Naruto Card King

The Byakugan's x-ray vision was powerful—

But underwater, it was severely limited, especially at night.

Hyuga Renji's vision range had been reduced to less than thirty meters. Of course, that was still far beyond ordinary eyesight. For a normal person, even in crystal-clear water, visibility wouldn't exceed a single meter.

A Silent Approach

The killing intent was rushing toward Haruto!

As an elite Chunin, Hyuga Renji had absolute control over his body. Even moving rapidly underwater, he barely created any ripples.

The four ANBU guards stationed nearby remained in their original positions. They had all noticed Haruto taking a bath—swimming, diving, and playing in the water—yet none of them felt the need to raise their guard. They weren't going to sit right next to him while he bathed. That would be ridiculous.

The truth was—none of the ANBU assigned to protect him actually believed he would survive.

To them, Haruto Saito, the two-colored-eyed ninja from Amegakure, was already a dead man. It was only a matter of time.

Even the Hokage himself hadn't deployed enough manpower to fully protect him. So, the ANBU guards had let their vigilance drop.

The night was eerily silent. Only the rustling leaves swayed gently in the wind.

Nobody knew that Haruto was already caught in the jaws of death.

Treasure Hunt at the Lake Bottom

At the bottom of the lake, Haruto crouched in the soft sand, eyes wide open, scanning his surroundings.

"Treasure hunting" was pretty fun!

He had already discovered several random objects:

A crumbling stone statue.

A rusted iron bucket.

A chain covered in algae.

More than a dozen rusted kunai.

However, he hadn't picked up anything yet. They were all just junk.

He continued searching.

Holding His Breath Like a Monster

Haruto's body could hold its breath for up to five minutes.

In Konoha, even most Jonin couldn't go that long without using chakra.

The Assassin Strikes!

Hyuga Renji closed in rapidly!

The distance shrank—

Ten meters.

Eight meters.

Five meters.

Three meters.

Then—Haruto felt it.

A disturbance in the water's flow.

An unusual ripple—something was coming!

He whirled around.

His right eye saw nothing but darkness.

But—

His left eye, his True Sight, saw everything.

A shadow, moving like a ghost.

Hyuga Renji.

"Him again?!" Haruto's heart clenched.

Renji smirked coldly.

"You can't see me, brat."

Even if Haruto felt something was off, it didn't matter. He couldn't see anything.

Three seconds.

That was all the time left before he died.

No Way to Escape

Damn it!

Haruto's mind raced.

This was the middle of the lake—the depth was at least ten meters.

He wouldn't make it to the surface in time!

Renji's blade drew closer—

Ten meters.

Eight meters.

Five meters.

Three meters.

Time seemed to slow down. Haruto's nerves tightened.

In that instant, his brain unlocked a flood of memories.

Fragments from this body's past life—scenes of assassination, counter-assassination, and life-or-death combat flashed before his eyes.

A Desperate Dodge

The cold blade was already at his throat.

Haruto had no weapons.

He was completely naked in the water!

Yet—

With all the strength in his body, he twisted sideways at the last possible moment!

Whoosh!

The knife barely missed his neck!

Renji's expression changed.

He hadn't expected Haruto to react!

But—he didn't hesitate.

With a quick flick of his wrist, Renji slashed again—aiming straight for Haruto's heart!

A Battle of Pure Skill

Renji grinned viciously.

He had already won.

The water restricted both of them.

As an elite Chunin from the Hyuga Clan, Renji was a Taijutsu specialist.

His Gentle Fist style was exceptional—

But in water, the resistance weakened his techniques.

That was why—

He was using a knife instead.

However—

The same limitations applied to Haruto.

He couldn't move quickly.

He couldn't use Ninjutsu easily.

His reactions were delayed.

This was pure close-combat.

And in close combat, Renji dominated.

Three Dodges – One Injury

Haruto barely evaded the first three attacks!

But—the fourth slash was too fast.

Renji changed direction mid-attack, slicing across Haruto's shoulder!

Blood bloomed in the water.

Renji's eyes lit up.

He slashed downward—

A final, killing blow!

Haruto couldn't dodge anymore.

His injured arm refused to respond.

This was it.

He was going to die.

A Last-Ditch Counterattack!

Renji grinned savagely.

"Die!"

Haruto gritted his teeth.

Damn it! You forced me!

He gathered all his remaining chakra—

Hoping it was enough.

Then—

Just as Renji's blade was about to split his skull open—

Haruto thrust out both hands!

All ten fingers—pointing straight at Renji!

The distance was too close—

Renji couldn't react in time!

PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!

PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!

A series of chakra explosions detonated underwater—like gunfire!

Ten white bullets shot from Haruto's fingertips—

Straight through Renji's body!

Shikotsumyaku: Ten Finger Drilling Bullets!

This was Haruto's strongest hidden ability—

The Kekkei Genkai of the Kaguya Clan—Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse)!

Renji's body jerked violently—his chest exploded with blood!

His eyes widened in shock.

He was dead before he even realized it.

At the same time—

A shower of glowing cards erupted from his lifeless corpse.

A robotic voice rang in Haruto's mind—

"Ding! Host has completed a cross-rank assassination! Reward: B-rank Jutsu Card!"

Haruto was drowning.

His chakra was drained.

His shoulder was bleeding.

But he ignored the loot.

He needed air.

With one last push—

Haruto burst out of the water.

"HAAAHHHH!!"

He gasped—sucking in the cold night air under the moonlit sky.