The moment Hyuga Yuto made his move, Sugisaki Tetsuro reacted.
After all, as a seasoned middle-aged Jonin with countless battles under his belt, he instantly understood Hyuga Yuto's choice—
Ignoring Sato Mashiro, who was being besieged, and focusing their strength on killing the only opposing Jonin. Sacrificing a pawn to protect the king; what mattered was the speed of neutralizing the opponent!
In the blink of an eye, the Cloud Village Jonin had already dodged the kunai thrown by Hyuga Yuto. With the natural advantage of an adult's arm span, he grabbed Hyuga Yuto's elbow, forcefully halting his attack.
As a Cloud Village Jonin proficient in Raiton and taijutsu, he had the upper hand in this close-quarter strength contest against the twelve-year-old Hyuga Yuto.
But the prodigy of the Hyuga clan showed no signs of fear. Instead, he used the Cloud Village Jonin's hand as a pivot, suspended his body in mid-air, and kicked the opponent's chest with both feet.
A tremendous force erupted between the two. Hyuga Yuto's bone strength was weaker than his opponent's, and his joints began to creak, as if they could snap at any moment.
"Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique!"
Suddenly, a pair of hands emerged from beneath the Cloud Village Jonin's feet, forcefully pulling him underground, leaving only his upper body exposed.
Thud!
Sugisaki Tetsuro emerged from the ground and, after temporarily restraining the enemy, his kunai gleamed with a cold light as it aimed for the enemy's throat.
With his lower body buried in the earth and his arms entangled by Hyuga Yuto, the Cloud Village Jonin had no choice but to use brute force to throw Hyuga Yuto away and raise his hands to block the kunai.
Squelch!
His palms were pierced through, his metacarpal bones impaled by the kunai.
"Ahhhh!" In this critical moment, the Cloud Village Jonin was driven by ferocity, his formidable physical qualities erupting like a wild beast. Ignoring the pain, he forcibly tore off the kunai lodged in his hand. With his arms outstretched, he grabbed Sugisaki Tetsuro's waist.
Lifting the Leaf Village Jonin, he unleashed his ultimate chakra, surging with silver-white lightning arcs all over his body. Grabbing Sugisaki Tetsuro, he exerted all his strength and slammed him to the ground!
Ninja Body Technique: Lightning Explosion!
Sugisaki Tetsuro's head hit the ground, causing the forest floor and rocks to crack like a spider web.
Sugisaki Tetsuro coughed up a mouthful of blood, almost losing consciousness.
But a Jonin was still a Jonin. Even when seriously injured, he could make a counterattack at this moment. Precisely and swiftly, Sugisaki Tetsuro formed several hand seals.
A thin, ultra-high-pressure jet of water gushed from Sugisaki Tetsuro's mouth. Its speed was so fast that it pierced through the air and accurately hit the enemy's abdomen. This sharp water blade pierced through the Cloud Village Jonin's body, passing through dozens of large trees before reverting to a puddle of water.
Water Release: Water Sever!
The Leaf Village's assault did not stop.
Hyuga Yuto rushed in again from behind, taking advantage of the enemy's serious injury, and landed a heavy punch on the enemy's temple. Chakra exploded, and the characteristics of his gentle fist, "sinister and penetrating," were fully displayed as he completely crushed the enemy's soft brain.
The Cloud Village Jonin just grunted, his body going limp, dying on the spot.
Hyuga Yuto gasped for breath, sweat boiling all over his body.
Sugisaki Tetsuro struggled to get up from the ground, coughing up another mouthful of blood.
"Sugisaki-senpai," Hyuga Yuto stood by his side.
"Next, I'll take the lead. Your cervical vertebrae could break at any moment."
"Okay... You've worked hard, Yuto." Sugisaki Tetsuro smiled bitterly, without pretending to be strong.
The two faced the remaining enemies.
At this moment, the body of the Leaf Village lower-ranked ninja, Sato Mashiro, slowly fell to the ground.
Both sides almost simultaneously killed their besieged opponents.
