Meanwhile, Ryōsuke slowly stepped out of the cave entrance.
He looked at the dozen or so Mist Village ninjas in the distance. Among them was a man with grayish-blue hair and a black eye patch over his right eye.
Wasn't that Ao of the Mist Village?
Just as he had expected, the man was here. This was the person who had been spying on him earlier.
It was the perfect opportunity to gouge out that eye and return it to the Hyūga Clan.
Outside, the dozen Mist ninjas looked at the man in the black clothes and white mask. Their expressions were grave.
Just by looking at him, they knew he wasn't an ordinary powerhouse; they had to proceed with extreme caution.
Ao was even more concerned about the state of the Fourth Mizukage inside the cave.
"What have you done to the Fourth Mizukage?"
The other Mist ninjas shared his concern.
They didn't possess Ao's Byakugan, so they had no idea the masked man had left the Fourth Mizukage inside the cave.
Ryōsuke didn't answer. Instead, he spoke with a calm indifference.
"Ao of the Mist Village, you have a Byakugan implanted in your right eye, don't you?"
"Will you hand it over obediently, or shall I take it myself?"
If the man was willing to remove it himself, it would certainly save him some trouble.
Upon hearing this, Ao's face darkened.
Not only did this person ignore his question, but he also had the audacity to demand his Byakugan.
He had gone through hell to obtain that eye.
As a sensor-type ninja, the Byakugan had elevated his tracking abilities to a whole new level.
It provided a 360-degree field of vision that ignored all obstacles, and his observation range had been significantly increased.
How could he possibly hand it over?
This man was pushing his luck.
"You certainly have some nerve! First, you kidnap the Fourth Mizukage, and now you want my Byakugan?"
"Do you truly hold the Mist Village in such contempt?"
"It won't be long before a large force of Mist ninjas converges on this location."
"If you're smart, you'll surrender now."
Ryōsuke remained completely unfazed by Ao's threats.
At his current level, he wasn't someone who could be defeated by mere numbers.
But since the man refused to cooperate...
He would have to take it by hand.
He lunged straight at Ao.
His intent was to gouge out the Byakugan directly.
Seeing him attack, the Mist ninjas braced themselves.
They prepared to intercept him.
They wouldn't let him have his way.
But their resistance was futile.
No matter who engaged Ryōsuke—be they Jōnin or Chūnin—none could hold him back.
Not a single one could withstand even a single strike from Ryōsuke.
With casual punches and kicks, Ryōsuke sent every ninja who dared approach him flying.
They crashed heavily to the ground, unable to get back up.
The air was filled with a chorus of groans and cries of pain.
With his Byakugan active, Ao watched in a mixture of shock and terror.
This man was far too powerful.
He was no match for him.
An opponent like this would likely require hundreds of ninjas to even stand a chance.
He turned on his heel, intent on fleeing.
But Ryōsuke wasn't about to let him escape.
Before Ao could take more than a few steps, Ryōsuke appeared behind him and delivered a powerful kick.
The blow landed heavily against Ao's back.
It sent Ao skidding face-first across the ground, leaving a long trail in the dirt.
The sheer impact left Ao in agonizing pain.
Yet, driven by survival instinct, he still struggled to get up.
It was his pure survival instinct.
But Ryōsuke was already upon him. He bent down, hoisted Ao up, and with his left hand, gouged the eye from its socket. The eyeball was now in his grasp.
Ao let out a blood-curdling scream of pain.
Ryōsuke tossed Ao aside onto the ground and ignored him.
He produced a preservation vial and placed the eye inside.
Then, he gave his hand a sharp flick to clear away the blood.
His business in the Mist Village was finished.
Not only had he happened upon Haku and taken him in...
But from now on, Haku would be with him, to be raised into adulthood.
He had also gained a subordinate as capable as Zabuza.
That man was incredibly proud, so he likely wouldn't go back on his word.
He had secured the Three-Tails, and now he had the Byakugan as well.
It was a bountiful harvest. It was time to return to the port and leave this country.
He didn't intend to use his right Mangekyō Sharingan's teleportation technique right now.
It simply consumed too much ocular power.
Just as he was about to run off...
A furious voice rang out.
"What have you done to Ao!?"
Simultaneously, a stream of yellow liquid surged toward him.