Very soon, he saw the killer.
A youth dressed in white, veins bulging around his eyes, pupils pure white.
"The Hyuga clan!"
The bandit leader was clearly a cultured man. He recognized that classic appearance at once.
After all, people born with white pupils—there was only that one family in Konoha.
Hyuga Arin didn't answer. He simply hurled shuriken at the leader.
"Shuriken · Heavy Firepower · Fireballs!"
A row of fireballs streaked forward at extreme speed. The bandit leader could only raise the iron ball in his hand to block.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Metal rang out as the tremendous force transmitted through the iron ball, pushing the leader backward step by step.
When the noise finally died down, he was just about to move the iron ball away and check—
Hyuga Arin was already standing on top of it.
The blade in his hand flashed past the bandit leader's neck.
A massive head flew into the air.
The bandit leader hadn't even had time to use a single ninTechnique.
[Experience +112]
[Bandit's Armor: +15 Defense]
"Only one drop. What a useless boss," Hyuga Arin clicked his tongue.
He kicked off the ground and rushed in another direction, charging straight at the remaining bandits without stopping, continuing to harvest the entire mountain.
The moment they realized something was wrong, the bandits chose to flee.
Anyone who could escape from the mountain did so desperately, sprinting for their lives.
A living Yama King had descended on their stronghold—he killed on sight, without even giving them a chance to speak.
If you had complaints, at least say them!
If you said them, we'd definitely change!
Why cling to us and kill us all?!
Who comes straight for lives like this?!
(Hyuga Arin: A player.)
Even though Hyuga Arin was already moving as fast as he could, he still couldn't catch up with people running for their lives.
Everyone scattered and fled, leaving him no chance to strike.
As long as they ran fast enough, death couldn't catch them.
It had to be said—they made the right decision.
[Experience +677][Silver +78]
Corpses littered the mountain. Anyone who could run had already escaped.
Hyuga Arin, instead, went back to retrieve the shuriken he had thrown earlier—these were money.
There were also quite a few dropped items from farming.
[Bandit's Necklace: +10 Chakra Recovery Speed]
[Bandit's Left Bracer: +5 Strength]
[Money Pouch: Open to obtain 10–100 taels of silver]
[Bandit's Right Bracer: …]
[Bandit's Right Greave: …]
"Finally completed it."
Hyuga Arin equipped the necklace, ring, and left bracer.
New information appeared on his status panel.
[Bandit Set: Attack +10, Defense +10, Recovery Speed +10]
[Set Skill: Sap (No Level)]
Set bonuses were calculated separately, but what he cared about most was this Sap skill.
A god-tier skill for the early game.
He took a soldier pill from his inventory and stuffed it into his mouth. As he chewed, a bitter taste spread across his tongue.
Soldier pills were essential supplies for ninja on missions—restoring chakra, stamina, and filling the stomach.
Dieters would love them.
The only downside was the taste—mostly bitter, with a hint of sweetness.
"Next time I'll try the Nara clan's version," Hyuga Arin muttered as he chose a direction and headed down the mountain.
He'd heard the Nara family's soldier pills tasted better—just a bit expensive.
…
The location Tsunade had given them lay at the border of the Land of Fire.
Crossing the mountain range brought him there.
For some reason, Hyuga Arin encountered no further danger along the way. It was as if, in the eyes of the other villages, he simply didn't matter.
In fact, it wasn't just him.
The same went for Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hizashi.
Standing on a tree branch, Hyuga Arin looked toward the distant border. A military camp had already been set up there.
Beyond the camp lay the Land of Rain.
The Land of Rain and the Land of Fire met on flat terrain, divided only by an indistinct line marking their borders.
"So this is it?"
"Byakugan!"
All obstacles vanished from his sight. The world turned transparent gray; only human bodies with chakra possessed color.
Blue chakra stood out vividly in the Byakugan.
He saw many people moving about within the camp. From this distance, he could survey the entire area.
What reassured him was that everyone in the camp wore Konoha forehead protectors.
But he didn't see Tsunade or the Hyuga brothers.
"They haven't arrived yet?"
Shifting his gaze, he spotted three familiar figures in the forests on both sides, quickly approaching the camp—with no one else following them.
Only then did Hyuga Arin flip down from the tree and walk toward the camp.
This entire area was now considered safe territory.
They were merely preparing for war—taking precautions. The Five Great Nations hadn't fully torn off their masks yet.
But preparations like this weren't limited to Konoha alone. Other major nations were surely making similar military arrangements.
The impact was huge.
Ninja movements between nations would be restricted, causing major losses in revenue for the villages.
After all, the largest source of missions for ninja villages came from nobles and merchants of the Five Great Nations. Smaller countries' merchants simply couldn't afford long-term cooperation with major villages.
These restrictions also halted cross-border missions—another heavy blow to the ninja villages.
At times like this, it came down to foundations.
Whoever had the weakest foundation would be the first to make a move.
And whoever struck first—whether at the negotiation table or on the battlefield—would always be at a disadvantage.
"Next year is when the war breaks out. Sand Village, with the weakest foundation, should be the first to act," Hyuga Arin calculated silently.
Just then—
He turned his head toward the forest.
A figure burst out from the trees, charging straight at him.
The attacker opened with Gentle Fist. Hyuga Arin responded with Gentle Fist as well.
But with something extra mixed in.
Bear Wrestling Hands!
A soft palm strike, yet carrying terrifying power.
One palm slammed into the opponent's chest, blasting him backward.
"Hyuga Hiashi, what are you trying to do?" Hyuga Arin asked lightly, looking at Hiashi.
Inside his mind—
"Endorphin—max it out! All of it!!"
[Endorphin (Lv2) EXP (200/0)]
[Endorphin (Lv3) EXP (300/0)]
[Endorphin (Lv6) EXP (600/0)]
[Endorphin (Lv8) EXP (800/0)]
2800 experience points vanished in an instant.
Hiashi clutched his chest, face dark, and said in a low voice,
"Perhaps I gave you too many chances—so you've forgotten your place, grown this arrogant."
"Where do you get the nerve?" Hyuga Arin shot back mercilessly.
"What, planning to kill me here?"
His eyes flicked toward the nearby camp. "Leaving aside whether you even dare—are you worthy, with your strength?"
Hiashi's face twisted as he held his chest.
In direct combat, he was completely no match for Hyuga Arin.
Gritting his teeth, he growled,
"Remember this. You are a branch family member. You will be a branch family member for life. Know your identity."
His hands formed seals at lightning speed.
Caged Bird Seal—activate!!
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