Chapter 96: A Fun Fact, Byakugan Can See Chakra Inside the Body 

How strong you are doesn't depend on the power you can use, but on the power you have. The limit of Kurama's power is fixed, and Naruto can use it, but it's Naruto himself who determines the limit of that power.

A weak Naruto can't use much of Kurama's chakra, so the power that explodes from it is limited. So, if Naruto wants to get stronger, he needs to make himself stronger and be able to use more of Kurama's chakra.

At some point, he will be able to use all of Kurama's power. Once he does that, the next goal will be to surpass Kurama. Only then can he truly be called strong. Right now, the one being called strong isn't him, but Kurama.

Sasuke is the one caught in a dead-end. He thought that Kurama's power was Naruto's power, so he felt he was no match for Naruto. This realization pushed him to want to gain that same "external power" like Naruto.

However, Sasuke has now figured it out. He understands that external power doesn't equal his own strength. The purpose of that power isn't to make him stronger, but to protect him before he becomes strong on his own. Now that he understands this, Sasuke doesn't feel like he'll lose to Naruto.

He wants to fight Naruto to prove this point.

Naruto and Shikamaru's group had been traveling for half the day, and it wasn't until the afternoon that they caught up with the four Otogakure ninjas who left last night. The main reason for the delay was that the Otogakure ninjas were carrying Sasuke, so they couldn't travel too quickly, which slowed them down.

However, when Shikamaru spotted their figures, they had already sensed the approach of Shikamaru's group.

Kidomaru was the first to stop, a sinister grin on his face as he looked at the other three. "This chakra... it's that Jinchuriki kid."

Sakon glanced at him briefly and casually said, "Leave it to you. You can kill the others while you're at it."

"No problem." Kidomaru replied without hesitation, since that was exactly what he had in mind. "A group of weak Genin with faint chakra signatures? I can take them all out on my own."

The other three shared the same thought. After all, the Jonin from Konohagakure were only at that level, let alone a bunch of Genin.

With that, Kidomaru turned around and ran toward Shikamaru and the others.

Jirobo, who was carrying Sasuke on his back, was a bit annoyed. "Tch, it's such a waste. That guy gets this opportunity. I wanted to kill a few people and practice."

"Shut up. Our mission is to escort Sasuke back," Tayuya said coldly, giving him a glare.

Jirobo grumbled but didn't say anything. The most important thing right now was to escort Sasuke back. The Genin could be left to Kidomaru. He just hoped that guy wouldn't get carried away.

That said, it seemed like Konohagakure was really underestimating the four of them. They had already driven off the Jonin, and now they were sending Genin to stir up trouble. It seemed like they had given up. What a disappointment. 

Jirobo had hoped to face off with those famous Jonin, like Kakashi and Asuma. But now...

.

Really disappointed.

Meanwhile, Naruto, who was speeding up to catch up, suddenly narrowed his eyes. Before he could speak, Neji, who was behind him, spoke first. "One enemy has separated from the group and is heading our way."

"How strong are they?" Shikamaru asked.

"Strong chakra presence, and they have the same curse mark as Sasuke," Neji replied, his face serious.

They all knew about the curse marks, especially since this mission was related to them. Even if Tsunade hadn't mentioned it, Naruto would have shared the information about the curse marks with them.

Shikamaru nodded. "Neji, Tenten, you two handle this person. The rest of us will continue the pursuit. Hinata, you're in charge of the sensory tasks from here on."

"Understood." Hinata nodded gently, and as she spoke, her Byakugan activated as she focused on the four enemies in the distance.

Neji glanced at Hinata, thought for a moment, but didn't say anything. Tenten moved closer to him, and the two of them picked up speed, passing everyone else.

The next moment, Kidomaru suddenly appeared in front of them, his twisted smile growing more intense as he lunged at them like a demon. "This road is closed! You little brats."

"Hmph." Neji's expression darkened slightly. As soon as Kidomaru appeared, Neji immediately raised his hand and struck without hesitation, showing no mercy. "Gentle Fist!"

The Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist technique was a major headache for anyone who fought in close combat. Whether the Hyuga was a Genin or Jonin, once they landed a hit with the Gentle Fist, you would end up lying there waiting to die. Kidomaru clearly was overconfident.

His secret technique was spider-based ninjutsu, which made him a long-range fighter. While the curse mark allowed him to hold his own against taijutsu users, the problem was that his opponent was a Hyuga! The Hyuga played no fair game when it came to close combat—who would take you on in a direct fight?

By the time he activated his Byakugan, he realized something was wrong. Now, facing the Gentle Fist style coming at him, he couldn't help but furrow his brow. He extended six arms to block Neji's attack, then swiftly shot out spider threads to the others nearby.

He still wanted to block everyone, but unfortunately, it wasn't just Neji fighting now.

Tenten pulled out a sealing scroll, and as she made hand signs, smoke erupted from the scroll, followed by a series of sharp, whistling sounds. Countless strange Ninja Tools rained down from the sky, attacking Kidomaru's body and even destroying the spider threads he shot out.

Realizing the situation wasn't good, Kidomaru prepared to retreat, looking for a chance to counterattack. But then he saw Neji charging forward without hesitation, his palms continuously swinging, blue chakra enveloping his body like a massive Eight Trigrams symbol on the ground.

"Are you trying to die?" Kidomaru was shocked. Did you not see the Ninja Tools coming down from the sky, buddy? Your teammates clearly have you caught in the attack too. You're not planning to dodge?

Neji's Byakugan was expressionless, neither sad nor happy. "I... believe in Tenten."

"Soft Palm Style, Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"

Kidomaru's face darkened. Knowing the situation, he should've just jumped out earlier, but now he had to think of a way to escape.

Black, twisted lines of cursed chakra flowed from the seal, and evil chakra overtook Kidomaru's body. As he swung his six arms, a massive spider web shot out of his mouth. Neji's eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, he dodged.

Almost at the same time, the Ninja Tools that had been flying from the sky brushed past Neji, and numerous sharp blades rushed towards Kidomaru.

However, the Ninja Tools were relatively easy to dodge. Kidomaru leaped back, narrowly avoiding them. He looked to the side and saw that Naruto and the others were almost gone. At this distance, unless he dealt with this Hyuga ninja and the Ninja Tools user in the trees, it would be impossible to catch up to the kids who had already fled.

Kidomaru's face darkened. He turned to Neji and Tenten, his expression twisted with anger. "You've pissed me off, Konohagakure Genin!"

The endless evil chakra erupted, so powerful that it seemed to shake the entire forest.

"Feel the power that Orochimaru-sama has given me, brats!"

Hearing Kidomaru's roar, Neji remained calm. "It does look pretty scary, but honestly, compared to the power inside Naruto, you're still thousands of years behind."

Hmm... a fun fact: Byakugan can see the chakra inside a person's body.

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