Thanks to his experiences in his previous life, Hyuga Yuto understood a crucial principle.
Often, what was written on paper didn't reflect a leader's true intentions. The emotions conveyed through their tone and demeanor were the key information a subordinate should pay close attention to.
[Regardless of their objective, prevent them from approaching the Land of Fire]. The mission's completion requirements were broad. Deterrence, deception, intimidation, negotiation... As long as those guys didn't approach the Land of Fire, the mission was considered a success.
But when Hyuga Yuto asked "to what extent can I go," he clearly saw Hiruzen Sarutobi's indifferent eyes and heard his calm tone, as cold as iron frozen in winter.
—Kill those ants from the Land of Water. Twist off their heads, drain their blood, and bring their heads back to me.
That was what the Third Hokage truly wanted to say.
As for why he didn't say it directly, and why the mission scroll used the relatively mild word "prevent," it was probably due to the unique nature of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.
Although they shared the same title, the difference in combat strength among the seven was actually quite significant. Some, without their signature swords, were merely at the level of Special Jonin, while others, like "Mangetsu Hozuki," were formidable even without Samehada.
Without confirming the enemy's strength, he naturally wouldn't rashly issue a kill order. After all, this was a Jonin promotion exam. It would be too wasteful to lose the lives of potential elites, and Hiruzen Sarutobi wouldn't do that.
As a scheming double agent, Hyuga Yuto was quite insightful in reading people's minds. He immediately grasped Hiruzen Sarutobi's meaning.
Thus, he spent considerable effort searching for clues. With the Byakugan's unparalleled reconnaissance, long-range vision, and X-ray vision capabilities, he pinpointed the Kirigakure group's infiltration point: The Land of Waves.
Within the Byakugan's extended vision, he saw the Exploding Blade: Shibuki.
Jinpachi Munashi... He was a formidable opponent, but only that.
Killable.
Boom!
The force of the explosion was irresistible. Hyuga Yuto didn't dare to take it head-on and retreated rapidly.
He was propelled backward over thirty meters by the force of the explosion, his feet landing heavily on the lake's surface. The water surged into a giant wave, then fell as a fine mist-like rain.
Hyuga Yuto's clothes were soaked, and the veins near his eyes bulged.
"Hmph..." He ripped off his scorched sleeve, his expression devoid of emotion.
"Brat!" A thunderous roar came from the side, followed by a large sword covered in explosive tags, moving even faster than the sound.
Hyuga Yuto abruptly leaned back, dodging the blade.
Contrary to Jinpachi Munashi's expectations, the arrogant and hateful Konoha ninja didn't take this opportunity to create distance. Instead, he swung his arms back and slammed them onto the lake's surface, using the momentum to propel himself towards Jinpachi.
Jinpachi Munashi felt a chill in his heart. When it came to "close-quarters combat in confined spaces," the Hyuga were undisputed experts, with their clan's profound taijutsu heritage.
However, someone who wielded a large sword day and night naturally had strategies for dealing with such close-range engagements. He leaped backward with even greater speed, his movements resembling a startled wildcat, creating distance once again in a flash.
Hyuga Yuto didn't pursue. Instead, he straightened his body and raised his right leg high, until the sole of his foot faced the sky.
The next moment, his leg slammed down like a battle-axe descending from the heavens, his chakra focused into a single point.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
The lake water within a hundred-meter radius was pushed aside, surging into the air. The resulting wave crashed onto the shore, snapping trees and destroying the path.
The soft mud at the bottom of the lake was exposed.
Jinpachi Munashi was caught off guard, losing his footing and unable to leverage himself in the air. He could only fall freely.
In contrast, Hyuga Yuto used the recoil from "Heavenly Foot of Pain" to attack again.
He dodged the large sword and punched Jinpachi Munashi in the abdomen. Due to the aftereffects of Heavenly Foot of Pain, Hyuga Yuto's chakra flow was somewhat sluggish. In that brief moment, he could only execute the most basic Gentle Fist technique he was proficient in.
But that was enough.
The Branch House boy's chakra surged into his opponent's body, almost instantly destroying Jinpachi Munashi's stomach.
Blood mixed with internal organ fragments sprayed from Jinpachi Munashi's mouth, staining Hyuga Yuto's chest.
I won! Hyuga Yuto's heart stirred. He raised two fingers, about to deliver the finishing blow, severing his enemy's throat.
However, to his surprise, at that very moment, a tremendous force struck him from his left side.
—Jinpachi Munashi had detonated the explosive tags covering his sword.
This tactic of "hurting the enemy one thousand and oneself eight hundred" had a miraculous effect at this moment. Both were blown away by the explosion, soaring over the lake and crashing into the rainforest on the shore.
Hyuga Yuto's blood churned, but the six months of arduous training had made him much stronger. His control over his body and chakra was far beyond what it used to be.
He swallowed the metallic taste in his mouth, adjusted his posture, and landed on a puddle in the rainforest, miraculously unscathed.
"Something's wrong, the water is too heavy..." Hyuga Yuto's movements faltered. Within his Byakugan's vision, a mass of extremely dense water was spreading upwards from his legs.
Water Prison Jutsu!
The Kirigakure ninja who had accompanied Jinpachi Munashi finally joined the battle at this moment.
As expected of elite Chunin, their grasp of timing was impeccable. They chose to intervene the moment Hyuga Yuto landed, when his control over his body was at its weakest. If it were an ordinary Jonin, being trapped by the Water Prison Jutsu at this point would instantly turn the tables, turning them into a helpless lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
Unfortunately for them, their opponent was Hyuga Yuto.
"Revolving Heaven!"
The Branch House boy shook his hands, first dispersing the heavy water clinging to his legs. Then, his body spun at high speed, chakra surging from his tenketsu, forming an impenetrable spherical barrier.
Rumble...
Including the Kirigakure ninja who had used the Water Prison Jutsu, all four attacking Chunin were repelled, flung far away.
Hyuga Yuto stopped spinning, his face pale.
After consecutively using "Heavenly Foot of Pain" and "Revolving Heaven," his chakra consumption was immense. His muscles and meridians throbbed with pain.
This highlighted his current weakness in combat. He specialized in close-range attacks and knew practically nothing about mid-to-long-range ninjutsu. Against a sword master like Jinpachi Munashi, he could only resort to hand-to-hand combat, which was extremely risky.
"Fortunately, I've already destroyed your stomach..." The Branch House boy sighed inwardly, focusing his attention on Jinpachi Munashi not far away.
The moment he saw his enemy clearly, Hyuga Yuto's heart skipped a beat.
Jinpachi Munashi was kneeling on the ground, clutching his large sword. He wasn't fleeing or begging for mercy. Instead, like a desperate beast, he roared at Hyuga Yuto,
"Die, brat! Let's die together!"
—He wanted to completely detonate the explosive scroll on his sword!
The explosive scroll attached to the blade, thirty centimeters in diameter and about a meter long... Even excluding the mechanism and the soft cloth used to connect the explosive tags, there were at least twenty thousand explosive tags!
At this distance... With my speed, it's impossible to kill him before the scroll explodes, Hyuga Yuto made his judgment.
"Brother, don't be impulsive. Let's talk this over. How about this... You give me the sword and cut off your right hand, and I'll let you go..." Hyuga Yuto's figure blurred as he sprinted backwards like a madman, trying to provoke his enemy with words to buy himself time to escape.
"Hahahaha! Die! Let's all die!"
Jinpachi Munashi howled and roared.
A mushroom cloud filled with destructive power rose from the edge of the island.