, Hiruko chose to tank it head-on. Whether it was due to low combat IQ or a lack of intelligence on the technique... even Pain would have called him a madman for that.
Current Hyūga Yu wasn't yet a pinnacle master of Wind Release. Setting aside his scientific research into atmospheric pressure, his mastery of the element alone was roughly equivalent to Boruto's Wind Style: Rasengan—still a step away from the true S-rank Rasenshuriken.
Luckily, quantity led to quality. The principle of his Wind Style: Super Vacuum Blade wasn't complex: use Yang Release: Organic Reincarnation to momentarily contain a massive surge of chakra pulled from the Kimera Beast, then create a flurry of Vacuum Blades, using repulsive force to shape and fire them.
In short, it was a "brute force" swordsmanship style forced into existence through the derivative powers of the Tenseigan.
Having defeated Hiruko, it was finally time to reap the rewards. Yu let out a long breath, steadied himself, and slowly raised his hand. The last Chakra Bead floated from his palm. He leaped out of the two-meter-deep crater and began walking toward the fallen Hiruko.
Around him, the "Human-Faced Worms" created by Hiruko's Kimera Technique lost their mobility as the battle ended. The Root members, who had been unable to intervene in a fight of this caliber, watched Yu with eyes full of awe, shock, and disbelief.
"Too strong..."
"Is this the 'Tennin'?"
"I was a bit resistant when I was first transferred... but as expected of Lord Danzō's successor!"
"If I work under such a powerhouse, maybe I too could..."
Various thoughts bubbled up in the hearts of the Root agents. Their perception of Yu began to shift. They had gone from feeling slight resentment toward this "ordinary-looking" successor who used Danzō's authority to order them around, to a sudden realization—
Yu hadn't used Danzō's power to show off. This "Tennin" truly just needed people to "handle the chores" for him. They were witnessing the rise of a powerhouse in Root that might rival the Yellow Flash!
Terai, Shin, and Yamato—members of Yu's personal guard—were the first to notice the change in atmosphere. They exchanged glances and then silently looked away. Though they felt a mix of curiosity, closeness, and excitement over Yu's victory, they habitually buried those emotions beneath their masks.
Under the complex gazes of the Root shinobi, Yu manipulated his Chakra Bead to shift into Yin Release, moving quickly until he was only six hundred meters from Hiruko. From here, he could see his enemy slumped in the rubble with the naked eye.
However, Yu suddenly froze. His brow furrowed as his Byakugan scanned the area. Three hundred meters away, twenty meters underground, a figure with an incredibly intense chakra signature was moving at high speed!
It moved through the earth like a fish in water. Though it was human-shaped, Yu's Byakugan saw countless dense, crowded, writhing "thread-worms" inside the body.
The suffocating, dangerous killing intent radiating from hundreds of meters away caused Yu's expression to change violently!
"No way... there's another one!?"
Yu's pupils shrank. He immediately recalled the Chakra Bead and decomposed it into a large amount of azure chakra—roughly one-fifth of his total reserves.
Compared to the terrifying chakra signature of this new "enemy," Yu's current state was nowhere near enough to start another round.
Yu stopped his advance and turned instantly. He didn't move toward Terai and the other Root members. Why? Because the newcomer had the power to slaughter everyone present!
The gap in strength was too wide. Even if Yu "sacrificed" Terai and the others, they wouldn't buy him much time.
In a split second, countless thoughts flashed through his mind. After a quick calculation of the risks, Yu changed course and fled at top speed in the exact opposite direction of the Root team!
Meanwhile, Terai, Yamato, and the others were just about to follow Yu when they saw the scene—
Yu, who had seemingly won and was about to finish off the "White-Robed Attacker," suddenly looked terrified. He turned on his heel and bolted in another direction without a single word, seemingly abandoning them!
The Root members were stunned. They turned to Terai, confused. "Lord Terai... the Tennin... what is he doing?"
Terai was also dazed for a moment, but then he remembered the "strange" instructions Yu had given him before they departed. His face paled.
In the distance, Yu didn't look back, but a kunai suddenly flew from his tool pouch. It hovered in the air, spun to adjust its trajectory, and—Zip!—turned into a cold streak of light, pinning itself right in front of Terai.
Terai parried the kunai with his blade and caught it. He saw a small slip of paper wrapped around the handle. On it was a single large character:
"II" (Two)!
Immediately after—
BOOM!!!
The ground exploded. In the distance, a tall figure shrouded in a black cloak and wearing a black mask burst from the earth!
The man looked around. Seeing that Hyūga Yu had abandoned his "spoils of war" and fled without hesitation, his face darkened. He let out a cold, annoyed snort. "Tsk... the Byakugan. How troublesome."
The Root agents turned as white as sheets. Their eyes filled with apprehension as they recognized him. According to Root's vast intelligence network, the tall man who had just appeared was the top-tier bounty hunter of the underground black market—the S-rank rogue ninja from Takigakure, Kakuzu!
Even in Root's files, this man was classified as a top-tier threat.
Why was he here? Why did he appear right after the Tennin had exhausted himself defeating a powerful enemy? And why did the Tennin retreat the moment he saw him?
Kakuzu swept his gaze over the thirty Root members. He mentally cross-referenced their faces with the bounties in the black market. The result: 0 Ryo.
So, on one hand, there was 200,000,000 Ryo. On the other, 0. Kakuzu made his choice instantly. He ignored Terai and the others, turning his cold gaze toward the direction Yu had fled and giving chase at high speed!
Soon, a well-informed shinobi among the Root group gasped, remembering something. "I remember now! Just yesterday, a massive bounty of 200 million Ryo appeared in the underground market! Could it be for the Tennin?"
"So the people attacking him now are all underground bounty hunters!?"
Another Root member reacted, his face twisting into an expression of disbelief. "Hiss... then, the Tennin... is he—is he drawing them away to save us?"
The realization struck the Root members like a physical blow!
They stared in the direction Kakuzu and Yu had vanished, their expressions incredibly complex. As Root shinobi, they were conditioned to see themselves as tools—nutrients for the tree of Konoha that existed to be discarded in the dark. If Danzō or Aburame Ryōma were here, they wouldn't have hesitated to sacrifice the team to ensure their own escape.
But this new boss... the Tennin...
A Root ninja codenamed "Shō" (Guardian Elephant) clenched his fists. He looked at Terai, the current commanding officer. "Lord Terai... the Tennin... he..."
He stammered, unable to find the words. Finally, he gritted his teeth and asked, "What do we do?"
Terai looked at the slip of paper with the character "II" on it and took a deep breath. He frowned, thought for a mere second, and then made his decision.
"We follow the second plan the Tennin discussed with me before the mission. Now..."
"We go find Hyūga Natsu!"
The Root members looked at each other. "Hyūga Natsu?"
Terai nodded solemnly. He left out the second half of the sentence—the part that was a secret to the rest of Root:
Through Hyūga Natsu, we find... Minato Namikaze!
————
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