[Premonition: You can imagine all things as your enemies]
[Future: You can glimpse the near future]
[Berserk: Your combat power will rise sharply]
Hyuga Arin looked at the three traits.
All three were highly practical. Premonition was practically a divine tool for grinding experience—clearly an enhancement tailored to Ghost Brain.
Future could also give an edge in combat, but it overlapped with his Gentle Fist trait. One was seeing, the other predicting; different methods, similar effects.
As for Berserk, it looked temporary. And "berserk" probably referred to the body—there was no way it would increase his chakra pool.
In the end, he chose Premonition.
After all, it was a god-tier experience-farming trait. Even if it didn't spawn particularly strong enemies, during times without war, this would be one of his rare sources of experience.
[Ghost Brain (Lv10) — Experience (Max) — Trait: Premonition]
Martial-type skills really were easy to level—everything only cost 4,500 experience.
Arin jumped up from the bed.
He glanced around the tent, scratched his head, then looked at his pillow.
Ghost Brain—activate!
It said "all things," didn't it? A pillow counted as "a thing," right?
The pillow Arin used was basically a chunk of wood he'd casually shaved into shape.
Very quickly, a pillow-shaped phantom as tall as a person appeared in front of him.
"So it really works."
Arin snapped his fingers. Black-blue flames instantly ignited on the pillow. The phantom was alive, struggling to break free of the flames—but it was soon burned to ash.
[Experience: 35]
"…That's it?"
Arin was a little surprised by how dangerous the pillow phantom was. That thing could probably kill an ordinary person.
But for him—
"The experience is way too little."
The black-blue flames slowly dissipated in midair.
All in all, it was better than nothing. Activating Ghost Brain consumed stamina and chakra, and the cost wasn't particularly high.
If he used only chakra—
"I could fight all day!"
Sometimes, the Cloud Ninja really did seem mentally unstable.
After several peaceful days in camp, a ninja from the forward line returned with a report.
"Cloud Ninja spotted!!"
That instantly woke Arin, who had been dozing off in the meeting room. He snapped his eyes open.
"Are they launching a large-scale attack?" Arin asked, sounding faintly excited.
The commanders present all fell silent.
They had been hoping this front would end quietly.
Instead, it turned out they had a diehard warmonger mixed in.
Couldn't he yearn for peace a little? So many Konoha ninja had already died in this war—and plenty from the Hyuga clan as well.
…Wait, this Hyuga didn't seem to get along with the Hyuga clan.
Never mind, then.
Hyuga Hikaru rubbed his temples, already getting a headache.
"Send Hyuga clan ninja to investigate."
"What about me?" Arin raised his hand.
"You go too. Just make sure you come back alive," Hyuga Hikaru said, placing no real constraints on him.
After all, Orochimaru had personally told them to look after Arin. If a battle really broke out, overall command would probably be handed straight to him.
Hikaru seriously suspected that if Arin ever took command, he'd lead everyone straight into the Land of Lightning.
That was absolutely something he'd do.
"Got it." Arin didn't waste words and walked straight out of the tent.
Several line commanders looked deeply worried.
"The Cloud Ninja aren't really planning another attack, are they?"
This time, they didn't have Orochimaru and the others. Even knowing Arin's combat strength, they didn't believe he could withstand the Cloud's two pillars.
After all, even Orochimaru's trio had only barely driven off B. Arin alone might not manage it.
Hyuga Hikaru sighed.
"For now, we observe. All of you return to your positions on the front lines. If the Cloud Ninja show any abnormal movement, I'll immediately request reinforcements from the village."
That was what he said—but everyone knew the truth.
The village truly had no one left to send.
If the Cloud Ninja launched another surprise attack, they'd have no choice but to fight to the death.
Which made it all the more puzzling.
Why would the Cloud Ninja, already suffering such heavy losses, stir things up again?
Why the Cloud Ninja were reigniting hostilities, Arin didn't know.
He called over Nawaki and the others, then dashed toward the northwestern defensive line.
"Big bro, what's going on?" Nawaki asked nervously.
"There's abnormal movement from the Cloud side. We're going to investigate whether they're really planning another attack," Arin said in a low voice.
When they reached the northwestern line, Arin saw many Hyuga clan members rushing forward.
The Hyuga were the best reconnaissance ninja.
Arin glanced at the distant mountains. A sweep with his Byakugan revealed no trace of Cloud Ninja.
"Let's go too."
This reconnaissance mission required leaving the defensive line and probing toward the Cloud side.
The three quickly descended the mountain, moving swiftly through rocky terrain. Soon they reached a forest at the foot of the mountain and leapt onto the branches, advancing forward.
Arin kept his Byakugan active the entire time, scanning the surroundings for any sign of the Cloud Ninja.
Neither Nawaki nor Aburame Mushiki noticed that Arin's footstep on one branch left behind a scorched mark.
After the three sped past, the blackened mark flickered. A tiny black-blue flame appeared, rapidly growing until it gradually formed into another Hyuga Arin.
Meanwhile, the Arin moving ahead showed a faintly strange expression.
Substitution Technique!
His figure wavered—and the one advancing forward changed, while Nawaki and Mushiki remained completely unaware.
Arin stood on a tree branch. His body rapidly grew taller, his clothing shifting and transforming into the attire of a Cloud ninja. He condensed the Dark Battle Blade; as the Transformation Technique took effect, the blade became a standard Cloud long sword, which he sheathed behind his back.
Under the disguise, his Byakugan locked onto a target.
"Found you."
"Hyuga Hiashi."
Hyuga Hiashi was crouched on a tree branch, observing his surroundings. His squad was also searching for signs of the Cloud Ninja.
They had already gone quite a distance, yet still hadn't encountered a single Cloud ninja.
But the reports from the front lines shouldn't be wrong.
He looked ahead. If they went any farther, they'd be close to the Land of Lightning.
So far, there was still no sign of the Cloud Ninja—almost as if they had completely withdrawn, with no intention of attacking.
"Who's there?!" Hiashi suddenly turned his head, looking to the side.
A jōnin-level chakra presence was rapidly approaching.
Two Hyuga jōnin instantly moved in front of him—their duty was to protect Hiashi.
Soon, they saw the approaching figure.
Dark skin, Cloud ninja attire—it really did look like a Cloud ninja.
But—
Why was there a faint layer of chakra enveloping his body? Was he using some kind of technique?
The Cloud ninja in question was, of course, Arin.
He curled his lips into a smile as he looked at the two Hyuga branch members.
"What luck—running into three Hyuga at once."
"And the one in the middle… that's a main-house member, right?"
✨ Bonus Chapter Goals ✨
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