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Even though he had been mentally prepared, Hyūga Iroha still couldn't help but feel a jump in his heart when he saw Ishigami Hara's appearance. The feeling of facing a high-ranking, even powerful person, once again struck Hyūga Iroha, making him uneasy.
But he soon realized that he and Ishigami Hara were in a cooperative relationship—no, to be precise, they were in a superior-subordinate dynamic. His actions this time were just following orders. Why should he be afraid?
After maintaining the act for so long, he found himself nearly believing it at times.
With this thought, Hyūga Iroha relaxed considerably, turning his gaze to Namikaze Minato and frowning slightly.
He knew that the man in front of him was the fastest person in Konoha, known as the Yellow Flash, and even the Flying Thunder God Technique that Hyūga Iroha himself knew was thanks to the other party's secret teaching.
Others might not know how strong Namikaze Minato was, but he knew very well.
"Really? Come on."
Hyūga Iroha spoke softly. He appeared very calm, but in truth, he remained quite cautious.
Swish!
Namikaze Minato said nothing, merely waved his hand and threw a sky of special kunai, scattering them over the battlefield like rain.
Seeing this, Hyūga Iroha's pupils shrank as he reached behind to take out a seal scroll and quickly made a seal.
Bang!
Countless special kunai were unsealed, and then Hyūga Iroha waved his hand and flung them all around, dispersing them widely.
Both understood what the other was trying to do, yet they tacitly chose not to interfere.
The next moment, both figures disappeared simultaneously, then reappeared in the same location.
Clang!
Namikaze Minato struck out with the kunai in his hand, but Hyūga Iroha easily blocked it. Just as he was about to say something, his pupils shrank again, as Namikaze Minato had somehow appeared behind him.
Swish!
Hyūga Iroha vanished and reappeared elsewhere.
Immediately afterward, Namikaze Minato also disappeared, pursuing him once more.
Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
The two figures flickered like waves in water, appearing and disappearing across various spots on the battlefield, moving at a speed that was faster than most could capture with the naked eye.
Fortunately, everyone present was a ninja, and they were all powerful shinobi, so they naturally didn't lose sight of them. But because of this, they recognized the skill and precision it took.
The two were fully competing in speed, both using the Flying Thunder God Technique, but it was clear that in terms of timing and effectiveness, Namikaze Minato was better than Hyūga Iroha.
They started out evenly matched, but within a few breaths, it had turned into a chase.
Obviously, Namikaze Minato was the one pursuing, while Hyūga Iroha was the one evading.
Ishigami Hara observed the scene with a slight smirk, watching quietly without any intention of attacking.
"You, just watching like this, aren't you afraid that guy will get away?"
Tsunade approached, frowning with a hint of concern.
Ishigami Hara shook his head slightly. "Don't worry, it's still difficult to catch that Hyūga boy, and it doesn't matter if things don't go as planned."
Hearing this, Tsunade looked at him suspiciously, and then, as if realizing something, her eyes lit up. Just as she was about to say something, she saw Ishigami Hara put his finger to his lips, smiling at her.
When Tsunade saw him like this, she immediately made some guesses, rolling her eyes at him, but didn't say anything more, turning her gaze back to the battlefield.
Clearly, there was something off about the relationship between Ishigami Hara and Hyūga Iroha. With her understanding of Ishigami Hara, this wasn't hard to notice, though the specifics of what lay beneath it were unclear.
But… since it was Ishigami Hara's doing, she felt reassured. She had full confidence in Ishigami Hara.
On the battlefield, two figures flashed rapidly, dazzling the eyes. Many spectators thought to themselves that if they were in such a battle, they wouldn't last more than a few rounds before losing control of the rhythm, with a poor outcome awaiting them.
Bang!
Another collision, but Hyūga Iroha was knocked back. He raised two fingers at the same time and disappeared once again.
Swoosh!
This time, Namikaze Minato lost track of him, then turned around suddenly, catching sight of a figure flying into the distance.
Trying to escape!?
Seeing this, Namikaze Minato immediately pursued.
"Stop."
Ishigami Hara's voice caused Namikaze Minato to pause.
"Hokage?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen came closer and asked in a deep voice, "Why don't you chase him?"
Ishigami Hara waved his hand calmly. "There's someone behind this kid; I want to catch him."
As he spoke, Ishigami Hara extended his hand, and a gap appeared in the space before him. Then Ishigami Hara reached into it and patted gently.
In the distance, a shout was heard.
Hyūga Iroha's figure faltered in the air, his body tilting down before he barely stabilized himself and then fled faster, disappearing in a flash, clearly using the Flying Thunder God Technique once more.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's brow relaxed at this. As Hokage, he could easily grasp Ishigami Hara's intention.
All of Hyūga Iroha's actions indicated one thing: capturing a Jinchūriki alone was impossible, so it wasn't surprising there was someone behind him.
Ishigami Hara's choice was right, but whether he could accomplish it was uncertain.
"Don't worry, I left a mark on him. No one else will detect it."
Ishigami Hara said this lightly, though the difficulty of such a feat was well-known to those present.
"As long as you're sure… ah, I am getting old."
Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head, hunched over again, rubbing his back with an exhausted look.
"Alright, let's head back."
Ishigami Hara said, leading the way toward the village.
The others exchanged glances. Although they felt the battle had ended somewhat anticlimactically, it didn't cause any loss to the village. As for Ishigami Asuka's anger and frustration, few cared at the moment.
Meanwhile, Hyūga Iroha appeared in a dense forest, sat down on the ground, and panted heavily. His eyes had returned to Byakugan, and he was drenched in sweat.
Although the battle had appeared effortless, he had expended a great deal of energy, far more than it seemed.
Especially competing with Namikaze Minato in the Flying Thunder God Technique had been particularly draining.
He pulled out a small item from his pouch—a syringe with a layer of paper wrapped around it. Unfolding the paper, he reviewed the instructions.
"Amazing that such a thing was developed. Truly fitting for the Hokage."
Muttering to himself, Hyūga Iroha inserted the syringe into his body, injecting its contents without hesitation.
This growth-enhancing reagent had been specially developed for his own needs, designed to accelerate his development while stabilizing his ocular power, preventing strain on his future potential after intense battles.
And the item had been provided by Ishigami Hara. It wasn't just a simple mark he'd placed on Hyūga Iroha, but also a way to deliver the item without anyone noticing.
"Seems I need to take this task seriously."
Murmuring to himself and feeling the changes in his body, Hyūga Iroha stood up and vanished again.