Chapter 372: Byakugan, a Bloodline Limit; Young Hawks Must One Day Take Flight! [HN]

Rustle.

The curtains of the Mizukage’s office were pulled open.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell across Chiya and Terumi Mei, who was sprawled on the sofa with her face flushed red.

[System Message]

[Successfully snatched Terumi Mei away.]

[Mission Reward: Byakugan (Kekkei Genkai)]

A cool and strange force instantly surged into his eyes, and his vision changed dramatically.

He gained a panoramic field of view covering three hundred and sixty degrees, a crystal-clear view of chakra pathways, the intricate textures of leaves in the distance, and even the movements of insects deep beneath the ground.

Nothing escaped his sight.

These eyes, capable of perceiving even the smallest details, were completely different from the power of his existing Rinnegan, yet the two seemed to complement each other in subtle ways.

With a thought, he restrained the power of the Byakugan, and his vision returned to normal.

After finishing his examination, Chiya turned his attention back to Terumi Mei and quickly walked over to her.

He raised his hand and placed it near her smooth lower abdomen, sending wisps of green chakra into her body.

Terumi Mei looked at Chiya from such close range, her eyes shimmering with affection.

“You’ve got a little conscience after all!~”

Her voice was soft and coquettish.

Chiya smiled.

After finishing the simple treatment, he gently flicked her delicate nose.

Terumi Mei let out a soft snort and immediately burrowed into Chiya’s arms.

Having just experienced intimacy for the first time, Terumi Mei was especially clingy.

After they enjoyed a moment of warmth together, a familiar voice came from outside.

“Father!”

Terumi Mei’s heart jolted, and she quickly slipped out of his embrace and stood up.

She smoothed the wrinkles from her clothes, then tossed her beautiful hair back over her shoulder, leaving her delicate face fully exposed.

“Come in.”

Only after Terumi Mei had finished composing herself did Chiya speak.

The office door opened, and Mirai and Chimi walked inside.

“When are we leaving?”

Both girls looked relaxed, with a hint of anticipation in their eyes.

When their gazes fell on Terumi Mei beside Chiya, however, they looked slightly surprised.

She seemed somewhat languid, with a charm between her brows that was characteristic of a newlywed woman.

Her movements were accompanied by an almost imperceptible stiffness in her steps.

When she looked at Chiya, her eyes were gentle yet carried a hint of reproach, clearly showing that the lingering effects of their passionate encounter had not completely faded.

The two girls couldn’t help but feel that Aunt Mei seemed even more radiant and alluring than before.

Terumi Mei quickly composed herself.

When she looked at Mirai and Chimi, her eyes were filled with genuine affection.

These two girls had come from the future, and there was no way to fake the admiration and affection they felt toward Chiya as their father.

Their personalities were also quite different, which naturally made her like them even more.

After all, loving Chiya meant extending that affection to the people he cherished.

“Have you two had enough fun?”

“Yeah!”

Their eyes were filled with excitement.

Clearly, they were very happy about this trip to Kirigakure.

“Are you two going to be joining us for the next operation as well?”

Terumi Mei asked, having already learned part of Chiya’s plan concerning the tailed beasts and the collection of energy.

“Yes.”

“The target is the Six-Tails, Saiken.”

Terumi Mei’s eyes flickered.

Chiya looked out the window.

“No need to rush. We’ll leave in the afternoon. You two should get some proper rest and adjust your condition first.”

The words were mainly directed at Terumi Mei, carrying a subtle trace of concern.

Terumi Mei’s heart warmed, and she softly replied, “Mm.”

…

In the afternoon, the four of them left Kirigakure and rushed toward the area where the Six-Tails was believed to have appeared.

After analyzing Kirigakure’s intelligence network, they narrowed the search down to three possible locations.

The first was a wetland filled with swamps and poisonous miasma.

The second was a barren hill region where fierce battles had once taken place, leaving behind chaotic chakra.

Neither location yielded anything.

They found only scattered traces of wild beasts and lingering energy.

“This is the last place.”

