The Land of Rain was perpetually ravaged by war. Without the protection of ninja power, survival was a harsh reality.
This hardship was most evident in the desolate landscape outside the Hidden Rain Village, where towns and villages were few and far between.
On a rainy night, a towering man sprinted across the barren plains. Raindrops bounced off his knotted muscles as he moved like a wild black panther, his heart tranquil.
Owl always felt a sense of ease after a kill.
Tonight, he had eliminated both Asano Kaoru and Takeda Shigemoto. First, he exploited the kunoichi's weakness, then lured the Akatsuki's Number Four with a seashell. Two satisfying "meals" left Owl feeling content.
Even in the rain, which he loathed, Owl felt an urge to dance with joy.
This elation lasted until he sensed something amiss behind him.
Owl abruptly halted, his powerful frame planting itself firmly on the ground like a nail. He turned, narrowed his eyes, and slowly regulated his breathing.
Rapidly approaching was a long "smoke dragon." Owl saw it clearly – a bizarre phenomenon caused by extreme speed, instantly vaporizing the falling rain.
A master... and hostile, he thought.
Mere seconds later, the smoke dragon crashed into him.
There was no deceleration, no "testing the waters" like in legendary tales. Hyuga Yuto, enveloped in steam, slammed into Owl like the maw of a colossal dragon.
They both threw punches simultaneously. Both were masters of taijutsu, experts in hand-to-hand combat. The shockwave from their fists colliding blasted away the rain within a hundred-meter radius, creating a hemispherical dome of dry air in the dark wilderness.
In the next instant, they struck again, both instinctively choosing a small-angle jab with their other hand.
Subtle, yet deadly.
Gentle Fist!
Earth Release: Fist Rock!
A thunderous roar erupted.
This impact was even more ferocious. The ground around them caved in, vegetation was pulverized, and rocks were sent flying.
"Proficient in Earth Release and also trained in a secret technique to enhance strength..." Hyuga Yuto staggered, once again suffering the disadvantage of his still-developing body.
However, he was no stranger to battling adults. He swiftly changed his fist into a palm, clamping down on Owl's wrist. Chakra surged through him, aiming to disrupt his opponent's pressure points and meridians.
Unfortunately for Yuto, while he was experienced, Owl was a seasoned and terrifying assassin!
The moment he saw his attacker's face, Owl prepared for a confrontation with the Gentle Fist.
He knew the Hyuga style's potency. As Yuto grabbed his wrist, Owl sank bonelessly, using his shoulder to ram into Yuto's head.
The impact was solid. Yuto felt his skull about to crack. He couldn't withstand it head-on, so he released Owl's wrist, raised his arm to block, and used the force to propel himself backward over ten meters, escaping the crater created by their clash.
"Hyuga Yuto..." Owl flexed his wrist, staring directly at the handsome Branch House boy.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Owl, right? Probably from Root," Yuto replied softly, rubbing his fingers discreetly.
"No mistake there. You're the one I'm looking for."
"Attacking fellow villagers is a capital offense, Hyuga Yuto. I thought your actions in the Hidden Rain Village were merely driven by a thirst for power..."
"Attacking fellow villagers? You just did the same," Yuto countered.
"You mean that Yami fellow?" Owl sneered, his bird mask concealing his expression.
"Tools break, they need fixing. Even scum like you can serve as fertilizer to strengthen Konoha's Root..."
"Whoa, hold on," Yuto interrupted with a grin.
"I'm really tired of your twisted logic, justifying your grab for power and profit with such noble words... Eh, forget it. Why am I even arguing with you?" The Branch House boy bared his teeth.
"For villains, talking too much before killing is a cardinal sin."
Killing? Owl almost burst out laughing at those words.
During their brief exchange, he had gauged Yuto's strength.
Like him, Yuto was a Jonin specializing in taijutsu!
Gentle Fist, Byakugan, and the strength enhancement technique – a formidable combination, to be fair. But Yuto was only thirteen, lacking in raw power and speed. Moreover, Owl's Earth Release was highly effective in close combat. He even knew a few Water Release techniques, which gave him a significant advantage in the humid Land of Rain.
They were evenly matched, neither able to decisively overcome the other.
But Owl knew that a stalemate meant his victory.
He could escape back to Konoha and report Hyuga Yuto!
Coupled with the intel he had gathered on Yuto's activities in the Hidden Rain Village, the arrogant boy would be branded a rogue ninja, doomed to die.
He could win by simply running away. Even with the Byakugan's exceptional tracking ability, Owl, a seasoned Root operative, was a master of stealth. He was confident in evading the Byakugan's gaze.
These thoughts raced through his mind in a split second. Just as Owl decided to "exchange a few more blows to gather evidence of his aggression," he felt a sudden metallic tang in his mouth.
Owl paused, licking his lips.
They were dry and cracked, with blood oozing from the tiny fissures, carrying a faint iron scent.
Dry lips in the humid Land of Rain? The thought struck him as odd.
Simultaneously, he felt an oppressive heat.
The rain within a three-hundred-meter radius had completely vanished.
Vaporized by intense heat, it transformed into steam, filling the area. An ordinary person entering this zone would be scalded by the scorching vapor.
The source of the heat... was Hyuga Yuto's right hand.
A "gauntlet" the size of a human head encased his forearm and entire hand. Gnarled fangs covered his five fingers, and the intricate construct pulsed with complex chakra natures. The heat that evaporated the rain was merely a "side effect" of the rapidly flowing chakra.
Blood seeped from the Branch House boy's hand, revealing cracked skin and glimpses of bone beneath.
This was a jutsu powerful enough to shake the ninja world.
Fear, undeniable and potent, welled up in Owl's heart.
Did he develop this new technique in the Hidden Rain Village?
How could it be a jutsu of this caliber? Such power before it was even fully unleashed... He had to escape!
"Are you... running away?" Hyuga Yuto asked with a cheerful smile, as if the arm on the verge of shattering wasn't his own.
"A predator doesn't return to its den before its belly is full."
He vanished abruptly.
Faster, faster, faster than ever before.
The "gauntlet" on his hand cleaved through the air, offering almost no resistance.
Hyuga Yuto reappeared behind Owl, his right hand pressing against his shoulder.
"Lion's Fang—" the boy whispered, his five fingers tightening with immense force.
"—Fatal Bite!"
Owl's body, along with the ground beneath him, was pulverized into dust.
As if a ferocious beast had devoured that entire section of the landscape.
Hyuga Yuto landed on the perfectly flattened ground, his right arm hanging limply. The bones inside were undoubtedly shattered, the muscles and blood nearly scorched dry by the intense heat.
"That hurts... damn it."