Izuna and the Three Kids

Hashirama stared blankly at Izuna's figure, his heart pounding like a drum.

He had just been lost in thought, his mind preoccupied with speculating about Izuna's past.

The intense sense of disconnect that Izuna exuded often bothered him greatly.

This time too.

Although some things do require external forces to break the deadlock.

But what kind of external force would make Izuna care so much?

War? Or something else, something heavier? The fleeting thought in Izuna's eyes as he spoke made Hashirama feel inexplicably choked up.

But at this moment, all doubts and worries were dispelled by the spectacular duel before them.

Hashirama's gaze was fixed intently on the figure in the center of the arena.

He could almost hear the thumping of his heart against his chest, his blood was rushing faster, and his hands and feet were getting warm.

He held his breath, his eyes fixed on the figure in the arena.

He craves battle, yearns to clash with the strong; it's an instinct etched into his very bones.

The Izuna before me... is too dazzling.

That kind of fighting style that bursts forth after honing the most basic Taijutsu movements to the extreme, and that kind of incredible insight and reaction speed.

And that mysterious and unpredictable dual attack... all of it made Hashirama's palms itch.

A burning fighting spirit rose up, overshadowing all previous worries and speculations.

He could almost imagine how exhilarating it would be to fight Izuna at full strength; that anticipation made his blood boil.

Just then--

"Stop! Get out of the way!" Tennin's stern voice rang out, trying to stop his clansmen who were blinded by anger and humiliation.

It's too late.

A group of the Hyuga Clan members had gathered around the Training Ground at some unknown time.

The moment Izuna made that bold statement, both the Main Family and the Branch Family were in an uproar.

"Avenge Big Brother Qing and the others!"

"Attack him together! Defeat him!"

"We can't let the Uchiha look down on us, the Hyuga!"

More than a dozen figures rushed out of the crowd almost at the same time, their Byakugan wide open in anger, Chakra erupted without reservation.

The palm strikes were like a flood bursting its banks, surging towards Izuna in the center of the arena from all directions!

They no longer cared about Formations or coordination; they had only one thought: to overwhelm this arrogant enemy with sheer numbers and the Hyuga Clan's Taijutsu!

Tennin's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, his face ashen.

Sōsuke, who was beside him, also gasped, and the Elder's face darkened, realizing that the situation was completely out of control.

If Izuna is injured, they cannot afford to take responsibility.

They had all witnessed Madara Uchiha's ways. If Hashirama happened to Izuna, even with Hashirama mediating, he wouldn't have a good ending.

But now they can't stop them either; only Hashirama could possibly stop so many people.

Hashirama had indeed formed hand seals, preparing to save the day.

Faced with this surging, ferocious attack that almost obscured his vision, Izuna showed no fear. Instead, his black eyes shone even brighter, and the smile on his lips deepened.

It's here!

In my field of vision, countless, layered musical notes poured down like a torrential downpour, their tracks crisscrossing like a tangled mess.

Almost every note contains hidden notes representing acupoints, and countless complex combinations of double rhymes instantly fill the entire interface.

The background music became more rapid and intense than ever before, almost shattering eardrums.

The pressure has increased sharply.

But Izuna only felt... excitement.

A long-lost feeling of excitement, reminiscent of facing a challenging full-line challenge of the Demon King's Song, swept through my body.

He moved.

No longer resorting to stillness to control movement, or making small-scale maneuvers as before.

His figure suddenly blurred, like a drop of water thrown into boiling oil, instantly exploding into the onrushing crowd!

His movements were unpredictable and erratic.

Sometimes it would slip through the gaps in the air between the two men's punches like a fish.

Sometimes, just as he was about to be enveloped by the palm strike, he would lean Setsuna and glide across the screen.

Sometimes it soars into the air, like a swift stepping on people's shoulders, supporting their heads as it rises and falls through the crowd.

Every strike is concise to the extreme, precisely targeting the most vulnerable points: the wrist, joints, and below the shoulder blade.

