"Hmm?!!"
Hyūga Shinichi let out a low murmur. The appearance of the White Zetsu was somewhat unexpected. Although the Byakugan possessed x-ray vision, observing extremely tiny objects still challenged the user's eyesight.
Before the White Zetsu spores activated, even Shinichi hadn't noticed these dust-like spores. Moreover, the White Zetsu spores possessed a strong camouflage ability; the chakra contained within the spores perfectly matched Sasori's chakra, successfully evading Shinichi's detection.
Seeing the White Zetsu charging toward him with howls, Hyūga Shinichi immediately faced a dilemma.
If he used the Flying Thunder God Technique, he could instantly escape the White Zetsu encirclement, catch up to Kakuzu, and stop his retreat. However, the presence of the White Zetsu would leak Shinichi's intelligence. More importantly, Shinichi wasn't sure if he had touched any of the White Zetsu spores during his battle with Sasori.
White Zetsu possesses a perfect replication ability by recording an enemy's chakra nature. If his chakra nature were recorded and successfully mimicked, it would undoubtedly pose a huge risk.
Compared to pursuing Kakuzu, the priority was to eliminate all these White Zetsu without leaving a trace.
White Zetsu clones are independent of each other. Even if a clone dies, the contained intelligence and information cannot be transmitted. This was evident in the storyline where Obito Uchiha left White Zetsu to guard Sasuke after his eye transplant; even when the main body died, the clones, upon meeting Sasuke, only knew about the main body's death through guesswork.
Of course, White Zetsu's communication ability is strong, but as Shinichi knew, they require a "channel" to communicate. Judging by their current actions, the information they possessed likely hadn't been transmitted yet.
Hyūga Shinichi's eyes narrowed. He raised his hand, and chakra began to condense and compress in his palm. A terrifying aura emanated from the chakra sphere in Shinichi's hand. As he leaped high into the air, the chakra sphere shot down toward the White Zetsu on the ground.
Mini Tailed Beast Bomb!
Six or seven White Zetsu were dispersed in a small area of about thirty square meters. Using a Mini Tailed Beast Bomb was sufficient to erase all traces in such a confined space!
"Boom!!!!"
The Tailed Beast Bomb crashed to the ground, and Shinichi's chakra instantly burst forth in a terrifying explosion. A roar echoed across the sky, and surging fire shot upwards. The splashing smoke and fire merged to form a spectacular mushroom cloud.
The moment the explosion occurred, Hyūga Shinichi used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport far away from the battlefield.
In the forest several hundred meters away, Hyūga Shinichi stood on top of a treetop, looking into the distance at the terrifying explosion he had created. The fire was reflected in his pupils.
Under the Byakugan's observation, the White Zetsu's chakra quickly vanished in the fire, disappearing without a trace. To be absolutely safe, Shinichi did not leave immediately. Instead, when the fire from the explosion weakened slightly, he returned to the battlefield and meticulously searched for any White Zetsu chakra signatures.
After repeatedly confirming several times, Hyūga Shinichi was certain that the White Zetsu had been eliminated. At the same time, Sasori's remains and his residual puppets were engulfed by the Mini Tailed Beast Bomb's explosion, turning into ashes in the fire. Only a few metal weapons at the edge of the battlefield were melted into molten iron and mixed with the soil, their original appearance indiscernible.
Sasori of the Red Sand, the culprit who triggered the Third Great Ninja War, perished silently within the Land of Fire. The only ones who knew the truth were Hyūga Shinichi and the escaping Kakuzu.
After inspecting the battlefield, pursuing Kakuzu became unrealistic for Shinichi. Kakuzu had fled very quickly, and Shinichi, delayed by the White Zetsu, could no longer "see" his traces. Furthermore, his sensory ninjutsu was disrupted by the strong chakra residue from his own Tailed Beast Bomb explosion, filling the air.
Although he hadn't managed to eliminate the greedy Kakuzu, the mission for this trip could be considered complete.
Encountering a powerful enemy like Hyūga Shinichi within the Land of Fire and losing a teammate was undoubtedly a huge blow to the Akatsuki.
Kakuzu would inevitably report his experience to the Akatsuki "leaders," which would make the already cautious organization even more protective of its intelligence and value its current "core members."
Akatsuki operates in two-person teams. This loss of personnel would serve as a serious warning. Until Kakuzu finds a new partner, he likely wouldn't dare to appear in the Land of Fire again, let alone continue attacking the Bounty Station.
