Departure, a New Combat Mission

(This chapter is a bit uneventful.)

"Lightning Style: Earth Running!"

For the third time, intense blue currents spread from Yueguang Long's hands onto Yueguang Han's body. Yet the currents that struck Yueguang Han were like a calm stream flowing into a vast ocean, unable to stir even the slightest ripple. They vanished without a trace, producing not even a tiny effect—less effective than throwing a handful of dust at him.

Twenty Energy Points. Yueguang Han closed his eyes with an expression of enjoyment. Seeing his stored Energy Points rise by another twenty, his heart filled with excitement.

Yueguang Long truly deserved to be an elite among Chunin. The Lightning Style: Earth Running he used was far stronger than Yueguang Han's, providing twice as many Energy Points as Yueguang Han could generate himself.

At the side, Yueguang Xingye watched Yueguang Han remain completely unharmed after consecutively enduring several D-rank Lightning Style techniques from Yueguang Long and three Lightning Style: Earth Running attacks. He grew even more excited, his breathing quickening. His previously firm stance against letting Yueguang Han cultivate with Lightning Style had changed into a determination to support him with the entire clan's strength.

It was not only Yueguang Xingye. Even Yueguang Long and Yueguang Shiye looked at Yueguang Han with burning gazes.

After testing him with seven D-rank Lightning Style techniques and three C-rank Lightning Style: Earth Running techniques, they had confirmed that Yueguang Han was completely immune to ordinary Lightning Style damage and could absorb Lightning Style. With his powerful killing ability, along with the ability to resist and absorb ordinary Lightning Style for his own use, Yueguang Han's Kekkei Genkai rose to an entirely new level in their minds. It was a powerful Kekkei Genkai fully comparable to the Sharingan and Byakugan, perhaps even surpassing both and approaching the level of Wood Style.

In their eyes, as long as Yueguang Han could grow safely into adulthood and work hard to continue his bloodline, the day the Hayate Clan became powerful would not be far off. The three had even begun considering young girls from the clan and civilian shinobi families.

"Uncle Xingye, can I have people use Lightning Style to assist my cultivation now?" After the experiment, Yueguang Han's somewhat cold electronic voice interrupted the excited trio's wild thoughts. Yet at that moment, their excitement made them overlook the fact that Yueguang Han's voice had not always sounded like this. His former voice had been full of cheerfulness, laughter, and liveliness.

"Of course!" Yueguang Xingye said with an excited smile. "But you must still pay attention to safety and secrecy. From now on, Long and Shiye will use Lightning Style to assist your cultivation. Remember, do not use Lightning Style ninjutsu above C-rank to aid your cultivation, and absolutely do not use Lightning Style to cultivate in front of others."

"I understand, Uncle Xingye." Yueguang Han nodded.

Yueguang Long and Yueguang Shiye stood to one side, smiling so widely their mouths would not close. They were not only excited that the clan had produced a super genius like Yueguang Han, but also thrilled that they had been allowed to assist his cultivation. Yueguang Han's rise was inevitable, and this would become a tremendous favor in the future.

At dusk, the slanting sunlight spilled into the forest, dyeing the entire woodland in a golden glow.

"Clan Head, Han, it's getting late. Shouldn't we head back?" Looking at the setting sun, the exhausted Yueguang Long made the suggestion. Throughout the afternoon, he and Yueguang Shiye had continuously refined Chakra and released ninjutsu, using Lightning Style: Earth Running nearly eighty times in total. They felt as though their bodies had been drained dry and desperately wanted to return for a proper rest.

"Let's go back." Seeing how exhausted they were, Yueguang Xingye nodded in agreement. "You've worked hard."

"Thank you, Uncles." Yueguang Han thanked them. After an afternoon of Lightning Style charging, added to his previous reserves, his stored Energy Points had reached two thousand.

"It was our duty." Yueguang Long and Yueguang Shiye smiled. Assisting Yueguang Han's cultivation was exhausting, but it was all worth it.

After Yueguang Xingye called over the Gekko Clan members keeping watch nearby, everyone headed toward the camp together.

"Lord Yueguang Xingye." Just after returning to the Konoha camp and the area where the Gekko Clan had set up their tents, an Anbu suddenly appeared before Yueguang Xingye. "Lord Orochimaru requests your presence at headquarters."

"All right, let's go." Yueguang Xingye nodded and left with the Anbu.

"Looks like we have another combat mission. Sigh." Watching Yueguang Xingye leave with the Anbu, Yueguang Long spoke helplessly and let out a sigh.

"Sigh." Other than Yueguang Han, nearly everyone in the Gekko Clan sighed as well.

Every mission meant deaths. No one knew when this war would finally end. Since the war began, nearly all the Gekko Clan shinobi above Chunin rank had come to the battlefield against the Sand Shinobi. Of the original fifty-plus people, only thirty-plus remained now.

"Sigh." Looking at the silent crowd, Yueguang Han sighed as well. He entered Yueguang Xingye's tent and went to rest early. (To protect Yueguang Han, Yueguang Xingye had arranged for him to share the same tent.)

The next day, before the sun had risen and while the sky was still dark, Yueguang Xingye woke Yueguang Han.

After quickly getting ready, Yueguang Han followed Yueguang Xingye out of the tent. By then, the other clansmen had already emerged from their tents in twos and threes.

"Move out." Once every clansman had come out, Yueguang Xingye gave no further explanation. With a single command, he took the lead and ran toward the outskirts of the camp.

"Keep up." Everyone followed Yueguang Xingye toward the main camp's exit. No one asked any questions.

Not long after leaving the camp, Yueguang Xingye led them to catch up with a Konoha Shinobi force of around sixty people. Without exchanging a word, Yueguang Xingye simply led the clansmen into the shinobi force and continued onward.

They're all shinobi from the Mitarashi and Kurama clans! As he traveled with the group, Yueguang Han carefully observed every person in the force of roughly sixty shinobi.

When the sun rose and its slanted rays illuminated the forest, the force of more than a hundred people finally stopped at a valley after traveling around twenty to thirty li.

"Our objective this time is to destroy a Sand Hidden outpost and hold it."

After gathering everyone, Yueguang Xingye, the commander of this combat squad, finally revealed the details of the mission. He had waited until they were outside the main camp to speak because he was worried that hidden enemy spies might learn of the operation.

Everyone's expressions turned solemn. This was no ordinary outpost. It had to be an important stronghold for Sand Hidden, and its terrain was highly significant. Capturing it would greatly affect the battle situation; otherwise, Konoha would not have dispatched only clan shinobi to carry out this operation.

Everyone knew that the Sand Shinobi would never allow them to occupy the outpost so easily. Once they took it, they would undoubtedly face fierce Sand Shinobi attacks. This was an extremely difficult combat mission.