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To be honest, Hayato didn't really want to transform into the Hulk right now. The only ones here were the Sannin—no other Konoha shinobi around. If he lost control after transforming, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya might force the battle away from Konoha and even drag it into Amegakure territory. That would be a disaster.
No, if he had to unleash the beast, he'd rather do it in the middle of a crowd.
With that decision made, Hayato drew in a deep breath. Instead of transforming, he kicked off the ground, leaping past the three Sannin and their summons, aiming straight for Konoha's camp.
"Huh? He's trying to run?" Jiraiya blinked in surprise.
"Not run—look at his direction. He's heading toward Konoha's camp," Orochimaru's pupils narrowed.
"What, straight to the camp? Alone? He's basically throwing himself to the wolves." Jiraiya actually relaxed after hearing that, laughing it off. He'd never seen Hayato's Hulk form with his own eyes. No matter how much Orochimaru had warned him, Jiraiya figured he was exaggerating.
"Stop him now! He's going to use his kekkei genkai inside the camp, damn it!" Orochimaru's face twisted. That was the whole reason they'd come here in the first place—to intercept Hayato. Having witnessed the Hulk firsthand, Orochimaru knew exactly what kind of devastation Hayato would cause if he transformed inside Konoha's camp. Even if they managed to capture or kill him, the damage would be catastrophic.
"Why bother stopping him? Isn't he just walking right into his own death?" Jiraiya still thought Orochimaru was overreacting.
But Tsunade, hearing Orochimaru's tone, launched forward after Hayato without hesitation. She didn't fully understand why Orochimaru treated Hayato's kekkei genkai with something that felt almost like reverence—but she trusted him. Between the three of them, Orochimaru was the one being the most serious right now. That was enough for her.
Seeing both Orochimaru and Tsunade chasing after Hayato, Jiraiya scratched his head, then sighed and followed.
It didn't matter, though. None of them could keep up.
Hayato was simply too fast.
He'd trained for speed and power from the very beginning, using weighted gear and every method he could find. Once he mastered the Weight Rock Technique, he piled on even more. And when those weights came off—his speed was terrifying.
"Damn it, how can he move this fast?!" Tsunade gritted her teeth, watching his figure pull farther and farther away.
"His speed is incredible. Tsunade, I'll slow him down with ninjutsu—you use the opening to catch up. You must stop him before he reaches the camp. Force him to use his kekkei genkai if you have to." Orochimaru's voice was sharp and serious.
"Got it!" Tsunade nodded hard. Chakra surged to her feet, cracking the ground with every step as she pushed her speed even higher using her monstrous strength.
"Wind Style: Wind Cutter!" Orochimaru spat out a slicing blade of wind toward Hayato.
Hayato had to veer off to dodge, which slowed him slightly. Orochimaru didn't let up, unleashing jutsu after jutsu. Hayato frowned, doing everything he could to resist the urge to transform. The anger in his chest was boiling, but he forced it down.
That was when Tsunade closed the distance. With a shout, she pushed off from a tree trunk, splintering it behind her, and launched herself at him like a cannonball.
"Monster Strength Punch!"
Hayato didn't dare take it head-on. He crossed his arms in front of him—
BAM!
The blow sent him flying, smashing through tree after tree before he finally skidded to a stop, coughing blood.
"Kh… cough!" He clutched his chest, forcing himself upright. But by then, Orochimaru and Tsunade had already caught up, with Jiraiya trailing behind.
A faint green haze was already clouding Hayato's eyes—he was on the edge of transforming. But not yet. The camp was still too far. He turned and dashed forward again, Tsunade hot on his heels.
And then, right in his path, several Konoha shinobi appeared.
One of them, a young man in his early twenties with an almost childlike air about him, charged ahead with a big grin. Behind him, another stood out—a tall man with long, water-blue hair.
"Big sis, I'll help you catch him!" the younger ninja shouted, eyes shining as he spotted both Hayato and Tsunade behind him.
Tsunade's heart dropped. "No! Stop! Get out of the way!"
It was Nawaki—her little brother.
He'd survived the Second Shinobi War in this world, unlike in the original timeline, and now, a decade later, he was a newly minted jonin. But even so—there was no way he could stand against Hayato.
"....."