Funeral Rites

"Too terrifying!"

"The Lightning Blade in Raiga Kurosuki's hands is already one of the most powerful ninja blades in the world, yet he actually complains that it's lacking?"

Mei Terumi's beautiful eyes trembled, shimmering with a strange, brilliant light: "If only he were a ninja of the Mist Village, even if he is a few years too young."

"Such excellent genes, what a pity..."

Standing to the side, Hatake Kakashi wore a strange expression and remained silent.

A few years too young?

Do you even realize... that Hyuga Kagami is only eight years old right now, and will only be nine after the turn of the year?

And you, Mei Terumi, are already nineteen!

However, one could hardly blame Mei Terumi; after all, Hyuga Kagami had grown too aggressively. At only eight years old, he already stood over 1.7 meters tall, looking more like a youth of sixteen or seventeen.

"Has Kagami-kun already become this powerful?"

Uchiha Itachi's dark eyes trembled as he let out a bitter laugh: "I used to think that Kagami-kun and I were evenly matched in strength, both geniuses of the same caliber."

"But now I realize that Kagami-kun's talent and strength far exceed my own!"

To think that he had once considered Hyuga Kagami a rival.

He had wanted them to grow stronger together and become powerhouses.

But who could have imagined that Kagami-kun was already at... an unreachable height!

Even elite jonin were no match for him!

"Terrifying... too terrifying, Raiga Kurosuki was actually taken out by a brat!"

Cold sweat streamed down Juzo Biwa's forehead, and he couldn't help but take a step back. Those eyes, once filled with ambition, now held only terror!

Although Raiga Kurosuki was not as strong as him.

He possessed the Lightning Blade and was only a notch weaker, which was the very reason they had managed to survive under Might Dai. Yet now, Raiga Kurosuki had been finished off by Hyuga Kagami without any resistance!

"No, I must retreat!"

Cold sweat drenched his back, and he turned to flee without the slightest hesitation!

But the moment he turned his head, Hyuga Kagami's half-smiling face appeared before him.

"How is this possible!"

Juzo Biwa panicked: "How can you be so fast?!"

He had clearly been some distance away just a moment ago; how did he end up behind him in the blink of an eye?

"Losing focus during a fight isn't a good habit. It's not that I'm fast; it's that you're too slow."

Hyuga Kagami shook his head. If it were him, he would also flee when faced with an unwinnable situation.

Therefore, this was merely him having calculated Juzo Biwa's escape route in advance.

"You detestable brat!"

Juzo Biwa erupted, actually taking the initiative to charge!

The ninja blade in his hand slashed down fiercely!

"I am much stronger than Raiga Kurosuki!"

BOOM!

The ninja blade and the Great Hammer collided, metal clashing against metal as sparks flew everywhere!

The Great Hammer in Hyuga Kagami's hands remained perfectly steady, without the slightest tremor, just like Hyuga Kagami's calm, indifferent expression.

"My Executioner's Blade actually couldn't shake you!"

Juzo Biwa was horrified: "How can your strength be this terrifying?"

That Great Hammer was absurdly heavy.

Yet not only could Hyuga Kagami control it, he still had strength to spare!

"Hidden Mist Technique!"

He let out a soft shout!

The mist thickened instantly, and he himself fled at a terrifying speed. Facing three elite jonin, running away was the best choice!

"Don't let him escape, or the Mizukage will learn of your arrival!"

Mei Terumi cried out, her hands moving rapidly through seals: "Hidden Mist Technique: Release!"

But even dispelling the Hidden Mist Technique took time.

Just then, amidst the dense fog.

He heard a wild voice!

"Disperse!"

The very next instant!

All the mist dissipated rapidly without a trace!

It was as if subjects had heard the command of their king!

As his vision cleared, Hyuga Kagami sprinted through the gale, his robes whipping in the wind. With cold, icy White Eyes and thick, wild eyebrows, he shot toward Juzo Biwa like a cannonball!

Her heart skipped a beat!

"This... this guy... isn't he a bit too overbearing?"

"Why doesn't the Mist Village have such a fine man!"

Mei Terumi felt like she was about to cry.

Such a fine man, such a powerful man—only he was worthy of her.

But how could the other party be a ninja from Konoha?

Hatake Kakashi shrugged helplessly: "Why don't you come to Konoha then?"

"Or, after establishing an alliance with Konoha, marrying Hyuga Kagami wouldn't be an unacceptable outcome."

The corners of his mouth curled up as he began to entice her.

With Mei Terumi's talent, being an elite jonin at nineteen meant that becoming a Kage-level powerhouse in the future was a certainty!

If he could lure Mei Terumi to Konoha, Kagami, sacrificing a little of your charm wouldn't be a big deal!

"A ninja's life is spent sleeping in the wild, always at risk of dying on the battlefield. Having a beautiful romance is the most wonderful thing in life."

Hatake Kakashi continued his persuasion.

Mei Terumi sighed, her beautiful green eyes filled with helplessness: "Indeed."

"Love is important, but for the future of the Mist Village, it is trivial. I cannot place personal feelings above the future of the Mist Village."

Saving the Mist Village!

That was her lifelong goal, and love came after that. She was destined to become the Mizukage!

Hatake Kakashi's eyes shifted, and he suddenly spoke in a lazy tone: "But if you were with Kagami-kun, with his strength, wouldn't it be easier for him to help you bring the Mist Village to heel?"

"You could bring the Mist Village back on track while gaining love."

"Perhaps killing two birds with one stone is a good choice?"

When dealing with people, one must always prescribe the right medicine!

"Eh?!"

Mei Terumi was stunned: "Hatake Kakashi, you're right!"

Her beautiful eyes lit up.

If a man like this could become her support, whatever she did would yield twice the result with half the effort!

Uchiha Itachi, standing to the side, had a face full of black lines: "..."

Kagami-kun is only eight years old!

Captain Kakashi, is it really okay for you to swindle others like this?

You have no conscience!

On the other side, the Great Hammer in Hyuga Kagami's hand collided fiercely with the Executioner's Blade!

Sparks flew everywhere!

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

"Refreshing!"

Hyuga Kagami's eyes were filled with excitement: "You are the first man who has been able to put up a bit of a fight against me, but your strength is still too weak; you cannot satisfy me."

He was currently using only forty percent of his strength.

In contrast, Juzo Biwa was already in a sorry state.

"Meeting a genius like you is my good fortune!"

Juzo Biwa's face was full of excitement, the corners of his mouth turned up, filled with madness!

At this moment, he no longer cared about escaping!

BOOM!

The two weapons collided once more!

It was like thunder!

The roaring sound was deafening!

"You are worthy of respect. I will use my strongest technique to send you to your grave."

Hyuga Kagami's White Eyes were cold and sharp!

He flew backward, landing in the distance.

The Great Hammer in his hands crackled with violent thunder, arcs of electricity surging across its surface.

"Armament Haki!"

"Thunder Bagua!"

Hum!

The surface of the Great Hammer turned a pure, dense black!

The thunder upon it roared violently, as if thirsting for the enemy's blood!

The true Thunder Bagua was a terrifying technique formed by combining Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki through high-speed movement, fused with the power of the Azure Dragon's lightning from within!

However, Hyuga Kagami did not yet possess Conqueror's Haki.

But this... was already enough!

Boom!

Hyuga Kagami shot forward, transforming into a streak of blue-white lightning!