A Formidable Enemy Strikes

"Wu, am I useless?"

Anko looked up, her brownish-gray eyes dim and lifeless, devoid of any color.

"Useless?" Hyuga Satoru smiled helplessly. "Honestly, I don't understand why you'd label yourself with that word."

"But I really do feel useless. You and Rin are both so outstanding, and Teacher Shibi is renowned even among jonin. Only I..."

Anko's voice grew lower and lower.

"Why would you think that? Anko, you're already very outstanding."

Hyuga Satoru sighed and made his voice as gentle as possible.

"I just want to do something for everyone, no matter how small. When Rin fought Kakashi, I really wanted to help, but I couldn't beat Kakashi at all. All I could do was run and find you."

"I really hate that feeling, that feeling of helplessness. I was clearly right there..."

Hyuga Satoru fell silent.

In the original story, Anko had been accepted as Orochimaru's disciple, so she was undoubtedly a genius. But under his influence, her path had changed. Instead of becoming Orochimaru's disciple as she should have, she now seemed to have faded into obscurity among the masses.

And compared with himself and Uchiha Rin, that gap had been infinitely magnified.

"Anko."

Hyuga Satoru took a breath, placed both hands on her shoulders, and spoke as gently as he could.

"You're already excellent. You may just not stand out as much among us. As long as you find your strengths and persevere, you'll definitely become an outstanding ninja."

"Do you understand?"

"Mm."

Anko nodded and answered softly.

Hyuga Satoru sighed faintly. Perhaps after they returned this time, he should discuss with Teacher Shibi about giving Anko some special training.

With Hyuga Satoru's encouragement, Anko's mood visibly improved. After resting briefly, the two began searching for the final hideout mentioned in the intelligence.

This location was extremely well hidden. Hyuga Satoru searched for a long time without finding any trace of them.

"It seems the Anbu scouts merely inferred from those bandits' movements that their hideout was somewhere nearby. As for the exact location, they probably never found it either."

"This is troublesome."

Hyuga Satoru helplessly curled his lip and looked toward the rendezvous point he had agreed upon with Aburame Shibi. It was already very far from here.

If they continued finding nothing, they could only return and meet up with the others first, then discuss a plan.

His gaze swept across the surroundings. This place was very close to the coast, with an unobstructed view. There were only stretches of forest and a cliff by the sea.

If there were a bandit hideout nearby, it should have been easy to spot.

"Strange." Hyuga Satoru could not help frowning.

Beside him, Anko suddenly asked in confusion, "Wu, I don't understand something. Why would those bandits place their hideout here? This doesn't seem like a suitable place for one."

Why would they place their hideout here?

A flash of insight suddenly struck Hyuga Satoru, and he vaguely felt that he had grasped something.

Since those bandits had established their hideout nearby, there had to be something here that suited their purpose. He quickly scanned the area, and his gaze gradually settled on the cliff by the shore.

"Anko, stay here. Don't move around. I'll go take a look."

"Okay."

Arriving at the foot of the cliff, Hyuga Satoru looked up at the rock face and activated his Byakugan. Sure enough, he discovered some clues.

"These bandits really have remarkable perseverance."

There were traces of man-made excavation on the cliff. Through the Byakugan's view, he could clearly see iron spikes, ropes, and other footholds driven into the rock wall. Following those traces upward, he found a huge hollow at the top of the cliff.

That was also why his search had yielded nothing. Unless he came to the foot of the cliff, neither the Byakugan nor Electromagnetic Sense could reach it.

Hyuga Satoru smiled. "No wonder they chose this place as their hideout. From the top of the cliff, no merchant ship passing through the nearby waters can escape their surveillance."

After figuring that out, Hyuga Satoru leaped upward, landed on a protruding section of rock, then leaped again, rapidly closing in on the top of the cliff.

Those bandits were not particularly strong. Using a large sniper rifle to snipe kill them from afar would take too much time. Entering the hideout directly was more efficient.

In the forest.

Anko could not help growing anxious.

"Wu has been gone for so long. Why hasn't he come back yet? Did something happen to him?"

They were far from Konoha Village, in the most chaotic region of the Land of Fire, where ninja from other villages often appeared.

That was also why the Hokage had assigned them to eliminate the bandits.

Hyuga Satoru's prolonged absence made her increasingly worried.

Just then, a familiar voice rang out, finally easing her tense heart.

"Anko, let's go meet up with Teacher Shibi."

Hyuga Satoru walked out of the forest and smiled at her.

"Has the mission been completed?"

"Mm. Once we meet up with Teacher Shibi, it'll be over. With his and Rin's abilities, they should have finished too."

"Is that so? Still, I didn't help with anything at all."

Anko could not help sighing.

"Don't say that, Anko. If you hadn't reminded me, I never would have found their hideout. I might still be wandering around like a headless fly right now."

"Let's hurry and meet up with Teacher Shibi."

"Mm." Anko responded softly.

The agreed rendezvous point was far from here. After walking for a while, Hyuga Satoru turned back and looked at the gloomy gray sky above the sea. Faint flashes of lightning could be seen within it.

Hyuga Satoru frowned.

"Looks like it's going to rain heavily. Let's pick up the pace."

The two sped up, darting swiftly through the forest.

After traveling for some time, Hyuga Satoru's expression suddenly turned grave. He grabbed Anko beside him and whispered.

"Wait, Anko. There are two ninja from other villages ahead."

Hearing that, Anko stopped as well and looked at Hyuga Satoru nervously.

"Wu, are they enemies?"

"It's unclear for now, but they're probably very strong."

Hyuga Satoru's expression was extremely grave. Just moments ago, he had suddenly sensed two immensely powerful Biological Magnetic Fields entering his perception. They were definitely exceptionally powerful ninja.

His Byakugan quietly activated. When Hyuga Satoru saw the symbols on their forehead protectors and the Ninja Sword on one of their backs, he instinctively drew a sharp breath.

"Anko, retreat. They're members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist."

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist???

At those words, Anko felt as though a huge hand had viciously clenched her heart.

They were the Hidden Mist Village's strongest humanoid weapons. Every one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen was an extremely powerful elite jonin, and even in the distant Land of Fire, she had long heard of their cruelty and bloodthirstiness.

"Are both of them members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?" Anko swallowed and asked instinctively.

"No. The other one isn't, but he may be even more terrifying."

Hyuga Satoru silently held his breath. The Biological Magnetic Field of the man without a Ninja Sword was actually stronger than Aburame Shibi's. Even if Teacher Shibi were here, he likely would not dare face both men at once.

He did not know whether they possessed sensory abilities, so Hyuga Satoru did not dare make too much noise, afraid they would detect their trail.

The air around them seemed to freeze solid, and the two slowed their movements as well, holding their breath as they gradually retreated.

Just then, the two figures in his Byakugan's vision moved.

They were incredibly fast, rapidly closing in on this place.

"Damn it! Did they notice us after all?"

Hyuga Satoru's expression turned exceedingly grim.