The cloaked man's eyes held a trace of mockery. In a hoarse voice, he said, "This forest is saturated with chakra powder I made. Your Byakugan is completely useless here."
"..."
Neji's eyes narrowed slightly.
Red Eye could create large-scale illusions saturated with chakra.
The Byakugan could see through the body, but not through chakra. As a result, it couldn't see anything at all.
It was like a thermal imaging camera: it could easily detect body heat in the dark, but once the ambient temperature matched the body's heat, it became useless.
Neji hadn't expected the cloaked man to neutralize the Byakugan with nothing but chakra powder.
But you've only shut down the Byakugan. What does that have to do with my Tenseigan?
Neji asked tentatively, "It seems I have no reason to resist anymore."
"Pointless struggle will only make your death more painful."
The cloaked man drew the short sword at his waist. A green current of air swirled around its blade.
Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!
"Since I'm about to die, could you tell me who you are?"
Neji's expression was grave.
"Heh..."
The cloaked man sneered, his icy gaze fixed on Neji. "When you're dead, I'll tell your corpse."
With that, the cloaked man raised his sword and thrust at Neji.
Neji struck out with his palm.
God Vacuum Attack!
A pale blue orb of chakra shot from his palm and slammed into the cloaked man's short sword.
At the instant they made contact, disbelief flashed in the cloaked man's eyes. The sword in his hand bent into an arc under the impact of the God Vacuum Attack, and he was blasted away with it.
Neji took a deep breath, entered Lightning Release Chakra Mode, and charged after the cloaked man as he flew through the air.
Strike while he's down.
The cloaked man had come to kill Neji, so he must have been confident he could succeed.
But...
Even the Fourth Raikage couldn't possibly know the full extent of Neji's combat strength.
The cloaked man had used specially made chakra powder to render the Byakugan useless, believing he had victory in the bag.
But how could he know that even without the Tenseigan, Neji had mastered three secret techniques—Lightning Release Chakra Mode, Black Lightning, and God Vacuum Attack—and was firmly stronger than the elite jonin of the Five Great Nations?
That was why he'd been at a disadvantage from the very first exchange.
The cloaked man had laid a barrier and used chakra powder. It was clear his strength was below Kage Level.
Neji wasn't afraid of an opponent at this level.
Neji appeared beneath the cloaked man. His katana was wrapped in black lightning, and he prepared to slash him into critical condition before he could hit the ground.
But the cloaked man didn't fall. While still in midair, he formed a claw with his right hand and grabbed a branch as thick as an arm. Wood chips flew as his fingers left five claw marks in the bark.
The cloaked man forcibly stopped himself.
Looking at Neji, who was enveloped in lightning with Black Lightning coiling around his blade, the cloaked man's eyes showed surprise. He realized he had underestimated Neji.
But although startled, he didn't panic. He formed Hand Seals with his left hand and slashed at Neji with his sword.
Neji swept his blade upward from below.
Sword clashed against sword, sparks flying everywhere.
Neji was still young, but boosted by Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he was no weaker than the cloaked man.
His thoughts turning rapidly, Neji flicked his wrist. His katana slid along the short sword and slashed toward the cloaked man.
The cloaked man used the force of the blow to drift backward, moving with remarkable agility.
Neji didn't want to give him a chance to catch his breath, and was about to press his advantage.
But then he found he couldn't move.
He looked down. Two black shadows stretched out from tree hollows on either side and connected to his own shadow.
The Shadow Clone Technique he'd used with one hand to perform the Shadow Imitation Technique... Was this man from the Nara Clan?!
By then, the cloaked man had landed. Fury and shock showed in his gaze.
From the moment he'd tried to assassinate Neji, everything had gone completely differently from what he'd expected.
The cloaked man formed Hand Seals with his left hand again. At the same time, he gave his short sword a slight flick with his right. It shot forward like a venomous snake, moving so quickly that it left only an afterimage.
The afterimage split in two, then four, then eight... like a blue lotus blooming.
This unique sword technique was one he'd created after drawing inspiration from the Shadow Clone Technique developed by the Second Hokage.
Those sword images weren't illusions. If they struck you, they'd draw blood and wound you.
Surprise filled Neji's eyes, and he couldn't help but marvel.
The world was full of heroes, like carp swimming upstream!
The cloaked man's swordsmanship was cunning and extraordinary. He was a master swordsman.
With Neji's eyesight, he couldn't tell which sword image was real.
Neji took a deep breath. The chakra inside him surged violently.
The Shadow Imitation Technique cast by a Shadow Clone could only hold him back. Neji broke free in the space of a breath.
By then, the sword images filled the sky and were already bearing down on him.
Neji changed his katana's downward stroke from the right into a vertical, spinning sweep.
Metal clashed against metal. Brilliant sparks bloomed around Neji.
Neji stood with his sword in hand and glanced at his arm. A bloody sword mark ran across it; the cloaked man's Vacuum Blade had cut him.
Drops of crimson blood fell from Neji's katana.
The cloaked man was more badly injured than Neji. Neji had severed his left arm, and it lay on the ground.
Neji's swordsmanship wasn't as good as the cloaked man's, but with Lightning Release Chakra Mode and Black Lightning, he could gain the upper hand in a direct clash.
Neji raised his blade and charged at the cloaked man.
The cloaked man endured the pain and let out a long howl. Then he bent down and rolled toward where his left arm had fallen, intending to retrieve it.
Neji was rather surprised. He hadn't expected the cloaked man to still be thinking about picking up his arm at a time like this. But despite his surprise, his movements didn't slow at all; he turned his blade and brought it down toward the cloaked man.
If the cloaked man insisted on picking up his arm, Neji would kill him with a single slash.
Hearing the sharp whistle behind him, the cloaked man broke into a cold sweat. He abandoned his arm and rolled across the ground, barely dodging Neji's blade.
As he rolled, blood from his wound splattered across the ground.
The face beneath the cloaked man's mask was deathly pale. He didn't dare linger. With a series of leaps, he hurried into the depths of the forest.
A chakra bead emerged from Neji's palm, aimed at the cloaked man's back.
But just before he could fire the chakra bead, four shadows flew in from four directions.
The four had rushed over from afar after hearing the cloaked man's howl.
Neji flicked his wrist, and the chakra bead shot toward one of the shadows.
The man raised the Kunai in his hand, preparing to block the chakra bead. It pierced through both the Kunai and the man, killing him on the spot.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A huge fireball came at Neji from behind. Its terrifying heat seared his skin, making it sting.
Neji sneered and struck out with a God Vacuum Attack without even turning around. Then he used the Body Flicker Technique to charge at two of the other ninjas.
The four ninjas were at Chunin level. Against Neji, who excelled at close-quarters combat, they were no different from Genin.
A few breaths later, four corpses lay on the ground, blood pooling around them. The thick stench of blood filled the entire forest.
Neji hurried over to one of the corpses, removed the mask, pried open the man's teeth, and pulled out his tongue.
The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal was slowly fading. At the same time, the power of the Cursed Seal had forcibly destroyed his brain at the instant of death.
"As expected, Root."
Before you continue