"Enemy attack! It's Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Genma cried out in alarm, the senbon in his mouth almost slipping out.
"How is that possible? Where did they come from?"
Hyūga Ginka's expression instantly turned pale. Just moments ago, her Byakugan clearly hadn't seen anything.
This sudden ambush landed on her like a loud, stinging slap—shattering the absolute confidence she had always held in the Byakugan.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Kakashi reacted with astonishing speed. Almost at the exact moment the water dragons emerged, his seals were already complete.
He slammed both hands onto the ground.
Boom!
A thick earth wall rose up like a rampart being lifted from the depths of the soil, barely blocking the incoming water dragons.
Crash! Crash! Crash!
The water dragons smashed violently against the barrier, exploding into surging streams. Mud and rock flew everywhere as the wall trembled violently, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface, yet it still managed to hold—if only just barely.
"Even now, he still carves those…"
Kiyohara noticed something: the wall had been sculpted with a few dog heads on top.
Only Kakashi, this dog lover would decorate his defensive jutsu in the middle of a battlefield.
Kiyohara then spoke out loudly:
"Everyone be careful. There's a high chance the enemy has something that can interfere with—or even completely block—the Byakugan's perception… Red Eye!"
In the original story, there were many possible explanations for how a Byakugan could be stolen: betrayal from the branch family, ambushes, the main family being careless…
But now, after Hyūga Ginka swept the area with her Byakugan and still saw nothing, Kiyohara's earlier suspicion surged sharply in likelihood.
After all, in the shinobi world, the number of things capable of obstructing the Byakugan could practically be counted on one hand. The original lore explicitly mentioned only a few: special lunar seals… and the Red Eye.
Thus, Kiyohara immediately raised his voice to warn everyone. Through elimination, the probability that the enemy possessed Red Eye was extremely high.
"Red Eye?"
This was Kakashi's first time hearing of such a bloodline limit.
"I've never heard of it either."
Rin frowned slightly. She had always known Kiyohara to read a great number of books.
As for ocular jutsu, aside from Sharingan and Byakugan, she had only heard of something called the "Blood Dragon Eye," but that was from ancient historical texts—nothing that existed in the present shinobi world.
Far away, Ao watched through his water-mirror technique. When he heard Kiyohara name the Red Eye, his eyes widened.
"This brat… he actually knows about the Red Eye?"
The information was considered confidential even within the Land of Water.
How did a young Konoha chūnin know?
"Could he have encountered it before…?
Or does Konoha already possess intel on us…?"
Mei, watching the rippled reflection of Kiyohara in the water surface, sighed softly:
"What a sinful man. With a face like that, I almost can't bear to kill him."
As a woman who very openly appreciated beauty, she found Kiyohara's looks exceptionally captivating—far above the shinobi she had encountered thus far.
Ao shot her a sidelong glance. Although Mei was an astonishing prodigy within the Mist, he was the one in command.
"Do not show mercy to any enemy. Everyone, move according to the original plan. Focus first on the medic-nin and Hyūga clan members!"
With the order issued, the Mist-nin's attacks grew instantly coordinated and lethal.
…
"Damn it! How dare they look down on the great Hyūga clan!"
Hyūga Nobuhiko's face darkened. In his Byakugan vision, nothing had appeared—yet enemies were emerging as if from thin air.
He felt utterly mocked.
"Gentle Fist Style: Eight Trigrams—!"
But before he could complete his technique, the surrounding mist thickened abruptly.
Visibility dropped to nearly zero.
His Byakugan view flickered, distorted—giving him a wave of dizziness.
Without his Byakugan, he was practically blind.
"Hahaha! Hyūga trash—without your eyes, what are you?"
A mocking voice shot from within the vapor.
A tall Mist jōnin with a deep knife-scar across his face, named Chitai, lunged from the fog. His kunai sliced toward Nobuhiko's chest with a vicious whistle.
Nobuhiko barely managed to block but without the Byakugan's insight, he immediately fell into a desperate disadvantage.
All around them, the Mist-nin used the choking fog as cover, striking from all directions.
Their target was obvious: Rin, the squad's medic.
Experience told them she was the medical-nin.
In battle, eliminating healers was priority. Medical-nin were the softest targets—except for Tsunade, who combined healing and combat mastery.
"Protect Rin!"
Kakashi's hand erupted with lightning as he clashed with two Mist chūnin. Electric arcs danced wildly.
Genma and Kurenai each took on their own opponents.
But three Mist-nin broke through the perimeter instantly, lunging at Rin.
"Rin—get back!"
Kiyohara moved!
Clang!
He drew his newly forged shinobi blade in a single smooth motion, its edge carving a cold arc beneath the dim forest light.
In one step, he placed himself before Rin.
"Ao… he's nearby. I can feel his chakra, in that direction,"
The spirit of the youth Kiyohara spoke within him, voice trembling with fury.
Damn it—all his life, he had never tolerated letting a grudge last the night.
He wanted Ao's head immediately.
But Kiyohara forced him down:
"I know. First, let's deal with these."
Kiyohara replied quickly, steadying his furious future self.
Ao wasn't weak.
He wouldn't have been granted the right to transplant a Byakugan in the anime if he didn't have real capability.
Then, facing the enemy's descending blade, Kiyohara unleashed the swordsmanship he had inherited from youth Kiyohara.
He sidestepped the slash with a smooth and sharp step.
While his own blade flicking upward.
Shhhk!
The edge sliced across the first Mist chūnin's wrist. The man screamed as his weapon flew from his grasp.
The second attacker came immediately, his kunai thrust toward Kiyohara's ribs.
Kiyohara's waist twisted, his body drifting back like a drifting willow fluff. As he slipped just past the strike, his wrist rotated—his blade stabbing into the man's throat.
Splurt!
A clean precise kill.
The third Mist-nin faltered, terror flashing in his eyes. His movement slowed—just for a breath.
Kiyohara seized the opening.
Chakra burst beneath his feet.
"Body Flicker Technique!"
His figure blurred, reappearing at the man's side. His blade swept horizontally.
Crack!
Slash!
Bone shattered. Blood sprayed.
The third attacker fell instantly.
In mere breaths, three Mist chūnin who had targeted Rin lay dead.
"Kakashi," Kiyohara called coldly,
"Finish these Mist shinobi, then come with me immediately. We're going to kill the mastermind. Someone is directing them—otherwise they wouldn't be fighting with such perfect coordination."
After seven blades clash, the next step was always to strike the leader.
Right now was the best chance. If necessary, he could even have the youth Kiyohara take over for a moment.
Enemies meeting face-to-face always burned with hatred.
Kiyohara knew his future self would relish killing Ao.
His current foundation was sound enough. He wouldn't be as awkward as when the Missing-nin Kiyohara had taken over before.
"…All right."
Kakashi paused for a heartbeat.
Something felt strange—Kiyohara's swordsmanship felt far sharper than the last time he saw it.
Was it his imagination?
He shook the thought off.
No—Kiyohara was simply starting to reveal his true strength.
(End of Chapter)