A calmed-down Kakuzu, having left the battlefield, should be able to deduce why he and Sasori were suddenly attacked by a Konoha ninja. However, he likely wouldn't be able to distinguish whether the Bounty Station belonged solely to the Hyūga clan or to the Konoha village.
Hyūga Shinichi, having inspected the battlefield and confirmed no intelligence was left behind, used the Flying Thunder God Technique to depart. The explosion of the Mini Tailed Beast Bomb quickly attracted the attention of the Konoha ninja.
Konoha ninja were stationed almost everywhere in the Land of Fire, operating from fixed outposts where sensory ninja monitored for unusual chakra fluctuations. While the quality and accuracy of these sensory ninja varied, they could clearly detect the massive energy from a Tailed Beast Bomb explosion.
Not only the nearby sensory outposts but even the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, noticed the moment of Hyūga Shinichi's Mini Tailed Beast Bomb explosion.
Minato, working in his office, immediately paused upon sensing Shinichi's chakra, put down his pen, stood up, and walked to the window, gazing toward the battlefield's direction.
Minato's sensory abilities were very strong. During the Fourth Great Ninja War, he could even sense Naruto's chakra on the battlefield from the site of the revival ceremony. The battle between Shinichi and Akatsuki took place only a hundred miles from Konoha, and the chakra fluctuation of the Mini Tailed Beast Bomb was so intense that it couldn't be hidden from Minato.
"Is Shinichi... fighting someone?"
After a moment's thought, Minato restrained his urge to go to the battlefield himself. Although he didn't know what happened, he had considerable faith in Hyūga Shinichi's strength. As another user of the Flying Thunder God Technique, he knew Shinichi would be able to avert danger even if he encountered a powerful enemy.
He decided to wait for the report later. With that thought, Minato calmed down and sat back at his desk.
Minato was not the only one who sensed Shinichi's chakra fluctuation.
Kushina was about to leave to pick up Naruto from the Academy when she sensed Shinichi's chakra. She paused briefly, glanced toward the battlefield, then quietly withdrew her gaze and continued toward the Ninja Academy.
"Was he sent out by Minato on some mission?"
"It seems the enemy was very strong."
Kushina murmured to herself, then slowly disappeared into the crowd on the street.
The Bounty Station
Hyūga Shinichi appeared using the Flying Thunder God Technique. The corpses in the back room had already been cleared by Kohinata Tao's men. Kohinata Tao was currently sitting at the bar next to the hidden door, calculating the losses from the attack.
Shinichi emerged from the back room, and the sound of his footsteps made the focused Kohinata Tao jump slightly. He looked back fearfully in the direction of the sound. Seeing that it was Hyūga Shinichi, he let out a heavy sigh of relief, his pounding heart finally settling.
"Lord Shinichi!"
"You really are unpredictable! You scared me. I thought one of the brothers had returned from the dead in the morgue."
Kohinata Tao stood up, half-joking and half-complaining.
He quickly assessed Shinichi's appearance. Seeing that Shinichi, though covered in the smell of smoke, had no visible injuries, Kohinata Tao flashed a bright smile and complimented him:
"Lord Shinichi, is the matter settled?"
"I knew it! As long as you take action, everything will be resolved perfectly!"
Kohinata Tao's flattery, however, accidentally hit a sour note.
Shinichi shook his head. "One got away. It wasn't a complete success."
"I will personally explain this matter to Grand Elder, so you don't need to worry."
Hearing this, Kohinata Tao was somewhat surprised. He had heard much about the heir of the Main Family, Hyūga Shinichi. In his perception, the Main Family represented the most elite ninja in the world. The title of "Konoha's Strongest Clan" was not only touted by the Hyūga but deeply believed by the Kohinata clan as well.
He hadn't expected that even the Main Family's Hyūga Shinichi couldn't completely resolve the situation?!
However, Kohinata Tao quickly adjusted his attitude and continued to flatter: "Even if one ran away, it's harmless. The opponent must have learned a hard lesson."
"We probably don't need to worry about retaliation for a while."
"Lord Shinichi, you handled this beautifully."
As someone who managed a Bounty Station, his seemingly flattering words contained an underlying sharpness.
"The Grandfather has fully entrusted the affairs of the Bounty Station to me, so I will naturally address the safety issues."