Chiya stood atop a giant tree and activated his Byakugan. His vision pierced through layer after layer of obstacles, allowing him to gaze into a mountain valley in the distance that was shrouded in dense mist.

“The chakra there is unusually active. The moisture is excessively abundant, and there’s also… an unpleasant, sticky sensation.”

“It sounds like exactly the kind of environment the Six-Tails would favor.”

As a master of Water Release, Terumi Mei was highly sensitive to moisture and nodded in agreement.

The four of them increased their speed and soon reached the edge of the valley.

Before they even entered, a damp and chilling aura rushed toward them.

Dense fog filled the valley, reducing visibility to almost nothing. The surroundings were deathly silent, and not even a trace of birds or beasts could be seen, as though all life had abandoned this place.

“Stay close to me.”

Chiya entered the dense fog first, keeping his Byakugan active as he observed every possible danger.

Terumi Mei followed closely behind, while Mirai and Chimi took the left and right sides respectively, remaining vigilant toward the flanks and rear.

As they ventured deeper into the valley, the fog became increasingly dense, eventually reaching the point where they could barely see their own hands.

A faint, sweet and fishy odor, resembling snail mucus, gradually spread through the air.

Suddenly, Chiya stopped and raised his hand.

Deep within the fog ahead, a huge, writhing shadow slowly emerged.

As it approached, the fog was pushed aside, revealing its true form.

It was an enormous creature that resembled a cross between a slug and a snail.

Its entire body was a slippery pale blue. There was no hard shell on its back. Instead, it was covered in soft, elastic tissue that constantly secreted transparent mucus.

Several pairs of short feelers protruded from its head, while at the very front was a huge mouth that occupied nearly half of its head. It slowly opened and closed, spewing out corrosive mist with an intensely acidic quality.

Behind it, a thick tail swayed slowly.

The Six-Tails, Saiken!

It seemed to have just awakened from sleep. Its enormous single eye sat in the center of its head, carrying a hint of laziness and indifference as it swept over the several “little things” that had intruded into its territory.

The Six-Tails’ powerful chakra spread through the area like a tangible force, bringing with it suffocating pressure.

Under the influence of its chakra, the surrounding fog became even thicker and stickier, as though it were about to condense into liquid.

Mirai and Chimi instantly entered combat mode, their eyes sharpening as chakra began surging through their bodies.

Faced with such a legendary monster, they felt no fear. Instead, an intense fighting spirit surged within them.

“Father, let us handle it!”

Unable to hold herself back, Mirai volunteered first.

She clenched her fists, and faint green energy steam began swirling around her body.

Chimi said nothing, but her calm eyes also gleamed with anticipation, while faint strands of chakra were already gathering around her fingertips.

Chiya looked at his two daughters, his brows drawing together slightly.

The Six-Tails was extraordinarily powerful, and its acidic mist and mucus were especially troublesome. He hesitated for a moment.

At that moment, Terumi Mei gently took Chiya’s hand and said softly, “Chiya, let them try.”

She looked at Mirai and Chimi with encouragement in her eyes.

“Young hawks must weather storms before they can soar through the sky. They have extraordinary talent, but they truly lack experience fighting opponents of this level. This is a rare opportunity for them to temper themselves.”

She paused, and her voice became softer, yet carried a wisdom that seemed to see straight through the situation.

“I can feel that their strength is formidable, but… they seem to be missing the sharpness that can only be forged in desperate situations. A true powerhouse needs more than strength. They also need the will to control that strength and seek a chance of victory between life and death. Protecting them too much would only do them a disservice.”

Terumi Mei’s words struck a chord deep within Chiya.

He remembered that future in which he had “disappeared,” and he thought of the possibility that his daughters would one day have to stand on their own.

The worry in his heart gradually gave way to determination.

He looked at Mirai and Chimi, his expression becoming solemn and grave.

“The Six-Tails uses powerful acid and mucus. Their corrosiveness is extremely strong, and they can even dissolve chakra. Its physical defenses are relatively weak, but its recovery is extremely powerful. Remember, don’t fight it head-on. Focus on evasion, probing its defenses, and searching for weaknesses. If the situation becomes untenable, retreat immediately. No matter what happens, I’ll step in.”

