Chapter 144 The Hunt

[Option 1: Kill Kurosuki Raiga, Reward: Kurosuki Raiga's Funeral (A rule-based Ninjutsu, summon the deceased members of Kurosuki Raiga's funeral procession, and forcibly seal the opponent in a coffin for burial).]

[Option 2: Redeem the bond between Kurosuki Raiga and Ranmaru. Reward: Lightning Release: Lightning Dragon Tornado.]

For the first time, the system's panel seemed chaotic, with pop-up windows appearing erratically, making constant notification sounds. and Naruto was momentarily dumbfounded, but with the battle imminent, he quickly chose Option 1.

He is not a saint, so how can he save others?

The first option appeared to be a rule-based ninjutsu that summoned the deceased Kurosuki Raiga's funeral procession. Whether it was powerful or not was secondary, but the system was undoubtedly skilled at being unsettling.

'Though there was no emperor to carry the coffin, having Kurosuki Raiga handle it was still decent. It is a bit similar to Ibiki's 'Lucky Cat Ninjutsu' to some extent, so the effect was likely a forced burial.'

'The system's extended description indicated that it was a rule-based Ninjutsu. Does that mean that even if Madara comes, he can be dragged into the coffin and buried? If that were the case, whether Madara could break out of the coffin was irrelevant. The ability to drag him in was already valuable.'

There is absolutely no way to refuse, so Naruto choose Option 1.

This time, the system settled the previous task line related to Hinata, and simultaneously initiated the Seven Ninja Swords task line while triggering Raiga's options.

Naruto now possessed 73% of Kyubi's power at its peak, and he also has a Kyubi at home. Now, he not only wants to seize the Thunder Blades, but also plans to kill Raiga.

"Byakugan!!"

Neji activated his Byakugan instantly, his face stern as the veins around his eyes bulged. He quickly formed hand seals to help him focus more intensely.

Lee clenched his fists, while Tenten had already pulled out shuriken from her ninja pouch, waiting for Neji to tell them the location with his Byakugan. This was Team 3's usual strategy, reconnaissance followed by a surprise attack.

Tenten stood not far from Naruto, anxiously waiting. Suddenly, she realized she couldn't sense Naruto's breathing and was immediately startled.

She quickly turned her head, but I could still vaguely see Naruto's face.

'What's going on?'

'Just now it felt like Naruto had suddenly disappeared from my sense, as if he had died.'

"I can't see clearly at all!" Neji's breathing grew heavier, "Give me some time, there's something strange about this fog, it's obscuring my Byakugan's vision."

Tenten, now holding a kunai, watched their surroundings warily. But when she glanced at Naruto again, she noticed he was standing completely still, like a statue.

If she hadn't known that Naruto was standing there, she would never have noticed that there was another person there.

There was almost no sound of breathing, and his entire body didn't even make the slightest movement. Tenten even began to wonder if Naruto's heart was still beating. She was also curious about what he was doing, 'Was he concealing his presence?'

'On second thought, it seemed like a good strategy. If the opponent's fog obscured Neji's vision, the enemy might use the opportunity to attack, but maybe Naruto could use it as an opportunity to counterattack.'

Tenten also wanted to conceal her presence, but holding her breath was obviously not feasible.

"Southeast 45 degrees 11, northwest 32 degrees 23, southwest 34 degrees 21." Neji reported the coordinates with precision. Upon hearing this, Team 3 moved like a pack of unleashed hounds, charging forward with unrestrained speed.

Naruto didn't move, but Neji didn't notice.

The moment Neji's kunai struck a tree trunk, he knew that the image he saw with his Byakugan was wrong.

Sure enough, Lee's Konoha Whirlwind missed, and Tenten's shuriken clattered harmlessly against rocks.

The missed strike meant their positions were exposed.

The directions given, southeast, northwest and southwest, were completely opposite, making it clear that the enemy intended to scatter them and pick them off one by one. Neji, too tense, hadn't realized it was a trap.

Neji leaped back, a wave of anxiety washing over him. His Byakugan had failed for the first time, leaving him momentarily at a loss, wondering if everything he saw was not real.

Team 3 was originally a team that focused on Taijutsu. Neji was the eyes of the entire team. Only when he could see clearly could they deliver a critical hit accurately.

But now, his eyes were no longer working, and in the face of the still thick fog, Neji's confidence wavered for the first time. Facing the silent white fog, his fear was infinitely magnified.

But the current situation is that the position has been exposed, and all they could do was wait for the enemy to make the first move and then figure out a counter-strategy.

These thoughts flashed through Neji's mind in an instant. As a genius, he was constrained by the title. His desire for answers was so strong that he didn't consider the possibility that the enemy could interfere with his Byakugan.

Naruto's condition was very mysterious, his blood flowed slowly, his heartbeat had slowed, and his breathing was nearly non-existent. He was using Kyubi's chakra to forcibly conceal his presence, completely hiding himself in the fog.

And he succeeded. Except Tenten, no one else remembered him in that crucial moment.

His eyes seemed veiled by a thin mist, and he remained as calm as an emotionless machine. Even though his teammates' positions were exposed and they were in danger, he remained unmoved.

On a higher rock, Raiga, wearing a black robe, looked up with a maniacal grin on his face.

Behind him stood a row of similarly dressed black-robed figures, slightly bowing with their heads lowered. A square, white coffin lay quietly on the ground.

"They've been lured over." A youthful voice devoid of emotion came from behind Raiga.

"Well done, Ranmaru."

Raiga licked his lips with satisfaction, "Now, I will be the one to bury them. However, I won't cry for strangers! Hahahaha!!"

He raised the Lightning Blades, Kiba, and bolts of lightning shot out in three directions.

In the dense white fog, the lightning traveled incredibly fast, striking the three targets almost instantly.

As the screams of Tenten, Lee, and Neji echoed through the air, Naruto moved. Through the thick fog, he locked onto Raiga's exact position.

His killing intent surged in an instant. He hadn't moved when Neji, Tenten, and Lee were exposed because he knew that Kurotsuchi Raiga had a child with the red eye Kekkei Genkai on his back, which could nullify the Byakugan.

Naruto was betting, betting that his speed was unmatched. He just needed to abandon his eyesight and slowly spread the Kyubi's Chakra to find the enemy's position.

But at the moment when the three people were struck by lightning, he finally found Raiga's weakness!

So, he moved.

His figure darted like a specter, with the white fog rushing into his sleeves and collar. His thin short sleeves billowed, flapping loudly in the wind.

His blond hair was tousled by the fierce wind, revealing his calm, emotionless blue eyes.

"Oh no! Raiga!! There's another one!"

"Where?"

But it was too late. With 73% of the Kyubi's power, Naruto instantly put on the blood-red Biju Cloak, moving at a speed comparable to a high-speed missile. The air compressed by Kyubi's Chakra erupted with a deafening boom.