Crystal Release Chakra Mode

Excluding Uchiha Kenichi, who had been struck by a pressure point technique, and the dehydrated Hyuga Ningbo, those two were effectively out of the fight.

The opposition boasted four members: the strongest of the new generation, Uchiha Kaoru, along with the sunglass-wearing girl, the ninja boy, and Inuzuka Jin. On his own side, there were himself, Yuhi Kurenai, Hyuga Ningxiang, and Hyuga Giichi. Yet, no matter how he tallied it, the only ones truly capable of combat were himself and Hyuga Giichi.

The opposition held total dominance in physique, strength, and numbers; a careful comparison revealed this to be a hopeless situation. Sato Hideaka shook his head with a bitter smile and asked Uchiha Kaoru, who was perched in the tree, "How about this? I'll have Ningxiang undo the pressure point seal on that Uchiha Kenichi fellow, and we call it even. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Hyuga Ningbo and Hyuga Giichi glared at Sato Hideaka with fury, as if they had been subjected to some grave insult. Uchiha Kaoru, standing in the tree, also shook her head. Parting her lips, she said slowly, "The pressure points were struck by Hyuga Ningbo; only he knows how to undo them. I do not agree with your proposal."

The crux of the dispute between these two families was never about whether Uchiha Kenichi was incapacitated, but rather the so-called pride of their clans.

Sato Hideaka shook his head with a bitter smile, then suddenly turned to ask Hyuga Ningxiang, "Ningxiang, can you undo that pressure point seal caused by chakra?"

"I... I know a little bit."

Feeling the fierce glare Hyuga Ningbo was directing at her from behind, Hyuga Ningxiang trembled, but ultimately chose to side with Sato Hideaka. Her voice was weak; at her age, she likely valued personal connections more than the intangible, untouchable concept of face.

"Alright, go help Uchiha Kenichi undo the seal!" Sato Hideaka nodded, then turned to Inuzuka Jin, who was supporting Uchiha Kenichi. "Inuzuka Jin, your teammate appears to be Uchiha Kenichi, not that Uchiha Kaoru in the tree, right? I imagine your chances of qualifying are much higher if Uchiha Kenichi recovers his strength!"

Inuzuka Jin froze for a moment. He understood the implication behind Sato Hideaka's words: he was not on Uchiha Kaoru's team, and Uchiha Kaoru would not take him along if she qualified. His teammate was the incapacitated Uchiha Kenichi, and only once Uchiha Kenichi regained his strength would it truly serve Inuzuka Jin's interests.

After saying this, Sato Hideaka whispered a few words into Hyuga Ningxiang's ear. Though she frowned, she nodded, and only then did he let her go to help Uchiha Kenichi.

Inuzuka Jin also noticeably stepped aside to clear a path, allowing Hyuga Ningxiang to assist Uchiha Kenichi. At this moment, their interests had aligned, and Inuzuka Jin was no longer a potential threat to Sato Hideaka.

Uchiha Kenichi said nothing and offered no objection. Although he and Uchiha Kaoru were both of the Uchiha Clan, their interests at this moment diverged. He preferred to recover his strength as quickly as possible; after all, being injured and then losing one's chakra in the Forest of Death made one an easy target to be abandoned or eliminated.

"That Hyuga who can still stand and move freely—yes, you, where are you looking? If you want your clan's genius to leave here safely, you have to listen to me. Help me keep an eye on Uchiha Kaoru and prevent her from launching a sneak attack!"

Before Hyuga Giichi could react, Sato Hideaka snatched the dehydrated Hyuga Ningbo from his hands and tossed him to Shimura Masao, who had been watching the show from the sidelines. "Hey, you're Shimura Masao of the Shimura Clan, right? Your good brother and teammate, Hyuga Ningbo, is now in your care. Protect him well—this is a genius of the Hyuga Clan..."

