Chapter 99 My Wife's Progress, Instantly Killing the Demon Brothers

"Ha… hahaha—"

Tazuna looked up at the sky, his smile not reaching his eyes, one hand rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't try to gloss over it. If you're unwilling to explain, we can only give up on your request."

Kurenai Yuhi was very calm, completely devoid of her usual easygoing demeanor.

She knew that with her Jonin strength, plus the covert protection from the Hyuga Clan and Yamanaka, she would generally be safe as long as she didn't encounter an S-rank rogue Ninja.

But this was a matter of principle.

Kurenai Yuhi's wine-red eyes stared at Tazuna for a moment, then she turned and said decisively, "Naruto, Hinata, Ino, return to Konoha Village."

"Alright, Kurenai-sensei~"

Ino Yamanaka was the happiest, cheering, then sticking out her tongue at Tazuna in a playful grimace.

"Bye-bye, lying old man."

"Wait… wait a minute…"

Tazuna panicked when he saw Seventh Team was really leaving.

"I'll tell you!"

Tazuna pulled down his straw hat, took the towel draped around his neck to wipe the sweat from his forehead, his expression changing as he said, "It's Gato. It must be the Ninja Gato sent to assassinate me."

"Gato?"

Although Gato was a wealthy man, he wasn't famous enough for Kurenai Yuhi, Ino Yamanaka, and Hyuga Hinata to know him.

Since he had already started speaking, Tazuna decided to reveal everything.

"So, you risked your life to return to the Land of Waves because you want to build a large bridge, thwart Gato's scheme, and prevent Gato's monopoly over the Land of Waves?"

Kurenai Yuhi summarized.

"That's right."

Tazuna nodded helplessly, "I didn't have money, so I concealed the information in Konoha Village. That was my mistake."

"Wow, drunk old man, you've really changed my opinion of you," Ino Yamanaka said in surprise, "I didn't realize you were carrying such a heavy responsibility."

Naruto replied, "Tazuna-sensei, even if the bridge is built, it can still be blown up. What truly cannot be destroyed is the will of the Land of Waves' people to resist and fight."

"The will to resist and fight…"

Tazuna paused, then looked sharply at the blonde young man before him.

Naruto pointed to the Ninja headband on his forehead, revealing a bright smile: "Where Konoha dances, fire will burn on."

Tazuna's mind was shaken, and he repeatedly murmured Naruto's words.

Kurenai Yuhi, Hinata, and Ino Yamanaka also looked at Naruto in surprise.

"Naruto-kun—"

Hinata admired and adored Naruto even more.

"You little brat, what you said makes more sense than Kurenai-sensei. You don't seem like a dead last who just causes mischief everywhere." Kurenai Yuhi laughed heartily, patting Naruto's back.

Ino Yamanaka's eyes flashed with a peculiar glint, then she changed the subject: "What do we do next?"

Kurenai Yuhi said with her hands on her hips, "It's up to you, Seventh Team, to decide collectively."

Although she said it was a collective decision, Hyuga Hinata and Ino Yamanaka both looked at Naruto, appearing to completely defer to his opinion.

"So, in the end, it's up to me to decide?"

Naruto stroked his chin, deep in thought.

"Shorty—young man, I beg you!"

Tazuna changed his arrogant demeanor and bowed deeply to Naruto.

"Alright."

Naruto shrugged, spreading his hands, and pointed in the direction of the Land of Waves.

"Kurenai-sensei, Seventh Team, since we've taken on this mission, let's see it through to the end. We'll escort Tazuna-sensei all the way to the Land of Waves!"

In reality, escorting Tazuna was secondary.

The main point was the fat cat Gato.

"Okay, I'll listen to Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly.

"The drunk old man has made me look at him differently. I'm willing to continue this mission."

Tazuna's tense nerves slowly relaxed, and he thanked them again, his attitude a hundred times better than when they were in Konoha Village.

Kurenai Yuhi smiled and nodded, asking, "Since that's the case, do you want to bypass the ambush site of the two Hidden Mist Ninja?"

Although the Demon Brothers' lurking spot was on the unavoidable path to the Land of Waves, it didn't mean they couldn't pass through the forests on either side of the main road.

Naruto's eyes flickered as he glanced at Hinata and Ino Yamanaka, then shook his head, "No bypassing. It's a rare opportunity for actual combat; we can't miss it."

Naruto knew the strength of the Demon Brothers.

They were Chunin-level Ninja from Hidden Mist.

Even Sasuke, freshly graduated from the Ninja Academy, could exchange a few blows with them without activating his Sharingan. They were perfect as experience packs for Hinata and Ino Yamanaka.

"Okay, then we'll proceed according to Naruto's plan."

"However, the opponents are assassins from Hidden Mist Village, so they might not be as simple as Genin. You must not let your guard down."

Kurenai Yuhi warned with a serious expression.

The group pretended as if nothing had happened and continued on their journey.

After speeding up, it wasn't long before they indeed found a clear, transparent puddle reflecting the blue sky and white clouds on the main road leading to the Land of Waves.

Naruto walked at the front, passing the puddle nonchalantly.

Then came the nervous, drinking Tazuna.

The "strongest" in the team, Kurenai Yuhi, walked at the very back. As she passed, the mirror-like puddle suddenly rippled.

The Demon Brothers silently rose from the puddle, their cold aura turning into surging killing intent. They lunged forward, coordinating seamlessly, and the metal claws on their arms "whooshed" out sharp, saw-toothed chains. Like whips, they lashed out from above, below, and all directions, instantly binding Kurenai Yuhi tightly.

"First one hooked, let's take care of the strongest first!"

