Kazeki had no idea what Moriyue had said to Hinata. The two of them had only seen Moriyue lean close and whisper something in her ear. Afterward, the girl's expression changed several times, until her eyes eventually became somewhat vacant, as though she had been played with until she broke.
But judging from the results, she really did stop trying any more tricks and seemed much more obedient.
Ando was thoroughly frightened. He cautiously edged closer to Moriyue and spoke in an extremely careful tone.
"Captain? Since when did you know genjutsu? You made that girl behave just by saying a few words. You didn't secretly do something to me too, did you? I have principles, you know. I don't like men..."
Moriyue chopped Ando over the head with his hand. What exactly was this kid thinking about all day? He remembered that Ando had not been like this at first. How had following him turned his brain rotten? How was he supposed to explain this to Darui when they got back?
"Focus on the road. You can still rely on me this time, but if there are enemies again next time, it'll be up to you two. Shira's team didn't pursue us afterward. Did that guy come to his senses?"
Moriyue took a piece of roasted bear meat from his pocket and began eating. They had not encountered any enemies all morning. Perhaps because they had taken down the so-called "King of the Forest" right at the starting point, very few teams were willing to take the same route as them.
"Still, not running into anyone is a bit troublesome. Hinata, is that really all there is to the basics of Gentle Fist? Isn't it too simple?"
Hinata nodded obediently when called. To keep Moriyue from doing anything excessive, she had taught him some of the ninjutsu she knew, as he had instructed.
"That's all. Gentle Fist can only truly be effective when used with the Byakugan. Gentle Fist alone cannot display much power. Even if you learn it, it won't be of much use."
Hinata was ultimately still too inexperienced. How could this little girl possibly outplay a scoundrel like Moriyue... How could she outplay an old hand like Moriyue? At this moment, she seemed not to realize that if Moriyue intended to take her eyes, then wouldn't it become useful?
"Mm, it still counts as a technique for using strength. Things like the Shadow Clone Jutsu are everywhere, and the remaining ninjutsu are all unremarkable. Hinata, I have to say, you're very clever."
Moriyue kept feeling out the techniques behind Gentle Fist's inch force. The Byakugan combined with Gentle Fist's chakra point strikes would be lethal against ordinary ninja. Unfortunately, it was no different from ordinary attacks for him. Still, the way it used strength was somewhat interesting.
"I don't understand what you mean. I've done everything you asked me to..."
Hinata looked utterly confused, as though she truly did not understand why Moriyue thought that way.
Moriyue smiled when he saw her playing dumb. He patted Hinata's cheek, then casually plucked a black bug from behind her.
"Mm, after giving them so much time, Shino and the others should be catching up soon."
Moriyue laid it all out. Hinata had indeed been captured by them, but she was not so fragile. At certain times, she could be frighteningly strong. Moriyue had initially been fooled by her too, thinking she had truly yielded. Only when he thought it over later did he realize something was wrong.
While Hinata was not paying attention, Moriyue had Kazeki carefully inspect her entire body. Sure enough, she found several tiny traces of Chakra behind Hinata. Those Chakra traces came from these insects. During this time, Shino and the others had been using the insects as a trail to continuously track them. They should be close by now.
"So you found out... Kill me or torture me as you please. I... will never betray Konoha or Naruto!"
Hinata, who had always seemed so weak, displayed incredible resolve at this moment, as though everything before had been an act.
Looking at Hinata's resolute expression, Moriyue chuckled and patted her cheek again, shaking his head. Hinata had no idea what he was thinking and could only stare at him with wide eyes.
"How could I bear to kill you? You helped bring us a scroll. I should be thanking you."
Upon hearing Moriyue's words, Hinata felt a sense of foreboding. She quickly understood the connection. This guy... wanted to use her to obtain the scroll on Shino!
"Kazeki, Ando, get ready. With us prepared and them unaware, the advantage is ours this time. You're not weak; you just lack combat experience. The next battle... will be up to you."
Moriyue ignored Hinata's shocked expression. The next battle should not be a problem if he left it to them. At the end of the day, he was a ninja, so he should hold back a little and study how to use the ninjutsu Hinata had taught him through reversal.
He dragged Hinata up into a nearby tree and had no intention of taking action again.
Ando nodded after hearing that. Just as Moriyue had said, their combat strength was not lacking; they simply did not have enough real combat experience.
Kazeki had long been itching for a fight. As the saying went, every healer had the heart of a warrior. In the previous two battles, Moriyue had crushed the competition by himself. Though they were grateful that Moriyue had pushed himself without restraint just to secure good results, they could not bear to watch him keep tormenting himself like this. They were also Cloud Shinobi, and they were Moriyue's teammates. How could they let their captain handle everything himself?
Besides, their chosen location had been carefully considered. They were currently at the border between Konoha and Sunagakure. The fertile black soil beneath their feet had gradually turned into somewhat dry yellow sand. It had not reached the point where not a blade of grass could grow, but very few plants could indeed survive here. Only a small patch of woods stubbornly remained, the sole patch of green in the area.
Kazeki had long ago set up a ring of traps around them. The lightning traps she had used before were unsuitable here, since they were loud and easily detected. This time, she had arranged a more concealed portable trigger trap, made from very simple materials: Explosive Tags and thread.
Considering that Shino could control insects, she had deliberately cast several waves of Wind Release around the area, hoping the wind and sand would blow away some of the insects. As for Kiba and Akamaru's keen sense of smell, a few stink bombs would do the trick.
Everything was ready; all they needed was the right moment. Kazeki had made thorough preparations. Once those two stepped into the trap, a storm of attacks would await them. Today, she would show those people that a healer was not someone to be trifled with when enraged.
Ando watched Kazeki, who was inexplicably fired up. It had been a long time since he had seen her so excited. Thinking about what he could do, he seemed to be skilled only at confronting enemies head-on. Otherwise, all he had left was "quality remarks." Scratching his head, he thought for a long time before deciding to wipe the blade in his hand, so that he would at least look busy.
"Just wait. Once your teammates get here, I'm sure you'll fetch a good price. You're an important cash machine princess, after all. Mm, I bet Neji's team needs you badly too."
Before you continue