Chapter 2: Many to One

Deep within the dense forest, the corpses of three or four ninjas lay sprawled. Not far away, Hyuga Yuuto engaged closely with an adversary.

Veins pulsed around Yuuto's eyes, his Byakugan effortlessly tracking the enemy's chakra flow.

The Kumogakure ninja facing him was tall, with dark skin and powerful limbs.

Boom!

The Kumogakure ninja lashed out suddenly, and Yuuto raised his arm to block. Tremendous force surged through him, staggering Yuuto but failing to push him back.

"This kid..." Shock flashed across the Kumogakure ninja's face.

Most ninjas from Kumogakure were adept in swordsmanship and Lighting style, emphasizing physical prowess. Yet, facing Yuuto, who was visibly younger the Kumogakure ninja found himself evenly matched in pure strength.

Shock and disbelief mingled in an instant.

To be fair, the tall Kumogakure ninja was a seasoned fighter. Despite his inner turmoil, he maintained a solid fighting stance, silver-white Thunder Escape crackling around his hands with potent energy.

But within Yuuto's enhanced vision, the enemy's chakra now flickered chaotically, Tenketsus swirling into countless tiny whirlpools.

For ninjas, chakra was the telltale indicator of physical and mental states.

Detecting this brief disturbance was no easy feat, let alone seizing the moment for a surprise attack—skills reserved for masters.

Yuuto was such a master.

With a swift step, he lunged forward faster than before. His precise force punctured the ground, creating a small crater in an instant.

Though they fought at close quarters, Yuuto's sudden burst closed the distance swiftly.

Startled, the Kumogakure ninja instinctively leaped back to create space, but his distracted mind and delayed chakra response were his downfall.

Yuuto slipped effortlessly into his guard.

In the confined space, a disciplined palm struck the Kumogakure ninja's chest with force.

Yuuto's chakra surged, shattering flesh, blood, meridians, organs, acupuncture points, nerves—all were pulverized.

—Gentle Fist!

"Ah!"

The Kumogakure ninja screamed in agony, thrown backward until colliding with a large tree.

As he struck the tree, Yuuto appeared before him, extending a finger to touch the ninja's left chest. Chakra surged again, shattering his heart.

"Pfft..." The ninja's moans weakened further. Before succumbing, he raised his head and gazed angrily at the Konoha ninja who had taken his life.

Yuuto watched calmly until the Kumogakure ninja breathed his last.

Confirming the enemy's demise, Yuuto immediately released his Byakugan, the veins around his eyes fading, returning them to their natural white.

Leaning against the large tree, he panted heavily, visibly drained.

While sustaining the Byakugan was less taxing than the Sharingan, prolonged use still burdened the body.

Ten minutes had passed since Tetsujiro Sugisaki's initial assault, through the melee between the groups, to their subsequent dispersal and individual confrontations.

Yuuto had single-handedly dispatched three enemies, including an elite Chuunin from Kumogakure.

Though Yuuto had trained diligently and excelled in close combat among his peers, earning the moniker "Hyuga's Prodigy," he was only twelve and still growing. The prolonged fighting took its toll on his young body.

Taking several deep breaths, he retrieved military ration pills from his waist pouch and hastily consumed them.

"We can't linger here. It'd be disastrous if the enemy Jonin breaks free..."

Yuuto muttered, ignoring the bodies of Kumogakure and Konoha ninjas strewn about, and swiftly dashed to the left.

Arriving at the battleground, Yuuto refrained from immediate action. Instead, he concealed himself, activated his Byakugan, and observed .

Sugisaki Tetsujiro and a Konoha genin stood back-to-back, encircled by five Kumogakure ninjas. Fallen ninja corpses lay scattered, one wearing a Konoha forehead protector.

At this juncture, only Yuuto, Sugisaki Tetsujiro, and Genin Sato Mahiro remained on the Konoha side, against five Kumogakure adversaries.

Yuuto opted not to intervene immediately. Instead, he circled cautiously from behind, maintaining distance, until positioning himself diagonally opposite the Kumogakure Jonin.

Stealthily , he maneuvered. The skirmish between the two factions resumed.

"Thunder Escape "

The Kumogakure Jonin swiftly formed seals, pressing hands to the ground. Silver-white lightning surged forth, engulfing the forest with countless electric arcs, fiercely snaking through the air.

Sugisaki Tetsujiro and the Konoha genin leaped simultaneously, finding refuge in the trees.

"Shit" Yuuto, watching nearby, frowned.

As the Konoha pair ascended, the Kumogakure team surged forward.

Bathed in lightning, Kumogakure Jonin swarmed Sugisaki Tetsujiro, while the remaining four attacked the lone Konoha genin.

The battle intensified, injuries exchanged in swift and brutal exchanges. In moments, the Konoha genin bore several new wounds.

This strategy aimed to leverage Lighthing , eliminating weaker foes to focus five against Sugisaki Tetsujiro—a dire threat.

Sugisaki's expression darkened, his chakra conservation abandoned as he fought desperately. Despite his efforts, matching jounin level opponents meant victory remained uncertain.

In this deadlock, the Konoha genin faced imminent peril. Outnumbered four to one, survival seemed improbable.

"Ah...!"

As anticipated, a Kumogakure Genin seized an opportune moment, drawing a ninja sword and executing a swift strike—Samurai's Sword Drawing Technique—severing the Konoha genin's left arm.

The forest echoed with the Konoha genin's anguished cry.

Sugisaki Tetsujiro gritted his teeth, powerless to intervene.

The Kumogakure Jonin, elated, anticipated victory. With his subordinates poised to finish the Konoha genin and consolidate against Sugisaki Tetsujiro's resilience, the tide seemed to turn.

Yet, in a sudden twist, a disruption erupted.

The sound of whistling kunai slicing through the air preceded swift and fierce punches by a striking young man, chakra coiled viciously around his fists.

Yuuto seized the opportunity to engage once more.

Like Kumogakure, Yuuto believed in targeting key opponents first—a strategy crucial to victory.

Dispatching the sole Jonin meant Kumogakure would crumble, unable to resist any longer!