The torrential flood descended from the sky, crashing onto the ground!
It struck the spiraling chakra barrier, surging through the bone forest, demolishing the surrounding trees and everything nearby!
An earthquake erupted!
A real earthquake!
In midair, Haruto Saito rapidly adjusted his position, casting Wind Release jutsu to propel himself upward, using the counterforce to avoid being caught in his own Eightfold Great Waterfall Technique!
As the floodwaters hit the ground, they surged in all directions!
In just over ten seconds, the entire forest spanning several kilometers was completely destroyed, leaving behind a vast lake in its place!
A whirlpool formed in the center of the lake!
It swirled violently!
When Haruto Saito landed on the water's surface amid the rolling waves, a figure suddenly burst out of the vortex, leaping up before landing on the water—one knee on the surface—coughing up blood!
Hyuga Domon!
He had actually survived! His defensive capabilities left Haruto Saito in awe!
But he was in terrible shape!
His clothes were shredded, his skin covered in gashes, his body drenched in blood—clearly suffering severe injuries. Though he had defended himself, he was still heavily wounded. This was due to a major flaw in his Byakugan!
As a branch member of the Hyuga clan, the control seal on his forehead restricted his Byakugan's field of vision!
And the execution of Rotation depended entirely on the Byakugan. Because of his incomplete field of vision, his Rotation wasn't perfect!
As a result, when he defended against the Eightfold Great Waterfall Technique, some of the high-pressure water currents infiltrated his chakra shield, injuring him!
Luckily, it had been water. If it had been fire with the same level of impact, he would have been burned to death instantly!
"Truly impressive. Even after all that, you're still alive!" Haruto Saito said with a smirk.
"Shikotsumyaku! Shikotsumyaku!" Hyuga Domon's eyes widened, veins bulging on his forehead. "You're a spy! A spy! You're from the Kaguya clan! I see it now! Hahaha!" Hyuga Domon suddenly started laughing hysterically.
Because he realized—there was no need to continue fighting!
He had already lost! Fighting any longer would mean certain death!
He had been willing to risk his life for the mission.
But now, the situation had changed!
He had discovered Haruto Saito's secret!
So he could run back and report it instead. Not only would he avoid punishment, but he would also be rewarded. Once Hyuga Reita learned of this, he would surely report it to Konoha!
At that point, it wouldn't just be the Hyuga clan targeting Haruto Saito!
It would be Hiruzen Sarutobi himself!!
Claiming a lost bloodline secret had returned was something that could be made public—let Hiruzen Sarutobi decide!
Hyuga Domon laughed while stepping backward, his intent to flee evident.
"It's just a Kekkei Genkai. Is it really worth making such a big deal over?" Haruto Saito said indifferently.
"You're finished! You're dead! Hahaha, Haruto Saito!" Hyuga Domon laughed wildly. "You hid so well, yet I still found out! Kaguya clan! Hiruzen Sarutobi will kill you with his own hands!"
"It's not that serious." Haruto Saito smirked. "My teacher wouldn't bear to kill me."
"Hahahaha... You're done for… No matter what you say, it's over! You have Shikotsumyaku! You're dead!" Hyuga Domon continued laughing as he turned and ran!
Haruto Saito watched him flee, calmly pressing his hands together.
This was intentional stalling!
After running barely a hundred meters, Hyuga Domon suddenly stopped in horror. A moment later, he turned and ran back, his face filled with shock as he pointed a trembling finger at Haruto Saito, unable to form words.
Haruto Saito hadn't done anything—except activate his Byakugan!
"Y-you... You… You…" Hyuga Domon stammered, his voice shaking, his expression one of utter disbelief. "How is this possible?! How can you have Byakugan?!"
Because he had activated his own Byakugan, he could clearly see through Haruto Saito's body and confirm—the Byakugan wasn't transplanted!
"See? I told you—it's just a Kekkei Genkai. No need to be so shocked!" Haruto Saito grinned. "Not only do I have the Shikotsumyaku bloodline, but I also have the Byakugan. So, am I from the Kaguya clan? Or the Hyuga clan? Oh, and one more thing—my Byakugan is perfect, just like the main family's!"
"You—" Hyuga Domon was utterly stunned!
He couldn't comprehend it. It was impossible!
But he could make an educated guess!
Haruto Saito likely wasn't a member of the Hyuga or Kaguya clans. He might not have been born with any bloodline limits at all. The ones he had now were likely acquired later…
"You don't need to understand. It's time to send you on your way!" Haruto Saito declared, vanishing into a blur.
Charging toward Hyuga Domon!
Hyuga Domon was too heavily injured to fight back effectively in close combat. Haruto Saito was confident he could win!
And now, Hyuga Domon couldn't run. He hadn't completed his mission, nor could he prove Haruto Saito was a traitor. If he revealed Haruto Saito's dual Kekkei Genkai, Hiruzen Sarutobi might even consider Haruto Saito a once-in-a-generation genius with a special ability!
If that happened, the Hyuga clan would suffer greatly. They had attempted to assassinate the Hokage's disciple—Hiruzen Sarutobi would make them pay in blood!
The first to die would be Hyuga Domon. Even before Hiruzen Sarutobi got to him, the Hyuga clan would execute him to cover up the evidence!
Either way, he was dead!
Hyuga Domon's lips curled into a tragic smile.
He pressed his hands together, staring at the rapidly approaching Haruto Saito, preparing his final, desperate counterattack!
Haruto Saito closed in!
"Eight Trigrams: Mountain Crusher!"
A brilliant light erupted in front of Hyuga Domon—he had abandoned all defense! Haruto Saito could kill him, but he would also be struck down by Mountain Crusher!
"Eight Trigrams: Rotation!"
At the last moment, Haruto Saito spun rapidly, using Rotation to block the Mountain Crusher attack! Hyuga Domon was sent flying, trying to stabilize himself in midair, unwilling to give up!
"Eight Trigrams: Crescent Moon Rotation!"
Haruto Saito condensed his chakra barrier into a crescent shape, slashing it outward over dozens of meters!
"You—"
Boom!
Before Hyuga Domon could land, he was obliterated into a mist of blood!
Golden light exploded, and hundreds of dropped items scattered into the air.
"Ding! Host has first-killed a super boss! Reward: 10,000 reputation points, two tenfold spirit enhancement cards!"
"Ding! Host has completed an over-rank kill! Reward: 10,000 reputation points, one S-rank forbidden jutsu random card!"
A series of system notifications echoed in Haruto Saito's mind.
He blurred into motion, rushing to collect all the dropped items before sprinting out of the water-covered area, burrowing underground, and fleeing at top speed!
Run!
Just run first!
He had fought here for far too long—who knew if the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist had caught wind and were on their way?!
So, first, he had to escape!