"Ueshi Dezheng!"
Amamiya Jane's eyes narrowed as she gripped her kunai tighter. The man standing before her radiated power and authority—a Jōnin of the Ueshi Clan, one of the elite warriors she hadn't expected to see here.
"Ueshi Dezheng?" Raizen blinked. The name tugged at memory threads he hadn't thought about in years. The Ueshi Clan had two elite Jōnin: the head, Ueshi Masaka, and his younger brother, Ueshi Tokatsu. But seeing a Jōnin here, bowing almost deferentially to a child barely older than Raizen, was… unsettling.
"You're Amamiya Raizen, right?"
A small voice cut through the tension. The child, barely two years older than Raizen, stepped forward, raising his head with a calm yet piercing gaze.
"Byakugan!"
Raizen's breath caught. His eyes flicked to the two ninjas behind the boy—both bore the unmistakable white eyes of the Hyuga Clan.
"The Hyuga Clan…" he muttered, an icy dread crawling up his spine.
The boy's gaze snapped to Raizen, and he spoke with the authority of someone far older. "I wasn't part of the last coalition battle, but the elders told me of you. I heard you killed many of our Hyuga Clan ninja."
Before Raizen could respond, the boy's voice rose, almost a roar. "For the lives you've taken… I will repay this hatred!"
Raizen's stomach tightened. The words alone were heavy with promise of death. Something about this child, the weight behind his claim, made him pause.
"Why? Don't you dare face the challenge of my Hyuga Tennin?"
The boy's eyes flared as he addressed Raizen directly. Raizen's mind raced, trying to match names to legends. The Hyuga Tennin—a name whispered in history, a peerless prodigy of the Hyuga Clan. Strength said to rival even Madara and Zhige. Could it really be him, standing before Raizen as a child?
Raizen's pulse quickened. Behind the calm exterior of the boy, the two Jōnin flanking him radiated lethal energy. Three elite Jōnin protecting a child? Great. Just my luck.
"Agree or not!" Hyuga Tennin's command cut through the tension. His presence pressed in, an invisible weight threatening to crush any hesitation.
Raizen frowned, irritation and disbelief mixing in his chest. "Why should I fight you? And even if I do… will you let us leave if we win?"
A faint, confident smirk touched Tennin's face. "Yes. Beat me, and I won't stop you."
Ueshi Dezheng's jaw tightened at the exchange. He had brought Jane here to seize an opportunity, but now… this child commanded the battlefield like a seasoned general. Weakening the Amamiya Clan here would be almost effortless.
"Don't worry," Tennin said lightly, eyes sweeping the battlefield. "The Amamiya Clan is no match for us. Even if we let them leave now, with the Hyuga Clan's support… they'll think twice before crossing us again."
Ueshi Tokatsu nodded reluctantly, clearly aware of the stakes.
Raizen felt a chill. The little boy in front of him wasn't just bold—he was oblivious to danger and utterly confident in his power. Great. A genius child ready to eat me alive. Perfect.
He glanced at Jane, alert and coiled like a spring. Whatever game was about to begin, it wasn't going to be easy.