Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 540 The Terror of the Hyuga Clan (Part 1)

Just as the two men's momentum was rising like a surging tide, each clash and collision between them was like a thunderous roar, causing the originally calm air around them to be swept into a violent storm, instantly becoming extremely oppressive.

The ninjas surrounding them felt as if they were trapped in an invisible cage, the heavy, suffocating pressure pressing in from all directions, making even normal breathing extremely difficult. Every breath they inhaled felt like a burning flame, scorching their chests; and every exhale seemed to carry a tremendous force, trying to break through that invisible yet indestructible barrier.

However, just as these ninjas felt they were about to collapse and could no longer hold on, suddenly, four figures with equally powerful auras rapidly approached them at lightning speed. These four figures were like four shooting stars streaking across the night sky, carrying unparalleled power, and appeared before everyone in the blink of an eye.

Their arrival was like dropping four heavy bombs into a battlefield already mired in chaos and tension, causing the momentum of the two who were already fiercely clashing to be involuntarily disrupted and affected.

Suddenly, four figures rushed in like lightning; they were the Kage from the other four ninja villages. Raikage A moved with lightning speed, arriving beside Tsuchikage Onoki in an instant. He asked urgently, "Has the enemy invaded? Tsuchikage!" His voice was as loud as thunder, causing the surrounding air to tremble slightly.

However, before Onoki could respond, three more figures arrived in quick succession, landing steadily in the center of the arena. These three were the Mizukage Mei Terumi, the Kazekage Gaara, and the Hokage Tsunade. Their gazes quickly swept across their surroundings, their eyes revealing a strong sense of vigilance, as if they were ready to deal with any potential danger at any moment.

In that instant, the entire scene seemed to freeze, the atmosphere tense and suffocating. Everyone present involuntarily held their breath, their eyes fixed on the Tsuchikage Onoki, filled with anticipation and trepidation, anxiously awaiting a definite and reasonable answer from him.

At this moment, Onoki's face was extremely gloomy, as ugly as the sky before a storm. His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but it was as if an invisible force was tightly gripping his throat, preventing him from uttering a single word. How could he explain this awkward situation? Should he admit in front of everyone that he had provoked the Hyuga clan, who had just arrived at their base, only to be completely overwhelmed by the overwhelming aura of a mere upstart? If he did that, wouldn't it mean that the dignity of the entire Land of Earth would be completely destroyed, and he would lose all face?

On the other side, Tsunade's sharp eyes quickly scanned her surroundings. When her gaze landed on Hyuga Neji standing opposite her and the group of dashing Hyuga clan members behind him, she couldn't help but pause slightly. Especially after sensing the powerful aura emanating from Hyuga Neji, she instantly made a rough judgment. It was obvious that it was once again Onoki, that eccentric and arrogant Tsuchikage, who, relying on his seniority, looked down on the younger generation and deliberately provoked the hot-blooded Hyuga Neji, inadvertently angering him. Thinking of this, Tsunade shook her head helplessly, finding Onoki's constant tendency to act superior due to his age extremely troublesome.

At this very moment, however, the entire ninja world is shrouded in the shadow of war, with smoke billowing and flames raging. In this life-or-death situation, the most crucial thing is to unite all forces that can be united to resist the invasion of foreign enemies. Any factor that might cause instability within the already weakly united Allied Shinobi Forces must be resolutely eliminated.

Just then, Tsunade took a deep breath, deciding to break the oppressive atmosphere. She pondered for a moment, then smiled and changed the subject, saying, "Neji, why didn't your teacher, Hyuga Kanan, come along?" Hearing this, Hyuga Neji first raised his head, his gaze quickly sweeping over the Kage present. When he saw the other Kage arrive, his tightly furrowed brows twitched slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. Then, he slowly suppressed his powerful aura, as if concealing his surging power within his body once more.

