Nanaki activated his Byakugan. With his gaze piercing through the shadows, he carefully surveyed every inch within his field of vision—yet, once again, found no signs of life.
A moment later, he deactivated his Byakugan and shook his head.
"Nothing," he said.
Veigar and the others relaxed slightly at Nanaki's confirmation.
"Then we begin the night watch," Veigar announced.
"Nanaki, Shikatsu, you take the first half. Jun and I will cover the second."
None of them objected. The arrangement was sensible.
Silently, time slipped past midnight. Veigar gently roused the sleepy Jun Inuzuka and Benimaru from their rest, relieving Shikatsu and Nanaki from their post.
Above, the full moon bathed the forest in a ghostly silver light. Only then did Veigar remember—
Tonight was a full moon.
Shikatsu and Nanaki had barely laid down when, just as Veigar thought the night would pass uneventfully, Benimaru suddenly let out a low growl—then barked sharply.
"Woof."
"Woof! Woof!"
Veigar and Jun immediately tensed. The disturbance also jolted Shikatsu and Nanaki awake. They sprang from the hollow tree trunk and rushed outside.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
From the darkness, kunai and shuriken shot out of the shadows, hurtling toward Veigar and Jun.
"There!" Nanaki shouted.
His Byakugan already active again, he pointed toward the source of the attack.
"Four enemies in total."
Explosions from exploding tags lit up the night. Veigar swiftly twisted away from the incoming projectiles. His eyes followed Nanaki's direction, quickly discerning the enemy's position.
Amid the chaos, he drew the ninjatō from his hip.
Swish…
The group of four, plus Benimaru, assumed their combat stances. Crouched low, Benimaru growled menacingly at a young Suna-nin perched atop a tree branch.
He had almost been blown to pieces moments ago.
"Hyuga Clan, huh?" the youth sneered.
"Tch. Just a bunch of brats."
Ishigami scanned the four Leaf shinobi on the ground. His initial anxiety faded, he judged them too young and inexperienced to pose any real threat.
His attitude clearly affected his three subordinates, who relaxed alongside him.
Intent on ending the fight quickly, Ishigami reached into his ninja pouch and pulled out a kunai in a reverse grip, then charged directly at Veigar.
"Kill…"
It was a whisper in his mind, his intent sharp and clear.
His first move was to eliminate Veigar, the youngest and, by his assumption, the weakest. Then he could assist his teammates.
But the moment Ishigami lunged, his subordinates also launched their attacks on Shikatsu, Jun, and Nanaki simultaneously.
Seeing Ishigami coming for him, Veigar didn't hesitate. Gripping his blade tightly, he met the enemy head-on.
Clang—!
Sparks exploded from the clash of steel as kunai met short blade. Ishigami's eyes widened at the force behind Veigar's strike. Looking at the boy's youthful face, he gasped inwardly—
"Damn it…"
He had misjudged.
Despite his age, Veigar's strength and speed rivaled his own. Their weapons clashed repeatedly—
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The ring of metal echoed through the night as they weaved in and out of one another's range, blades flashing with deadly precision.
One misstep would spell death.
"Fast… and strong," Ishigami thought.
He was stunned. Veigar's physical prowess rivaled that of a seasoned Chūnin specializing in taijutsu.
Had it not been for his age, even some Jōnin might struggle against him.
After all, Veigar's Body Enhancement Technique enhanced his physicality tenfold—not something to take lightly.
Clang!
Realizing he couldn't win through brute force, Ishigami blocked another powerful slash and quickly leapt back, putting nearly thirty meters between them.
Veigar watched him retreat, slightly surprised by the distance Ishigami had covered.
But then he saw Ishigami weaving hand signs at high speed. The Suna-nin inhaled deeply and exhaled forcefully.
"Wind Release: Thousand-Faced Gale!"
A storm of razor-sharp winds roared toward Veigar. But Veigar had already seen through him.
The attack wasn't meant for him alone—it was a wide-area jutsu meant to strike Shikatsu, Jun, and Nanaki too.
Veigar didn't hesitate.
Rasengan: Revolving Heaven.
He charged directly into the storm, wrapped in his spiraling defensive sphere.
As expected, the moment Ishigami unleashed the jutsu, his three subordinates disengaged from their opponents and retreated, expecting the gale to sweep the field.
But what came next stunned them.
The technique never reached Shikatsu, Jun, or Nanaki.
Instead, they were now wide open for counterattack.
Secret Technique: Bug Sphere!
Fang Over Fang!
Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms!
Veigar's bold maneuver had caught them all off guard—even Ishigami.
Faced with an opponent charging straight through his jutsu, Ishigami had no choice but to abandon Thousand-Faced Gale and fall back again.
"Absolute defense?" he muttered.
He had guessed the nature of Veigar's technique, but he wanted to test its true strength firsthand.
He planted his feet on the trunk of a tree and channeled chakra to his mouth, then exhaled sharply onto his kunai.
Wind Release: Vacuum Blade!
Then, with a burst of chakra, he launched himself at Veigar.
Clang!
The Vacuum Blade clashed against the spiraling Rasengan shield, creating a deafening metallic shriek.
For a heartbeat, time froze.
Then, the Vacuum Blade shattered.
Ishigami's face paled. He had no time to retreat.
Boom!
Veigar crashed into him head-on, sending him flying through the air.
Back on the battlefield, Ishigami's subordinates had finally broken free and were scrambling to counterattack.
Earth Release: Earth Wall!
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
Fire Release: Flame Bullet!
A gust of wind blew away the swarm of bugs surrounding Shikatsu. A wall of earth rose up to shield Jun. And Nanaki now faced a fireball barreling toward him.
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