Aida looked at the impossibly young Byakugan-wielding boy before him, feeling both shocked and furious. He was shocked that someone so young could already possess such strength.
He was furious because the boy had completely ignored his warning and killed one of his comrades.
Aida couldn't help marveling at Konoha's deep reserves. One genius after another kept appearing, leaving outsiders like them green with envy.
Hyuga Lan looked at the Kumogakure ninja who had jumped out to stop him. His expression barely changed. Other than the Fourth Raikage and the two Jinchuriki, no one in Kumogakure was worth much of his attention. The man before him was no pushover, but he was hardly someone Lan needed to fear.
"You're incredibly strong for someone so young. You must be quite the figure in the Hyuga Branch Family. You're Hyuga Lan, right? Remember, I'm Aida—the one who'll kill you."
Hearing the other man's boast, Hyuga Lan merely said, "You're noisy!"
So arrogant. Too bad a genius who hasn't truly matured is nothing special.
Aida loved torturing young geniuses like him to death.
"Go deal with the others. I'll take this brat."
At Aida's command, the Kumogakure ninja, already half-scared out of their wits by Hyuga Lan, immediately moved away.
Soon, only Hyuga Lan and Aida remained on this part of the battlefield.
Lan didn't mind the situation. One opponent or a group, it made no difference to him. As long as he didn't have to face the Fourth Raikage or a Jinchuriki, he was fine.
No matter how strong the other Kumogakure ninja were, they wouldn't be able to take his life.
As Hyuga Lan charged toward him, Aida knew full well that fighting the Hyuga Clan at close range was extremely dangerous. Their members wielded the Byakugan and excelled at the Gentle Fist, so he hurriedly retreated while rapidly forming Hand Seals.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
A stream of water shot from Aida's mouth, then swelled into a huge wave that rushed to block the approaching Hyuga Lan.
Facing the oncoming wave, Hyuga Lan quickly formed Hand Seals, then thrust both palms forward.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A gale burst from his palms and roared toward the wave.
Rumble!
The gale tore a gap through the wave, revealing Aida behind it.
As Hyuga Lan continued to close in, Aida maintained the Water Formation Wall and kept forming Hand Seals.
As soon as he finished, bolts of lightning appeared around him and surged toward Hyuga Lan.
"Lightning Release: Gekishin!"
Watching Aida release Water Release and Lightning Release at the same time, combining water and lightning with effortless ease, Hyuga Lan figured the man must be a Storm Release ninja.
Is he hiding his true strength, waiting for a chance to catch me off guard with Storm Release?
Facing the incoming lightning, Hyuga Lan pushed off hard and leaped into the air, clearing the range of the Lightning Release: Gekishin before continuing his attack on Aida.
He fell for it!
Aida's eyes flashed with malice as he watched Hyuga Lan in midair.
Aida rapidly formed Hand Seals, then brought his hands together. A dazzling glow formed between them.
"Storm Release: Laser Circus!"
Several laser beams shot from the glowing light between Aida's hands, streaking toward Hyuga Lan.
As the beams flew toward him, Hyuga Lan's expression tightened. A massive amount of chakra surged into his Byakugan, making his eyes clearer than ever.
As his Dojutsu Power increased, everything around him seemed to slow down. His perception had sharpened.
With that heightened perception, he read the trajectory of the Storm Release attack. Hyuga Lan quickly shifted his body in midair, narrowly dodging the laser beams as they passed almost close enough to graze him.
When he landed and tried to press his attack on Aida, the other man turned his arm—and the laser beams that had already flown past abruptly wheeled around and came rushing back toward him.
Are these guided attacks?
No wonder Storm Release was often described as either electrified water or flowing electricity. This Kekkei Genkai ranked among the most powerful of them all.
With its powerful guidance ability, it was not only far more potent than Lightning Release Ninjutsu but also precise to control. It was an exceptionally effective Kekkei Genkai. No wonder Darui, another Storm Release ninja, would become the Fifth Raikage.
Facing the returning Storm Release attack, Hyuga Lan knew there was no time to dodge again.
He turned and thrust out a palm he had already charged with chakra.
"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!"
A massive amount of chakra burst from his palm, forming a shining hand that blocked the Storm Release beams.
Seeing Hyuga Lan try to stop his attack with nothing but the Eight Trigrams Palm, Aida couldn't help sneering at his foolish overconfidence.
The cutting power of Storm Release Ninjutsu was far beyond what a mere Eight Trigrams Palm could stop. Aida was already picturing Hyuga Lan failing to block the attack and ending up gravely wounded.
Rumble!
The force of the Eight Trigrams Air Palm collided with the Storm Release beams, producing a deafening crash. A blinding light rose in the aftermath.
When the light faded, Hyuga Lan stood unharmed, now only a short distance from Aida.
H-How was this possible?
Aida was a renowned Storm Release ninja with years of experience. He knew the power of his Storm Release Ninjutsu well. Based on the Hyuga Clan members he had fought in the past, an Eight Trigrams Air Palm alone should never have been able to counter his Storm Release Ninjutsu. How could this have happened?
What Aida didn't know was that the power of the Eight Trigrams Palm depended heavily on the chakra of the one using it. Hyuga Lan had awakened the Tenseigan, and the quality of his chakra had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Even when he wasn't using the Tenseigan, the chakra in his body was still far superior in quality to that of the other Hyuga.
That was why the same technique had a completely different level of power when Hyuga Lan used it.
Besides, he had guessed from the start that Aida was a Storm Release ninja. He had been on guard and prepared in advance, which was why things had turned out this way.
But Lan wasn't about to explain any of that to Aida. While the other man was still bewildered, Lan moved in to attack at close range.
Close-quarters Taijutsu was the Byakugan's greatest strength.
"Gentle Fist Art..."
Seeing Hyuga Lan assume the opening stance of the Gentle Fist, Aida panicked. Fighting a member of the Hyuga Clan at close range was far too dangerous.
If he let his guard down for even a moment and was struck in a pressure point by the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist, he'd be in serious trouble. But with Hyuga Lan already on top of him, he couldn't find a chance to create distance.
Thud, thud, thud...
Hyuga Lan launched into close combat with Aida. Though he was a few years younger and his body hadn't yet reached its peak, his Byakugan gave him keen perception, and his Gentle Fist was well-practiced. He seized a moment when Aida let his guard down and used pressure-point strikes to block his chakra points.
It's over!
"Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"
Thud, thud, thud...
After Hyuga Lan finished striking Aida with the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, the other man collapsed to the ground, his life hanging in the balance.
Just as Hyuga Lan dealt with the troublesome opponent and tried to catch his breath, an angry shout reached his ears.
"Die, brat! Lariat!"
In the next instant, a figure wrapped in lightning appeared at Lan's side and swung a hand toward his neck...