Rescue! Resistant Chakra

Neji hissed, clutching his left forearm.

Because his right hand had been delivering the palm strike, his left hand had been in a defensive posture, forcing it to withstand the residual power of that blade.

"So that's how it is. Lightning Style is strictly countered by Wind Style..."

Neji gritted his teeth. Even with the same concentration of chakra, his Lightning Style palm technique had been swiftly obliterated by the opponent's wind blade without any effort.

Even the residual force of the blade had sliced a wound into the inner side of his left forearm through his clothing.

Neji made a rough estimate; the wound was not deep, only about four or five centimeters long.

This was already the limit. If he sustained any more injuries, his decision to show his face today would truly be a miserable failure.

If he couldn't save Hayate and ended up getting himself caught as well, it wouldn't just be foolish—it would reek of overestimating his own abilities.

"Forget about me, you... run!"

Over there, Hayate had finished bandaging his wounds and seemed intent on putting up one last fight.

Neji didn't answer. The issue now wasn't about who was running or who wasn't.

The Baki before him was a master of techniques that perfectly countered his own. If Baki didn't know such high-level Wind Release, Neji might have been able to escape, but in this situation, trying to run was a dead end.

"It seems you two are destined not to escape today."

Kabuto realized something, stepped forward, and smiled confidently.

Neji was also startled. Using his Byakugan, he quickly tracked the area, and not far away, several figures were closing in from different directions.

"Finally found him. Master Baki's chakra..."

Temari, carrying her giant iron fan, gazed down at the figures on the flat-roofed building from a tree.

"Hmph."

On this side, Kankuro had already blocked the only gap through which Hayate could have escaped.

And on the other side, accompanied by a rustling sound.

Gaara stopped in his tracks, stood by the street, and looked up.

When he saw Neji, his eyes showed a hint of surprise.

Neji exhaled and closed his eyes.

Calm down, I must stay calm.

In his mind, the eight-plus years of training flashed before him, over and over again.

Training against wooden stakes, enduring the vulgar gazes of the villagers.

After opening his eyes, his entire body relaxed.

"I've risked my life all these years, certainly not to let my adventures end like this."

Neji said coldly.

"What are you talking about, brat?" Baki frowned. Although he had been suppressing the youth before him, he felt that this masked Anbu suddenly possessed an inexplicable confidence.

"Where on earth are you getting this courage from?"

Neji took a step back.

"Horse!"

"Tiger!"

"Boar!"

"Rabbit!"

Neji began to weave hand signs, his movements fluid.

"Rat!"

"...Dog!"

"Byakugan!"

"Do you think you can take on five people with just a Byakugan? It's obvious that guy has no combat power left!" Kabuto said with arrogant disdain.

Ding! Congratulations to the host, proficiency in Bloodline Limit: Byakugan has reached 30,000, breaking through to the 'Novice' realm. Reward obtained: Attribute Resistant Chakra!

As the system's voice echoed in his ears, the corners of Neji's mouth curled up. Heaven truly never leaves a man without a way out!

He leaped into the air. Temari and Kankuro were watching Hayate closely, and Kabuto had blocked Neji's retreat. Baki leaped after him and began weaving hand signs.

With the higher-level Byakugan, Neji felt the flow of chakra around him with greater clarity, almost able to perceive the movement of everything within a hundred-meter radius.

"Increase attribute resistance!"

"Please choose the attribute to enhance!"

"Wind!"

"Taking effect... Ding! Congratulations to the host: Wind Style attribute resistant chakra significantly increased!"

Neji felt a gentle, jade-like chakra surge into his body, and the heart-wrenching pain from the wound on his arm was significantly dulled.

"Whirlwind Technique: Explosive Flow Gale Blade!"

Under the illumination of the moonlight, blades of wind lunged from every direction.

"This is the enhanced version! You cannot escape this strike!"

Shing, shing, shing, shing!

Under the moonlight, with everyone watching, those blades pierced directly into the Anbu youth's body.

His clothing was instantly shredded into dozens of small tatters, but the next moment... the youth slowly raised his head.

"Hmm, the effect is not bad."

"What is this? It was just a layer of chakra covering the surface, why!?" Seeing this scene, Baki widened his eyes; just a moment ago, this guy had clearly been suppressed by him!

"This time, it is my turn to thank you... for creating this perfect arena for me!"

Baki opened his eyes wide, only to see the violent storm in the air still lingering, yet it was no longer under his control, as if it had become a part of Neji's body.

"Puppet Technique: Instant Strike!"

"Ninja Art: Kamaitachi!"

"Chakra Blade!"

The puppet's bayonet, the chakra scalpel, and the whirlwind flew toward Neji rapidly from three different angles...

"Wind Style: Rotation!"

The surrounding storm began to rotate with priority, and all the incoming attacks were swept up by the gale. Neji's body began to spin at high speed in the air, his palms extended!

Baki, who was about to land nearby, could not comprehend how a youth had transcended his limits to hover in the air for three seconds to complete all these movements.

"Was he hiding his strength before? This guy... who exactly is he!?"

Rumble...

The two-meter-diameter sphere of Rotation began to expand rapidly upon contacting the hurricane left behind by the Whirlwind Technique, spreading at a speed visible to the naked eye... directly covering everything nearby!

Possessing destructive power akin to high-tech weaponry, the Rotation, bolstered by the Wind Release, spun with immense force, pinning Baki firmly beneath it and forcing Kabuto and the others to retreat out of range.

Had he not been worried about harming the injured Hayate Gekko, Neji could have caused even greater damage by continuing the release!

"Th-this is! Help!"

A scream rang out from the street.

The Konoha residents who saw this scene shouted in surprise and ran in the opposite direction.

Gaara frowned slightly and reached out his hand, sending sand to attack the resident.

The youth wearing the Anbu mask moved like a phantom, striking out rapidly.

With one palm, he dispersed the sand.

"Are you alright!? Master Baki!"

Temari and Kankuro ran over. Baki lay on the ground, his clothes shredded to rags by the fierce winds, looking utterly wretched.

"Quick... pursue!"

Kankuro turned his head, only to find that the figures of Hayate Gekko and the Anbu youth had long since vanished.

And Gaara, too, had quietly disappeared.

"Let's leave here first, I will treat your wounds." Kabuto said, his expression gloomy.

Having encountered this unexpected Anbu youth twice in Konoha, he was becoming increasingly concerned about the true identity of that fellow.

Not far away, Neji, who was carrying Hayate Gekko as he fled, was also feeling somewhat exhausted.

He thought to himself, I didn't expect that the higher the level of the Byakugan, the greater the consumption would be.

Neji sighed, guessing it was simply because his strength had improved too quickly, leaving him without sufficient chakra reserves to support the drain.

The chakra for those techniques came from system rewards, which was why they didn't burden him, but the Byakugan was different.

"Thank you!"

Hayate Gekko panted, breaking free from Neji's support to walk on his own.

Hiss!

"What's wrong? I can escort you to the Konoha Hospital!" Neji said with some concern; this was the person he had risked his life to save.

"I'm fine."

In an instant, sand rapidly covered everything before their eyes.

Neji stepped back, wanting to strike out with his palm to save Hayate Gekko, who might be harmed.

But the next moment, the sand turned with a life of its own, lunging toward Neji's face like a hand!

Clatter...

With a crisp sound, the mask fell to the ground and spun several times.

And Neji's face left Hayate Gekko, who witnessed this scene, stunned.