Shimura Masao instinctively caught Hyuga Ningbo, then froze upon hearing Sato Hideaka's words. What on earth was this guy thinking? He had been standing there watching the show the whole time—when did he become a bodyguard?

Although the Shimura Clan's influence in the village was by no means inferior to the Hyuga, the Hyuga were, after all, the second most powerful family in Konoha, and their clan's strength far surpassed that of the Shimura. Furthermore, not intervening earlier was one thing, as Hyuga Ningbo had been dueling Uchiha Kaoru—a private grudge between their two clans.

But now that Hyuga Ningbo had completely lost the ability to resist, and both sides were teammates, the various clans had to see each other every day. Standing by and watching someone die wouldn't look good, and Sato Hideaka had immediately labeled them "good brothers" and "good teammates," while also invoking the weight of both their clans...

It seemed he had no choice but to save him!

Shimura Masao glared viciously at Sato Hideaka. At twelve years old, he had been outmaneuvered by a five-year-old brat; the feeling was not just anger, but humiliation.

However, Sato Hideaka did not care about Shimura Masao's thoughts. He had been at odds with the Shimura Clan for a long time. His biggest problem now was how to avoid being dragged into this conflict between the Uchiha and Hyuga clans.

The best method was perhaps to act as a peacemaker, ensuring he didn't offend either side to the point of no return.

Of course, not offending either side meant neither side would appreciate his efforts. The Hyuga would think Sato Hideaka's actions insulted their dignity and character, while the Uchiha would think his loyalties leaned toward the Hyuga. Naturally, as long as he didn't touch the bottom lines of these great clans, everything would be fine.

Uchiha Kaoru clapped her hands, a faint, imperceptible smile appearing on her cold face. "Interesting, very interesting... First, you isolate Inuzuka Jin, then you drag Shimura Masao of the Shimura Clan into guarding against my two teammates, and finally, you and Hyuga Giichi intend to deal with me."

"A seemingly one-sided situation has instantly turned into a stalemate. You must be the brat with the new Lava Release Kekkei Genkai, right? You're truly not simple."

Sato Hideaka rubbed his nose and smiled bitterly. "I just don't want any trouble. We're all from the same village; wouldn't it be better to sit together, chat, and eat some sunflower seeds?"

"Eat... sunflower seeds?" Uchiha Kaoru blinked. After a pause, she said with a strange expression, "You don't want trouble? Yet you've offended the Shimura, Hyuga, and Uchiha clans all at once. I don't see a single hint of you wanting to avoid trouble."

"Enough. Don't use that Hyuga girl as a shield; that is no reason for you to offend the Uchiha..."

Having said this, Uchiha Kaoru suddenly leaped from the tree. Her hands moved like butterflies flitting through flowers, and countless shuriken flew from her ninja pouch, clashing in the air with a metallic ringing. This was the Uchiha Shuriken Jutsu.

The trajectories of the shuriken in the air became chaotic, sealing off the space around them. The battle had begun!

Looking at the bewildered Hyuga Giichi beside him, Sato Hideaka hadn't expected the opponent to be unable to even use "Rotation." Under such an omnidirectional shuriken barrage, a Hyuga Giichi who couldn't use "Rotation" was nothing more than a liability.

In truth, Sato Hideaka didn't stop to consider that when the thirteen-year-old Hyuga Neji first used "Rotation," he was hailed by his clan as a genius; the so-called "Rotation" was not something easily mastered!

Kicking Hyuga Giichi out of the shuriken's attack range, Sato Hideaka pressed his palms together, his eyes snapping open as he said softly, "Crystal Release Chakra Mode!"

As the Crystal Release chakra precipitated from his cells, it condensed the air around Sato Hideaka into bright red crystal shards. These crystals enveloped his entire body, making him look like a lifelike crystal sculpture, releasing a brilliant radiance under the sunlight.

With the Crystal Release chakra covering over ninety-six percent of his body, he had finally formed a 360-degree, omnidirectional defense!