Chapter 39: Another Hostage Appears
At the beginning, A and Killer Bee were merely testing their opponent's strength, probing for weaknesses in the Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist technique.
As the battle intensified and they gradually discerned their opponents' capabilities, they began to fight at full strength.
A, the candidate for the Fourth Raikage, activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, combining it with his brutal, powerful taijutsu, relentlessly pressuring Hyūga Hiashi.
Although the Byakugan could see the flow of chakra within the body and predict enemy movements, the Gentle Fist technique was completely ineffective against A's defenses.
Without the ability to attack his opponent's internal organs and chakra network, Hiashi's combat power was significantly diminished.
Moreover, as A's speed continued to increase, Hiashi gradually realized that even his Byakugan was struggling to keep up with his opponent's movements.
"Too fast... Is he using the flow of Lightning Release chakra to continuously stimulate his body, drastically increasing his speed?"
Hiashi's expression grew increasingly grim, and his attacks became more cautious.
This only gave A more opportunities to suppress him. As the battle progressed, the gap between them widened, and Hiashi began to fall into a dangerous situation.
In comparison, Hyūga Hizashi's predicament was even worse.
Killer Bee was a Jinchūriki of the Eight-Tails, possessing an enormous, seemingly inexhaustible chakra reserve.
His combination of extraordinary kenjutsu and taijutsu, executed with incredible speed, left Hizashi struggling to defend himself.
Each time he faced mortal danger, Hizashi was forced to use Rotation to deflect fatal attacks.
Although Rotation was an absolute defense, it had a glaring weakness—it consumed a tremendous amount of chakra.
If the battle was short, it wouldn't be a problem.
But once it turned into a prolonged fight, the longer it dragged on, the worse it became for the Hyūga brothers.
If they exhausted their chakra, their fate would be either capture or death.
The same dire situation befell the three Konoha Jōnin—Raimei Yamato, Watanabe Daie, and Higashimura Hiba.
They had barely held out until reinforcements arrived, thinking they were saved, only to find that even two elite Jōnin couldn't turn the tide.
The remaining Kumogakure shinobi weren't about to give them a moment's rest. Seeing the three Konoha Jōnin struggling back to their feet, several enemy shinobi immediately launched another assault, preventing them from recovering their strength or chakra.
For a moment, the five Konoha Jōnin faced the imminent threat of total annihilation.
"Don't expect your reinforcements to arrive—just die here! Hahaha!"
"That's right! Don't think we only sent a few people. This time, we came fully prepared! Your Konoha reinforcements are probably still battling our interception unit—they won't make it in time!"
"Damn bastards! They're already injured! Why are they still so strong? Just die already!"
"Surrender. You have no chance of escaping. If you continue to resist, we'll have no choice but to kill you..."
The Kumogakure shinobi who weren't engaged in battle began psychological warfare, further shaking the already disadvantaged Konoha ninjas.
In a moment of carelessness, Hyūga Hiashi was suddenly caught off guard—A flashed to his side and struck him with a powerful punch.
"Boom!"
The future Fourth Raikage, whose taijutsu was so powerful he could contend with the Eight-Tails itself, delivered a devastating blow.
Hiashi took the hit squarely on his back, spewing a mouthful of blood as he was sent flying.
His fall was like the first breach in a dam, triggering a complete collapse.
On the other side, Hyūga Hizashi was also subdued by Killer Bee.
A sharp blade rested against his throat, rendering him immobile.
Meanwhile, the three remaining Jōnin were also overwhelmed and captured by Kumogakure's elite forces.
"Why don't we just kill them?"
A young Kumogakure ninja looked at Killer Bee and A with confusion.
Before either could answer, an older, one-eyed Jōnin stepped forward.
"These guys are Konoha's top combatants, especially the two from the Hyūga clan."
"The Hyūga clan's Bloodline Limit, the Byakugan, is extremely powerful. If we can obtain that power, it will significantly enhance our village's strength."
"Moreover, keeping them alive gives us valuable bargaining chips for negotiations. This way, we can gain even greater benefits in the upcoming talks!"
The one speaking was Tsuchidai, a former close aide of the Third Raikage.
After the Third Raikage perished fighting ten thousand Iwagakure shinobi, Tsuchidai's role shifted to assisting the Fourth Raikage, A.
Hearing his explanation, the other Kumogakure ninjas finally understood.
"Tie them up and keep a close watch! Don't let them escape!"
"Once the war is over, we'll make sure to keep their eyes—that's the Hyūga clan's Bloodline Limit!"
The Fourth Raikage, A, loudly issued his orders.
Suddenly, at that moment, all the Kumogakure Jōnin present felt a chill run down their spines.
Sure enough, a playful voice rang out from above them:
"Quite the well-laid plan you have there."
"Who's there?!"
All the Kumogakure shinobi immediately looked up, but the sky was empty—there was nothing there.
"Lord Fourth! Behind you!"
A Kumogakure sensor ninja quickly detected the presence of an intruder and shouted a warning to A.
The others turned their heads swiftly.
There, standing on a thick branch of a large tree behind the Fourth Raikage, was a young man—no older than twenty.
He wore a Konoha forehead protector, clearly marking him as part of the reinforcements.
"Who is this kid?"
"He dares to face us alone? He's got guts!"
"But how did he appear here without us noticing?"
"Doesn't matter—just another fool rushing to his death! Hahaha! Catch him, and we'll have one more hostage!"
Seeing that only one person had arrived and that he looked unimpressive, the hundreds of Kumogakure shinobi erupted into laughter.
Almost no one took him seriously.
Except for a select few.
The Fourth Raikage, A, was one of them. He locked eyes with the young man and spoke in a deep voice:
"Since you dare to show yourself, are you planning to rescue them alone?"
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