The strange energy in Hui's arm was preventing him from controlling his chakra, but with a mere thought, he activated the light energy within his body and swiftly expelled the foreign force from his arm.
"Sealing techniques are indeed fascinating," Hui remarked as he looked at Uzumaki Mina.
Though her sealing technique hadn't been effective against him, the principles behind it intrigued him greatly.
Mina, however, smiled wryly. "Sealing techniques may seem remarkable, but they're extremely difficult to learn. It's much easier to focus on ninjutsu," she said, her tone laced with frustration.
Hui paused, contemplating her words.
It seemed that the Uzumaki princess didn't hold sealing techniques in high regard, which was somewhat surprising to him.
"Your strength is truly impressive, Hui-kun. No wonder you've earned such a reputation at such a young age," Mina continued, clearly impressed by the brief exchange they'd just had.
"It's mostly a matter of opportunity," Hui replied modestly. He noticed that Mina didn't seem inclined to continue fighting, and though he was slightly disappointed, he understood her reasons.
The more powerful sealing techniques, like the Dead Demon Consuming Seal or the Four Symbols Seal, required a significant price to perform, and in a spar like this, there was no need for her to go to such lengths.
"I've never been to Konoha. Hui-kun, could you tell me more about the village?" Mina asked, her curiosity evident.
She had spent her whole life on the island of the Land of Whirlpools and had never ventured outside, leaving her quite eager to learn about the world beyond.
"Of course. Konoha is..." Hui began, and the two continued their conversation, casually discussing life in the village as they wandered through Uzushio.
Days passed in much the same way.
Hui spent his time leisurely exploring Uzushio Village, eating good food, enjoying the company of a beautiful guide, and relaxing—an enviable life. But while Hui enjoyed his downtime, his subordinates were far from idle.
In a dense forest, a battle had just ended.
"Captain, these ninja aren't talking. We couldn't extract any valuable information from them," a black-haired youth reported to another man with white hair.
Both appeared to be in their twenties. The black-haired youth looked ordinary, while the white-haired one had strikingly handsome features.
"Yeah, I figured. Finish them off here," Hatake Sakumo—also known as Konoha's White Fang—replied calmly, his mind drifting to the mission Hui had assigned him before departing.
Hui had tasked him with investigating the origins of these mysterious ninjas and uncovering their purpose in the Land of Whirlpools. If necessary, Hui had given Sakumo permission to eliminate them.
After several encounters over the past few days, Sakumo had pieced together a reasonable theory about these mysterious figures. Although there was no concrete proof, it was clear that these individuals were from the Anbu.
Their movements and behavior were perfectly aligned with typical Anbu operating procedures, though they still seemed somewhat inexperienced.
"The three different groups we've encountered so far don't seem to be from the same village. What could all these Anbu be after in the Land of Whirlpools?" Sakumo pondered aloud, forming some hypotheses but not daring to draw any conclusions just yet.
However, his years of experience in the Anbu had taught him one thing—something big was about to happen in Uzushio.
"Keep looking for these mysterious ninjas. If we can't get any useful information, we'll just eliminate them all!" Sakumo's voice was cold.
At twenty-one, he had already reached the level of an elite jōnin, and one of the best at that, so he was confident in his abilities.
He didn't know what these Anbu were planning, but one thing was certain—whatever mission they were on, it wouldn't matter if they were all dead. Without the manpower to complete the mission, it would be as good as failed.
Sakumo's ruthless approach was shaped by his years of experience in the Anbu, particularly the bloody and brutal war he had participated in three years ago. The memories of those battles had hardened him, making him one of the most feared operatives in the Anbu.
The name "Konoha's White Fang" had already become legendary within the Anbu ranks, and it wouldn't be long before his fame spread across the entire shinobi world.
"Yes, Captain!" The black-haired youth responded with respect, fully trusting Sakumo's judgment. Though the black-haired ninja was strong—a bona fide Tokubetsu Jōnin—he wasn't a squad captain.
The reason he wasn't a leader was simple: he was part of the legendary First Division, Fourth Squad—the same squad that had once been led by none other than Hui himself.
Getting into this squad was no easy feat, but those who did were guaranteed bright futures.
Many prominent Konoha clans, including the Uchiha and Hyūga, had tried to place their own shinobi in the Fourth Squad, but they had all failed. Entry required the approval of both Sakumo, the squad captain, and Hui, the Anbu's vice-captain.
In the end, Hui had personally selected three Tokubetsu Jōnin to join the squad, creating one of the strongest Anbu teams, consisting of an elite jōnin and three highly skilled Tokubetsu Jōnin.
With Sakumo's decision made, the bloodshed began. No longer focusing on interrogation, Sakumo's squad shifted to a more direct approach: eliminate all Anbu operatives they encountered.
This was the power Hui had entrusted to Sakumo—the authority to make his own decisions when the situation called for it.
As the situation in the Land of Whirlpools began to take a darker turn, the rest of the shinobi world wasn't quiet either.
Ninjas from various villages were silently converging on the Land of Whirlpools, each avoiding the territory of the Fire Country and Konoha.
Even when these ninjas discovered each other's movements, they pretended not to notice. Everyone knew that their objectives were the same.
These ninjas came from several different villages, including some figures Hui was quite familiar with—such as Ōnoki from Iwagakure, the future Third Mizukage from Kirigakure, Chiyo and the future Third Kazekage from Sunagakure, and A, the future Third Raikage from Kumogakure.
These were all powerful shinobi who would one day be renowned across the ninja world. And now, they were all quietly making their way toward the Land of Whirlpools.
There, something destined to shake the entire shinobi world was about to unfold.
And Hui, in the midst of this brewing storm, would soon solidify his place as a legendary figure known to all in the ninja world.
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