Hyuuga Nen deliberately focused on Shisui Uchiha's eyes and the chakra pathways in his brain this time, and finally noticed something unusual.
When he used the Phantom Body Flicker Technique, Shisui Uchiha drew most of his chakra from his body, but also drew some from his mind. A wisp of dark chakra even flowed out of his eyes.
Is that Yin Release Chakra, and the Dojutsu Power of the Mangekyō Sharingan? Hyuuga Nen wondered.
Although Hyuuga Nen could use the Byakugan to see the flow of chakra inside other people and copy their ninjutsu, there were some techniques he couldn't copy.
Genjutsu, for example, was difficult for Hyuuga Nen to copy.
When casting Genjutsu, a practitioner had to draw on the chakra in their brain. But the chakra pathways in the human brain were fine and densely packed.
Under those circumstances, the chakra pathways in a practitioner's brain looked like a glowing ball of tangled threads to Hyuuga Nen. He could only copy the technique if it was performed slowly.
After creating his clones, Shisui Uchiha glanced at Hyuuga Nen, then went to support the other Konoha shinobi.
Shisui Uchiha left two clones behind to keep Hyuuga Nen from escaping, then ran toward his teammates.
"Kakashi, Itachi, hold off the target. I'll come help once I've dealt with the shinobi from the two great nations."
After helping Kakashi and Itachi Uchiha drive back their enemies, Shisui Uchiha called to them.
Shisui Uchiha also sent two members of Ino-Shika-Cho to help Kakashi and the others. Knowing that Genjutsu wouldn't work on Hyuuga Nen, he didn't send anyone from the Yamanaka Clan.
Taking advantage of the opening Shisui Uchiha had created, Kakashi and the others reached Hyuuga Nen and attacked together.
"Shido, the enemy's Taijutsu is formidable. Don't engage him in close combat," Kakashi warned the Akimichi Clan member.
"I know. I'll be careful," replied the man named Akimichi Shidou.
"Multi-Size Technique!"
After performing the technique, Akimichi Shidou grew even larger, his already massive frame becoming like a small mountain. He pulled out an enormous iron staff and swung it hard at Hyuuga Nen.
"Bang!"
Hyuuga Nen dodged the iron staff. The spot where it struck was left with a huge crater.
It's powerful, but a little slow, Hyuuga Nen thought, looking at the crater. Still, I wouldn't be able to take a hit from it.
"Shadow Possession Technique!"
As soon as Hyuuga Nen leaped out of range, another member of the Nara Clan launched an attack. Standing still with his hands clasped, he sent his shadow stretching toward Hyuuga Nen.
After fighting for a while, Hyuuga Nen figured out Kakashi and the others' plan. The Akimichi and Nara Clan members were leading the attack, while Kakashi and Itachi Uchiha provided support.
Akimichi Shidou was the main attacker, responsible for keeping Hyuuga Nen occupied head-on. The Nara Clan member looked for an opportunity to ensnare him with the Shadow Possession Technique. Whenever Hyuuga Nen tried to counterattack, Kakashi and Itachi Uchiha intervened to keep Akimichi Shidou from being defeated.
Kakashi and Itachi Uchiha also protected and supported the Nara Clan member. They used all sorts of methods to extend the Shadow Possession Technique, causing Hyuuga Nen considerable trouble.
Hyuuga Nen wasn't very familiar with the Shadow Possession Technique, and the Nara Clan was famous for its members' high intelligence. He didn't know whether they would seize an opportunity to defeat him.
At the same time, Hyuuga Nen saw that after Shisui Uchiha joined the fight, he took down quite a few enemies with nothing more than the Phantom Body Flicker Technique. Combining the Body Flicker Technique, Yin Release Clone, and Genjutsu, it was impossible for ordinary shinobi to defend against the Phantom Body Flicker Technique.
Seeing the battle turn in Konoha's favor, Hyuuga Nen decided to provoke the shinobi from the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind again, to prevent anything unexpected from happening.
