"How could this be!" Iwa Rikito's eyes widened as he collapsed in disbelief.
Hyuga Ao withdrew her hand from Iwa Rikito's chest. She had smashed his entire heart to pieces as if pounding garlic. Without a heart, he naturally couldn't survive.
Although the battle seemed to have lasted a long time, it had actually only been four or five minutes. Hyuga Ao's Rotation had crashed down like a comet, clearing out part of the Iwagakure forces. After landing, she had dealt with some more using a series of Air Palms, finally gaining a brief one-on-one interval.
Hyuga Ao's hands were a little numb now. Earth Style: Earth Spear was an extremely tough technique, its hardness reaching the level of diamond. Unlike Earth Style: Hardening Technique, however, it didn't restrict movement.
Fortunately, Hyuga Ao was proficient in several methods of striking power. Her chakra quality was high enough, and her control was strong enough, that the chakra blades formed at her fingertips could barely move Iwa Rikito and break through Earth Style: Earth Spear.
"Earth Style: Fissure Palm!"
Before Hyuga Ao could catch her breath, the ground split open and stretched toward her. She leaped aside and watched the new enemy.
Iwagakure Jonin Itabashi Ryuji had arrived with his squad to provide support. He stared in shock at the Iwagakure shinobi groaning across the ground and at Iwa Rikito, who no longer had any breath in him. "You did all this by yourself?"
"Looks like it." Itabashi Ryuji examined the injuries on the Iwagakure shinobi. "To possess such strength at such a young age... Iwagakure, we must kill her here. Otherwise, she'll become a grave threat!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Iwagakure shinobi began forming hand seals. Hyuga Ao turned and ran.
You've got to be kidding. There's no way I'm going to trade techniques with more than a dozen Iwagakure shinobi by myself.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow!"
The ground shattered into sand and surged toward Hyuga Ao.
Through the 359-degree field of view provided by her branch-family Byakugan, she watched the golden sand rushing up behind her and sensed the chakra fluctuations of the other Iwagakure shinobi.
Hyuga Ao knew that if she were held back, she would have to take more than a dozen techniques head-on.
"There's no other way." Hyuga Ao sighed helplessly, channeling chakra into her legs. In an instant, she escaped the range of the golden sand, then left the Iwagakure shinobi's attack range with several consecutive Body Flickers.
Hyuga Ao knew the Body Flicker Technique, but she hadn't practiced it much because it placed enormous pressure on the legs. Excessive use could even leave hidden injuries. Hyuga Ao was still growing, so there was no need for her to use it. Besides, as a Taijutsu user, she was already fast enough, so she hadn't spent much effort improving the technique.
Looks like improving the Body Flicker Technique will have to be put on the agenda after today, Hyuga Ao thought.
"Earth Style: Rock Iron Cannon!"
Boulders the size of millstones flew continuously toward Hyuga Ao. Looking at the tunnel behind the Iwagakure shinobi, Hyuga Ao lamented inwardly, They traveled underground with Earth Release all the way here? They're really willing to spend chakra!
Hyuga Ao danced through the rain of rocks, weaving left and right, retreating and advancing. When she truly couldn't dodge, she used Eight Trigrams Guardian Rotation to cut the rocks apart. For a time, the Iwagakure shinobi could do nothing to her.
"Hmph." Itabashi Ryuji couldn't stand watching any longer. He stopped firing Rock Iron Cannon and formed hand seals.
"Earth Style: Earth Mountain Technique!"
Two small, hemispherical earthen mountains rose up and closed in on Hyuga Ao.
"Damn it!" Hyuga Ao cursed inwardly. Why do the Iwagakure shinobi have so many restraining techniques?
I absolutely can't let this thing crush me!
Hyuga Ao turned and struck Itabashi Ryuji with several Air Palms, but the attacks were immediately blocked by techniques from the other Iwagakure shinobi.
