A monster?
In the eyes of Tangdong Akimichi and the others, the monster was naturally Ryuji Hyuga himself. Watching the people in the distance swallow hard, he knew that the Wind Release Ninjutsu he had released after burning through hours of stored Chakra had achieved exactly the effect he wanted. The result did not disappoint him at all.
Madara Uchiha could turn a B rank Ninjutsu into something terrifying, and now Ryuji Hyuga, with Otsutsuki blood in his veins, could naturally reach a similar level. His entrance alone was enough to stun everyone present. But this was still far from enough.
He needed to carve fear into their bones and leave an unforgettable mark with his first appearance before the world. Only that kind of fear would satisfy him.
"Humans, are you people of Ninshu?"
The hoarse and aged voice reached their ears again. Aburame Ryoma, who had almost died to that attack, snapped out of his panic and looked toward the black figure standing in the rain.
No one answered. They were still too shocked to respond.
Ninshu? What was Ninshu?
"Not answering?" Ryuji Hyuga said softly.
He slowly closed his eyes and let his mind open completely, reaching out to sense the power high above in the night sky. What Toneri Otsutsuki could do without eyes, he had no reason to fail at now with both Byakugan and Otsutsuki blood. His mental force stretched out like fine threads toward the moon hidden behind the clouds.
Just as his focus reached its limit, he finally felt that strangely familiar power. The connection was faint, yet its vast and frightening strength was clear. It was a massive Tenseigan formed from the combined Byakugan of all Otsutsuki remnants, a change born from sheer accumulation.
From hundreds of thousands of kilometers away, he used his bloodline to pry open a trace of authority. Something called Dojutsu Power poured into his body, making the world in front of him sharper and stirring the hidden power within his eyes.
A low hum rang out. In an instant, a terrifying presence burst from Ryuji Hyuga's body.
Everyone who looked at him felt a surge of fear rise from deep inside. It felt like a blade had appeared at their necks without warning, like standing before a predator at the top of the food chain, and they almost stepped back without thinking. When Ryuji Hyuga slowly opened his eyes, the thin lids lifting to reveal glasslike blue pupils glowing in the dark, it was as if he were gazing at the world across countless years.
His gaze pinned them in place, as though invisible blades had been driven into their bodies. No one could move under that single look.
"So this is such power." Ryuji Hyuga lowered his eyes and looked at his palm, slowly clenching it until it cracked. Just prying open a trace was already this strong. He licked his lips lightly and whispered, "Not enough. Still not enough."
As he withdrew his gaze and adjusted to the power, the people frozen in place finally felt the pressure ease. They gasped sharply, struggling to steady their broken breathing. Air rushed back into their lungs all at once.
"Damn it, damn it!" Aburame Ryoma finally broke free from the fear, rain and sweat sliding down his throat. He stared at the distant figure with trembling pupils, and unwillingness mixed with hatred rose in his chest, twisting his blood covered face. He could not die here, not now.
He had to get back alive and tell Danzo Shimura what had happened. That terrifying Chakra and presence could never belong to an unknown nobody. They had likely unleashed a monster, something sealed long ago and now released, a being who had lived for who knew how long.
If such a monster recovered all of his strength, none of them would survive. They had to act now.
"Tangdong Akimichi! Troy!" Like a cornered beast, fear of death burned away hesitation, and Aburame Ryoma roared hoarsely, "If you don't want to die here, strike while he hasn't fully recovered. Move!"
His shout snapped them back to their senses. Tangdong Akimichi and Troy realized that any further delay would mean death. That overwhelming presence kept growing, and soon even a single glance from the monster would crush their will to resist.
The two sides no longer hesitated. They were ninja, people who lived with their lives on the line and blood on their hands. They would not give up without a fight, even if the enemy was a true monster.
Escape was impossible after witnessing that terrifying Wind Release Ninjutsu. But if they could hold out until reinforcements arrived from Kumogakure or Konoha, there was still a chance. To fight a monster, they had to become madder than it.
The air seemed to heat up as Ryuji Hyuga raised his lowered gaze, sparks flashing in his blue eyes. It was fire rolling in like a tide, flames igniting like an endless sea.
"Fire Release, Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
"Fire Release, Great Flame Technique!"
"Wind Release: Fierce Wind Palm!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
From the distance, the shinobi of Konoha puffed their cheeks and formed seals, spewing blazing fire and surging wind. Wind fed the flames, turning them into a sea of fire. It rushed toward Ryuji Hyuga as if to burn him to nothing.
A thunderous roar followed. The heat wave twisted the air as it crashed forward, like invisible fiery hands closing around throats, making Troy and the others hold their breath without thinking. They stared hard into the distance, forcing this scene into their memories.
The red tide of flames surged like a flood, its light cutting the battlefield into separate spaces. Everything was warped and consumed within the raging firestorm, as though they had stumbled into a red illusion where nothing felt real. Sheets of rain evaporated at once, and thick white steam blanketed the area.
"How is it? Is he dead?" Troy stared ahead, his burned face peeling to reveal red flesh beneath, making him look more like a monster himself.
As the steam thinned, his eyes widened in dread. Within the blazing red sea of fire, a distorted figure gradually became clear. The violent flames bent away as they approached him.
Ryuji Hyuga raised one hand before his body, and an unseen repulsive force split the fire to either side. Even the rain slid away from him, while firelight licked his face and reflected in his deep blue eyes, making him seem almost divine and inhuman.
Repulsion was an ability shared by Rinnegan and Tenseigan.
"Ants." Surrounded by drifting ash, he looked at them and said quietly, "Your power is as weak as your lives."
Blue Chakra poured out and wrapped around his body like flowing robes. His feet slowly lifted from the ground, and under their terrified stares, he rose into the air.
At the same time, hundreds of meters away, dozens of figures moving through the shadows suddenly stopped. The leader looked up at the floating figure, rain soaking his white bangs that covered his left eye, while the exposed right eye narrowed slightly.
"What is that thing?"