Chapter 3: The Tug of War

A spark of lightning flashed at the fingertips, thunder tore through the darkness... cough, cough, it was just the air—white lightning pierced through the atmosphere and, with the true speed of thunder too swift to catch, struck a ninja from the Hyuga clan.

This low-level demonic technique from the world of Shinigami, adapted for use through chakra consumption, was one of the skills Kawaki Aoba had acquired via an external enhancement. Its power was mediocre, roughly equivalent to a C-rank ninjutsu Great Fireball.

However, unlike the Great Fireball, which was a relatively benign jutsu that often missed its target, the White Lightning had the advantage of being triggered extremely quickly, requiring no hand seals—something ordinary fodder ninjas could hardly dodge. Especially when facing melee fighters, it was a perfect counter.

Yes, that's exactly what applied to these two fools before him.

“You damned bastard! Not only do you dare to rebel against your superiors and defy the elders’ orders, but you also attack us? Damn you!” The Hyuga Chunin struck by the White Lightning seethed with rage, his eyes nearly spewing flames. Judging by his expression, he seemed to wish he could skin Kawaki Aoba alive and pull out his sinews.

Ah, well, low-level demonic techniques do have their flaws. Though they allowed some control over these two pests, the power sacrificed by removing the chant was indeed too weak.

But that didn’t matter. This wasn’t a battle to the death, and Kawaki Aoba had no loved ones held hostage by the enemy. He had all the time to wear these two down.

“Hey, hey, hey, I’m not going to pretend I didn’t hear that. What do you mean by rebelling? As ordinary Leaf Village civilian ninjas, our supreme leader has always been the Hokage. Since when did the Hyuga clan become the rulers of Konoha? Did they inherit the Hokage’s position without me knowing? If that’s true, I’ll have to find someone to verify that.”

With these words, he once again elevated himself above the rules while placing these two Hyuga fodder—and the entire Hyuga clan—on the chopping block.

Such provocations naturally inflamed their anger, increasing their hostility toward Kawaki Aoba. But if that was all, he would not have cared.

The two enraged Hyuga Chunin launched an even fiercer assault. Their Gentle Fist techniques were practiced and relentless, the flow between their strikes unending. At his current level, Kawaki Aoba could not hope to easily overcome their coordinated attack.

Yet, what did it matter if he couldn’t win outright? He wasn’t a taijutsu specialist. There was no need to engage these fools head-on.

“White Lightning, Fourth Path of Destruction... White Lightning, Fourth Path of Destruction...”

Using the Body Flicker Technique to constantly dodge, Kawaki Aoba kept the two at bay, occasionally turning to reward them with another strike of White Lightning. Having learned from experience, the two idiots had become cautious enough to evade whenever he raised his hand.

---

It must be said, this tactic was quite effective. The frequency with which the two were hit by White Lightning decreased noticeably.

Still, being led around by Kawaki Aoba like a kite was no good.

Repeated strikes from the weakened, chantless White Lightning still left the two Hyuga Chunin looking battered and disheveled. Their skin seemed darker by a shade. If this continued, ignoring their pale eyes, people might soon suspect them as spies from the Land of Lightning.

“Damn brat! Is running all you know? If you still have even a shred of pride as a member of the Hyuga clan, then come fight us face-to-face like a proper warrior!”

Unable to take Kawaki Aoba down, one of them resorted to goading, trying to lure him into a direct confrontation.

His response was a look of utter disbelief.

Face-to-face? What a joke! Kawaki Aoba was a ninja. If he didn’t ambush and kill them in the shadows, he was already doing them a favor. Expecting a ninja to fight honorably was living in the era of Naruto Uzumaki.

A disdainful glare from Kawaki Aoba instantly conveyed his thoughts to the two.

The one who challenged him reddened furiously, either from anger or shame—likely both.

“Enough wasting breath on him,” one Hyuga Chunin said. “If that brat wants to drag this out, then so be it. No matter how good his Body Flicker is, I want to see how much chakra a rookie who just graduated from the Ninja Academy really has.”

With that, he closed his Byakugan, seeing no point in activating it since close combat with Kawaki Aoba was impossible. Better to conserve chakra.

The other followed suit, shutting off his Byakugan as well.

From then on, the two Hyuga Chunin shifted tactics, engaging Kawaki Aoba in a war of attrition. Rather than capturing him, their goal was to drain his chakra by keeping him trapped.

---

A ninja without chakra was no different from a tiger without teeth.

Moreover, by openly declaring their intentions and battle plan, they applied psychological pressure—a duel of body and mind.

Yet Kawaki Aoba remained calm and unhurried, showing no signs of panic.

Just a war of attrition? Fine by him. He vowed to make them taste the despair that came with losing chakra.

The battle stalemated: one fled, two pursued and blocked.

The two Hyuga Chunin had to exhaust Kawaki Aoba’s chakra without letting him escape to crowded areas that might attract attention—a delicate balance.

As the fight dragged on, things began tipping in their favor, just as they hoped.

“Heh, just as expected from a rookie. How much chakra can someone your age really have?”

Psychological warfare—dirty psychological warfare again.

This time, Kawaki Aoba responded without silence.

“Heh, is this all the Hyuga clan’s ninjas amount to? Resorting to every trick in the book just to deal with a rookie who’s only been a genin for a year? Your fighting skills are truly pitiful.

“Oh, I almost forgot—you’re branch family members, lifelong loyal dogs raised by the main house. No wonder you never mastered advanced Gentle Fist techniques; this level is all you can manage.

“Hmm, now that I think about it, calling you ninjas must have been a mistake. ‘Nin-dogs’ would be more fitting.”