168. The Power Above Byakugan

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Ishigami Asuka and Uchiha Inahiro looked gloomy. They didn't expect that Hyūga Iroha would change so much after just a few days of not seeing each other. It was truly surprising.

"I heard that you took away the Byakugan after killing those clan members. Seeing that you're blindfolded, could it be that you changed your eyes? Or did you alter your Byakugan, and your chakra improved like this? Is this some secret of the Hyūga clan?"

Ishigami Asuka stared at Hyūga Iroha's eyes, as if trying to find the answer from them.

Uchiha Inahiro did the same, tightening the grip on the ninja sword in his hand.

"Of course, I can't tell you about something like that."

While Hyūga Iroha was talking, he took the initiative to attack the two. The trajectory of the Short Sword in his hand was tricky and powerful, going straight for Ishigami Asuka's neck without holding back at all.

"Hmph!"

Ishigami Asuka snorted coldly, but didn't avoid it, instead meeting the strike with her backhand.

The battle resumed. With the previous exchange, the three already understood the gap between each other.

Ishigami Asuka and Uchiha Inahiro couldn't understand what had happened to Hyūga Iroha to cause such a drastic change. Even with two people, they couldn't match the overwhelming chakra. It felt as though he surpassed even Uchiha Shikazan.

Uchiha Shikazan, who was standing on the periphery, felt the same. He couldn't help but activate his Sharingan, staring at the scene, focusing on Hyūga Iroha, trying to discern something.

Sparks flew like fleeting fireworks in the dim environment, frequently flashing but never fully illuminating the three. From front to back, left to right, the battle became more intense and dangerous.

Finally, Uchiha Inahiro leaped out of the fray, sheathed his ninja sword, and quickly formed seals with both hands.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"

Huh!

Flames erupted like sharp arrows, hurtling toward Hyūga Iroha.

At the same time, Ishigami Asuka landed beside him and made a similar move.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

The fire fed off the wind, and the wind strengthened the fire. As the wind swept forward, it carried the raging flames like a violent sea, engulfing Iroha and the surrounding area.

Boom!

A loud explosion echoed throughout the field, the ground shaking slightly. The violent flames lit up the night sky, and an area of thousands of square meters was instantly consumed by the blaze.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"

A shout rang out from within the flames, followed by a whirlwind-like burst of chakra, instantly dispelling a large portion of the devastating fire.

Hyūga Iroha's figure flashed, emerging from the inferno like a beast. He rushed toward the two, hands forming into palms, chakra condensed at his fingertips.

"Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists!"

In the ninja world, swords and fists don't always match their names. Though it was a palm technique, it was called a fist!

Hyūga Iroha descended rapidly, waving his palms. Each strike sent a fierce gust of wind, and invisible chakra cut through the air like sharp blades.

The two bore the brunt of the attack, dodging swiftly and repeatedly to avoid the blows.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven!"

Ishigami Asuka shouted, activating Revolving Heaven to block the relentless assault.

Uchiha Inahiro, in response, waved his hands quickly and began forming seals once again.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Claw!"

Countless shuriken were instantly engulfed in flames, turning into a tight cluster of burning projectiles, glowing red-hot and heading toward Hyūga Iroha with powerful cutting and explosive force.

Hyūga Iroha remained unfazed, calmly waving his hands, breaking the flaming shuriken one by one. The powerful force from his strikes sent a wave of chakra toward Ishigami Asuka, hitting him in an unguarded area.

The battle between the two sides had reached an intense stage from the very beginning, with no reservations as both sides used their most powerful techniques.

Uchiha Inahiro's Fire Style and Ishigami Asuka's Taijutsu and Ninjutsu were remarkable, especially considering their age. Their abilities were already outstanding.

Uchiha Shikazan, watching from a distance, frowned as he observed the battlefield, ready to intervene at any moment. 

The battle between the three was essentially a conflict between teammates.

As their teacher, it wasn't appropriate for him to interfere just yet.

But from the looks of it, despite the unknown changes in Hyūga Iroha, it was clear from the battle that he had an absolute advantage.

Whether it was Uchiha Inahiro's Three Tomoe Sharingan or Ishigami Asuka's double bloodline inheritance, they seemed unable to regain the upper hand in the fight. This gave Uchiha Shikazan an uneasy feeling.

It seemed as though Hyūga Iroha had already seen through and anticipated their every action and attack.

"What happened to that boy?"

With this thought, Uchiha Shikazan became even more alert.

It was evident that Hyūga Iroha was far stronger than Ishigami Asuka and Uchiha Inahiro had expected.

They never would have imagined that their once low-key teammate would grow so powerful, to the point of making them feel despair! Yes, despair! Both of them could sense that Hyūga Iroha wasn't even using his full strength.

The fight seemed to be a one-sided crushing of the two of them, yet Hyūga Iroha had been showing mercy, not killing them outright.

This was a deeply unsettling feeling.

For Uchiha Inahiro, it was untolerable.

The pride of the Uchiha made him unwilling to accept that a Hyūga, especially a former teammate, could surpass him.

Though they hadn't known each other well in the past, they had a rough sense of each other's capabilities.

But now, Uchiha Inahiro's anger was rising, the frustration building and causing his eyes to redden with bloodshot intensity.

As for Ishigami Asuka, rage burned in her chest as well, her pride even greater than Uchiha Inahiro's.

With her training under the clan leader Ishigami Hara and possessing the same double bloodline eyes, she believed her future was destined for greatness, as powerful as a Hokage. Yet now, she was being completely overpowered by her former teammate.

How could she stand this?

But reality was harsh. Every strike from Hyūga Iroha carried immense power. Even a simple palm strike generated such a fierce wind that it was nearly impossible to defend against.

"... That's enough."

Uchiha Shikazan, who had been observing the fight, could no longer stand by. He leaped into the battle, separating the two sides.

"Can you finally bear it, Mr. Shikazan?" Hyūga Iroha retreated several meters and then stood still.

Uchiha Shikazan, his face stern, summoned a pale yellow chakra that began to burn around him. Slowly, a half-body Susanoo formed.

Hyūga Iroha turned slightly, as if sensing the presence of Susanoo.

"So, this is Susanoo from the Uchiha clan? Impressive."

He paused for a moment, then added, "It just so happens that the awakening of my eyes is almost complete. Let me show you the true power of the Byakugan."

As he spoke, he removed the black cloth from his eyes and opened them.

What appeared were a pair of beautiful, light blue glowing eyes within the characteristic white of the Byakugan.

Those eyes seemed to contain the stars themselves, glowing brightly with an otherworldly light.