Kabuto reached into his ninja tool pouch and pulled out a professional scalpel.
"Don't let that rat get away. I'll deal with this guy!"
From Kabuto's eyes, Neji could tell just how cunning and treacherous he was.
He had probably held back in every clash. If Neji fell even slightly behind this time, there'd be no escaping.
Kabuto was definitely trying to silence them!
"Whoosh!"
In the blink of an eye, Kabuto was already upon him.
His movements were not only fast but precise. With a single slash, he came within inches of Neji's neck.
"Byakugan!"
Neji pushed off with his legs and leaped backward.
Hayate also endured his injuries and retreated.
"Don't even think about escaping!"
Baki immediately ran in the direction Hayate had gone, but a kunai flew toward him and stabbed into the ground right in front of him.
He glanced back and saw Neji standing his ground. The boy was shorter than all of them, yet his presence loomed like a giant's.
Neji steadied his breathing and gathered chakra in his palm. At first glance, it looked much like Kabuto's technique.
But this chakra had undergone a change in nature.
He struck with his palm!
Kabuto dodged and counterattacked, but Neji was just as capable of attacking while dodging.
Both moved with such agility that neither left an opening.
Hayate seized the chance to escape under their cover, but Baki appeared in his path once more.
"I won't fall for that. Not one of you is leaving here alive today!"
Hayate gritted his teeth and backed away, already drenched in cold sweat.
The mysterious boy was certainly strong, but it seemed Hayate still wouldn't make it out of here alive.
If he could just keep the boy alive, then even if he died, the boy could pass along the news...
"Boy, the Sand Ninja and Sound Ninja are planning to join forces against Konoha. You have to report this intel!"
Grimacing, Hayate pulled a pill from his pocket and swallowed it.
"Oh?"
Baki narrowed his eyes.
Neji faltered for the briefest instant. Kabuto immediately spotted an opening and launched a counterattack.
The tide turned. Instead of Neji attacking relentlessly, Kabuto began pressing him without pause.
Yet Kabuto still held his own at such close quarters. Only then did Neji realize how fundamentally different he was from these truly bloodthirsty, ruthless ninja!
"Transparent Escape!"
Nearby, Hayate formed Hand Seals, and his body began to turn transparent until he was barely discernible in the night.
The technique couldn't make him completely invisible, and he could still be sensed to some extent. But with afterimages suddenly appearing all around him, it was still difficult to tell where he was.
"Are you trying to use that to escape?"
"...No. You betrayed Konoha, Sand Ninja. It's my duty to deal with you!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a blade flashed behind Baki.
Stab!
But it pressed against Baki's back and couldn't pierce through.
"Hmph! What a waste of effort!"
The battle over there was going entirely in Baki's favor. Hayate wouldn't last much longer.
But Kabuto was hard to deal with, too. Neji had already used most of his chakra fighting Gaara.
"Ding! Congratulations, host! Byakugan proficiency +199!"
Neji frowned, hesitating as he faced the troublesome Kabuto.
"So that's it. You were just bluffing in the Forest of Death? If you're this weak, then die here!"
As soon as Kabuto finished speaking, Hayate screamed.
Another slash, and blood poured from both sides of Hayate's ribs.
The middle of his entire ninja uniform was soaked red. Just looking at him was enough to make one wince.
"I can't drag this out any longer."
Neji gritted his teeth. He had enough chakra left to escape.
But if he used it to fight and failed to win, he might die here!
Yet Hayate had been willing to die to get the intel out. Neji didn't think he could simply leave him behind.
He reached into his clothes and pulled out a Military Ration Pill.
The sound of chewing echoed through the quiet night.
"Wind!"
Crackle!
Fast as a flash!
Kabuto jumped backward. Before he could even react, Neji had already moved faster than he could follow.
"Lightning!"
Neji struck Kabuto hard in the back with both palms. Kabuto stumbled forward a few steps, then dodged the next attack.
"Was that Jianjing?"
As a medical ninja, Kabuto naturally knew the acupuncture points well.
Neji had struck the points on his shoulders with both palms, leaving his arms unable to exert any strength and instantly crippling his attacks!
"Whoosh!"
Neji shot through the air like a shuriken and slammed his palm into Kabuto, sending him flying and crashing to the ground.
"Good. You're next."
Neji took a breath. He released Wind Style chakra around his body in the form of Rotation, making himself lighter on his feet.
Then he gathered Lightning Style chakra in his palm, giving his Gentle Fist enough power to strike with force.
In this state, taking on Baki wouldn't be a problem.
"A change in the nature of chakra. It's hard to imagine Konoha has a genius ninja like you, but... it'd be a shame to send a talent like that to his death!"
Baki noticed Neji had defeated Kabuto and paid no further attention to Hayate, who was lying on the ground, gasping for breath.
"Whirlwind Technique!"
Whirlwinds swept in from all around. They looked like gentle breezes, but through the Byakugan, they resembled the sharpest blades, concentrated in every corner of the air!
New blades formed within the technique's range. They could strike from any angle!
"Wind Style: Rotation!"
Neji gritted his teeth and released Wind Style Rotation.
The whirlwinds only strengthened Neji's Rotation. Its furious spin dispersed the countless wind blades surrounding him.
But in the next instant, Baki smiled.
"A Hyuga from Konoha? How interesting. But your Wind Style is exactly what I need!"
Then he rapidly formed Hand Seals!
Nearby, Kabuto Yakushi was healing himself with the Mystical Palm Technique. He grinned.
"Baki's a highly talented Wind Release ninja. Temari's only his student."
After speaking, he broke into another cold sweat and thought, So this guy's a Hyuga. Is there someone like him in Anbu? I don't have a single scrap of information on him!
Neji froze. Only then did he realize that the wind he had created with Rotation had all turned into wind blades.
"Thank you for creating the perfect battlefield for me!"
"Whoosh!"
The howling wind gathered all around Neji.
One blade after another aimed at him.
At a single command, they all shot forward!
Crackling through the air, the blades came hurtling at Neji. There were so many that no matter how deftly he dodged, they still sliced through his clothes.
"Eight Trigrams Palms: Heavenly Spin!"
Neji unleashed a normal Rotation and deflected every wind blade.
"I can't get hurt here. They'll discover who I am."
Once the wind blades' assault ended, a figure shot through the dust toward Baki.
"Splurt!"
Lightning crackled in his palm, nearly taking on a solid form.
"What an intense change in chakra nature—and you've mastered two types!" Baki exclaimed, his eyes widening in admiration.
"But..."
He formed a Hand Seal with one hand and gathered the wind blades in the air.
"Wind Blade!"
The wind grew more intense, condensing into a shining blade of air that cleaved straight through Neji's palm strike!
"Boom!"
With a deafening crash, Neji was sent flying several meters before hitting the ground.
Baki stepped forward, grinning confidently. "What a shame. I must be your worst possible enemy, huh?"
Before you continue