By this point, the events of the Battle of New York had spiraled into a direction that even Su Ye couldn't predict or control.
The portal in the sky remained open, continuously spewing out Chitauri soldiers and Leviathan beasts with no sign of stopping anytime soon.
By now, over ten thousand Chitauri had invaded Earth, most of them airborne. The sky was filled with their flying crafts, creating a truly spectacular scene.
There were also more than fifty Leviathan beasts. Their massive forms gliding through the air were enough to instill overwhelming fear without even attacking.
On the other side, the military had deployed an overwhelming force of planes, tanks, artillery, and even warships on the sea, ready to provide fire support.
This scene was even grander and more spectacular than the climactic battle in Avengers: Endgame, where all the heroes united against Thanos' army.
Su Ye couldn't help but wonder: if, during Infinity War, Vision had been sent to the White House instead of Wakanda, would Thanos' forces have been able to breach the defenses so easily and take the Mind Stone?
Hmm, but that purple prune can open portals and teleport, so it might not have made much difference.
Su Ye had no intention of joining the search for Loki. By now, his goals in the Battle of New York had largely been accomplished.
Destroying New York alone was enough. If he brought all of America to ruin, where would he go? Back to his homeland?
It wasn't that Su Ye didn't want to return home—it was just that the harmonious guardians there made him think twice about it.
Keeping America around wasn't bad; at least he'd have a playground for his antics.
After some deliberation on the rooftop of Stark Tower, the Avengers decided to split up—some to search for Loki, others to join the battle against the aliens.
The Guardians of the Great Wall followed the Avengers into the battle. Staying in a group at least provided some safety, as military missiles and artillery were unlikely to target their area.
Su Ye sent a clone to follow the group while his real body sneaked away to find Hinata.
Among Su Ye's "fish" in his pond, the ones still in New York but not with the Guardians of the Great Wall were only Catwoman and Hinata.
Su Ye wasn't worried about Catwoman. Cats have nine lives, and if she died here, it would be a disgrace to her name.
As the saying goes, there are no bad nicknames, only bad names. With Catwoman and her father's cunning nature, they likely fled New York as soon as the aliens appeared.
The only one Su Ye was genuinely concerned about was Hinata.
Hinata was new to New York, unfamiliar with her surroundings, and had no one reliable to support her. Her only cousin also had a rather "short-lived" vibe.
That side needed extra attention. Since the start of the battle, Su Ye had assigned a clone there, but now that his task at the Tesseract was done, his real body could check on her.
When Su Ye arrived at Midtown Middle School, half of the school buildings had already been demolished.
The campus was swarming with dozens of Chitauri soldiers firing at a building. Each shot shattered windows and cracked the outer walls, while screams occasionally echoed from within.
Hinata and Neji, along with their teachers and classmates, were hiding inside that building.
Su Ye's clone had previously disguised itself as a school staff member, blending in without revealing its identity to Hinata. Now, his real body arrived, taking on his spiky-haired, fox-faced appearance as he approached Hinata.
The moment Hinata saw him, her anxiety vanished. She wanted to leap into Su Ye's arms but hesitated, fearing he might think less of her. In the end, she froze in place and shyly called out, "Brother Ye, you're here!"
"Brother Ye?" Neji noted Hinata's expression and the name, quickly realizing that the person before them was Su Ye in disguise.
"Brother Ye, what's going on out there? Why are so many strange people attacking us?"
Neji stepped forward, asking nervously.
Neji didn't care why Su Ye had changed his appearance. His only mission was to protect Hinata, but the current situation offered no sense of security.
"I've heard before that America is chaotic and New York isn't safe, but I didn't expect it to be this bad."
Hearing Neji's complaint, the locals wanted to retort but couldn't find the words. After all, what he said was true.
Su Ye chuckled, "A bit of chaos is normal. It might even get worse in the future, but don't worry—you'll get used to it."
After speaking, Su Ye placed a hand on Hinata's head and asked with a smile.
"Were you scared, little Hinata?"
"A… little…" Hinata nodded shyly at first but quickly tried to put on a brave face.
"But now that Brother Ye is here, I'm not scared anymore!"
Su Ye nodded approvingly. "Good. That's the spirit of a true Hyuga daughter. If your father saw you now, he'd be proud and say you're the future and pride of the Hyuga clan."
Neji felt a bit targeted by the comment but, seeing Hinata's happy expression, decided to hold his tongue.
