"Did it work?"
Ao stared fixedly at where Kimimaro stood, but the thick smoke rising into the air obscured his view. Left with no choice, Ao formed hand seals with one hand, gathered chakra, and activated the Byakugan in his right eye.
He had not wanted to use the Byakugan.
After days of fighting, he had barely any chakra left.
Otherwise, Kimimaro would not have knocked him flying so easily.
"This..."
With the Byakugan's power, Ao could see with exceptional clarity.
Kimimaro was actually completely unharmed!
Alarmed by the sight, Ao hurriedly shouted a warning. "Chōjūrō, watch out! That brat doesn't have a scratch on him!"
"Ao, sir, what did you say?!"
Chōjūrō panicked.
The Chakra Cannon just now had exhausted all his strength, and his legs were weak now.
Chōjūrō was an outstanding member of the younger generation, which was precisely why Mei Terumi had entrusted Hiramekarei to him.
It could be said that Chōjūrō was practically invincible among his peers in Kirigakure.
And yet now...
His all-out attack had failed to hurt the white-haired boy in the slightest.
Kimimaro had ground his pride mercilessly into the dirt.
The thick smoke around Kimimaro slowly dispersed...
Seeing Kimimaro emerge beneath the bone shield dealt a tremendous blow to Chōjūrō's young heart.
"I lost..."
"Lady Mei Terumi, I've failed your expectations. I don't deserve to wield Hiramekarei or become one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist..."
Chōjūrō's heart sank into despair, and all his fighting spirit vanished.
From the look of him, he would not recover anytime soon.
"Damn it!"
In desperation, Ao's mind raced as he considered how to deal with this troublesome white-haired brat.
Just then, through his Byakugan, he suddenly noticed the white-haired brat's heart stop for a moment.
Immediately afterward, the white-haired boy spat out