Sakumo breathed slightly, staring at Hunter, who emerged from the dust, his gaze growing more solemn.
He had never been a genius ninja. His dominance on the battlefield was merely the result of tireless daily training, relying on his skilled swordsmanship and excellent reflexes.
In reality, he wasn't a purely taijutsu-type ninja. He preferred to call his techniques: nin-taijutsu.
The reason his swordsmanship was so strong was because it was fast, and the reason it was so fast was because he had created his own Lightning Release Body Flicker Technique.
By releasing Lightning Release chakra from every cell in his body, forming an electric current with the same frequency as bioelectricity, and using special methods to stimulate his flesh, strengthening his muscles and nerves, he could unleash a ghostly speed in conjunction with the Body Flicker Technique.
Clearly, compared to the "Lightning Release Chakra Mode" of the Raikage of Kumogakure through the ages, this technique wasn't much of a secret, nor did it have its terrifying defensive capabilities and endurance.
What he wanted was a momentary burst of speed, complementing his swordsmanship to defeat the enemy with one move.
Compared to the domineering "Lightning Release Chakra Mode," his nin-taijutsu techniques were more... focused.
Concentrating all his energy on one point, concentrating the timing of his strike into one instant.
Watching Hunter stride forward, Sakumo adjusted his breathing, exhaling a long breath.
Thought arose, blade fell.
He stepped forward, his figure turning into an afterimage as he pounced. Because of the excessive speed, his entire body blurred, leaving only slightly dissipating arcs of electricity in the air.
"White Fang: Throat Severing Strike!"
"Swish!"
The blade cut through the air, slashing diagonally towards Hunter's neck. The entire blade transformed into a pristine white ribbon, all afterimages converging, like a slender, sharp fang, flashing and vanishing.
With a muffled "Boom," fire flashed beneath Hunter's feet. He shifted his entire body to the right, barely avoiding the fatal blade.
With a "Tzzt" sound, blood splattered.
Two fingers "clattered" to the ground. Sakumo's slash severed Hunter's fingers, blood flowing along the blade, splashing on his arm.
"Effective. Just one more time..." Sakumo slowly exhaled, a deep fatigue flashing in his eyes, but his gaze remained firm.
Hunter groaned. Although the pain twisted his features, a strange, eerie smile cracked on his ferocious face.
"Now!" He spread his five fingers, clenching them remotely, "Explosion Release: Blood Explosion!"
Sakumo sensed something was wrong. The blood on his arm felt scalding, as if it was about to burst into flames.
With a "Boom," before he could wipe off the blood, his right hand, which was holding the blade, was engulfed in a blast of fire. The powerful impact sent his entire body flying, slamming him hard against a tree.
The charred smoke slowly dissipated. Sakumo leaned against the tree trunk, sitting weakly on the ground. His entire right arm was covered in blood, convulsing constantly.
But even so, he did not drop the "White Fang" in his hand.
"I have to say, you're strong. If you were at your peak, I would have died from that last slash."
Hunter slowly approached, a trace of lingering fear appearing in his eyes, but it was fleeting.
"But, unfortunately, this is war!" He spread his hands, laughing, "You killed so many of my men; you should be content. Don't worry, I won't go back on my word, Konoha White Fang, I will erect a monument for you!"
He clenched his fist at his waist, his violent aura slowly gathering, "Explosion Release—"
Suddenly, Hunter's expression flashed with a moment of blankness, then half of his face twisted together, his face flushed red, veins bulging, and he let out an inarticulate shout:
"Sakumo... quickly... leave..."
Half of his face was flustered and anxious, half of his face was furious.
Sakumo instantly realized something, supporting his injured arm with one hand and struggling to stand up.
"Quickly... leave—Don't even think about it!!"
In just a moment, Hunter regained his mobility, as if he had taken an exaggerated shiver, and his entire face turned livid.
"Damn ghost, I know where you are!!"
"Kill him!" He abruptly turned around, leaving those words behind. He actually let go of the within-reach Hatake Sakumo and instead activated "Blast Step." Along with a dull explosion, he headed straight towards a certain location.
"No!" Sakumo's face turned pale, his tightly knit brows revealing anxiety. The Stone ninja swarmed up, preparing to use ninjutsu to execute him on the spot.
Heavy rain poured down like a curtain. In the dense rain, a bright green feather fell with the raindrops, landing on a Stone ninja's shoulder.
He was somewhat puzzled, and took a quick glance. A blood-red "Explosion" formula was imprinted on the feather, vividly striking.
Not only him, but everyone noticed the long, green feathers mixed in with the raindrops. These things fell like flower petals, falling to the ground with the rain.
They all looked up in unison, only to see a strange bird, circling silently in the night sky, two long tail feathers dancing in the wind.
Just then, all the feathers began to burn.
"Not good!"
"Retreat quickly!"
All the feathers detonated simultaneously. Crimson fire exploded with a boom, engulfing most of the Stone ninja.
"Boom boom boom!!!"
Smoke billowed, and wails echoed everywhere.
"What is that thing!"
"Damn it!!"
"Does Konoha still have reinforcements at this time!!"
Such doubts not only appeared in the minds of the Stone ninja, but also lingered in Sakumo's mind.
According to the information he had, there were no ninja in the village who used such methods.
Just then, a black shadow streaked across the earth, and a rapid whistling sound rang out above everyone's heads, sweeping past like a bomber.
The Stone ninja retreated one after another. The giant strange bird made a circle in the sky, then swooped down like a diving hawk.
"Boom!"
The ground shattered, and dust and smoke rose.
Sakumo looked up, his gaze fixed on the bushes above. The moment before the giant bird landed, he noticed a figure gracefully descending.
Before he could even ask, the person spoke directly, in a relaxed and carefree tone.
"Hatake Sakumo? I never thought you'd have such a disheveled day."
A young figure landed with a somersault, standing face to face with Sakumo.
He had fair skin, delicate features, and white hair like Sakumo's, and a white robe fluttered in the wind.
"You are...?" Sakumo frowned slightly, revealing a puzzled look, "Who?"
"Uh..." Hiruko was covered in black lines, and his enthusiasm was instantly extinguished by cold water, standing there like a clay sculpture.
"Let me remind you, I was in the same class as you, and we were both at the top of the class." He still held onto a glimmer of hope, his eyes expectant.
"Same class?" Sakumo was even more puzzled. He knew very well that he didn't recognize the person in front of him at all, and he didn't see his forehead protector either. Doubts arose in his mind.
Hiruko's eyes completely lost their luster.
He originally wanted to strike a blow to this former top student, then mock him and say things like, "Hahaha, you have this day too," to make himself secretly happy. But who would have thought... the other person didn't recognize him at all.
Even the last bit of mischievousness was gone.
"I'm Hiruko. 10 years ago, I left Konoha at the same time as Uchiha Nian and Orochimaru..." he said without emotion.
"Oh! So it's you!" Sakumo exclaimed.