"Iwagakure and Sunagakure shinobi, what are you dawdling for? Give it everything you've got and help me defeat Konoha! Whoever helps me, I'll join their village. I'll even rebuild the Hyuga Clan for you!"
Hyuuga Nen shouted to the Iwagakure and Sunagakure shinobi.
"Are you sure you mean what you say?" Kitsuchi asked, having just forced Shisui Uchiha back.
"Of course."
"Remember your promise." Kitsuchi replied, then stopped holding back and began unleashing his ninjutsu at full power.
"Earth Release: Earth Core!"
Kitsuchi slammed both hands against the ground. Deep cracks appeared, and then the earth surged upward and began shaking violently, engulfing every Konoha shinobi in the area.
The Konoha shinobi leaped into the air, hoping to avoid the attack.
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Spear!"
Kitsuchi's teammates coordinated with him as soon as he used his technique. They manipulated their chakra, turning the earth into a series of sharp spears that stabbed toward the shinobi in midair.
"Aah!"
Many Konoha shinobi failed to evade Iwagakure's coordinated attack. Their bodies were pierced, and they fell straight out of the sky.
Seeing the terrible state of his comrades, Kakashi looked toward the Root shinobi standing far from the battlefield and shouted, "How long are you going to stand there watching?!"
But the Root shinobi remained unmoved, quietly watching from a distance.
"Damn it!"
Kakashi swore furiously, left behind a clone, and went to support the Konoha shinobi.
"This is our chance!" Seeing what had happened, the Sunagakure leader immediately signaled to her comrades and began preparing a technique.
She opened her giant iron fan and swung it with all her strength.
"Wind Release: Great Sickle Weasel!"
The fan whipped up a powerful gale, concealing numerous wind blades within it. Anyone struck by one would be killed or badly injured.
The Sunagakure puppeteers also released poisonous smoke and powder. The poison mixed with the wind, making the Konoha and Iwagakure shinobi cough when they inhaled it.
"You damn crazy woman! Do you want to die?" an Iwagakure shinobi cursed between coughs.
"It's not over yet!" the Sunagakure kunoichi leading them declared.
"Fire Release: Garuda!"
Several Sunagakure shinobi used Fire Release. Long tongues of flame poured from their mouths, converged in the air into a flaming dragon, and plunged into the gale.
Bolstered by the flames, the gale changed from transparent to fiery red. Wherever it went, explosions erupted, and deep gouges were carved into the ground.
"Aah! Aah!"
Hearing the screams rise and fall, the kunoichi smiled. "The Byakugan will be ours!"
This is my chance!
Seeing the situation, Hyuuga Nen immediately made his move. He stopped holding back and struck Akimichi Shidou with two Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palms.
The first palm immediately knocked Akimichi Shidou out of his enlarged state. Clutching his chest, he staggered backward.
"How could...?"
Akimichi Shidou looked astonished as he stumbled back. He had no way to dodge the second Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.
"Shidou, watch out!" Kakashi's clone and Itachi Uchiha warned him as they rushed over, trying to shield him from the attack.
Taking advantage of the opening, Hyuuga Nen pulled out two scrolls and hurled them toward the battlefield, one after the other.
Both were ninjutsu scrolls that Hyuuga Nen had prepared over the past few days. One contained Wind Release: Gian, and the other contained Fire Release: Zukokku. He had learned both from Kakuzu.
The two activated scrolls flew onto the battlefield in succession. The firestorm's range grew more than twice as large, and the wind speed became so great that no one had a chance to escape.
At the same time, a continuous series of deafening explosions ripped across the battlefield, terrifying everyone there.
The screams of the shinobi lasted for just an instant before cutting off.
The explosions affected not only the Konoha and Iwagakure shinobi who had been there from the start, but also the Sunagakure shinobi who had caused the chaos.
Feeling that most of the lives on the battlefield had lost their chakra signatures, Hyuuga Nen glanced at Itachi Uchiha and the Nara Clan member, whom Akimichi Shidou had shielded with his back. He left them alone and ran straight into the distance.
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