Explosive Shadow Clones

"Bang!"

Like a watermelon hitting the ground, red and white matter splattered!

Hearing the panicked escape and startled cries of the Red Eye brat just now, and seeing the arrow that shot into the dense fog, forcing a Kirigakure Chunin into his attack range, Hyuga Hideki immediately realized, Someone was helping him!

Who was this person? Why were they helping him? In this ninja world, someone actually specialized in using a weapon as outdated as the bow and arrow, and was even proficient with it. How did they do it?

One by one, doubts arose in his heart, but before Hyuga Hideki could ponder the answers, "Swish!"

The sound of the bowstring sang out again!

The other party seemed to possess eyes like his own, able to see everything within the dense fog from an extreme distance.

Moreover, they were using a method and style he was extremely familiar with, cooperating with him, guiding him, just like the methods the clan trained them to counter the Red Eye with—

At this moment, an inexplicable understanding formed between them.

Hyuga Hideki moved towards the direction of the bowstring's sound.

Three seconds later, he saw another Kirigakure ninja dodging arrows in the fog.

Seeing this, Hyuga Hideki's heart trembled, and he joyfully picked up his pace, charging forward like a hyena released from its cage, unleashing another simple yet powerful Gentle Fist technique, the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!

"You... How did you know!?"

A startled cry came from within the dense fog.

Half a second later, "Ah!!!"

Following a scream, everything returned to calm once more.

At this moment, The sole remaining Kirigakure Chunin, maintaining the Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique, hid himself in the mist as if to comfort himself. Hearing the sounds of his teammates falling one after another, he didn't dare to move.

But it was useless.

"Swish!"

With another sharp arrow sound, Hyuga Hideki struck down the last Kirigakure Chunin with his palm.

The dense fog dissipated, and only the Red Eye Genin with the Red Eye Kekkei Genkai, Kurenai, remained on the field.

Gazing at the almost one-sided scene, and at the figure of Hyuga Hideki becoming increasingly clear as the fog dispersed, his white Kimono now stained with scarlet bloodstains, Kurenai's heart pounded, his hands and feet fumbled, his mind a chaotic mess. He couldn't understand how, in less than half a minute, The situation had taken such a drastic turn, like a dam breaking. His own Kirigakure side, which held such a significant advantage, even their attempts to resist seemed utterly comical.

At this moment, pat, pat!

Beyond the dense fog, steady footsteps could be heard.

Kurenai immediately turned his head and saw a figure he would never forget in his life.

"It's you!"

"No, this... How is this possible!?"

Responding to Kurenai's gasp, Hyuga Yu, the culprit who had turned the tide of battle, causing three Kirigakure ninja to die by Hyuga Hideki's hands in an instant, slowly appeared.

He carried a large bow and a quiver on his back, emerging calmly from behind a tree.

Hyuga Hideki had initially thought it might be a Jonin from the Hyuga Clan who casually enjoyed archery, but upon seeing Hyuga Yu, he couldn't help but be greatly surprised.

"Huh, aren't you that..."

Hyuga Yu shook his head at him and immediately asked Hyuga Hideki in a deep voice:

"Let's not talk about that for now. Where is Hyuga Genko?"

Hyuga Hideki was very surprised at this moment and didn't bother correcting Hyuga Yu for addressing a member of the Main Family so casually. He immediately replied:

"To the east, about 12 kilometers away. He should have already rendezvoused with the vanguard of the escort team. Wait... Hyuga Yu, why are you here? I remember your transfer order wasn't until the day after tomorrow, right?"

"Let's deal with this guy first. We can talk about the rest on the way."

Hyuga Yu shook his head at Hyuga Hideki and then coldly looked at the Red Eye boy who was standing exposed under the Byakugan of the three Hyuga Clan members.

At this moment, Kurenai stared at Hyuga Yu with disbelief. But then, this shock that even such trash could kill him, transformed into a fear born from the depths of his heart.

"Wait... wait..."

"You can't kill me, I'm still useful. I have a lot of information in my head."

"I... I'm a member of the Reconnaissance Unit. Ao-bro thinks highly of me, and even said he'd train me to be Kirigakure's future Reconnaissance Unit leader. Huff... huff..."

As he spoke, he panted rapidly, his face twitching uncontrollably. In this situation, his twelve or thirteen-year-old tender face was left with only the instinct to survive.

Hyuga Yu looked at this Kirigakure ninja, who was about his own age.

He watched the other party expose such a pathetic state, Treating them with arrogance after showing deference.

But, his heart remained unmoved.

This was the ninja world.

The ninja village, established to protect children, instead made children take up swords and go to battle, drawing their blades against each other for various absurd reasons.

Hyuga Yu was powerless to change these things; even his own path remained a Kyōka Suigetsu, unclear and unseen.

He could only force himself to constantly adapt, integrate, And finally, become the most suitable form to survive in this world.

"That's right,"

At this moment, Hyuga Hideki nodded, his gaze indifferent as he looked at Kurenai. He waved his hand and took a Kunai from the Ninja Tool pouch at his waist.

"It's time to end this farce quickly. Young Master Genko needs our assistance."

"Wait... wait!"

Kurenai, startled, stumbled back two steps. He ripped off the black cloth in front of his eyes, widening them. Instinctively, he activated his Red Eye with all his might.

However, the effect of the Red Eye was only to create chakra projections within the Byakugan's vision when it was activated, serving to interfere. It was akin to implanting a virus in one's sight to blur the information an enemy could obtain, a purely countermeasure card.

But at this moment, without any of the Hyuga Clan members present using their Byakugan, this ability only allowed Kurenai to more clearly see the chakra surging with killing intent on Hyuga Hideki's body.

However, Just then, Hyuga Hideki, his eyes filled with killing intent and steadily approaching Kurenai, suddenly trembled. Immediately after, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

Hyuga Yu looked at Hyuga Hideki's back and vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

He immediately acted before the other party, conjuring three chakra needles between his fingers and throwing them fiercely at the nearby Kurenai!

"Tch!"

"Tch!"

"Tch!"

The chakra needles pierced Kurenai's body with a sound.

"What did you do!"

Kurenai's face contorted in terror. He only felt something sharp flash before his eyes, piercing his ear, his brow, and his hand.

Immediately after, the circulation of chakra within his body suddenly stagnated!

And at this moment, Hyuga Yu's eyes widened, the blood vessels around them bulging. He activated his Byakugan and scanned Hyuga Hideki.

At this moment, Hyuga Hideki's condition was very wrong.

In the Byakugan's vision, the chakra flowing through his meridians suddenly expanded, increasing by nearly a quarter. Then, this chakra, along with the chakra within his Shadow Clone, began to rapidly decrease. It was as if someone had opened a pump on him, constantly draining his chakra and dissipating it into the heavens and earth.

This situation reminded Hyuga Yu of a story Hyuga Natsu had confided in him after a mission last year.

She had said:

"Nee nee, Lion-kun, do you know what happens to a Shadow Clone when the main body dies?"

"It's terrifying. All the chakra in the Shadow Clone drains away within seconds. Then, along with the pain the main body suffered before death, it's all transferred to the Shadow Clone, emitting an extremely tragic wail."

"Finally, with a 'bang'!"

"That person, from then on, is forever dead in this world..."

Hyuga Yu's pure white pupils suddenly contracted.