At that moment, Su Ye pointed outside. "Don't worry about those guys. They're nothing special. I'll go take care of them, and you and your classmates will be safe soon."
As he was about to move, Hinata reached out and grabbed the corner of his shirt.
"Brother Ye, can I… go with you?"
"I want to fight too. I don't want to be a burden…"
Her voice was soft, but her meaning was clear.
Neji immediately panicked. "Hinata, you can't go out there! You're the clan's heiress, the future head. You can't take any risks. If anyone should go, it's me!"
Hinata turned to Neji, her expression serious. "Brother Neji, it's the 21st century. Let's not talk about heirs and clan heads anymore. Besides, I never wanted to be the head. I just want to be strong…"
...Strong enough to stay by Brother Ye's side and fight alongside him. Hinata silently added the second half in her heart.
Neji was about to say more, but Hinata ignored him and turned firmly to Su Ye. "Brother Ye, I want to go out with you. I want to become as strong as you!"
Neji panicked. "Hinata, you're a girl, you can't—"
"Good! 'She learned the Eight Formations of the Western River, holding military tokens in her delicate sleeves. Women have long accepted such burdens; why must generals always be men?'"
Su Ye interrupted Neji with a loud declaration.
"What's wrong with being a girl? Girls should be independent, strong, and brave. They're not born to rely on men or be their appendages. Girls can also become heroes who stand tall and proud!"
"If you want to go out, then Brother Ye will take you. I'll show you what a real battlefield looks like. Only by experiencing it can you become a true warrior and a future hero!"
"No, Brother Ye—Su Ye, you can't do this!" Neji yelled in desperation, even calling Su Ye by his full name.
Su Ye turned and shot him a glare. "Either stay here and wait for our triumphant return, or shut up and follow us. But don't blame me if I stop respecting your uncle."
Neji immediately fell silent, trying to muster a retort but failing to find the courage.
After speaking, Su Ye ignored Neji's reaction. He kicked open the nearby door and casually threw a freshly formed sphere in his hand.
Rasengan!
After countless nights of practice in the woods with his Spider-Man clone, Su Ye had finally mastered the art of forming a Rasengan. And not just the basic version—he could now unleash the powerful Giant Rasengan capable of widespread destruction.
The Giant Rasengan, roughly the size of a basketball, flew into the courtyard and exploded in a flash of white light, sending shockwaves through the area like a bomb.
Boom!
After a deafening explosion, half of the Chitauri soldiers in the courtyard were down, while the rest stumbled around, disoriented.
"Nineteen monsters left. Let's see who can take them out the fastest!"
With that, Su Ye dashed forward, leading the charge.
Thanks to his Spider-Sense, Su Ye wasn't worried about the Chitauri's energy weapons. He could sense danger before they pulled the trigger, allowing him to dodge preemptively.
As for Hinata, once she activated her Byakugan, its X-ray-like vision allowed her to see the energy flow within enemies, and its insight provided a full 360-degree view of her surroundings.
Unless she was heavily surrounded and bombarded by concentrated fire, a few Chitauri soldiers were no threat to her.
Moreover, Hinata had Neji by her side, who would rather sacrifice himself than let her die. This gave Su Ye even more peace of mind.
Before long, Su Ye had closed in on ten Chitauri soldiers, swiftly eliminating them one by one with the kunai in his hand.
On the other side, Hinata, with Neji's assistance, quickly dealt with nine Chitauri soldiers.
Although she only personally took down three of them, this was an impressive feat for a twelve-year-old girl who had grown up in a time of peace.
"Not bad!" Su Ye returned to Hinata's side, giving her a thumbs up.
"It's clear this is your first real battle, but your performance on the field was sharp and efficient. Your use of the Byakugan and Gentle Fist was excellent!"
Hinata's eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled. "It's because Brother Ye taught me well. Without your sparring sessions recently, I wouldn't have performed like this!"
"That's also because you've worked hard!" Su Ye ruffled Hinata's hair. "Your first time killing—does it feel uncomfortable?"
Hinata froze for a moment. "Killing? Aren't they just monsters?"
Su Ye smirked slightly. "You're right, they're just monsters. Nothing to feel bad about."
Then, Su Ye turned to Neji. "Your movements were smooth, your attack instincts are sharp, and your destructive power is impressive. As expected of the Hyuga clan's most talented male—you've done your family proud."
Neji subconsciously raised his chin, wearing a smug expression as if to say, "I know I'm good; I don't need your praise."