Yei looked at Kakashi and said, "Don't worry, Biwa Juzo won't get away. Get some rest and leave the rest to me. As a member of Konoha's noble Hyuga Clan, I can't let Shisui outshine me!"
As he spoke, Yei took a deep breath and activated his Byakugan. He looked toward Hoshigaki Kisame, who had taken Biwa Juzo away, narrowing his eyes slightly as he muttered inwardly, Hoshigaki Kisame...
In the original story, Hoshigaki Kisame had been a member of Akatsuki. Judging by his performance, his combat strength was absolutely at Kage level. With Samehada in hand, he would even hold the advantage against other ninja. He had simply been unlucky enough to run into the freak that was Might Guy, who only knew Taijutsu...
However, from Yei's perspective now, he could not detect any particularly powerful Chakra fluctuations from Hoshigaki Kisame within his Byakugan's field of vision...
Before obtaining Samehada, was Kisame merely an ordinary Jonin...? Yei guessed inwardly. Of course, he still did not dare let down his guard.
The Byakugan could be disrupted. That had been made clear in the Death Forest. As long as one responded properly, it was possible to interfere with the Byakugan's detection to a certain extent...
On the other side, Hoshigaki Kisame also sensed Yei's gaze and flashed him a ferocious grin full of sharp teeth.
Yei looked at Hoshigaki Kisame and said coldly, "Mist ninja, hand that guy over!"
Hoshigaki Kisame carefully sized Yei up as well. Seeing the Byakugan behind his mask, he was slightly taken aback. "A member of Konoha's Hyuga Clan? There's that Uchiha over there, Konoha's genius Kakashi Hatake, and now you, a Hyuga. The Konoha Anbu sent this time truly have quite the background."
Yei rolled his neck, his gaze filled with killing intent as he looked at Hoshigaki Kisame. "Enough nonsense. Hand over Biwa Juzo!"
"If you want to take Biwa Juzo away, then... defeat him!" Hoshigaki Kisame merely smiled.
Earlier, he had already injected his Chakra into Biwa Juzo's body to help him break free of the genjutsu.
Although Biwa Juzo was now a rogue ninja of the Mist and technically their enemy—
Even if he killed Biwa Juzo here, he would not allow Konoha's people to take him away!
As one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Biwa Juzo knew far too many of Mist's secrets!
Hoshigaki Kisame had a fairly accurate judgment of his own strength. At present, he was at most an ordinary Jonin. He did not believe he could defeat Yei, who had easily killed a Mist Jonin...
He needed help, so he intended to dispel Biwa Juzo's genjutsu and have Biwa Juzo deal with Konoha's Anbu!
He considered himself somewhat familiar with Biwa Juzo's personality!
Arrogant, prideful, unwilling to suffer losses—he had nearly fallen at the hands of these Anbu, so he definitely would not let the matter rest!
Besides, even if Biwa Juzo chose to leave after breaking free of the genjutsu, it would still prevent him from falling into Konoha's hands!
However, the genjutsu Biwa Juzo had been placed under was extremely powerful. It took Hoshigaki Kisame some time before he could completely dispel it...
Just as his words fell, a powerful wave of Chakra suddenly erupted from Biwa Juzo's body. He opened his eyes and swung the Executioner's Blade directly at Hoshigaki Kisame.
However, as if he had anticipated the move long ago, Hoshigaki Kisame flashed away and avoided Biwa Juzo's attack.
"You really helped me out, Hoshigaki Kisame!" Although Biwa Juzo had been caught in genjutsu, he still had some awareness of what was happening outside. He had not completely lost his perception of the outside world.
He knew Hoshigaki Kisame had helped him escape Shisui's genjutsu, but he was not grateful. After all, Hoshigaki Kisame had come to hunt him down; they were enemies!
Moreover, he was fully aware of Hoshigaki Kisame's intentions!
"Hehe, Senior Biwa Juzo, isn't it a little inappropriate to attack your savior?" Hoshigaki Kisame leaped backward and landed atop the crown of a large tree, looking down at Biwa Juzo as he spoke.
"Hmph! Don't think I don't know what you're planning!" Biwa Juzo curled his lip, but his gaze shifted toward Shisui. He snorted coldly. "Still, it worked out. If not for you, I might not have been able to break free from that damned genjutsu!"
Shisui Uchiha's genjutsu was indeed terrifying. If Hoshigaki Kisame had not helped, it would have taken him a long time to break it. By then, he would probably have been long dead...