The Demon Brothers, standing one on each side, pulled hard on their arms. As the chains contracted, they tore Kurenai Yuhi into pieces, scattering her limbs.

No, there was no physical sensation!

Kurenai Yuhi was like a mirage made of paper; after being shredded, she twisted and deformed, then slowly faded away.

"What?"

"It's a genjutsu clone!?"

The Demon Brothers, who had been so sure of victory, suddenly froze.

At this moment.

A sharp, swift palm strike came. It was Hinata who had actively closed in, performing the Hyuga Clan's inherited Gentle Fist. Her palm ignited with fiery red Chakra, enveloping her entire hand, and she struck one of the Demon Brothers.

"The Byakugan of Konoha Village?"

The Demon Brothers saw Hyuga Hinata's eyes, were startled at first, then immediately understood what was happening.

"So it was you who ruined this great one's plans. In that case, die!"

The Demon Brothers' eyes were filled with murderous intent as they re-whipped their sharp, terrifying chains, striking fiercely at Hinata.

There was no doubt that even a slight graze would cause the saw-toothed chains to rip open skin and flesh, tearing off chunks of meat!

But that was assuming they could hit Hinata.

After Naruto's rigorous training, Hinata's footwork and body movements were agile and swift. She effortlessly dodged the unpredictable chain attacks, successfully closed in, and her two palms, wreathed in Chakra, struck the chest of one of the Demon Brothers like twin dragons emerging from the sea.

"Bang—!!"

A white shockwave exploded behind this Demon Brother. His back clothing and cloak instantly shattered, rags flying everywhere. He himself was heavily struck, his body arching like a shrimp, his eyes bulging, and he spat out blood with a "wah" sound.

The blood seemed to contain scattered fragments of internal organs.

One strike, severe injury.

Gentle Fist emphasizes sealing Chakra points and striking meridians, but in reality, besides damaging the enemy's internal Chakra pathways, the "circulatory system," it also attacks more fragile internal organs.

Because internal organs cannot be trained, even the most powerful Ninja, when struck by Gentle Fist, often suffer fatal blows.

Hinata's Gentle Fist palms struck the Demon Brother's left and right kidneys respectively. Chakra penetrated his body, mixed with fire-style transformation and the power of dragon blood, it was fierce and powerful, like a cannon, directly shattering the Demon Brother's kidneys!

"You brat, you're asking for death!"

The other Demon Brother, who had been standing separately, instantly turned red-eyed. He roared and charged at Hinata, his metal claws stabbing fiercely at Hinata's back.

"Mind Body Switch Technique!!"

Not far away, Ino Yamanaka, who had been forming hand signs in a triangle-heart shape and aiming, finally activated the Yamanaka Clan's secret technique.

After predicting the movement trajectory of the Demon Brother, who was blinded by rage, Ino Yamanaka's mental energy, like an invisible arrow, shot straight out and successfully hit the Demon Brother charging at Hinata.

The secret technique succeeded.

Ino Yamanaka successfully gained control of the Demon Brother's body.

Hinata sensed the danger approaching from behind. Just as her hands were about to deliver the fourth palm of her Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams Palm, her body moved like a swimming dragon. She pulled her palm back to defend and struck backwards.

Naruto did not make a move, standing beside Tazuna and observing the battle.

Seeing Hinata's performance, he nodded in satisfaction: "Such effortless control, with her body as the origin, like drawing a circle, she has clearly mastered the basics of Byakugan Palm: Heavenly Spin."

"It seems Hinata has been diligently practicing in her daily life."

"Next, she only needs to release Chakra from all her Chakra points and simultaneously rotate her body rapidly to form a spherical Chakra barrier, then she will have mastered this secret Gentle Fist art passed down orally through generations of the Hyuga Main Family."

Without a doubt.

Even if Ino Yamanaka's Mind Body Switch Technique had failed, that Demon Brother would not have succeeded in his sneak attack.

Just as Hinata was about to use Gentle Fist Eight Trigrams Palm to strike the Demon Brother who attacked her, Naruto quickly spoke: "Hinata, stop. If you hurt him, Ino Yamanaka will also get hurt."

Upon hearing this, Hinata immediately stopped and found a rope to tie up the Demon Brother.

Ino Yamanaka took the opportunity to gather information, then her spirit returned to her body, and she said with a solemn expression, "They call themselves the Demon Brothers. They are indeed assassins hired by Gato to assassinate the drunk old man."

"And…"

Ino Yamanaka swallowed, fine cold sweat appearing on her forehead.

"The Demon Brothers aren't just the two of them. Gato seems to have also hired an even more formidable and troublesome fellow named—Zabuza Momochi!"

Land of Waves.

Deep within the dense forest, in a tower-shaped treehouse.

Gato, having received news of the failed assassination, was currently fuming and scolding the Hidden Mist Ninja.

"I heard you guys were powerful, that's why I spent a lot of money to hire you. Is this all the skill you have? You can't even handle a drunkard, a woman, and three children?"

"Swish"

A sharp gust of wind from a blade sliced towards Gato, making cold sweat break out on his forehead and causing his scolding and cursing to stop involuntarily.

The bandaged-masked man, sitting imperiously on the sofa, swung the Executioner's Blade resting on his shoulder, pointing it at Gato. His dead-fish eyes stared coldly at him, and he spoke with confidence and indifference: "I'll chop off those guys' dog heads!"

Gato said worriedly, "But the Ninja over there also seem very strong, and the Demon Brothers' failure will surely make them even more vigilant."

The bandaged-masked man rolled his dead-fish eyes, resting his hands on the sofa, and said arrogantly and coldly: "Who do you think you're talking to…

"I am the mighty Demon of Hidden Mist—Zabuza Momochi!!"