“Yes, Father!”

Mirai let out an excited cry and charged forward first.

“Understood, Father.”

Chimi nodded solemnly, her figure slipping silently into the fog like a ghost as she circled around from the flank.

Terumi Mei watched the two girls move decisively, and the admiration in her eyes deepened. She gently leaned against Chiya and whispered, “Don’t worry. They’re better than you think. Besides, we’re here.”

Chiya nodded slightly.

His Rinnegan remained locked onto the battlefield, while his chakra stayed hidden beneath the surface, ready to intervene at any moment.

…

“Hey, big guy! Look over here!”

With a sharp cry, Mirai instantly opened the first three Gates of the Eight Gates and erupted with green energy steam.

She made no flashy movements. Chakra exploded beneath her feet, launching her body toward the Six-Tails’ head like a cannonball.

Lava Style chakra gathered around her fist, and the scorching heat instantly evaporated the surrounding mist.

“Lava Style: Monstrous Strength!”

Faced with the sudden and ferocious attack, a trace of surprise flashed through the Six-Tails’ lazy eye.

It apparently hadn’t expected this little creature to dare attack first.

It didn’t take the blow head-on. Its enormous body looked clumsy, yet it twisted with surprising agility, causing the mucus secreted from its back to pour down like a waterfall in an attempt to block Mirai’s attack.

“Shhhhhh!”

The scorching lava collided with the cold acidic mucus, producing violent corrosive sounds as huge amounts of white steam billowed upward.

Mirai’s attack pierced through the layer of mucus, but its power had already been greatly weakened. It struck the Six-Tails’ soft body, leaving behind only a charred mark that rapidly healed under its powerful regenerative ability.

‘Its defense and recovery are incredible!’

Mirai’s heart tightened.

She used the impact to flip backward, narrowly avoiding the enormous feeler that swept toward her.

At that moment, Chimi’s support arrived.

“Ice Release!”

Countless sharp ice senbon shot toward the Six-Tails from the side like a torrential rain, targeting its enormous eye, mouth, and other vulnerable areas.

They were incredibly fast, and their angles were extremely tricky.

The Six-Tails let out a low hiss and had no choice but to close its eye while its mouth sprayed out even denser acidic mist, dissolving most of the incoming ice senbon.

A few still pierced through the acidic fog and embedded themselves around its eyelid and the edge of its mouth, bringing waves of pain and cold.

Although they failed to inflict serious damage, they successfully drew its attention and disrupted its pursuit of Mirai.

“Sister, its mucus secretion follows a cycle! There’s an interval between attacks!”

Chimi’s cool voice entered Mirai’s mind through their mental connection.

Her Sharingan and innate microscopic perception had already detected the subtle patterns in the Six-Tails’ bodily functions.

“Got it!”

Mirai’s eyes lit up, and she charged forward once again.

This time, she no longer sought to end the fight with a single punch. Instead, she covered her entire body with Lava Style chakra and became a burning meteor, circling rapidly around the Six-Tails’ enormous body while unleashing a continuous barrage of scorching punches.

“Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!”

Her fists rained down upon the Six-Tails. Each individual strike caused limited damage, but the cumulative assault still inflicted pain and irritation on the beast.

It twisted its body repeatedly, spraying acidic mist and mucus in an attempt to catch the slippery little insect, but under Chimi’s precise guidance, Mirai always managed to narrowly evade the most dangerous attacks.

“Storm Release!”

At the edge of the battlefield, Chimi formed hand seals and unleashed Storm Release, combining the changes in chakra nature she had mastered.

Blazing white laser beams moved as though they were alive, bypassing the Six-Tails’ strongest frontal defenses and precisely striking the mucus-secreting tissue on its back and the soft flesh of its abdomen that supported its body.

“Crackle!”

Lightning exploded across its body.

A section of the Six-Tails’ back was scorched black, and the rate at which it secreted mucus visibly slowed. A wave of numbness also spread through its abdomen.

The Six-Tails let out an enraged roar.

Its enormous tail descended like a pillar supporting the heavens, carrying tremendous force as it smashed toward the area where Chimi stood.