He always managed to interrupt the condensation of Chakra at just the right moment, disrupting the body's balance and causing that fierce attack to collapse as if its bones had been pulled out.

Then, he just casually tucked it in.

Those Hyuga clansmen he touched were involuntarily thrown backward and tilted to the side.

Or perhaps they are propelled off the ground by their own uncontrolled force and a bit of cleverness, flying out with a scream and crashing to the ground a few steps away.

He rolled twice, got up covered in dust, and his initial anger was replaced by confusion and fear.

They touched the places where they had been touched; it didn't hurt, and there weren't even any bruises, only a tingling, numb, and weak feeling.

But they clearly felt that momentary loss of balance, when their bodies went out of control.

This Uchiha Izuna, it seems he just likes to neutralize force.

It was as if he casually brushed aside a tree branch blocking his path; he didn't care where the branch flew.

This kind of effortless mastery is more chilling than a brutal attack.

The few people who were escorted out of the field did not shout and rush back.

They stood there, pale-faced, their eyes filled with complex emotions as they stared at the ghostly figure in the arena.

They understood that if the other side truly intended to kill, that attack would have broken not only their offensive power, but also their neck bones or spines.

However, the Hyuga clan members who stood on the periphery and did not personally experience the strange touch saw a different scene.

They only saw their own brother's palm brushing against Izuna's clothes and hair again and again.

So close!

It was so close!

"So close!"

"He's dying!"

"Press on top! Don't give him a chance to breathe!"

That glimmer of hope fueled the passion of many, who were stirred by the seemingly attainable illusion and roared into joining the fray.

Meanwhile, behind the Hyuga Clan Compound.

Beside a secluded path.

Senju Yūki and Senju Ichiyo were crouching in the shade of the dense bushes, intently staring at the Hyuga Clan Compound wall not far away.

They were responsible for providing support from the outside for Uchiha Hinata and Uchiha Takuma, who had already infiltrated the area.

Hurried footsteps approached, Yamanaka Harukawa's small figure emerged from another path, his forehead beaded with sweat.

Harukawa's face was a little red from running, and he asked in a low voice, panting, "Where are Takuma and Hinata? Did they go in?"

Yūki turned around, a hint of relief on his face as if his plan had gone smoothly, and gave him a thumbs up. "They got in a while ago. Hey, how's it going on your end? What method did you use to lure the patrolmen away? It worked really well; everyone near the back wall here was drawn away. I could hear some commotion in the distance just now."

Ichiyo nodded, giving Harukawa an approving look. Although the child was young, the mental techniques of the Yamanaka Clan were indeed useful in certain situations.

Harukawa hurriedly waved his hands. "No! I didn't lead them away!"

He hurriedly explained, "It's Lord Hashirama and Lord Izuna! They 'Hyuga Clan! So all the talents in the clan compound have gathered at the Training Grounds by the main gate! It wasn't me!"

The ease on Yūki's face froze instantly.

Ichiyo Ye jumped to her feet. "What did you say?!"

Yūki's eyes widened suddenly. "Dad and Uncle Izuna? Why did they suddenly come?!"

A bad feeling gripped his heart.

Hinata and Takuma risked their lives to infiltrate the Hinata Rei, who might be harassed by the Main Family. This is something that can't be said openly!

Now that these two adults have suddenly arrived, the entire Hyuga clan's attention has been drawn to them... which is actually more dangerous!

What if Hinata is discovered while infiltrating them, or something goes wrong with Lian and they run into the two adults...

"Damn it..." Ichiyo gritted his teeth, thinking a step further than Yūki.

With both Lord Hashirama and Lord Izuna visiting at the same time, the atmosphere within the Hyuga clan is definitely unusual.

Under normal circumstances, it might be possible to cover it up, but at this critical juncture, any slight disturbance could be magnified.

"Ah, wash it more!" Harukawa's little hands unconsciously grabbed his hair.

Yūki took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He is Hashirama's son; we cannot act rashly at a time like this.

He glanced at the direction from which a commotion was faintly coming from deep within the Hyuga Clan Compound, and made a quick decision. "In any case, we can't just wait here. The situation has changed. Let's go to the main gate first."