Neji then slowly shifted his gaze from the Tsuchikage, Onoki. He really didn't want to waste any more energy dealing with this guy who always liked to act superior because of his age. Turning his head, he looked at the Hokage, Tsunade, who was asking him a question, and replied calmly, "My teacher has other important matters to attend to and cannot personally participate in this war. Therefore, she specifically dispatched me to lead a team to support the Allied Shinobi Forces and fight alongside everyone."

Tsunade gazed silently at Hyuga Neji before her. When she heard his reply, a fleeting, almost imperceptible hint of doubt flashed in her beautiful, sharp eyes. However, this doubt was fleeting, as brief as a shooting star across the night sky. In the blink of an eye, Tsunade had regained her usual calm and composure.

She tilted her head slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips, and gave Hyuga Neji a gentle smile once more. She spoke slowly, "Regardless, on behalf of the entire Allied Shinobi Forces, I sincerely thank your Hyuga clan for their support and assistance. However, there is one thing I hope you will tell me truthfully—how many clansmen will your Hyuga clan send to support us this time? After all, as you know, the scale and intensity of this war are unprecedented. Therefore, we urgently need your clan to send many excellent ninjas to the battlefield to assist us in facing the immense challenges ahead!"

When Hyuga Neji heard Tsunade's words, he was slightly taken aback. A hint of surprise appeared on his usually calm and composed face, but he quickly recovered and slowly replied, "This mission was ordered by the clan chief himself. He arranged for 300 outstanding clan members to come and support the Allied Forces in their battle, and I was fortunate enough to be entrusted with the important task of leading the team."

Upon hearing this, Tsunade frowned slightly, a hint of disappointment showing on her face. She murmured softly, "Only 300? That number seems like a drop in the ocean..." The scale of this war was unprecedented, its ferocity and scope unparalleled. A mere 300 Hyuga clan members thrown into this vast battlefield were like a drop in the ocean. If they were dispersed across various fronts, many units might not even be able to benefit from the support and assistance provided by the Hyuga clan's unique and powerful Byakugan ability.

Hyuga Neji frowned deeply, his mind filled with doubt and confusion. He simply couldn't understand why Lady Tsunade would ask such a strange question.

Keep in mind, the 300 clansmen they sent this time were all elite members of their clan! Even the weakest among them possessed the strength of elite Chunin, and the vast majority were even Jonin. Such a formidable force supporting the Allied Shinobi Forces should have been more than capable of securing victory! Could it be that the enemy's strength has become so terrifyingly unimaginable?

Thinking of this, Hyuga Neji felt a chill run down his spine. If that were the case, this war would likely become exceptionally difficult and brutal…

At that moment, Hyuga Neji, who had been silent all along, finally couldn't contain his doubts and shock. He took a step forward, staring intently ahead, and slowly asked, "Has the Akatsuki's strength become so unbelievable? Even if our Hyuga clan sends nearly 300 Jonin-level personnel to support us, are we not entirely confident that we can defeat them?"

Upon hearing this, Tsunade, who had initially been somewhat dissatisfied and disappointed with the number of reinforcements sent by the Hyuga clan, suddenly became serious. Her beautiful and sharp eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of surprise, and she blurted out, "What? You just said that all of the nearly 300 people your Hyuga clan sent to provide support this time are clan members with Jonin-level strength? How is that possible!"

Hyuga Neji narrowed his eyes slightly, his usually clear eyes now revealing a strange, unfathomable light. He stared intently at Hokage Tsunade, as if searching for an answer in her dignified and resolute face. Finally, he slowly opened his mouth and spoke in a tone full of doubt and confusion: "That's right! Our Hyuga clan's training grounds have always been known for their rigor. Anyone who can complete basic training here, even the weakest among them, possesses at least Chunin-level strength. Moreover, the clan members dispatched this time are all those who have already perfected their basic training, and many are even hovering on the critical point of breakthrough. The reason they chose to throw themselves into this extremely fierce war is that they hope to use the immense pressure and intense stimulation brought by the life-and-death struggle on the battlefield to successfully break through their own bottlenecks and achieve a leap in strength."