"Do you really think it's just luck?" Shiki repeated, always imposing his suffering onto others. "Then would your comrades be willing to stand behind you? Like members of the Hyuga clan, would you sacrifice your life for the Main House? Time is running out. One last question—will you surrender?"
Shiki raised his Seiquan sword; its straight blade gleamed beneath the sunlight.
The tip of his sword pointed directly at where Hyuga Ao stood.
"That's just like you. However, I now have someone I must protect too. Ever since Orochimaru gave me this chance—this rebirth—I've decided I'll give everything for him, even if it means my death."
Another violent sonic boom cracked through the air as Shiki Uzumaki vanished from Hyuga Ao's sight.
All that remained was a blur rushing straight toward him.
Even though he had already activated his Byakugan, significantly enhancing his perception, his opponent remained brutally straightforward.
Faster… ever faster…
Using purely taijutsu without any Shifting Body Technique involved, Shiki Uzumaki suddenly appeared before him.
This time, unlike before, Shiki swung only his right fist.
Even that fist shimmered with scorching chakra.
"This won't work on me."
Hyuga Ao roared loudly, assuming a defensive stance.
Just as he had blocked Shiki Uzumaki's sword before, even if Shiki could cause significant damage, in this state, he would quickly recover.
The ground erupted into clouds of dust, spreading through the ruins and blanketing an area with a ten-meter radius.
A mere taijutsu strike having such tremendous power!
Yet within the smoke, Hyuga Ao chuckled lowly, crossing both arms to block Shiki's punch. "Told you it's useless. Besides, the one most skilled in close combat is definitely among the Hyuga."
But in the next instant, Shiki Uzumaki's left hand shot toward Ao's abdomen. Blue chakra burned at his fingertips.
[Metal. Wood. Water. Fire. Earth.]
The five elemental characters appeared on separate fingers.
[Five Elements Seal!]
With a bang, the five fingers tore through the air and struck Hyuga Ao's belly.
At that moment, Ao felt almost all his chakra surging uncontrollably toward his abdomen—completely beyond his control…
[To be continued...]
Chapter 200: Betting My Life
"It's over. You've already lost the strength to fight," Shiki said calmly.
Ao knelt helplessly, supporting himself with his hands against the broken ground.
In his pure white eyes reflected unimaginable frustration and shock. Blood spilled from his mouth, staining the rubble before him.
His fingers clenched and released repeatedly, unaware of being worn raw.
How could this happen?
How could I actually lose like this?
No matter how hard he tried, Hyuga Ao couldn't wrap his mind around it. He had fought so hard! And Orochimaru had bestowed upon him such incredible power.
Yet why did things end up like this? Why did he suffer such a devastating defeat?
He lowered his head to look at his lower abdomen, where chakra still seemed to be burning.
Yet he already knew exactly what it was.
Five black tomoe (crescent-shaped marks) surrounded and imprinted onto his lower belly, like soldiers guarding a forbidden zone.
He tried again to mobilize his chakra, only to find himself completely unable to connect with the cursed seal. Even his own chakra had been heavily disrupted and became difficult to control.
Shiki Uzumaki looked at Hyuga Ao, whose face showed confusion, and a trace of pity flickered across Hyuga Ao's handsome features. He couldn't help but sigh.
Even the Five Elements Seal wasn't enough to completely seal away all of Hyuga Ao's chakra.
But one thing was certain—he wouldn't be able to wield his powers as effortlessly as before with the Five Elements Seal in place.
He couldn't access the cursed seal's chakra, and even his own chakra would be restricted.
Just as Orochimaru once placed the Five Elements Seal on Naruto—only for Jiraiya to break it later and restore his full combat strength.
And he could easily learn [Water Walking] afterwards.
Hyuga Ao's situation naturally wouldn't be much better, since his main power source came from the cursed seal.
Now, the chakra connected to that cursed seal had already been disrupted by the Five Elements Seal.
The dark markings brought forth by the cursed seal gradually faded away as the Five Elements Seal took hold over Hyuga Ao.
Eventually, Hyuga Ao returned to his original appearance.
His clothes were torn, his face pale, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
In truth, he was actually quite a good-looking kid. If in his original world, a twelve-year-old acting rebelliously might have been easily forgiven.
But this was the ninja world—and from the moment he graduated from the Academy (the Ninja School), he had already taken full responsibility for his actions.
Not everyone could be like Naruto—who remained a child despite growing up in darkness. Hyuga Ao's mind had likely matured far beyond his years.
Yet he still chose to devote himself to Orochimaru.
Because someone acknowledged him, so he held nothing back—not even if it meant innocent lives perished beneath his hands, not even if it led to the destruction of the village where he once lived.
Shiki Uzumaki stood silently; the Eight Gates had already sealed shut. Perhaps from being open for too long, the areas around each gate now ached faintly.
However, his physical condition was no longer what it used to be, and such pain wouldn't result in lasting side effects.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Sarutobi-sensei, have you already passed the Five Elements Seal technique onto that boy?"
Orochimaru licked his lips, gazing toward Shiki Uzumaki.
He hadn't expected that Shiki Uzumaki would defeat Hyuga Ao so quickly and decisively.
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