Orochimaru Attacks

The mission was urgent. If they arrived too late, the man might be dead, and the mission would fail outright.

After returning home to prepare their travel supplies, the two set off immediately.

Three days later, they arrived at the daimyo's residence in Rice Fields Country. After identifying themselves, they were escorted directly inside.

The sickroom was heavily guarded. Inside, the four prospective heirs sat together in a daze.

"Gentlemen! I am a medical ninja from Konoha. Could you briefly explain the daimyo's condition?"

"A week ago, Father and his ministers drank and feasted with song and dance until dawn! At the height of the revelry, he suddenly fainted and would not wake up..."

"Alright! I understand! Please rest assured, gentlemen. I'll go in and treat the daimyo first!"

Doichi Hyuga and Kakashi entered the sickroom, followed by the daimyo's four sons.

Byakugan! Activate!

After carefully scanning the room, Doichi Hyuga quickly found the cause.

A cerebral infarction!

He formed hand seals.

Delicate Illness Extraction Technique!

A moment later, the blockage was removed. The daimyo of Rice Fields Country remained unconscious, showing no signs of waking.

He had been unconscious for too long. His body was weak, and his bodily functions had been affected.

Acupuncture Technique!

Green chakra needles extended from Doichi Hyuga's fingertips. Moments later, the daimyo's entire body was covered in them.

He pressed his palms together, and more than ten hair-thin needles continuously spun and trembled. They then burrowed into the daimyo's body, transforming into life energy that nourished his aged, depleted body.

The daimyo let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes.

"Father!"

"Father, you're finally awake!"

The four sons' expressions shifted unpredictably. After steadying themselves, they immediately crowded around him.

"The patient needs quiet rest. Please do not get too emotional, gentlemen! Keep quiet!"

Seeing that they had performed enough, Doichi Hyuga spoke up to interrupt them:

The mission target can't be tormented to death by these filial sons! This mission cannot fail, or Hiruzen Sarutobi might come looking for trouble with me!

"Th... thank... you... for... saving... me!"

The daimyo laboriously turned his head toward Doichi Hyuga and Kakashi, gratitude on his pale old face.

"From now on, you must give up drinking, indulgence, and staying up late. If this happens again, there will be no way to treat you!"

After giving a few instructions, Doichi Hyuga led everyone out of the sickroom.

"The daimyo is no longer in mortal danger. For the next three days, his diet must be light. Porridge can serve as his staple food, and he may eat small meals more frequently!"

"Prepare and brew the medicine according to the prescription. Take it three times daily after meals! I'll return tomorrow for a follow-up!"

Doichi Hyuga left behind the prescription and departed with Kakashi to find lodging.

At the follow-up the next day, the daimyo was already able to get out of bed and walk.

After examining him, Doichi Hyuga determined that he had made an initial recovery. He only needed a period of recuperation before regaining his health.

The daimyo was immensely grateful. With a wave of his hand, he added another ten million ryo to the mission reward. He was absurdly lavish.

Master Doichi was no longer short of money, yet people kept lining up to throw it at him. The lives of the rich really were boring, dull, and tedious!

After thanking the daimyo, the two left for Konoha.

As they approached the border between the two countries, Doichi Hyuga, who had been racing along, suddenly stopped.

"What is it?"

Kakashi stopped as well, already on alert.

Byakugan! Activate!

"Enemies! One of them seems to be Orochimaru!"

Doichi Hyuga had seen Orochimaru's wanted poster. He was a man who drew attention.

"Besides Orochimaru, there's also a young boy!"

"You leave first! I'll hold them off!"

Kakashi's face was grim. He had already prepared for the worst.

"It's too late!"

As soon as Doichi Hyuga spoke, two figures landed nearby.

"Long time no see, Kakashi! And this must be Doichi Hyuga, correct?"

Orochimaru stuck out his tongue and licked his face, his snake eyes watching the pair with amusement.

"Orochimaru! Why are you blocking our path? What is your purpose?"

Kakashi pushed up his eye covering, revealing his Sharingan. He was ready to fight to the death.

Orochimaru looked at Kakashi's Sharingan and ran his long tongue over the corner of his mouth.

Hidden Shadow Many Snakes Hand!

Orochimaru rapidly formed hand seals. Seven or eight snakes shot from his sleeves and lunged at them.

Kakashi was tightly bound by several snakes, but he escaped with the Substitution Technique. Spinning around, he used Fire Release to burn the pursuing snakes to death.

Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!

Just as Doichi Hyuga killed several snakes, countless more swarmed him from behind.

Orochimaru lay sprawled on the ground, his huge mouth open as he continuously released more snakes.

Myriad Snake Array!

The Myriad Snake Array drove the two far apart. A figure landed before Doichi Hyuga.

Kaguya Kimimaro. What a coincidence! The Byakugan experiments could continue!

Doichi Hyuga smiled at him and waited for him to make the first move.

Shikotsumyaku: Camellia Dance!

Kimimaro drew a bone sword and charged forward.

Byakugan! Activate!

Doichi Hyuga seized his wrist with his left hand and twisted it. With his right hand, he caught the fallen bone sword and slashed, severing three fingers.

Shikotsumyaku: Willow Dance!

A long bone spike extended from Kimimaro's left hand and stabbed toward Doichi Hyuga's chest. The three fingers on his right hand had already been replaced by white bone.

Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm!

Kimimaro's acupoints in his left arm were struck from a distance. The bone spike retracted, and his arm fell limply.

Doichi Hyuga kicked him in the chest, sending Kaguya Kimimaro flying backward like a cannonball.

The bone sword and three fingers vanished. Doichi Hyuga walked toward the fallen Kimimaro.

"Kid! Since the Takeori Clan is a distant relative of the Hyuga Clan, I won't kill you! Go back and keep training hard!"

Kimimaro lay on the ground coughing blood. Though the bone armor on his chest had blocked the kick, his internal organs were still seriously injured.

As Lord Orochimaru's important tool, how could I fall so easily?

Curse Mark: One!

Shikotsumyaku: Larch Dance!

Kimimaro erupted with bone spikes all over his body and charged again like a hedgehog.

Doichi Hyuga dodged and shifted fluidly. With every punch and kick, the bone spikes on his opponent's body snapped one after another.

Shikotsumyaku: Clematis Dance!

Kaguya Kimimaro pulled out his spinal bone and lashed it toward Doichi Hyuga.

Doichi Hyuga retreated to evade it, his palms moving rapidly.

Eight Trigrams: Triple Empty Palm!

Kaguya Kimimaro was sent flying once more, the bone armor on his chest pulverized by the Empty Palms.

He crashed heavily onto the ground, and Kaguya Kimimaro lost consciousness.

The Shikotsumyaku truly was a powerhouse among life-burning players. The more battles they fought and the fiercer those battles became, the faster they died! Its life-burning intensity was second only to the Eight Gates!

Looking at Kimimaro lying there like a corpse, Doichi Hyuga felt somewhat emotional.

The Hyuga Clan's historical records stated that few members of the Takeori Clan lived past thirty-five.

The greater one's talent in the Shikotsumyaku, the faster one died! The Takeori Clan was also an extremely warlike people. Their path toward extinction had practically been inevitable.

The ninja of the Ninja World were all life-burning players. They recklessly poured chakra out of their bodies to flaunt the power of their ninjutsu.

The Eight Gates stood above the rest, and Doichi Hyuga called it the strongest life-burning technique!

Doichi Hyuga had once seen Might Guy open the Third Gate, chakra erupting from his body as though it cost nothing.

It made Doichi Hyuga's teeth ache just watching.