Naruto Card King

Haruto Saito sprinted through the dense mist, the wind howling as he pushed forward. Behind him, the sound of footsteps grew closer—Agakura was catching up.

This was exactly what Haruto wanted.

Getting himself chased down was proving to be harder than expected, but fortunately, everything was going according to his plan. However, his goal was not to kill Agakura.

"Wind Release: Gale Force Technique!"

Haruto formed hand seals mid-run, channeling Wind Chakra into his legs. His speed surged. He further amplified his momentum with brute force, his feet digging into the ground as he propelled himself forward at an astonishing pace.

Under normal circumstances, Haruto could not outrun a Jonin. Agakura was no ordinary Jonin either. Although he was slightly weaker than Uchiha Iwa, he was still far from an average Jonin.

But things were different now.

Haruto was pushing himself to the limit, his speed reaching its peak.

The mist-covered forest was filled with obstacles—trenches, roots, and uneven terrain—but Haruto could see the path clearly. He navigated smoothly, while Agakura, hindered by the limited visibility, struggled to catch up.

Still, Agakura did not give up the chase. The wind stirred by Haruto's movements gave away his position, making it impossible for Agakura to lose track of him.

One chasing, one fleeing—their trajectory led them directly toward the Hyuga clan's position.

Within moments, they had covered over a kilometer.

At the southeastern edge of the mist-covered battlefield, the six Hyuga ninjas maintained a defensive formation, concealed within the forest. They had no idea what was happening in the mist; they could only wait. Either the mist would clear, or they would confirm that Haruto had been eliminated by the Sand ninjas before making their move.

Beneath Hyuga Kyokyoku's feet, a green glowing circle flickered—something only Haruto could see. No one else detected anything unusual.

Suddenly, in the northwest, near the river, the mist churned violently. In the area surrounding the Hyuga squad—spanning several hundred meters—the mist stirred before gradually thinning.

The Mist Concealment Technique could be controlled using Chakra, adjusting its density as needed.

Hyuga Kyokyoku immediately sensed subtle Chakra fluctuations from within the thinning mist. As the mist continued to clear, his Byakugan caught sight of someone in the northwest.

Over four hundred meters away, Haruto was crouching on a tree branch, scanning his surroundings.

Mist clung around Haruto's form, making his figure hazy and indistinct. Though Kyokyoku could tell it was him, the visibility was insufficient to determine that this was merely a Shadow Clone!

Byakugan could see through clones, but only if the target was fully visible. In this case, Kyokyoku could only identify Haruto without knowing it was a fake.

"There he is! Move out!"

This was the opportunity they had been waiting for. A chance not to be wasted!

Without hesitation, Kyokyoku gestured sharply, leading his team forward.

The six Hyuga ninjas were blindingly fast, Kyokyoku leading the charge as they rushed into the thinning mist. The distance rapidly decreased—400 meters… 300 meters… 200 meters…

Haruto, perched on the tree, seemed to sense something. He turned his head toward Kyokyoku's direction before suddenly leaping from the branch and sprinting away.

Seeing Haruto attempting to flee, Kyokyoku's body tensed. He unleashed his full speed, his movement producing a sharp whistling sound as he closed in.

He suspected a trap. But his absolute confidence in his own strength left no room for hesitation.

He was eager to accomplish this mission as quickly as possible and return to Konoha to report his success.

Haruto's clone darted into the mist, vanishing from Kyokyoku's sight. However, the sound of Haruto's rapid footsteps still echoed through the fog. Kyokyoku pressed on, gradually pulling ahead of the other Hyuga ninjas.

Time passed in flashes.

Within minutes—

Haruto's clone suddenly swerved, diving behind a large tree. Carefully and quietly, he shifted another few dozen meters before lying low in the grass, remaining completely motionless.

A few seconds later, another figure arrived and also crouched silently nearby.

Both of them were Haruto.

From the southeast, Kyokyoku streaked forward like a shadow. Meanwhile, from the northwest, another figure was approaching at high speed. The two were on a collision course, neither able to see through the mist—only able to hear each other's movements.

Neither backed down. They rapidly closed the distance.

Agakura struck first.

"Wind Release: Violent Windstorm!"

Agakura swiftly formed hand seals, unleashing a powerful wind-based attack jutsu. His aim was twofold—offensive strike and mist dispersal to create better visibility for battle.

A fierce, slicing wind tore through the air.

Kyokyoku was taken aback—this brat knows B-rank Wind Release techniques?!

No time to think. Kyokyoku spun his body rapidly—

"Eight Trigrams Palm: Rotation!"

The Hyuga clan's ultimate defense technique!

Spinning in place, Kyokyoku generated a spherical Chakra barrier, repelling the ferocious windstorm completely.

With the mist blown away, visibility improved.

Kyokyoku ceased spinning and immediately assumed a battle stance, one leg shifting back, arms poised, eyes locked on Agakura. Meanwhile, Agakura had already drawn his sword, holding it before him in a defensive posture.

They saw each other clearly now. Their gazes met.

Both men froze.

A moment of stunned silence.

Neither had expected to encounter this particular opponent.

"…Who the hell are you?"

Kyokyoku recognized Agakura, having observed the Sand ninja force with his Byakugan earlier. But the sudden encounter threw him off balance.

How did the enemy change?!

"Hyuga clan! Byakugan!" Agakura spoke first, his expression shifting. He had no idea that Kyokyoku had been chasing Haruto. Since both were Konoha ninjas, Agakura assumed they were allies.

To Agakura, Kyokyoku was Haruto's backup!

Kyokyoku, on the other hand, felt pure rage!

He had been played!

He realized he had fallen for Haruto's trap—a blatant one at that. And yet, he had no choice but to deal with it!

Now that Agakura had seen him, he had to die!

More figures appeared. Several silhouettes rushed in.

Within seconds, five more Hyuga ninjas arrived—two Jonin and three Elite Chunin.

"Damn it!" Agakura's expression twisted, recognizing how bad the situation had become. He cursed under his breath and immediately turned to flee into the mist!

Run!

He had no choice. The Hyuga clan specialized in close combat—if they caught up, they would beat him to death with their fists!

"Kill him!" Kyokyoku roared, charging forward.

For now, hunting down Haruto could wait. Keeping the mission a secret was more important.

Everything was unfolding exactly as Haruto had planned.

But it still wasn't enough—Agakura wouldn't last long. He would be killed soon.

Haruto's real body followed at a safe distance, watching the battle unfold. Meanwhile, his clone ran north—toward Uchiha Tohoru, two Sand Jonin, and two Elite Chunin.

Time to bring everyone into the fight.

And when the moment was right— Haruto would strike!