By now, the sky was full of stars. Chiba darted through the dense forest, moving with remarkable speed thanks to being in the Gate of Life Mode. Leaping across branch after branch, he could just barely make out a dark figure ahead.
Who is it? Someone monitoring me?
Well, it made sense. After all, he was the son of a traitor. Even if the Third Hokage had allowed him to stay in the village, it was likely under surveillance.
But then again—if this was surveillance, why reveal themselves so obviously?
That didn't add up. Chiba felt more and more convinced—this person wasn't an ally.
Just as he was thinking this, two droplets suddenly landed on his face. He instinctively wiped them away—
Bright red.
He's injured!
By now, Chiba could clearly see the ninja ahead. He also saw the girl the man carried under one arm.
There was no doubt about it—this was the enemy. The child was dressed in the traditional attire of the Hyuga clan, one of Konoha's noble bloodlines.
As one of the oldest clans in the village and the bearers of the Byakugan—one of the Three Great Dōjutsu—the Hyuga clan had long been targeted by other hidden villages. There had been numerous past attempts to kidnap Hyuga children of pure blood.
Clearly, this man was a ninja from an enemy village.
Chiba realized at once: he had stepped into a bloodline inheritance conflict.
If he helped the Hyuga clan recover their lost heiress, their favor toward him would definitely increase. And historically, Konoha and the Land of Fire had always emerged victorious from the Great Ninja Wars. He had no reason to abandon the village.
But at present, his position in the village was precarious. As the son of a traitor, he was scorned and hated. If war broke out, he'd be the first to be thrown onto the front lines as cannon fodder.
The Hyuga clan—descendants of the Ōtsutsuki Hamura—might not have had much screen time in the original series, but that didn't mean they lacked political influence within the village.
Winning their favor could vastly improve his situation. Even if it didn't change how the common folk saw him, it would earn him valuable support among Konoha's upper echelons—making his future a lot smoother.
What's more, the enemy was clearly injured. Judging by his movement speed, he was in no small amount of pain. This might really work.
Decision made. Chiba would rescue the Hyuga heiress!
Once he resolved himself, Chiba kicked off the ground, chakra surging. His speed instantly increased
Iwamoku Shin panted heavily as he sprinted through the forest, struggling every step of the way. Four of his chakra points had been sealed by the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist, clogging his chakra flow and severely impacting his speed.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
From his right chest to lower left abdomen, a deep gash cut across his torso—so deep it exposed bone. Though he had hastily bandaged it, blood still oozed out, dripping steadily into the air as he moved.
As a seasoned jōnin, he knew full well that such a blood trail could be tracked—but he couldn't stop now.
He glanced at the little girl in his grasp. She had lost consciousness, her long hair covering her face.
But he knew what he was carrying—a pure-blooded Byakugan heiress. The prize ten jōnin had risked their lives for, and now, he was the only one left.
Nine of his comrades were dead.
Damn that white-haired brat! If not for that meddler, he wouldn't have been so badly injured.
And that glowing white chakra blade—what was with that? Was that kid related to Konoha's White Fang?
Just then, his dulled senses—muffled by pain—suddenly flared. Someone was quickly closing in from behind!
Damn! It's that white-haired brat?! If he's here, then Konoha's main forces must be close behind!
He didn't dare look back—doing so would only slow him down.
Reaching into his gear pouch, Iwamoku Shin pulled out two round, black pellets.
Ahead, the trees thinned. He could see starlight and the open sky—he was nearly out of the woods! And the pursuer was almost on top of him!
A cruel grin spread across his lips.
He hurled the two black spheres behind him and burst forward with a final acceleration.
Go to hell, brat! Taste Iwagakure's specialty explosives!
Moonlight poured down like silver.
As Iwamoku Shin broke free from the forest, the land suddenly opened into a riverside plain. Across the river stretched a flat field. If he made it across, he'd be outside Konoha's territory—and close to the Land of Fire's border.
BOOM!
The instant he exited the woods, a massive explosion erupted behind him, sending flames and black smoke billowing into the sky. Burning debris rained down. The two outermost trees of the forest were outright blown apart.
Iwamoku Shin didn't stop. He landed and sprinted forward.
But suddenly—a shadow loomed over his own.
Above!
He jerked his head up—and saw a boy, around seven years old, sharp-featured and determined, bursting through the smoke with a clenched fist.
Chiba.
Not the white-haired brat.
That was his last coherent thought.
Chiba dove down like a meteor, smoke trailing behind him, and drove a full-force punch straight into Iwamoku Shin's face!
BANG!
The riverside ground cracked and cratered beneath the impact. Smoke and debris filled the air.
When the dust settled, the enemy jōnin lay motionless at the center of a shallow crater—his face smashed into the dirt.
Chiba landed steadily, the unconscious girl safe in his arms. He quickly leapt backward, distancing himself from the ninja.
Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead.
That was close!
Just moments ago, he had been closing in when those two black spheres shot toward him. They were aimed right at his chest and nearly made contact.
Thankfully, his reflexes kicked in. He'd exploded with chakra and launched himself upward—dodging the center of the blast. Then, riding the shockwave, he stepped off a flying tree branch and redirected his momentum to drop from above and strike the jōnin.
His back burned with pain—it must've been grazed by the explosion.
As for the jōnin—he lay facedown and silent.
That punch had concentrated nearly all of Chiba's chakra into his right hand. If not for his extraordinary chakra control, he never could've pulled it off.
That one blow had consumed more than half his chakra and left a one-meter-wide crater in the ground.
He should be dead.
Chiba exhaled heavily. That punch had been an all-or-nothing gamble.
Even though his Gate of Life Mode had multiplied his chakra reserves several times over, he still didn't know any real jutsu. He had learned the Three Basic Techniques, but those were utterly insufficient against a ninja capable of kidnapping a Hyuga heiress from inside Konoha.
His only weapons were the taijutsu he trained every day—and his unparalleled chakra control.
In that moment, he had only one thought: gather all chakra into one punch. Finish it in one blow.
No room for counterattacks. No time for mistakes.
Wait a second...
A realization struck him.
Wasn't that... Monster Strength? Tsunade's Monster Strength?
That punch—wasn't it built on the same principle?
Excitement surged in Chiba's chest. By sheer chance, he had stumbled upon the secret to Monster Strength.
Quick—memorize the feeling! Recreate that sensation. Practice it as soon as possible!
Just then, a soft whimper escaped the girl in his arms. She was waking up.
She slowly opened her white, pupil-less eyes.
Chiba, startled by the sound, instinctively looked down.
And in that instant—
His pupils shrank. A slender hand shot up from the girl's side and aimed a precise palm strike—straight at his face.