Naruto: Hyuga Warlord

"I will accept this rescue mission."

Hyuga Soushu replied thoughtfully. "But this operation will be under my command alone. No one is allowed to take over my squad!"

"Even if it's Honorable Lady Namiko herself, I won't let her interfere with your command!"

Shirakawa Namiko naturally agreed to this requirement without hesitation.

And in his eyes, this demand was understandable—after all, Danzo was still at the camp!

Who knew what might happen after he left if Soushu didn't firmly block any potential threats beforehand!

"When do you plan to depart?"

Hyuga Soushu nodded and then asked Yechame Hamako.

"Would ten minutes from now work?"

Yechame Hamako hesitated briefly before giving a timeframe.

He also understood that Soushu needed to return to his squad to issue further instructions, but regrettably, time was pressing—if they delayed any longer, there might not even be a need to rescue the Advancing Unit anymore!

"Perfect! See you at the camp exit!"

Hyuga Soushu immediately vanished using Body Flicker.

"Commander Soushu!"

Mahiru Uchiha, who had been guarding the squad base, was greatly surprised.

Hadn't he just left? How come he was back so soon?

But when she saw Soushu's expression, she understood.

"You're going to—"

Mahiru Uchiha frowned as she asked.

"Yes."

Hyuga Soushu nodded, then gently kissed Mahiru's forehead. "Honorable Lady Namiko has assigned me and Yechame Hamako to conduct the rescue mission together."

At the same time, he waved to call the ninjas under his command over.

"And us?"

Mahiru Uchiha hesitated slightly.

"All of you must remain here at the base. And remember this—no one is to leave unless directly ordered by me! You must disregard any orders from anyone else!"

Hyuga Soushu kissed Mahiru's forehead again before issuing commands to the ninjas beneath him. "Anyone who violates this order shall be treated as a traitor fleeing to the enemy!"

"Understood!"

The ninjas of his squad shouted in unison.

Though confused, this was actually the best outcome for them—at least they wouldn't be thrown into battle as cannon fodder from the start.

After reminding them of some key points, Soushu dismissed the others, though Mahiru still held his hand tightly, reluctant to part.

"Can I come with you?"

Uchiha Mahiru whispered softly. "You know I won't be—"

"Wait for me to return."

Soushu embraced Mahiru Uchiha, kissing her forehead once more. "This isn't like our previous stealth ops."

"I understand."

Mahiru stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed the Konoha Headband on Soushu's forehead.

The cool touch of the Konoha Headband against her lips helped calm her emotions slightly. "Still, this is the first time we won't be fighting side by side."

"I won't let you awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan."

Hyuga Soushu said with a light chuckle.

Mahiru brightened with a smile upon hearing this.

The topic of the Mangekyo Sharingan had come up once before between the two. Back then, Hyuga Soushu had joked that if he died, Mahiru Uchiha would have to activate her Mangekyo directly, skipping the triple tomoe stage entirely, just to avenge him.

And another interpretation of "not getting the chance to awaken the Mangekyo" was actually Soushu promising Mahiru he'd return safely.

For someone with the Uchiha clan's weird logic, this was the most romantic confession in the world!

"I should be done in a few days. Wait for me then."

Hyuga Soushu whispered into Mahiru Uchiha's ear.

"Ugh!"

Already familiar with his teasing ways, Mahiru Uchiha immediately flushed bright red—but her eyes sparkled with eager anticipation.

Still, after this brief exchange, the deep reluctance and anxiety she felt inside had eased somewhat.

Hyuga Soushu gave Mahiru's bottom a gentle pat, then Body-Flickered toward the camp entrance to meet up with Yechame Hamako and others.

Figures leapt swiftly among the stone forests characteristic of the Land of Rivers' Karst terrain.

The thirty-two-member Konoha reinforcement unit—led by vanguard Yechame Hamako and scout leader Hyuga Soushu—was speeding toward the direction the forward unit stationed in the Land of Rivers had retreated.

While constantly activating his Byakugan during the journey, Hyuga Soushu also adjusted his gear on the move.

After careful consideration constrained by his limited coin budget, Soushu selected the following item:

[Tiamat]

Cost: 1200 coins

Attack Power: +20

Passive - Cleave: Attacks deal 40 melee or 20 ranged damage to enemies within 450 units of the target.

Active - Crescent: Deals 80 physical damage to enemies within 450 units; cooldown 10 seconds.

He skipped components like Zeal, and avoided traditional Weapon Master builds such as Tri Force → Phage → tank, because current battlefield conditions required gear more suited for actual ninja warfare.

After all, whether it was the skills of a Weapon Master or the Gentle Fist techniques of the Hyuga Clan, both were better suited for one-on-one toe-to-toe combat. In chaotic situations filled with swarming enemies and unpredictable shifts in battle, Soushu wouldn't hold much advantage. Worse still, with his limited knowledge of Ninjutsu, he might not even match up to a standard Ninjutsu artillery-type Jonin in large-scale battles.

What [Tiamat] offered through its passive and active effects wasn't just extended attack range, but more importantly, AoE damage from its cleave ability—which was vital for clearing enemy waves and farming coins in warzones.

Because ninjas weren't NPCs with health bars—they were real, living beings. When struck by cleave damage from equipment abilities, their injuries weren't simply reduced health points like those of game minions. For weaker mid- to low-level Genins, even taking the 40-point cleave damage could leave them seriously wounded—possibly coughing up blood.

In addition, Tiamat's passive skill could also affect certain hidden enemies. Especially against stealthy assassins who managed to evade detection by the Byakugan, the radiating damage from [Cleave] might force them to reveal themselves.

After all, this was no longer a game. Although Hyuga Soushu had never died before, he knew well that there would be no chance of resurrection at the fountain. Sometimes it was better to be cautious.

Moreover, Hyuga Soushu spent 300 of his remaining 427 coins on a basic pair of [Boots of Speed], further increasing his movement speed by 25.

With that gear, even if something unexpected happened, he should be able to escape safely. As long as he was faster than his teammates, he'd probably stay out of danger.

Additionally, Hyuga Soushu switched out his Summoner Skill [Purify] for [Ignite], which gave him a guaranteed hit every time!

"I hope this time I can save up enough coins for [Tri Force]."

Although he had nearly spent all his coins, Hyuga Soushu was still captivated by the power of [Tri Force].

"Look alive!"

Suddenly, a squad of Sunagakure Ninja came into view through Hyuga Soushu's Byakugan!

"Twelve people hiding five kilometers ahead in the stone forest; no Puppeteers among them!"

Hyuga Soushu quickly analyzed the intelligence: "There are no other Suna ninja nearby. It must be an Infiltration Unit currently resting!"

"Charge them!"

Yechame Hamako ordered decisively.

Thoughts of changing their route didn't even cross his mind!

As a Konoha Ninja, one must advance fearlessly, crushing every enemy in sight!

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