Naruto evolution system

Chapter 213: Trouble?

"Hmm?"

Baishi, deep in thought, suddenly furrowed his brows in confusion.

"My lord, is something wrong?"

Nearby, by the hot spring, Firefly asked.

"Shh."

Baishi raised a finger, signaling for silence, then sniffed the air carefully, as if discerning a specific scent.

Moments later, he murmured softly, "As I thought… kikaichū insects."

After dealing with Aburame Ryoma multiple times, Baishi had grown highly familiar with the scent of kikaichū insects.

So the moment the faint odor entered his range, he recognized it immediately.

"Kikaichū?"

Firefly muttered, then quickly realized something. "Konoha's shinobi?"

"Heh…"

Baishi chuckled lightly. "No doubt about it."

Standing up, he casually dressed and retrieved his blade, Dark Azure.

"Let's go. We wouldn't want to keep our guests waiting."

His voice was calm, yet unmistakably laced with killing intent.

Baishi didn't particularly enjoy killing, but he had no patience for troublemakers knocking on his door.

---

Meanwhile, deep within the western forests of Moon Island, a group of masked figures clad in black cloaks moved swiftly through the dense foliage.

Suddenly, one of them halted.

Immediately, the others gathered around, adopting a defensive formation.

The way they moved—swift, precise, and seamless—was a clear testament to their elite training.

A silver-haired shinobi, wearing a cat-faced mask, stepped forward. "Black Wing, what did you find?"

It was Kakashi, the leader of this special task force.

Their mission: locate Baishi and uncover his reason for capturing tailed beasts.

The masked operative known as Black Wing raised his right hand, revealing restless, twitching kikaichū in his palm.

"Captain, my kikaichū have sensed killing intent. We've been detected."

"What?"

"Impossible!"

"We just landed on the island. How could the target have already found us?"

The team members murmured in disbelief.

A shorter ninja, wearing a similarly dark mask, glanced at the kikaichū, then at the swarm scouting ahead.

After a brief moment of thought, he spoke. "Perhaps it was the kikaichū that gave away our position."

"That's ridiculous!"

Instinctively, Black Wing refuted the claim.

Before he could argue further, Kakashi raised a hand, signaling silence.

He turned to another operative. "Tō, activate Byakugan and scan for the target."

"Now?"

A masked shinobi, known as Tō, looked back at him.

"Now."

Receiving the confirmation, Tō wasted no time.

Forming a single seal, he directed his chakra toward his eyes.

Veins bulged around his temples, and though his mask obscured his face, the intensity of his gaze was unmistakable—this was the famed Hyūga Byakugan, the perfect tool for reconnaissance.

However, the Byakugan was a double-edged sword.

While it provided unparalleled vision, it also made the user vulnerable to detection by highly perceptive enemies.

This was why Tō had hesitated—activating his Byakugan might reveal his presence to Baishi.

But Kakashi had already considered the risk.

Baishi had likely already detected them, so stealth no longer mattered.

As for alerting the target…

Based on Kakashi's understanding of Baishi, even if he knew they were coming, he wouldn't simply flee.

And if it came down to a fight, the task force had been carefully selected for their strength.

Even if they couldn't capture Baishi, they wouldn't let him off easily.

Unfortunately, Kakashi had severely underestimated Baishi's growth.

The last time they met was nearly two years ago, and even then, Baishi had crushed them effortlessly.

That had been just a fraction of his true strength.

Now?

The difference was unimaginable.

"I found him!"

Tō's sudden exclamation broke Kakashi's train of thought.

But before anyone could celebrate, Tō's voice turned to horror.

"No—he saw me!"

"AARGH!"

A bloodcurdling scream erupted from Tō as two streaks of blood trickled from beneath his mask.

The sight sent a chill through the entire team.

"What happened?"

Kakashi asked urgently.

Tō clutched Kakashi's arm, his bloodshot eyes trembling with fear.

"Captain… run! Get out of here—now!"

And with that, he collapsed, unconscious.

A heavy silence settled over the group.

They hadn't even seen Baishi, yet they had already lost a man.

How were they supposed to proceed?

The short-statured ninja stepped forward, quickly examining Tō's condition.

After a moment, he concluded, "His mind was attacked."

Though his voice was youthful, the others did not doubt his judgment.

Because this ninja was Uchiha Itachi—the clan head's son.

At just twelve years old, he was already a Jōnin-level shinobi, known for his exceptional analytical skills.

Kakashi immediately turned to him. "Can you resist the attack?"

Itachi considered the question, then shook his head.

"No. Whoever did this attacked from hundreds of meters away. I can't defend against that."

Kakashi's expression darkened.

But he didn't hesitate.

Remembering Minato-sensei's orders, he made his decision.

"Retreat!"

The Konoha task force swiftly withdrew, maintaining formation despite their shaken morale.

As he took the rear guard position, Kakashi quietly pulled out a tri-pronged kunai, infused it with chakra, and flung it into a nearby bush.

Up ahead, Itachi glanced back, as if sensing something.

He briefly studied Kakashi, then turned away without comment, continuing with the retreat.

---

Elsewhere in the forest, Baishi came to a halt, his silver eyes gleaming as he gazed toward the retreating task force.

"So that was the Byakugan…"

Moments earlier, he had suddenly felt a probing gaze scanning him.

In response, he immediately activated his Super Vision (X-Ray) ability.

Back when he fought Roshi, his ability was only 40% progressed, allowing for a 500-meter viewing distance.

Now, it had advanced to 73%, extending his range to over 800 meters.

So, when Tō spotted Baishi, Baishi had spotted him as well.

And in that instant, Baishi had retaliated.

Using his vastly enhanced Mind-Body Switch Technique, he attempted to seize control of Tō.

Though the distance prevented full control, his overwhelming mental power still severely wounded the Hyūga.

Now, watching the Konoha shinobi flee in disarray, Baishi made his move.

Without hesitation, he activated Flying Thunder God.

(End of Chapter)

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