Under the cover of thick fog, chaos reigned over the battlefield.
In large-scale battles like this, as the fight progressed, combatants would naturally disperse, engaging in individual duels. In the dense forest shrouded in mist, this separation occurred even faster.
A Hyuga clan elite Chunin named Hyuga Bai Ke was engaged in combat with a Sunagakure elite Chunin named Charlotte. The two clashed relentlessly, moving swiftly through the forest. Since Sunagakure ninja avoided direct close combat with the Hyuga, Charlotte never stayed in one place for long, constantly launching attacks with shuriken and ninjutsu while maintaining distance.
Hyuga Bai Ke, however, used his superior agility and speed to dodge the attacks, continuously closing in on his opponent. Occasionally, he managed to engage in direct combat, but Charlotte would always retreat before getting trapped.
The Hyuga clan was notoriously difficult to deal with. Though they were not known for aggressive offense, their defensive capabilities were among the strongest. With their Byakugan granting nearly 360-degree vision, they were nearly impossible to ambush, and most genjutsu had little effect on them.
This made Hyuga ninjas incredibly hard to kill in one-on-one battles. Even against stronger opponents, their defensive techniques allowed them to hold their ground. They might not always win, but they certainly would not fall quickly.
The fog swirled around them as they continued their deadly game of pursuit and retreat. Charlotte's blade flashed as he attempted to break away, but Hyuga Bai Ke pressed forward, his Gentle Fist technique swift and relentless. He sought an opportunity to land a critical blow and seal Charlotte's chakra points. So far, he had failed.
Suddenly, a figure burst through the fog from behind Charlotte at blinding speed, a blade flashing like a bolt of lightning.
An ambush!
Charlotte sensed the impending strike and instinctively moved to evade. However, his maneuver opened his front to Bai Ke, who seized the opportunity. His glowing palms struck like a blur, redirecting Charlotte's weapon and landing multiple blows on his body.
Charlotte's body stiffened—his chakra points were sealed.
A fraction of a second later, the enormous blade of Haruto Saito came crashing down.
Blood sprayed across the forest floor as Charlotte was cleaved in two. The force of the attack carved a deep trench in the earth. The ambush was executed flawlessly, with Bai Ke unknowingly assisting in the kill.
Blood splattered onto Haruto's body and even onto Bai Ke's robes.
Bai Ke's eyes widened in shock. He had assumed the attack was from an ally, but now he saw the truth—it was Haruto Saito!
"Hey there," Haruto said with a grin, his face streaked with blood, revealing bright white teeth.
For a moment, both men stood frozen, staring at each other.
Then, Bai Ke reacted. His stance shifted, and without hesitation, he lunged forward, launching an all-out assault.
From his perspective, Haruto was still a traitor to be eliminated. Killing Sunagakure ninja was one thing, but his real mission was to take down Haruto Saito.
Haruto met his strikes with swift and powerful swings of his blade, deflecting the rapid, precise strikes of Bai Ke's Gentle Fist. The Hyuga's combat speed was astonishing. The barrage of palm strikes came from unexpected angles, but Haruto's immense strength and precise timing allowed him to block them.
For each strike Haruto attempted, Bai Ke deflected it by striking the side of the blade, redirecting the force harmlessly away. At the same time, he attempted to land chakra-sealing strikes, trying to shut down Haruto's abilities.
After a dozen exchanges, Haruto suddenly accelerated. His strikes became heavier, sharper. He infused his movements with raw physical strength, powered by chakra-enhanced muscle control.
Bai Ke struggled to keep up. He was forced back step by step. The tide of battle was turning against him. He realized that if he kept fighting this way, he would eventually slip up—and against a weapon like Haruto's blade, a single mistake meant death.
"Damn it!" Bai Ke cursed, leaping back. With a flick of his wrist, he pulled a sword from his back.
The Hyuga were not known for using weapons often, but they were still trained in swordsmanship. Bai Ke assumed a ready stance, then dashed toward Haruto once more.
Haruto didn't move. He simply raised his sword and waited.
As Bai Ke closed the distance, Haruto's blade swung downward in a single, precise motion.
Crack—
The sound of shattering steel filled the air. Bai Ke's sword broke cleanly in half, and the next moment, Haruto's blade cleaved through his body.
Blood sprayed across the forest once again.
A Hyuga elite Chunin was dead.
Haruto exhaled, wiping his face. "I was just waiting for you to use your sword."
Bai Ke had made a fatal mistake. Had he continued fighting barehanded, using the evasive techniques of the Hyuga, Haruto would have had a much harder time. He might have needed to use more powerful techniques to finish the fight. But by drawing his blade and engaging in direct combat, Bai Ke had played right into Haruto's strength.
It was an instant kill.
Haruto quickly retrieved the fallen cards from both corpses and vanished into the fog.
His plan was simple—keep eliminating anyone he could. Both sides were enemies.
As for Hyuga Kyokoku, Haruto knew that the elite Jonin battles wouldn't conclude quickly. Such fights could drag on for extended periods, burning through chakra reserves and leading to exhaustion. The best time to strike would be when the battle was at its most desperate, when both sides were wounded and weakened.
Until then, Haruto would wait.
—
Moments later, in another part of the battlefield.
Another Hyuga elite Chunin was locked in combat with a Sunagakure elite Chunin. Haruto repeated the same strategy as before. He emerged from the fog, ambushed the Sunagakure ninja, and struck him down.
Then, as before, the Hyuga ninja turned on Haruto immediately.
"Haruto Saito!" the Hyuga warrior growled, eyes narrowing as he lunged.
Haruto smirked. "You guys really are all the same."
History repeated itself.
They clashed. The Hyuga warrior realized he couldn't withstand Haruto's relentless strikes and, like Bai Ke before him, fell back and drew his sword.
A fatal mistake.
A single swing of Haruto's massive blade ended the fight.
Blood covered the battlefield once more.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have achieved your first ten-kill streak! Rewards: 5,000 Reputation Points, one Magic Card, and one BOSS Card!"
The system's mechanical voice echoed in Haruto's mind.
Haruto grinned.
He wasn't done yet.