"I will leave a Flying Thunder God kunai here. If anything happens, use a ninja hawk to send a message, and I will arrive immediately."
"To prevent potential attacks, I will use barrier jutsu to set up a safe house for your employees.' If you are attacked, you can retreat to the safe house."
"Although the barrier I set up is not invincible, it should be enough to allow you to hold out until support arrives."
On the way back, Hyūga Shinichi had pondered solutions, and setting up a defensive barrier was the best immediate measure.
The Hyūga clan did have some barrier ninjas, but their level was nowhere near Shinichi's. His barrier jutsu was inherited from the Uzumaki clan and taught personally by Kushina. Given his exceptional talent, the barriers he set up would be far more powerful than what an ordinary ninja could produce.
Hearing that Shinichi would set up a safe house, Kohinata Tao was ecstatic. He bowed repeatedly in thanks.
Although he worked for the Hyūga clan, Hyūga Shinichi's earnest attitude toward solving the problem made Kohinata Tao look at him with newfound respect.
This man... was completely different from the condescending arrogance of other Hyūga members.
Setting up a safe house was not as simple as casting a single barrier jutsu. It required selecting a location and pre-stocking the room with survival supplies and communication equipment.
All of this would take time to build and prepare.
Hyūga Shinichi did not linger at the Bounty Station. After a brief explanation, he used the Flying Thunder God Technique to return to the Hyūga compound.
The Hyūga Compound
Returning to his study, he happened to meet Hyūga Shin waiting for him. Shin had seen the note Shinichi left on the desk when he came to the study and decided to wait for him.
If Shinichi hadn't returned by dinner time, Shin would have informed Hanako and the others that he was not home.
Seeing Shinichi return, Shin subtly let out a breath of relief. Frankly, he had been somewhat anxious about Shinichi going out to track the attackers of the Bounty Station, especially knowing the culprits might be part of an "organization."
With Shinichi's return, he could finally relax.
"How did it go?"
Shin asked about the Bounty Station situation with concern. At the same time, he closely examined Shinichi's condition. Seeing no injuries on Shinichi, a smile crossed Shin's face.
"There were two ninjas who attacked the Bounty Station: one named Kakuzu, a missing-nin from Takigakure, and the other named Sasori, a missing-nin from Sunagakure."
"These two should belong to the same organization and wear similar attire."
"In this engagement, I successfully killed Sasori, but Kakuzu escaped."
"However, I estimate that the Bounty Station shouldn't suffer repeated attacks in the short term."
"But for safety reasons, I suggest building safe houses in all the Bounty Stations and protecting the personnel with barriers."
Hyūga Shinichi did not reveal too much information. Explaining the source of his intelligence could sometimes be a hassle. The information he provided was, for the moment, all publicly observable information.
The Akatsuki was not prominent yet, and revealing too much would make Shinichi himself too conspicuous.
Regarding the intelligence Shinichi had acquired, Hyūga Shin simply nodded to acknowledge it, without asking further questions. Shinichi's safe house plan sounded excellent. If successfully implemented, it could maintain the Bounty Station's operations.
"The idea for the safe house is very good. Let's push it forward quickly."
"As for the culprits who attacked the Bounty Station..."
"Shinichi, if they are an organization, they might retaliate, right?"
"One can only be on guard for so long; we must find a way to eliminate future threats."
This was Hyūga Shin's simple way of thinking. While he agreed with Shinichi's overall goal, achieving it would not be easy.
"I understand. I will continue to follow up on this."
Shinichi nodded in agreement. Shin, reassured, patted Shinichi's shoulder and encouraged him:
"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Whether you do well or not, no one will criticize you."
"Remember, the Hyūga clan will always support your decisions."
"Hanako has gone to the Academy to pick up Hinata."
"Speaking of which, your sister has become quite the sensation at the Ninja Academy."
"Shinichi, I suggest finding a time to apply the Caged Bird Seal to Hinata. It's for her own good and the good of the Hyūga clan."
The sudden mention of the Caged Bird Seal by Shin made Hyūga Shinichi look intently at his Grandfather. He didn't understand why he would bring this up now.
However, Shinichi's attitude was very clear:
"The matter of the Caged Bird Seal... a decision has already been made."
"Grandfather, please don't trouble yourself with this."
Although he deflected Hyūga Shin, Shinichi was curious about Hinata's recent activities. What had she done to make Hyūga Shin suddenly have such an idea?!
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