Hunting Time, Begin!

Red Eye.

A Kekkei Genkai found in the Kirigakure region, it once appeared on Ranmaru during the Shippuden arc.

Similar to the Byakugan, this is a dōjutsu-type Kekkei Genkai that can see through objects, sense power, and detect danger. Its ability to observe Chakra is even stronger than the Byakugan's.

This eye possesses an extremely special ability: at the user's will, it can project images created by Chakra into the enemy's field of vision, causing a situation akin to a computer virus, blinding the victim and making them see illusions that are both false and real.

When the Byakugan faces this eye, under the control of this ability, the Byakugan's Insight and Far-Sight effects are greatly suppressed.

It can be called the natural counter to the Byakugan!

At this moment, Hyuga Yu's heart immediately raised a thousand percent alert. At the same time, he understood why the Main Family, with their large entourage of bodyguards, had met their downfall.

Being far from the mainland, Kirigakure has always been a ninja village that preserved the most Kekkei Genkai in the most intact condition.

Including, but not limited to, Stone Style, Lava Style, Boil Style, Shikotsumyaku, Ice Style, Dark Style, and so on and so forth. Coupled with the Hozuki clan's secret techniques and the uniquely specialized Seven Ninja Swords, these diverse abilities form a behemoth whose war potential is no less than Kumogakure's.

Before Kirigakure's policy of "Bloody Mist" was implemented, although high-pressure policies were also enforced within the village, the persecution of ninja with Kekkei Genkai had not yet begun.

Therefore, it was not strange at all that they could produce a counter-card to the Byakugan, the [Red Eye].

Moreover, the Red Eye is different from the Sharingan; the dōjutsu it releases is not a Genjutsu that can be dispelled. This is a Kekkei Genkai that specifically targets sight.

Just like now--

After the ninja with the Red Eye in the Kirigakure squad looked up, Hyuga Yu, who was extremely sensitive to "sight," immediately felt an extremely "out-of-place" sense of distortion.

In his field of vision, the Kirigakure ninja squad he "abruptly" encountered seemed unwilling to cause trouble after sensing him. They immediately turned and moved in another direction, increasing the distance from Hyuga Yu and taking a detour.

Clearing the road leading to Grass Wave Coast.

Under normal circumstances, this is completely understandable.

After all, most of the time during wartime, ninja are not waiting in their own camps to advance with the main force for a decisive battle. They are more likely to split into small teams to infiltrate deep behind enemy lines for extended operations, active on the battlefield by destroying key routes, assassinating important figures, and intercepting transportation.

In such situations, what ninja need to spend most of their time doing on the battlefield is [finding the enemy] and [obstructing the enemy], not [killing the enemy].

Encountering unexpected complications during a mission is quite foolish for a ninja. Therefore, even if they encountered a weak Genin like Hyuga Yu, choosing to bypass him and continue their mission to avoid the repercussions of "hitting the small one and attracting a bunch of older ones" is also a very common situation.

But, Hyuga Yu did not feel relieved. Instead, in this situation where the enemy disappeared and he narrowly escaped, he felt a hint of "wrongness."

It was as if everything before his eyes was covered by a layer of color-distorted "thin mist."

Knowing that the enemy possessed a wielder of the Red Eye Kekkei Genkai, he could not distinguish whether the scene he saw was real or false, nor could he refresh his vision by dispelling Genjutsu.

All he could do was continue with his plan.

Thus, after hesitating for a moment, Hyuga Yu finally made a move.

He first put on a show of relief, then chose another direction at a 90-degree angle to the direction the enemy ninja had left, stepped onto the trees, and continued on his way.

Passing through one giant tree after another, getting closer and closer to the location where the enemy had just appeared.

1200 meters...

1000 meters...

700 meters...

200 meters...

Until, Hyuga Yu's figure, leaping between the treetops, entered the line of sight of Ao of the Mist's squad, who had been standing still the entire time without moving a single step.

The sunlight cast by the summer sun pierced through the trees.

Amidst the dappled sunlight, the two sides passed each other.

Kurenai, who had removed the black cloth covering his eyes, indifferently observed Hyuga Yu leaping past not far away.

A flash of enchanting light flickered in his crimson eyes.

A moment later, Hyuga Yu's retreating figure disappeared from the sight of the Kirigakure squad.

Ao of the Mist asked in a deep voice, "How was it?"

"It must have been an accident; this person was just passing by," Kurenai nodded to him.

Beside him, the Jonin who had sensed Hyuga Yu asked curiously:

"Wait, how did you figure that out, kid?"

"I can see his Chakra, and at the same time, I can sense a person's threat level through their Chakra," Kurenai shook his head, a smile appearing on his face, whether self-deprecating or sarcastic.

"Without a doubt, I am the weakest ninja on this mission."

"However, that guy from the Hyuga Clan felt to me like an ant I could crush with a single step."

"Too weak..."

"Too weak..."

Kurenai sneered as he judged, "Both his Chakra fluctuations and the timid, fearful emotions reflected in his Chakra are irrefutable proof!"

"Don't be careless!"

Although Ao also felt the same and hadn't sensed the slightest threat from Hyuga Yu, he still reprimanded him with a stern face, shook his head, and waved his hand to give the order:

"Continue waiting here for the vanguard to release the signal flare."

Meanwhile, Hyuga Yu, unable to discern if he was still within the sensory range of that group of Kirigakure ninja, finally had his distorted vision return to normal after traveling rapidly for 1 kilometer.

At the same time, he confirmed that the Kirigakure ninja and the Red Eye users had indeed altered his perception using their Dojutsu. The scene he had just witnessed of the Kirigakure squad taking a detour and retreating was entirely false.

But he didn't stop.

Hyuga Yu only stopped after continuing for about 5 kilometers, then took a deep breath.

He had successfully passed the most dangerous section of the road, arriving within the enemy's encirclement as planned.

So, what's next—

The hunter and the prey would switch roles!

With this thought, Hyuga Yu's eyes widened, the veins around them bulging. He rapidly refined his Chakra and poured large amounts of it into the meridians of his eyes.

"Byakugan, activate!"

Hyuga Yu's vision gradually became narrow and elongated. It shifted from being able to see everything in minute detail within a 1-kilometer range to resembling a flashlight in the dark, casting a cylindrical beam of light straight ahead.

Hyuga Yu's sight continuously expanded, expanded!

Until he could see a range of approximately 72 degrees in front of him, 200 meters wide, and 7 kilometers long!

Hyuga Yu manipulated his vision, sweeping it around abruptly!

Within this range, all the Kirigakure ninja hiding in the shadows, quietly waiting for the Main Family members to arrive, were locked onto by his gaze!

The locations of each Kirigakure squad formed a horn-like diagram in his mind!

Then, Hyuga Yu suddenly looked up towards the tail of the horn.

There, Two special signal flares were successively thrown into the sky, colliding together!

"Bang!"

Red smoke billowed up into the forest canopy!

At the same time, The Kirigakure ninja in each squad simultaneously began to charge towards the center of the encirclement!

Hyuga Yu exhaled deeply.

"Thump!"

He lowered the giant wooden box on his back, then slowly drew out a massive bow, 2.2 meters long.