"..." By the faint moonlight shining through the night sky, Yurui's pupils narrowed as he looked at the black figure in front of him. He felt his right hand, which was still numb from the blow, and his once powerful body tensed up.
"A Konoha ninja?" The thought crossed his mind, but he immediately dismissed it. "No, this person's attire doesn't look like a Konoha ninja's."
A black robe that was as deep as the abyss completely concealed his entire body. The profound malice made him feel as if his teeth had been hollowed out.
If it were a Konoha ninja, there would be no need to hide their appearance. A simple signal of intrusion would be enough to corner him completely.
"Then, a 'colleague'?"
At this thought, Yurui's gaze sharpened. He knew this was his only chance.
There was no time to waste here. This person clearly had no intention of letting him go. He had to kill the person in front of him immediately!
Without any more words, they moved at the same time, rushing towards each other.
The two figures were like streaks of lightning, making it difficult to tell who was faster.
Only two terrifying whistles could be heard in the wind, tearing apart everything in their path.
The next moment, the falling leaves between them were cut open by the glint of their blades, and the two swords clashed.
Clang!
A dazzling spark exploded between them, erupting and splashing in the dark, gloomy forest.
The blades of the kunai and the tanto were locked together. Yurui looked at the figure so close to him, but he couldn't see the face in the shadows at all, as if it had swallowed all the light.
This person, where did he come from? And how did he get here in advance to block my way?
Before he could analyze the other's identity, Hyuga Kumo's sharp tanto slid away, and Yurui's kunai did the same. A string of sparks shot out from the blade's edge, and then several arcs of light were drawn in the air.
Clink! Clank! Clang!!
Sharp against sharp, a clash of metal.
Brilliant sparks burst forth, raining down like a shower, as beautiful as a firework display.
Yurui could clearly sense that the person in front of him was not particularly skilled in swordsmanship. The only reason he could hold his own was because of the other's speed and strength.
"If only I had a little more time..."
But soon, as the two blades continued to clash, this thought gradually disappeared, and Yurui's expression became increasingly ugly.
Because he discovered that the blade of the person in front of him was actually getting "sharper."
It was as if... he was using his "blade" to sharpen his own "blade."
"This guy, is he using me to hone his swordsmanship?!"
This thought suddenly popped into his mind, and a chill ran down Yurui's spine. But the next moment, before he could react...
Splurt.
Fresh red blood slid down, soaking his face.
A red line gradually crawled across his face, cracking bit by bit, inch by inch, stopping when it reached his cheekbone.
Feeling the sharp pain on his cheek, Yurui's pupils trembled.
In just a few short minutes, the other's swordsmanship had progressed from a half-baked understanding to a level where he could injure him with a blade?
"That's enough."
The hoarse voice entered his ears, waking the dazed Yurui.
Hyuga Kumo held his sword in one hand, and raised the other to form a hand sign, at the same time slashing at Yurui.
The two blades clashed again, emitting a piercing shriek.
But this time, what sprayed out was not sparks.
But rather, azure lightning.
Lightning Release: Chidori Blade.
A sound of arcing electricity filled the air. Lightning climbed up the tanto in Hyuga Kumo's hand and then quickly spread along the clashing kunai.
"Hah!!"
The pain of his body being filled with lightning made Yurui open his mouth wide, but he couldn't control his paralyzed body to make any sound.
All the strength in his body drained away at this moment, and along with it, his previous composure.
The fear of the mission's impending failure, the fear of dying a pointless death...
No! No! Don't!
I was so close! Just one last step!
This guy, who the hell is this guy?! Hyuga Kumo didn't give Yurui any more time to be afraid. He slowly raised a hand, and the mental power in his mind condensed into a blue sphere of light in his palm.
This was an ability he had awakened when his [Kekkei Genkai] reached 20.1% of its second stage. Toneri Otsutsuki had used this ability to control the will of others and read their thoughts.
This technique was called, Mind Wheel Binding Seal.
"Sleep peacefully now."
Meeting Yurui's pained and fearful gaze, Hyuga Kumo leaned in slightly and smiled. "Your mission... I will use your body to complete it for you."
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Splurt!!
As his voice fell, Hyuga Kumo pressed his palm into Yurui's chest. Ripples spread across his chest, and the sphere of light and his palm seemed to sink into a swamp.
A moment later, he took a step back and pulled his hand out of the chest. The Lightning Release chakra that had been coiling around his blade also dissipated.
"..."
Yurui stood before him, motionless, his gaze gradually becoming lifeless.
"Interesting," Hyuga Kumo's eyes flickered slightly. "So this is what it feels like to use this ability for the first time."
He could clearly feel a connection being established between himself and the Yurui in front of him. This ability seemed a bit like the Yamanaka clan's "Mind Body Switch Technique."
The "Mind Body Switch Technique" involved concentrating one's spirit on a single point and releasing one's mental power to take control of the opponent's body.
However, this ninjutsu was only a C-rank, close-to-mid-range support-type ninjutsu. The released mental energy could generally only move in a straight line, so its range and accuracy were greatly limited.
Moreover, if the user's released spirit missed the opponent, it would be unable to return to their own body for a short time, leaving the user unable to perform any actions such as defending. If the opponent was hit, the user's own body would also be injured, so it was very risky.
However, the "Mind Wheel Binding Seal" that Toneri Otsutsuki had used on Hinata in the original story, and which Hyuga Kumo now possessed, was different.
It was more like the Shadow Clone Technique, where a portion of chakra and mental power was separated to create an independent individual. Not only were there no restrictions on control distance, but it could also be controlled as easily as one's own limbs, and the "puppet" he controlled even had a certain degree of autonomy.
"It seems that if I have the chance, I should collect a few puppets."
This thought flashed through Hyuga Kumo's mind. However, the most important thing now was the Hyuga clan.
He tried to control the Yurui in front of him. The once lifeless eyes became spirited, and the next moment, he respectfully knelt on one knee and said, "Master."
"Go," Hyuga Kumo said softly. "Do what you should do."
"Yes, Master."
'Yurui' bowed his head in response, then stood up and used the Body Flicker Technique to leave the scene.
After he left, Hyuga Kumo stood silently in the shadowy forest for a long time. The forest was so quiet that only the faint sound of flowing water and rustling leaves could be heard.
Until the sound of faint footsteps came from the distance, and Hyuga Hizashi emerged from the shadows of the trees behind him.
Hyuga Hizashi knew very well why the other person had called him here. His face, which was identical to his brother's, was filled with a complex expression.
In the darkness, Hyuga Kumo looked up.
"It's time," he said. "Are you ready?"