“Chimi!”

Mirai cried out.

Faced with the unavoidable area attack, Chimi’s eyes remained calm to the extreme.

She slammed both hands onto the ground.

“Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome Wall!”

An extraordinarily thick wall of ice, condensed from extreme cold, instantly erupted from the ground and blocked her path.

“BOOM!!”

The Six-Tails’ massive tail crashed into the ice wall.

Ice fragments flew everywhere, and the wall groaned under the tremendous pressure as cracks spread across it, but it ultimately stopped the fatal blow.

The immense recoil sent Chimi’s blood surging, and a trace of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth.

Her eyes, however, remained sharp.

“Now! Sister, the base of its tail is the core of its power. It’s also relatively vulnerable!”

Suppressing her discomfort, Chimi instantly shared the information she had observed.

Mirai immediately understood.

At the moment when the Six-Tails’ previous momentum had just been exhausted and it had yet to generate new force, she raised the Eight Gates to the Fourth Gate, the Gate of Pain.

Even stronger green steam mixed with the crimson glow of Lava Style, making her look like a war goddess returned from hell.

“Lava Style: Scorching River Flow Rock Technique!”

Several enormous lava fireballs roared forward, but rather than striking the Six-Tails directly, they precisely bombarded the ground around the point where its tail had landed.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

The earth exploded into deep craters, and lava flowed across the ground, temporarily restricting the Six-Tails’ tail.

Mirai herself transformed into a streak of light and charged upward along the Six-Tails’ tail before it could fully retract.

Her target was the base where the tail connected to its body.

“Uchiha Style: Lava Style: Sword Leaping Flame!”

Her sword was drawn once again.

This time, however, the blade was not wrapped in flames. Instead, it was infused with highly compressed Lava Style chakra that glowed a dark red.

The blade tore through the air, carrying a suffocating heat as it slashed fiercely toward the base of the Six-Tails’ tail.

The Six-Tails sensed the danger, and a trace of panic flashed through its single eye.

It desperately tried to retract its tail while spraying acidic mist to block the attack.

But how could Chimi let it have its way?

“Genjutsu: Sharingan: Phantom Mirror Prison!”

She forced herself to muster her remaining strength and struck again.

Although she couldn’t completely control the mind of such a massive creature as the Six-Tails, she could create a momentary lapse in its concentration and interfere with its actions.

That instant was enough.

“Slash!”

Mirai’s Lava Style blade, carrying unstoppable momentum, extreme heat, and razor-sharp force, plunged deep into the soft flesh at the base of the Six-Tails’ tail.

“ROOOAAAR!!!”

The Six-Tails released its most miserable and agonized howl since the battle began.

Dark blue blood sprayed out like a waterfall, carrying a powerful acidic quality and a foul stench.

Its enormous body writhed wildly from the pain, smashing the surrounding valley walls into pieces.

The strike had not severed its tail completely, but it had severely damaged the core point responsible for its movement and power.

Mirai immediately withdrew after landing her blow, showing no intention of prolonging the fight. She pulled back and reunited with Chimi, who quickly moved to her side.

Both girls were breathing slightly heavily, their bodies bearing minor injuries and traces of corrosion from the mucus.

Their eyes, however, shone like stars, filled with the excitement and sense of accomplishment that came from seriously injuring a powerful enemy through teamwork.

At the edge of the fog, Chiya watched his daughters’ coordination, decisive attacks, and ruthlessness at the critical moment.

For the first time, undisguised praise appeared in his eyes.

Terumi Mei also smiled and nodded softly.

“See? They did even better than we imagined. After experiencing this battle, they can finally say they have the foundation to stand on their own in the shinobi world.”

Chiya slowly exhaled and turned his gaze back toward the Six-Tails, which had fallen into a frenzy from the pain.

His daughters’ trial had come to an end.

Now it was time for him, their father, to step in.

He would bring this hunt to its conclusion.

He took one step forward, and the aura around him suddenly changed.

Like a dormant beast awakening, his cold eyes slowly opened.

Within his Rinnegan, purple ripples began to turn slowly.