The Cloud Village ninjas glanced at each other, assuming their battle stances, waiting for the final showdown.
They knew that fleeing was meaningless under the Byakugan's gaze.
...
Thirty minutes later.
In the dense forest at the border of the Fire Country, Hyuga Yuto and Sugisaki Tetsuro walked side by side, stumbling along. Neither of them knew medical ninjutsu, so they had to endure the pain as they pressed forward.
They had acquired a few more wounds, reminding them that even though they were lower-ranked ninjas, the last-ditch efforts of their opponents should not be underestimated.
However, the outcome was ultimately favorable. With Hyuga Yuto and Sugisaki Tetsuro working together, they wiped out the Cloud Village ninjas, protecting the valuable intelligence they had obtained.
"You're really something, Yuto." Sugisaki Tetsuro suddenly spoke up.
Combat has a way of quickly deepening the bond between men. At first, Sugisaki Tetsuro addressed Hyuga Yuto by his full name, but now, he spoke with a much more familiar tone.
"Yuto, when our reconnaissance team was formed, I already knew of your reputation," Sugisaki Tetsuro said with emotion.
"At just twelve years old, you've already touched the realm of a Jonin, known as the 'Jewel of the Hyuga.' You possess exceptional ninja talent, diligence, intelligence, and you prioritize the honor of the village and clan above all else... Seeing you now, I realize that no amount of praise is too much."
"Sugisaki-senpai, you're too kind," Hyuga Yuto replied with a smile.
He also changed his way of addressing Sugisaki Tetsuro, now calling him by his name and speaking gently.
"Your efforts held off most of the enemy's forces and that Jonin. At a critical moment, you used an S-rank ninjutsu to severely injure the enemy. Without you, we would all have died. But..."
The genius of the Hyuga branch lowered his head, his tone somewhat melancholic, and his pace slowed, indicating his gloomy mood.
"Unfortunately, Sato Mashiro, Yamagata Reirou, and Hirahara Eiji, all three of them are gone. I..."
Sugisaki Tetsuro also sighed with emotion but didn't stop walking or turn back to console him. For a ninja, accepting the death of comrades is an inevitable part of the journey; it's a lesson that everyone must go through.
"Yuto-kun, look forward. You've achieved merit again this time, killing enemies and protecting intelligence. You're truly worthy of the title 'Gem of the Hyuga.'"
"Ah... Sugisaki-senpai, thank you very much. The intelligence was indeed important, worth the sacrifices we made."
"It's good that you understand. Very good," Sugisaki Tetsuro suddenly patted his head, reaching into the pouch at his waist from behind and pulling out a cylinder, handing it to Hyuga Yuto.
"Fortunately, you reminded me. I almost forgot about this... Here, when escorting intelligence, the actual scroll should be alternately carried by the leading Jonin. Although you're not yet a Jonin, my physical condition isn't good right now, so it's better for us to alternate... It's also a necessary lesson for a ninja to make judgments based on the situation."
"Okay, Sugisaki-dono."
The gentle and calm voice of the young boy sounded from behind.
Sugisaki Tetsuro felt the weight in his hand suddenly disappear, indicating that Hyuga Yuto had taken the intelligence scroll.
Almost at the same moment, Sugisaki Tetsuro felt another sensation—
Pain, intense pain.
As a Jonin, he instantly knew what had happened.
A kunai had stabbed him from behind, piercing between the fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae, severing his central nervous system.
It was an enemy!
But hadn't the enemy already...?
Before he could fully comprehend, the voice of the young boy reached his ears again.
Still gentle, still calm.
"Sugisaki-senpai, what are you surprised about? At a time like this, of course, I wouldn't use the Gentle Fist."
The young Gem of the Hyuga, his voice was always calm similar to still water, indicating his unwavering determination, as a ninja, he would not be shaken in the slightest.
Suddenly, Sugisaki Tetsuro thought of this sentence.
_________________
Read Chapters Ahead on Patreon!
Patreon.com/MyriadTL