With an overwhelmingly powerful grab, he snatched the White Fang's tanto from Sakumo Hatake.
Faced with this incredible feat, Satori Hyūga was momentarily stunned.
He stared at the White Fang's tanto in his hand. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, followed by a brief silence.
The blade had been taken with unsettling ease.
It seemed...his strength had gone beyond normal human limits.
Even in the original series, Sakumo Hatake—who was portrayed as a Kage-level ninja, albeit as background support—had been effortlessly defeated by him.
And he hadn't even unleashed most of his techniques yet.
Once he unlocked the Lightning Release: Eight Gates technique, his physical strength and Taijutsu were simply superior.
When he activated the Tenseigan, his dynamic vision flawlessly tracked every motion and trajectory of Sakumo's blade.
Both advantages placed him firmly above Sakumo—an absolute counter.
After a while, Satori Hyūga let go of the White Fang's tanto and said, "Man, cheating the system really does feel amazing."
Defeating one of the series' strongest characters gave Satori undeniable proof that his strength had reached the pinnacle of the ninja world.
Sakumo Hatake flashed forward, snatching the descending White Fang's tanto midair, then immediately darted backward rapidly.
After retreating about ten meters, Sakumo finally stopped and fixed Satori with a wary gaze.
Only at this distance did he feel slightly safe.
The opponent's strength was just too terrifying.
In over a decade of active duty, Sakumo had never once had someone disarm him barehanded.
Only against Satori did he experience such a huge gap—an overwhelming difference that made him unwillingly acknowledge the other's invincibility.
That was beyond what any strategy or intelligence could compensate for.
Terrifying physical strength, intense combat reflexes, chakra reserves exceeding normal human limits—and then there was that Puppet Technique he had deployed earlier.
"Just who are you? Why didn't you kill me just now?" Sakumo asked.
Satori clearly had the chance to kill him but chose not to, even returning the stolen White Fang.
This act left Sakumo deeply suspicious.
Satori let out a light chuckle, looking at Sakumo and saying, "What, were you hoping I'd kill you?"
"The truth is, even if I spare you today, your future self won't live to see it."
Sakumo furrowed his brow, failing to grasp the meaning behind Satori's words.
Satori continued, "Didn't you notice how your earlier actions have already angered the Hokage?"
"You're a citizen of Konoha, the commander of the Jonin Division, yet you accepted the Hokage Sleeve—a gift bestowed by the Fire Daimyo himself."
As he listened, a sense of unease rose within Sakumo.
He may not have been a political expert, but he wasn't foolish either.
From Satori's words, Sakumo sensed something deeper.
A chill ran down his spine. He asked grimly, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"How do you know so much about Konoha? How long have you been embedded among us?"
To him, Satori knew about the Hokage Sleeve because he must have infiltrated Konoha and collected intel directly.
Satori Hyūga shook his head, clicked his tongue twice, and stared at Sakumo Hatake with a strange expression.
"Sakumo Hatake, should I call you clever or just plain foolish?"
"Haven't you ever considered that I might actually be from Konoha itself?"
"Think carefully about what I've said. It must have stirred something inside you, right?"
"A leader of a Jonin Division Squad in Konoha, receiving the Hokage Armband from the Fire Daimyo, only to be sent out of the village the very next day for high-risk missions."
"Didn't all these thoughts ever cross your mind?"
Each word from Satori struck deep into Sakumo's heart.
Previously, Sakumo had never thought along these lines, but now, after Satori's words, he immediately sensed something was off.
His hand gripping the sword trembled slightly, and his eyes turned oddly complex. He wasn't foolish.
From Satori's words, he had gained a wealth of information and intelligence.
Sakumo raised his gaze, staring heavily at Satori.
"You're from Konoha? Then why don't I remember seeing you before?"
No matter how hard he thought, Sakumo couldn't recall encountering this person within Konoha.
There were only two possible explanations: either the other had hidden too well, or Satori hadn't looked like this when he was in the village.
But even then, Sakumo could never have imagined that Satori had used genetic manipulation technology to rapidly accelerate his aging process.
From a juvenile form to full adulthood overnight—an appearance shocking enough to stun anyone who saw him.
As Sakumo carefully studied Satori's face, his own met the terrifying sight of the Tenseigan—eyes that resembled the depths of hell.
After controlling and reshaping countless souls, these eyes gradually developed a power capable of intimidating minds and swaying hearts.
The moment their gazes clashed, Sakumo felt as if laid completely bare—as if his every secret had been exposed to the world.
His expression darkened, and he spoke in astonishment and doubt, "Jet-black pupils—dark as a demon's eyes, completely unlike the Hyūga Clan… what kind of bloodline limit is this?"
"No… In the village, we only have the Byakugan and the Rinnegan. The Rinnegan can evolve—so perhaps the Byakugan can evolve as well. Just now, during your attack, I saw faint traces of both the Gentle Fist Style and the Eight Gates Technique in your movements—you must be from the Hyūga Clan."
After logical deduction, Sakumo quickly locked onto the truth.
He locked eyes with Satori, speaking slowly and deliberately, "I know who you are. You're the genius of the Hyūga Clan—Satori Hyūga."
"Though I don't understand why you've changed appearance, based on what I've heard in rumors, you must be Satori Hyūga."
His certainty was largely drawn from stories shared among teammates and villagers.
Among the countless rumors, true or false, they all pointed toward one thing: Satori was a ninja prodigy, a business genius, and possessed immense background influence.
However, what finally confirmed Satori's identity for Sakumo was the simultaneous appearance of the Eight Gates Technique and Gentle Fist Style.
In Konoha, Sakumo had encountered Might Guy before—he knew Guy practiced the Eight Gates Technique.
This forbidden technique had remained hidden after Might Guy joined the Hyūga Clan.
The person most likely to obtain this forbidden Kinjutsu would naturally be the new master of Might Guy—the legendary Satori Hyūga.
Why not Might Guy himself?
That was simply because Sakumo Hatake clearly understood Might Guy's personality and his limits.
Might Guy—with his laid-back and boisterous personality and unmistakable green jumpsuit—just didn't fit the profile.
Plus, Might Guy was hopeless at ninjutsu. There's no way he could control a vast array of puppets.
Clap, clap, clap. Satori Hyūga clapped his hands slowly, a trace of admiration slipping through.
"No wonder you're the legendary White Fang. After such precise deductions, you actually uncovered my true identity."
"Precisely. I am Satori Hyūga of the Hyūga Clan."
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