Haruto Saito had just begun sprinting when he suddenly halted. His Byakugan was still active, and as he instinctively glanced to both sides, something caught his eye—another group of people.
His Byakugan allowed for a 360-degree field of vision, but due to his current chakra reserves and ocular prowess, he could only maintain full-surround observation within a limited range. Concentrating his sight in one direction enabled him to see vast distances, possibly up to ten or twenty kilometers, but a full 360-degree scan significantly reduced that range.
Out of habit, he had focused straight ahead, but as he turned slightly, he noticed another presence.
One kilometer southeast, hidden within the forest, six figures maintained a stealth formation, vigilant and scanning their surroundings. Each of them bore distinctive pale eyes and the signature facial creases of the Hyuga clan.
"The Hyuga Clan…?" Haruto murmured to himself before his expression hardened. "They're here to kill me, aren't they?"
His gaze methodically moved across each figure.
"There's even a top-tier Elite Jonin among them."
Name: Hyuga Kyokujitsu
Affiliation: Konoha's Intelligence Division, Reconnaissance Unit Captain
Reputation: 13,943
Status: Hostile
Reputation scores above 15,000 were considered peak Jonin levels. With nearly 14,000 points, Hyuga Kyokujitsu was undoubtedly among the strongest of Elite Jonin.
The other five Hyuga shinobi included two Jonin with reputations above 5,000 and three Elite Chunin ranging between 2,000 and 3,000.
All of them were listed as hostile.
"Were they tailing me this whole time?" Haruto speculated.
Being tracked by the Hyuga was no trivial matter. Their Byakugan allowed them to observe targets from several kilometers away, meaning they didn't need to follow closely to maintain surveillance. Evading them was nearly impossible since the only way to escape their sight was to move out of range in a single burst—something very few shinobi could accomplish.
The group of Hyuga was intently observing the battle at the riverbank. Only one of the Jonin was looking in Haruto's direction, but he could not see him—only the thick mist covering the area.
Byakugan had limitations. It could not penetrate mist, thick mountains, or the ground.
"Good… That's good." Haruto exhaled in relief.
His precaution of always setting up mist before engaging in combat had saved him. If he had been fighting in an open area, the Hyuga clan would have likely discovered his Byakugan, which would have led to catastrophic consequences. If the truth about his bloodline was exposed, the Hyuga wouldn't need to resort to underhanded tactics—they could simply claim him openly, and the higher-ups in Konoha would likely look the other way.
"What should I do?" Haruto deactivated his Byakugan and pondered.
If he left the mist-covered zone and joined the battle at the river, the Hyuga would observe his every move. Any secret techniques he used would be recorded. Meanwhile, keeping the Byakugan active to monitor them drained too much chakra, whereas they had multiple members rotating their observation duties.
"The Hyuga and Uchiha clans really are enemies to the core. Both possess bloodline limits, yet instead of helping each other, they choose to watch as their rivals get slaughtered. If Kyokujitsu were to engage, he could easily overwhelm Saki…"
A sudden idea sparked in Haruto's mind.
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" "Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" "Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" "Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
Haruto continuously cast the jutsu, amplifying its effects. His version of the Hidden Mist Jutsu was sixteen times more potent than normal. Furthermore, it didn't require an existing water source.
Layer after layer of mist thickened around him, expanding far beyond the previous two-hundred-meter radius. The dense fog began spreading further, carried by natural airflow.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Haruto summoned a strong gust of wind. Normally, wind techniques dispersed mist, but his mist was too dense. Instead, the wind spread it farther, making it cover an even larger area.
Darkness loomed over the forest as the thick mist continued its relentless expansion.
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" "Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" "Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
His chakra depleted rapidly.
Haruto retrieved a Chakra Recovery Card from his inventory and consumed it. Instantly, his chakra reserves were restored.
Chakra Recovery Cards were far rarer than Health Recovery Cards. While Haruto had accumulated multiple healing cards, he had only ever acquired two chakra recovery ones—both dropped by the black-market assassin Kamakura Ryo, an Elite Jonin.
Now, he was down to just one.
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" "Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!" "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
After roughly fifteen repetitions of the Hidden Mist Jutsu, the mist covered the entire battlefield. With his sixteenfold enhancement, it was the equivalent of casting the technique over two hundred times.
By the riverbank, thick fog rolled in. Saki and his Sand Village forces were visibly affected. Taking advantage of the moment, Uchiha Iwa seized the opportunity, grabbing Uchiha Mikoto and retreating into the mist while Uchiha Tohoku held the rear.
Saki attempted to clear the mist with wind-style jutsu, but the sheer volume was overwhelming. His technique only served to spread it further.
Elsewhere in the forest, the encroaching mist forced the Hyuga shinobi into alarm.
"Damn it! The mist is getting thicker…" Kyokujitsu cursed. "We're pulling back! Move out of the fog!"
The six Hyuga began retreating in the opposite direction of the river. Even with their Byakugan, the mist nullified their ability to see far.
Haruto, the sole unaffected individual, activated his Byakugan once again to reassess the situation.
The Hyuga were withdrawing. The Sand shinobi were disoriented. The Uchiha were on the run.
Perfect.
Deactivating his Byakugan, Haruto clenched his sword and sprinted toward the battlefield.
This was his domain now.