[While the group was talking, a white line snaked along the water toward them—a massive water dragon attack.]
["Water instead of fire, huh? Some tactic that was," Shion commented, rolling her eyes at the unexpected water-based attack.]
["No time for that—run!"]
["Head for higher ground!"]
[Neji quickly ordered the group to climb up the cliff.]
["I figured you'd try to run," sneered Shizuku, controlling the water dragon from afar as he continued pressing the attack.]
[They reached a flat clearing, and Neji and the others formed a protective circle around Shion: "No idea which direction they'll strike from—stay close!"]
[Even in this urgent situation, Shion couldn't help complaining about Neji's tactics: "Seriously, what a brilliant plan! You said water was an advantage, but even the reliable Neji is falling apart. What a hopeless outlook."]
["Damn, my blood pressure's rising!"]
["Okay, so being spoiled is a cover, but that sharp tongue is definitely her true personality!"]
["It's not always easy to keep up a façade for long; eventually, the real personality leaks through. After all, she's not a robot."]
"Being able to switch chakra natures so easily—what a tactical advantage," Kakashi mused, then turned to the genin with a serious look: "It looks convenient, but compared to honest hard work, this kind of shortcut strength is flimsy. It's fine to study it, but don't let it distract you from real training."
"Hmph! Even that idiot wouldn't take that path, so you don't have to worry about the rest of us," Sasuke muttered without turning his head.
"Yeah! No matter what moves they've got, I'll wipe the floor with them!" Naruto declared, raising a fist, only to realize a beat later who Sasuke had called an idiot.
"Sasuke! You jerk!"
["There must be someone controlling the water dragon nearby. Byakugan!" Neji ignored Shion's sniping and activated his Byakugan, quickly finding the enemy's position. "Got them—two of them on the cliff. Hm?"]
["That guy's the same one who used Fire Release during the Ghost Army raid on the Land of Demons," Neji analyzed calmly. "It's normal for a jōnin to use multiple elements, but from his chakra points, there's no sign of Water Release at all."]
["Man, Byakugan is so overpowered!"]
["Seriously—spotting enemies from that far away and even analyzing their chakra nature. That's invaluable for battlefield tactics!"]
["No wonder the Cloud Village sent a team to try to steal the Byakugan from Konoha… Not that they succeeded, of course."]
["Hey! Don't spread lies—we never tried to steal the Byakugan! It was Konoha's people who ambushed our delegation, killed our envoy, and then tried to cover it up with a Hyuga branch family corpse!"]
["Cloud Village—always shameless!"]
["Bastards! You killed Hizashi and still dare talk like that!"]
["What's that got to do with us? Blame your Third Hokage and the Hyuga clan leader instead."]
Seeing those comments, Neji's Byakugan bulged with anger, veins popping as he glared murderously, leaving his teammates a bit shaken.
"Calm down, Neji," Guy said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't let their words get to you."
In the Hyuga compound, Hiashi clenched his fists, tense at first but soon deflated, bowing his head in regret.
["They're on the opposite cliff," Naruto said, noticing Neji's gaze and getting ready to charge over.]
["No! Don't leave your post!" Neji shouted, but of course, Naruto wasn't one to listen. "Why not?! They're controlling that water dragon, right? I'll take them out!"]
[Before Neji could stop him, Naruto dashed off without a backward glance.]
[Lee quickly stepped forward, telling Neji, "We can't let Naruto go alone—I'll go too."]
[Neji watched them disappear, shaking his head helplessly: "Lee… Those two…"]
["Naruto just does whatever he wants—like he didn't hear a word Neji said!"]
["Poor Neji must be at his wits' end."]
["Honestly, splitting up to counterattack is a legitimate tactic too, right? So it's not like Naruto's completely wrong."]
["Is the problem with the tactic or with Naruto being so impulsive?!"]
["At least Lee's being smart—he made it sound like he was backing up Naruto, so now it looks like he's just supporting the team."]
["Man, being their team leader must be a nightmare."]
Kakashi, who hadn't spent that much time with the team before, found himself nodding in agreement with the comments after seeing Naruto's behavior.
["For now, we have to rely on those two." Sakura knew how her teammates worked and accepted the situation.]
[Shion, though, looked unimpressed: "That bushy-browed guy and that idiot?"]
["Two of them down," the enemy's Shizuku and Kusso noted, eyeing the remaining trio with relaxed confidence. "Heh, this'll make it easier for us."]
["They're coming," said Yitai, waiting with Shizuku as Naruto and Lee charged forward. "You take the taijutsu user; I'll handle the orange-haired one with Shadow Clone Jutsu. Got it?"]
["Why not just wipe them both out at once?" Yitai asked, but he didn't protest Shizuku's plan. He leapt up to meet Lee head-on.]
["The villains carefully follow tactics while the heroes are just freelancing. Come on—this is about saving the entire ninja world. Naruto, could you please get it together?!"]
["Ninja, heroes or villains, it's all the same—they're just tools for their missions. Don't treat Konoha like some kind of savior."]
["Whoa, easy there. Regardless of being tools, that lot from Hyouken are trying to conquer the world. Any decent person would stand with Naruto to stop them, right?"]
["Are the standards for ninja this low now? Following orders is the most basic thing, right? Is that even worth arguing about?!"]