Biwa Juzo swept his gaze over Yei and the others. Though he was not skilled in sensory techniques, he could still tell that the Konoha Anbu were not in great condition. Suikazan Fuguki was currently holding back the Shisui Uchiha he feared, and he had nothing to fear from the others!
Looking at Yei, Biwa Juzo gave a cold smile. "Damn Konoha ninja, since you dared toy with me, prepare to be killed here!"
"Tch..." Seeing that Hoshigaki Kisame had broken Biwa Juzo free from the genjutsu, Yei could not help clicking his tongue. He inwardly cursed the trouble.
They had finally defeated Biwa Juzo and controlled him with genjutsu, only for Hoshigaki Kisame to dispel it. Now they had to fight him all over again...
Biwa Juzo was no weak opponent!
Yei furrowed his brow slightly and made a decision.
At this moment, Biwa Juzo had only one thought: kill every Konoha Anbu before him!
His hands rapidly formed seals as he shouted:
Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!
Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!
Crash, rumble!
A violent torrent swept toward them, accompanied by an enormous water dragon soaring forward in a devastating charge!
Yei narrowed his eyes as lightning power spread across his body, enhancing his physical abilities while stimulating his cells to regenerate faster and forcibly extracting Chakra!
Facing an elite Jonin like Biwa Juzo, Yei did not dare be careless. With insufficient Chakra, he definitely could not take him on!
Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm! Yei raised his hand and thrust out a palm. The Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, enhanced by Hado 1: Thrust, became even more powerful.
Chakra transformed into an impact that pierced through the water dragon, sending water splashing everywhere. Yet in the next instant, the water gathered into a dragon once more and continued charging forward without losing momentum.
But using that opening, Yei leaped into the air. Stepping on the air with Moon Step, he shot toward the sky, evading the Water Dragon Bullet. Then, with his head pointed downward, he kicked the air again and plunged down like an arrow.
Shuriken appeared in his hands, and he flung kunai toward Biwa Juzo. Amid a series of metallic clinks, the blades flew in ever-changing trajectories like a swarm of hornets, striking at Biwa Juzo from all directions.
Water Release: Water Formation Wall! Biwa Juzo formed hand seals, finally clasping his hands together. Water surged beneath his feet and became a shield, blocking the blades coming from every direction.
Biwa Juzo passed through the curtain of water, his Executioner's Blade slashing fiercely toward the descending Yei.
Yei drew a kunai and coated it in Lightning Release Chakra. Electric current extended into a Chakra short blade, colliding with Biwa Juzo's weapon!
With a clang, water exploded beneath their feet. They held each other in a brief stalemate before both retreating and charging forward again!
A rapid series of clang, clang, clang suddenly rang out.
With the Byakugan's insight, Biwa Juzo's attacks could not escape Yei's eyes. Observation Haki predicted his next move, and Yei gave a faint cold smile as he hurled his electrified kunai, piercing through Biwa Juzo's body.
However, water splashed apart as Biwa Juzo's body abruptly transformed into a stream of water.
"Water Replacement?" Yei used Observation Haki to catch Biwa Juzo's presence. In the next instant, he sensed an attack coming from beneath his feet.
After the successive Water Release techniques had swept through the area, the place had already become a watery world.
Yei had been standing on the water as he fought Biwa Juzo.
Sensing the attack from below, Yei neither dodged nor avoided it. The Executioner's Blade struck his body, but with a bang, white smoke rose as he transformed into a dried log, split cleanly in two.
Yei burst out from another location, Lightning Release Chakra boiling around his body as he rapidly formed seals. "Chidori Current!"
A sharp chirping sound rang out as surging lightning power spread from Yei's body and seeped into the water.
Water conducted electricity. Making use of the surroundings, Yei locked onto Biwa Juzo with his senses, and the current spread toward him at incredible speed!
"Hm?" Biwa Juzo's expression changed slightly. He quickly leaped away and landed atop a tree crown, looking down at Yei with uncertainty.
This Hyuga Clan Konoha Anbu was not only proficient in Lightning Release, but also highly skilled in close-quarters weapon combat. His senses were even sharper, allowing him to predict Biwa Juzo's attack paths at the first opportunity and respond accordingly...
His fighting style was completely different from any Hyuga Clan member Biwa Juzo had ever known!!
Could someone please tell him just what the hell was going on with this Hyuga Clan member??
Before you continue