Hyuga Ao wanted to continue forward with the Body Flicker, but the moment she moved her foot, the ground beneath her began to sink. She stumbled and quickly leaped toward a stretch of normal ground ahead.
But then a despairing sight appeared before her. Several earthen walls rose up ahead, firmly blocking her path.
"There's no time." Hyuga Ao immediately began spinning in place with Rotation. Before the mountain of earth pressed down, she had to make Rotation spin as fast as possible to withstand the coming pressure.
"Screech!" Rotation and the earthen mountain scraped against each other, producing a grating sound. Seeing that Hyuga Ao was still resisting stubbornly, the Iwagakure shinobi began their most skilled tactic—combining their techniques.
Hyuga Ao could barely withstand Itabashi Ryuji's technique alone, but she couldn't handle four or five Iwagakure shinobi working together. Rotation grew slower and slower, while the earthen mountains pressed tighter and tighter.
"Shikotsumyaku..." Hyuga Ao drew on the power within her body. The instant Rotation stopped, she was about to unleash Early Wisteria Dance.
But fortunately, reinforcements finally arrived.
"Wind Style: Infinite Breakthrough!"
A fierce gale swept in, carrying countless tiny wind blades. Sand and stones flew everywhere, instantly blasting away the Iwagakure shinobi who had been focused on their techniques.
Hyuga Ao's entire body went limp, and she collapsed inside the earthen mountains, stirring up a cloud of dust.
"Cough, cough." Hyuga Ao leaned against the semicircle carved out by Rotation, breathing with difficulty.
"This is awful!" Hyuga Ao's fair little face was covered in dust. Sitting in the cramped, stifling circular space, she could only receive a sliver of light through the gap where the earthen mountains had yet to close. Tiny stones filled her loose robes, pressing painfully against her.
She opened her Byakugan again to inspect the battle and discovered that Hori Noriyuki and the others had arrived.
"Captain, you're amazing! I'll buy you a meal when we get back!" Hyuga Ao praised him.
While the battle continued outside, Hyuga Ao wanted to tidy herself up quickly.
She hadn't noticed it normally, but now Hyuga Ao realized she might have a slight cleanliness obsession. Her whole body felt uncomfortable, and she wanted to take a bath immediately. "When we get back, I'm definitely going to learn some emergency Release techniques," Hyuga Ao decided.
After taking such a beating, Hyuga Ao had gained a clearer understanding of her weaknesses.
"Phew." Hyuga Ao struggled to stand. She had truly been beaten badly this time. Her legs ached and swelled from using the Body Flicker repeatedly in such a short period, while her entire body was weak from the prolonged chakra expenditure. Her head was spinning as well.
If someone came and carried me away now, and they had bad intentions, I might not be able to resist for ten years or more.
Hyuga Ao undid her forehead protector and removed the bandage covering her Caged Bird seal. She loosely tied up her shoulder-length hair with the forehead protector to cool her head.
She untied her sash and slipped off the Hyuga family's standard robe, standing unclothed inside the earthen mountain. Her body had developed far beyond her age, but unfortunately, no one could appreciate its beauty in the dim earthen chamber.
Hyuga Ao tore off the long sleeves and lower hem of the robe. She used the torn sleeves to wipe herself down, kicked away her cloth shoes, and removed her tabi socks, placing her fair, delicate bare feet on the thick layer of dust.
Hyuga Ao frowned slightly and placed the other torn sleeve beneath her feet.
She straightened the lower hem, then tore it into strips and wrapped them around her chest as a makeshift undergarment.
After adjusting her underwear and shaking out the stones, she put the heavily altered robe back on.
She then sat on the sleeve spread over the ground, hugged her smooth, slender legs, and rested for a while as she waited for the people outside to rescue her.
After a long time.
Hyuga Ao woke in a daze and heard Namikaze Minato's voice.
"Ao'er, are you all right?"
Brilliant sunlight shone down on Hyuga Ao. She slowly closed her eyes. After spending so long in darkness, they weren't used to the sunlight. Hyuga Ao raised a hand to shield her eyes, feeling as if she had been reborn.