"We need to find out what happened inside, and see if we can get Hinata and the others out, or... if all else fails, I'll have to step in and find a reason to 'bring' them out."

Although I had to grit my teeth and go for it, my Yūki was pounding inside.

In Hyuga territory, with both his father and Uncle Izuna present, how could he possibly take away two infiltrated Uchiha brats in a legitimate manner? The sheer difficulty of that task sends chills down one's spine.

But there's no better solution right now.

Ichiyo nodded in agreement. "That's the only way. Harukawa, stay close to us and don't get separated."

Without further hesitation, the three quickly headed towards the main gate of the Hyuga Clan Compound.

As they rushed to the vicinity of the main gate of the Hyuga Clan Compound, they saw two chilling figures approaching at an astonishing speed—it was Madara Uchiha and Tobirama Senju!

The two big shots were so fast they almost left afterimages, while behind them, a figure was trying his best to catch up, but couldn't keep up with the two big shots at all.

"That's someone from Lord Hashirama's side!" Ichiyo whispered.

The three children exchanged glances, none of them daring to stop Madara and Tobirama, who exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.

But they blocked the way for the panting man.

"Big Brother Raisuke!" Yūki spoke first, his tone urgent, "What exactly happened inside?"

Raisuke his knees, took a couple of deep breaths. He looked up and saw the three of them, and paused for a moment.

"How did you know...?" But then he suddenly realized, "Ah! You're friends with those two Uchiha kids? That's surprising, the Senju and Uchiha actually get along."

"This isn't the time to talk about this!" Yūki was frantic. "What happened? Hinata and Takuma were discovered infiltrating? Are they alright?"

Ichiyo and Harukawa also stared nervously at Raisuke.

Raisuke succinctly explained the situation, "There's trouble within the Hyuga Clan. Their Elder's faction is trying to forcibly take Hinata Rei and Hyuga Akari away."

"As a result, your two Uchiha friends ran into them, and they stepped in to protect the two Hyuga girls."

"The matter could have ended there, Lord Hashirama and Lord Izuna came to visit, and everyone was able to explain things clearly, resulting in a happy ending for all."

He paused, a toothache-like expression on his face. "But that Elder Hyuga really... too good at making things up. He said that the few people he sent out were only to protect the two girls during the Uchiha invasion, not to capture them."

"Then Lord Izuna."

The hearts of all three children jumped into their throats.

Raisuke continued, "He immediately declared that he would take on the entire Hyuga Clan single-handedly, using only Taijutsu."

"Lord Hashirama sent me out to quickly inform Lord Madara and Lord Tobirama to come here. Right now inside..." He listened intently to the increasingly intense noises coming from the Training Grounds, "... it seems a fight has already broken out."

A one-on-one fight against... the entire Hyuga Clan?!

Yūki, Ichiyo, and Harukawa felt a chill run down their spines.

Izuna is strong, but he's from the Hyuga! It's their home turf, they outnumber them, and they're the Hyuga known for their Taijutsu and pressure point techniques! This... this is just too reckless!

"It actually... turned out like this..." Ichiyo murmured, feeling that things had completely deviated from their original plan.

"Takuma Hinata and Takuma? And Rei and the others?" Harukawa asked, his face pale.

"Don't worry, they're with Lord Hashirama," Raisuke his head, "But with Lord Izuna's outburst, they can't get out now."

Yūki squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to snap out of his shock.

He raised his head and said solemnly, "Big Brother Raisuke, please take us inside. We also bear responsibility for this matter, and we will not shirk our responsibility."

Ichiyo nodded, "We came here secretly, but the situation has changed now, we have to go in."

Although Harukawa was afraid, he nodded vigorously.

Seeing the determination in the eyes of the three teenagers, Raisuke didn't hesitate and nodded, saying, "Okay, stay close to me, and don't wander off once we're inside."

After saying that, he led the three children and rushed quickly towards the Hyuga Clan Compound.