Manjusaka

leaving only Hyuga Tetsu, who had taken on Hyuga Genko's appearance, stunned in the open space, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

Until no one was around, Beside him, Hyuga Natsu walked over with a smile, looking strangely at Hyuga Tetsu, "What's wrong, Genko~ Young Master?"

"Blegh!"

Hyuga Tetsu, wearing Hyuga Genko's face, heard Hyuga Natsu's soft chuckle, but he felt no joy, nor the thrill of being treated specially by the girl he admired after changing identities.

He just wanted to throw up.

He couldn't imagine that the young master of the Main Family, who had always been approachable, kind, and generous, would reveal such a truly cowardly and nauseating face after taking off his mask.

"Blegh! Blegh! Blegh!"

Hyuga Tetsu clawed at his throat, wanting to vomit something out, thinking that if he could just vomit something, he might feel a lot better.

However, his stomach, filled only with Military Rations Pills, couldn't even produce a drop of sour bile.

At this moment, Hyuga Tetsu realized that what was truly making him sick, was himself.

It was himself, accepting Hyuga Genko's benefits, fearing the Caged Bird curse, fearing pain, fearing the loss of the status, dignity, and respectable job he had in the eyes of others up to this point.

"Hahahahaha."

However, looking at Hyuga Tetsu like this, Hyuga Natsu beside him let out a heartless laugh, "Hyuga Tetsu, you're pathetic, like a dog."

Hyuga Tetsu looked up in shock, gazing at the girl so different from his impression of her, and gritted his teeth, "Natsu, you..."

Hyuga Natsu smiled, "If it were Lion, he wouldn't be like you."

"He would resist, he would bide his time, he would hold a petty grudge, and then he would survive miserably, licking his wounds in the shadows, silently accumulating strength, and finally—"

Hyuga Tetsu suddenly looked up and asked, "And then what?"

Hyuga Natsu, however, smiled slightly, "I haven't seen it yet."

Hyuga Tetsu looked at Hyuga Natsu, biting his lip, and asked, "So, you knew from the beginning?"

"So, you chose Hyuga Yu."

"So even him joining Root was because of you—"

"There aren't that many 'becauses' and 'therefores'."

Hyuga Natsu shook her head and said calmly, "Like you, I'm someone who lacks the courage to change everything yet is unwilling to accept reality, but even people like us can hold onto hope."

"Since you've recognized your own mediocrity and cowardice, yet are unwilling to accept your current situation,"

"Then, you might as well think carefully about what you can do?"

Hyuga Tetsu froze on the spot, raising his hands and examining them closely.

"I... what can I do?"

Soon, with his mind in a mess, he looked up at Hyuga Natsu with a pleading gaze, and said with a tremble, "I, I don't know what I can do, I, I..."

Hyuga Natsu looked at Hyuga Tetsu with a satisfied gaze, as if she were looking at the most perfect dog, "Just stay like this."

"Yes, just like this, with that innocent, confused look in your eyes."

"Just be a hostage yearning to be saved, and when you are saved, pour out your heart's thoughts with excitement and without reservation."

With that, Hyuga Natsu curled her lips, put her hands behind her back, turned around, and chased in the direction Hyuga Genko had left.

Hyuga Tetsu subconsciously opened his mouth and asked loudly, "Wait, what are you going to do, Natsu!?"

Hyuga Natsu did not answer, but her gaze towards the direction Hyuga Genko had left became increasingly cold and sharp!

At this moment, In the distance, mid-air, two special smoke bombs were thrown into the sky one after another, colliding!

"Bang!"

Thick red smoke billowed into the sky above the forest!

#

The ambush set by Kirigakure was shaped like a large horn, and once the decoy team at the tail of the horn confirmed that the Hyuga Clan Main Family's convoy had entered the designated area, they immediately fired the signal flare.

The shape of the ambush quickly shifted into an unusually long oval.

At this point, there were still two ways to break free:

First, the entire Hyuga team would break through backward, withdrawing before the encirclement closed.

Second, three elite squads would converge immediately, charging in a straight line to tear open the encirclement before the personnel blocking the rear arrived.

Hyuga Genko chose the second option.

Upon spotting the first Kirigakure team, he decisively made Hyuga Tetsu his substitute and arranged for Hyuga Hideki to create shadow clones to disguise his presence in the middle squadron.

As for Hyuga Genko himself, his subconscious priority was self-preservation. He immediately regrouped with the strongest Jonin in the team, Hyuga Hideki, at the front, ready to execute the backup plan for a rapid breakthrough.

Although this choice gathered two Jonin and two Genin from the front and middle squadrons around him, it was unfortunate that his opponent was the Red Eye, the natural enemy of the Byakugan.

With the linchpin capable of commanding and uniting three squads having fled before the battle began, the entire situation instantly descended into chaos.

This then escalated into the rear finding the middle squadron, discovering Hyuga Genko was nowhere to be found, causing widespread panic, while the front squadron, urged on by Hyuga Genko, accelerated faster and faster, becoming detached from the main convoy.

Soon, the three squads were each running their own way within the encirclement.

It was like three billiard balls making random movements on an oval billiard table.

The outcome of Hyuga Genko's capture was now inevitable. Under these circumstances, the best-case scenario was to pray that with Hyuga Genko as a large target drawing fire, a few people from the convoy could escape in the end.

#

On the other side, glancing at the red signal flare exploding in the sky, Hyuga Natsu gripped her giant Japanese bow, her quiver on her back, her Jonin sword slung at her side, and let out a soft breath.

Based on the partial view of the encirclement observed with her Byakugan, Kirigakure had deployed at least ten Ninja squads, totaling 30 Ninja, to capture the Hyuga Main Family.

Of course, the Ninja squads at each point forming this formation were not particularly strong, mostly Chunin, but they ensured that Ninja could delay any Konoha Ninja attempting to break out from any direction.

Therefore, in addition to these ten squads, there was at least one more elite main force squad tasked with capturing the Main Family.

It was like playing a game of tag with unknown information, unable to determine how many ghosts there were, or how strong the ghosts were.

But the only certainty was that the squad led by Ao of the Mist was one of those ghosts.

And what role could Hyuga Natsu, positioned behind enemy lines, play?

Very simple.

She could cooperate with the teams breaking out to instantly tear open the encirclement!

She had to save Hyuga Natsu... and at most, Hyuga Tetsu as well...

The enemy was trying to capture the unlucky Main Family member, Hyuga Genko, so as long as she didn't save Hyuga Genko, she wouldn't directly face the most dangerous "big ghost."

And the most troublesome situation would be--

if Hyuga Genko and Hyuga Natsu were together!

Hyuga Natsu could only hope that Hyuga Natsu wasn't foolish. Knowing that she would be outside the village providing support, she should... make the right choice, shouldn't she?