Chapter 81: There's an Ambush!
Exposing his strength?
Hinata Hizashi didn't say much aloud, but he had pieced together a great deal from subtle cues in his conversation with the clan head.
Ryosuke isn't as simple as he seems on the surface.
He's always been low-profile, yet still managed to earn the clan leader's trust—and even the attention of the Hyuga main family. That alone spoke volumes. Hizashi suspected that the frail young girl they'd sent with him was nothing more than a decoy, a smokescreen to mask Ryosuke's real importance.
When he thought back to their last meeting—his older brother had been injured. But how could that have happened within the clan compound, unless it was during an actual fight with Ryosuke?
If that's the case… then this kid may already have Jonin-level strength—or be close to it.
As the clan head, his brother hadn't stepped outside the village in years. There were no foreign threats or rogue ninja involved. So the only explanation was that Ryosuke had managed to injure him in sparring—or worse.
That one conversation from the night before had left Hizashi wide awake, tossing and turning in bed, haunted by his brother's words.
A seven-year-old… Jonin-level?
That would make him even stronger than Uchiha Itachi or Hatake Kakashi had been at that age. At seven, even those prodigies had only just reached Chunin level. Ryosuke, on the other hand, was already a terrifying outlier.
When Ryosuke suddenly stopped walking, Hizashi followed suit, falling into step beside him.
"You want us to go covert from this point on?" Hizashi asked, keeping his tone neutral.
They had been traveling for three days now, crossing the Land of Fire to reach its southeastern border.
Ahead of them lay the endless sea. From here on, the only way to continue their journey was by boat. Their destination was an island nation just off the coast—the Land of Waves.
"No need. Just keep going as planned," Ryosuke said with a light chuckle, shaking his head.
"I was only being cautious before to avoid people irrelevant to the mission. It has nothing to do with our actual objective. My concern lies more with what we'll face in the Land of Waves."
Of course, what he truly meant was that he was watching out for certain people from Konoha.
Ryosuke was far more worried about internal threats than external ones. Even with his foresight abilities, he couldn't see everything. And in the ninja world, assumptions could get you killed. So he'd been staying alert—constantly checking for signs of being tailed.
Thankfully, nothing suspicious had happened on the road from Konoha to the coast.
Which means, for now, the village doesn't seem to be watching too closely.
Though puzzled by Ryosuke's relaxed attitude, Hizashi didn't question it. Along the journey, he'd gotten used to consulting Ryosuke on almost everything. At first, it was a test—to see if the boy really had the talent his brother believed he did. But now, it was more than that.
It was a silent acknowledgement of leadership.
During their three-day trip, Hizashi had quietly observed Ryosuke's maturity, meticulous planning, and unnerving calm.
Ryosuke had mapped out every town, every rest stop, every detour. It was as if he'd done reconnaissance before the mission even began. His grasp of terrain and logistics was exceptional for someone his age.
No… not just for his age. Even for most Jonin, this would be impressive.
Though they hadn't encountered any enemies yet, Hizashi could still feel Ryosuke's chakra reserves and control. Definitely not Genin-level. At the very least, he had the qualities of a Chunin.
---
Aboard their ship—a mid-sized freighter used for transporting goods—the team was finally crossing the water.
Since Ryosuke had declared there was no need to conceal their movements, they didn't bother sneaking in through alternate routes. They took the most direct, fastest passage across the sea to the Land of Waves.
But not everyone was at ease.
"Master Hizashi," said Hyuga Iroha, one of the Jonin assigned to the mission, "is it really wise for us to be traveling so openly across the sea like this?"
The ship rocked gently beneath them. They stood on deck, the sea breeze brushing past.
"There's no cover out here, unlike on land," Iroha continued. "Moving this openly doesn't seem like proper ninja protocol."
Hizashi leaned casually against the railing, gazing out at the horizon.
"Relax," he replied. "You've seen how Ryosuke handled everything on the way here. He's cautious, thoughtful. He doesn't make careless mistakes."
He cast a sideways glance at Iroha. "He must have his reasons for this approach. I didn't pry, but after these few days with him, I've come to trust his judgment."
The two countries were close. From the coast of the Land of Fire, you could faintly see the silhouette of the Land of Waves on the horizon. For those trained in the Byakugan, the opposite shore was practically within visible range.
"But... he's still a kid," Iroha said hesitantly. "No matter how talented, he hasn't even graduated from the Academy."
"We're ninja," Hizashi interrupted, turning to face him directly. "And as ninja, we don't judge others based on age. That kind of thinking will get you killed. You're a Jonin, Iroha. Don't make rookie mistakes."
Iroha opened his mouth to reply—
"Ambush!"
The shout came from a Hyuga Chunin stationed at the edge of the deck.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!
Before the warning had even fully left his mouth, the air filled with the sharp whistle of incoming projectiles.
In an instant, several dark figures appeared on the distant shore.
The Hyuga clan members activated their Byakugan, scanning the area. Hizashi and Iroha followed suit.
"They're on land," Hizashi said calmly. "Get ready."
His Byakugan was among the most refined in the group, and in just a single sweep, he identified the threat.
The ambush wasn't at sea. It wasn't beneath the waves.
It was waiting for them on the coastline of the Land of Waves.
A large group of people stood lined up near the dock, watching the ship approach. They weren't hiding; they were openly positioned at the border, waiting.
Not an ambush... exactly.
"Don't panic," Hizashi said.
Meanwhile, atop the bridge of the ship, Ryosuke stood calmly at the helm, hands resting on the rudder.
His Byakugan had long since been activated. He was already watching the figures on the shore with quiet intensity.
Hyuga Hoshicai stood silently behind him, keeping a close guard.
Ryosuke's vision was sharper than Hizashi's. He could see more details.
He narrowed his eyes.
They're not preparing to ambush us... this feels more like a welcome.
A small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Gato, huh…?"
It seemed the infamous merchant knew how to handle things after all. Ruthless and calculating, but clearly not stupid.
"This freighter's moving fast," Ryosuke called out to the team. "We'll be docking soon. Get ready to move."
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