Namikaze Minato also got a clear look at Hyuga Ao's current appearance.
Under the sunlight, Hyuga Ao's hair shimmered with golden light, while the strands over her forehead drifted in the breeze. She shielded her eyes with one hand, her expression languid, like a kitten that had just woken up and was about to stretch.
At this moment, Hyuga Ao no longer looked as tightly covered as usual. The long sleeves of her robe were gone, revealing her smooth, rounded shoulders and fair underarms.
The altered robe had very wide openings at the sides. If Hyuga Ao hadn't wrapped herself with strips of cloth, the view inside would have been completely unobstructed. Even with the strips wrapped around her, hints of skin could still be seen, while the tight wrapping outlined her figure clearly.
"Gulp." Namikaze Minato swallowed.
He hurriedly shifted his gaze, only to be drawn immediately to Hyuga Ao's long, straight legs. Some black dust clung to her fair thighs, making the rest of them appear even whiter by comparison.
If this scene had been aired in a Naruto anime, countless viewers would certainly have flooded the screen with comments like "I'm dead" and "Those legs are worth living for."
Just as Hyuga Ao adapted to the sunlight, she noticed that Namikaze Minato was staring at her. Following his gaze, she discovered that he was fixedly looking at her legs.
She stood barefoot, raised one foot, and moved it from side to side. When she saw Namikaze Minato's eyes following her foot, she shook her head.
Hyuga Ao followed his gaze and looked as well. Her foot was fair, her toes distinct and rounded, and the curve of her arch perfect. Blue veins faintly dotted the tender white surface, making her feet appear even more flawless.
Wait! What am I thinking?
Hyuga Ao narrowed her eyes, a murderous aura flashing in them. She flipped her hand and drew a kunai, driving it into the ground in front of Namikaze Minato.
Namikaze Minato suddenly came to his senses. His face flushed red, and he stammered incoherently, "I—I—I mean, uh, this..."
Hyuga Ao watched Namikaze Minato fumble in panic and noticed the stone fragments clinging to him. Thinking that only this silly boy had come to dig her out, she decided to let it go.
Hyuga Ao waved her hand and impatiently interrupted Namikaze Minato, who didn't even know what to say himself. "All right, all right. Take off your outer robe and give it to me."
"Ah, oh." Namikaze Minato dazedly removed his outer robe and handed it to Hyuga Ao.
Hyuga Ao took it, draped it over herself, and picked up the cloth shoes she had kicked away. "Tell me the current situation."
At the mention of the battle, Namikaze Minato finally returned to his senses. He explained, "Here's what happened. That day, the two thousand-man force led by the Hokage encountered the combined forces of the Sand Ninja and Rain Ninja, while Jiraiya-sensei ran into the Iwagakure forces."
"Since all the reinforcements were tied down, the Iwagakure forces that attacked head-on were wiped out by Jiraiya-sensei in a single assault. On the other side, Hanzō was held back by the Hokage. Who would have thought that Danzo-sama had already been hiding nearby? Danzo-sama led his troops and defeated the Rain Ninja and Sand Ninja."
"Afterward, both sides regrouped. The Sand, Iwa, and Rain alliance retreated while fighting and was driven into the Land of Rain. The Hokage fought the Third Tsuchikage, who was in the Land of Rain, and the two sides reached an agreement to withdraw from the battlefield."
"Finally, Captain Hori Noriyuki told me that you were trapped here. Since Captain Hori Noriyuki had something to attend to, he asked me to dig you out. Jiraiya-sensei told me that after rescuing you, we should return to the village to recover before heading out with the next force."
Hearing Namikaze Minato's account, Hyuga Ao relaxed. At last, she could rest for a while.
"Ahhhhh!" Hyuga Ao stretched her stiff body vigorously and said to Namikaze Minato, "Let's go. We're returning to the village!"
Before you continue