Yuto Kawashima drew his sword with trembling hands.
He clearly wasn't the type to back down easily, even when facing impossible odds.
Blood dripped from his forehead, but he stood firmly in front of his two injured teammates, ready to defend them to his last breath.
When Hiashi saw this futile display of bravery, he scoffed coldly.
"Hmph! With your battered body and depleted chakra, do you really think you would be able to fight back against us?"
Hiashi's pale eyes narrowed as the veins around his Byakugan bulged, fully prepared to neutralize the Sand Genin.
Yuto didn't say anything.
He just stood there with his blade raised high, his breathing ragged.
He knew they were completely outmatched, especially after witnessing that terrifying Scorch Release jutsu.
But he had to protect his team. Even if they were useless to him.
"You—!!"
Hiashi was about to strike at them with his Gentle Fist, when a hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder.
It was Kaito.
"Wait, Hiashi!"
Kaito stepped forward, his bright blue eyes locking onto the small pouch tied to Yuto's waist.
Through the absolute perception of his Six Eyes, he could easily see through the fabric and perfectly read the chakra signature of the scroll inside.
"They have the Heaven Scroll."
Kaito looked at his teammate and added, "We don't need to fighting them. We already have the Heaven Scroll. Conserve your energy for our next battle."
Hiashi stopped his advance, furrowing his brows in deep suspicion.
"How did you know that, Uchiha?" Hiashi asked.
"You can't see through solid objects without the Byakugan."
Kaito simply smirked and tapped his temple.
"I have a very strong sensory skill. Trust me, it's not worth it."
Fighting them wouldn't get the Team 6 the Earth Scroll they actually needed to pass the exam. It was a complete waste of time.
Hiashi stared at Kaito for a brief moment, trying to find a lie in his expression.
After finding none, Hiashi sighed heavily and finally deactivated his Byakugan.
"If you say so..." Hiashi muttered, stepping back.
Kaito turned his attention back to Yuto.
Despite his severe injuries and low Chakra reserves, Kaito could still sense a strong life force burning within him. This Sunagakure Genin had potential.
"See you later, alright?" Kaito said with a friendly smile.
He then jumped high into the thick tree branches, ready to go.
Mirei followed closely shortly after, moving with practiced agility.
Before leaving, Hiashi lingered for a brief second. He glared menacingly at the Sand team, ensuring that they didn't try to do anything funny behind their backs, before disappearing into the canopy.
Yuto fell to his knees, dropping his sword as a massive wave of relief washed over him.
They had survived.
-
Shortly after, Team 6 found themselves leaping rapidly amidst the dense, dark forest again.
The giant trees of the Forest of Death blurred past them.
Kaito slowed his pace slightly to match Mirei's.
He asked, "Mirei, how did it feel? You finally used your Scorch Release Jutsu in actual combat."
Mirei looked thoughtfully at her hands as she leaped to the next branch.
"I'm not exactly sure. I thought it was really nice, and the destructive power was amazing."
"But the Chakra consumption is a bit too high for me right now."
She sighed softly.
"I can't repeatedly use it without getting completely exhausted."
Kaito nodded understandingly.
"That's perfectly fine. Knowing you can do it in a life-or-death situation is enough for you."
He added, "You just need to gradually expand your chakra reserves over time."
When Hiashi heard them talking about this, he couldn't just stay silent anymore.
His curiosity had been eating at him since he saw that blazing orb of heat vaporize a giant tiger.
He matched their pace and asked, "What exactly was that Jutsu you were using back there, Uchiha woman?"
'He really doesn't want to call us by our first names, does he?' Kaito thought silently.
He almost laughing at Hiashi's stubborn pride.
Mirei looked at Hiashi with a proud smile.
She answered, "I think it's a Kekkei Genkai. I honestly didn't really understand the theory behind it either."
"Kaito just forcefully guided my chakra and taught me how to do it. Isn't he amazing?"
Hiashi's pale eyes widened in genuine shock.
He looked at Kaito, evaluating him in a completely new light.
Creating a Kekkei Genkai out of thin air?
That was unheard of.
"Still, that was a very powerful Jutsu," Hiashi admitted, recovering his stoic expression.
"I must say, I am quite impressed."
Coming from the arrogant Hyuga prodigy, that was high praise.
"Hehehe... All thanks to Kaito!" Mirei replied, smiling brightly.
Kaito shifted his gaze to Hiashi, a playful smirk forming on his lips.
He said, "I can help you too, Hiashi. If you want."
"I think I already understand the core principles behind your Hyuga Clan's technique."
When Hiashi heard this ridiculous claim, he immediately frowned deeply.
He stopped on a thick branch, forcing the other two to halt as well.
"Impossible, Uchiha," Hiashi said sternly.
"The Hyuga Clan's secret techniques are strictly guarded and cannot be analyzed, even if you are using a fully matured Sharingan."
"It requires the Byakugan to see the exact Tenketsu Points."
Kaito chuckled lightly, not taking offense at all.
"That's true for a normal person. However, I'm a genius, don't you think?"
When Hiashi actually thought about this, he couldn't immediately refute it.
Indeed, there was a deeply mysterious and unfathomable aura about Kaito.
First of all, during their first mission, Kaito had somehow singlehandedly beaten several elite Jōnin-level intruders without breaking a sweat.
He had used a bizarre, lightning-fast black spark technique that defied all conventional logic.
He also managed to beat Minato Namikaze, the prodigy of their generation, rather quickly during the academy exams.
And now, he had apparently taught an ordinary Uchiha girl how to use Scorch Release.
These were not things an ordinary Genin could do. In fact, these were not things even an elite Jōnin should be capable of.
Hiashi clenched his fists.
He deeply desired to become stronger, to lead his clan with absolute power in the future. But his deeply ingrained clan pride wouldn't allow it.
"You needn't worry about me. I can improve my techniques on my own," Hiashi said, firmly dismissing the idea.
After all, it would be highly inappropriate and weird to have an outsider teaching him his own clan's specialty.
"Suit yourself," Kaito shrugged casually.
"But the offer stands if you ever change your mind."
Hiashi didn't respond, simply turning around and continuing the trek toward the center tower.
However, the seed of deep respect had already firmly taken root in the Hyuga heir's mind.