117. Taking Hinata Out to Grind for Experience

By this point, the trajectory of the Battle of New York had spiraled into a direction completely beyond Su Ye’s control or imagination.

High above, the portal remained open, relentlessly churning out Chitauri soldiers and Leviathan beasts with no sign of abating. By now, over ten thousand Chitauri had descended upon Earth, the vast majority being aerial units. The sight of thousands of craft swarming the sky was truly spectacular. Furthermore, more than fifty Leviathans drifted through the air; their sheer size alone exerted an overwhelming pressure, even without them launching a single attack.

On the ground, the military had committed countless resources—jets, tanks, and artillery—while warships appeared off the coast, ready to provide fire support at a moment’s notice. The scale of this conflict far surpassed the climactic battle against Thanos’s army in *Avengers: Endgame*. Su Ye even found himself wondering: if Vision had been sent to the White House instead of Wakanda during *Infinity War*, could Thanos’s forces have breached the defenses so easily to claim the Mind Stone? Well, that purple titan possessed a portal and could teleport, so perhaps it would still have been a difficult task.

Su Ye had no intention of participating in the search for Loki; his goals for the Battle of New York had largely been met. Destroying New York was enough; if he were to truly ruin the entire United States, where would he go? Back home? It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go back, but his homeland was guarded by the "Harmony Beasts" of censorship, and he didn’t dare return. Keeping the United States intact was fine; at least it provided a place where he could run wild.

On the roof of Stark Tower, the Avengers had consulted and chosen to split up—some to hunt for Loki, others to join the fray against the extraterrestrial threat. The members of the Great Wall Defenders joined the Avengers' strike teams; staying together provided a measure of safety, as the military’s artillery would not fire recklessly into their midst.

Su Ye dispatched a shadow clone to accompany the group while he slipped away to find Hinata. Of the "fish" in his pond currently in New York, only Catwoman and Hinata remained outside the Defenders' ranks. Su Ye didn't need to worry about Catwoman; cats have nine lives, and if she died here, she wouldn't deserve her title. As the saying goes, there are no wrong nicknames, only wrong names; given her and her father's nature, they likely fled New York the moment the aliens appeared.

His only concern was Hinata. She was a newcomer, unfamiliar with New York, and had no one to support her—except for her cousin, who looked destined for an early grave. Su Ye had kept a clone by her side since the war began, but now that his task of protecting the Tesseract’s activation device was complete, he could go there in person.

When he arrived at the middle school annex of Midtown High, half the building had already been demolished. Dozens of Chitauri soldiers were gathered in the courtyard, firing at the structure. Each blast shattered walls and windows, while screams echoed from within. Hinata and Neji were hiding inside with their teachers and classmates.

Su Ye’s clone had been disguised as a staff member, but upon arriving in his true form, he shifted his appearance to match the spiky-haired, fox-faced visage he often wore and approached them.

The tension on Hinata’s face vanished the moment she saw him. She wanted to dash into his arms, but fear of being looked down upon made her freeze, shyly whispering, "Brother Ye, you’re here!"

"Brother Ye?" Neji looked at Hinata’s expression and connected the name, realizing instantly that this was Su Ye, wearing a transformation jutsu.

"Brother Ye, what is happening out there? Why are so many monsters attacking us?" Neji stepped forward, asking anxiously. He didn't care why Su Ye was disguised; his mission was to protect Hinata, but the current situation left him feeling utterly helpless. "I’d heard the States were chaotic and New York wasn't safe, but I never imagined it would be like this."

Local bystanders nearby wanted to retort, but they couldn't; what he said was the truth. Su Ye chuckled, "A little chaos is normal, and it might get even crazier later. Don't worry, you’ll get used to it."

He reached out to pat Hinata’s hair. "Little Hinata, are you scared?"

"A... a little..." Hinata nodded shyly, then tried to put on a brave face. "But now that Brother Ye is here, I’m not scared anymore!"

Su Ye nodded with a smile. "Good. That’s a true daughter of the Xiang family. No complaints, no fear when facing danger. Uncle Xiang would be so proud to see you like this; he’d praise you as the future and glory of the family."

Neji, standing to the side, felt he was being needled, but seeing the look of pure happiness on Hinata’s face, he kept his peace.

Suddenly, Su Ye pointed outside. "Don't worry, those guys out there aren't much. I’ll go out and finish them off; you and your classmates will be safe soon." As he turned to leave, Hinata caught his sleeve.

"Brother Ye, can I... go with you?" Her voice was quiet, but her meaning was clear. "I want to fight, too. I don't want to be a burden..."

Neji grew frantic. "Hinata, you cannot go out there! You are the daughter of the clan head, the future leader. You cannot afford any risks. If anyone goes, it should be me!"

Hinata turned to look at Neji firmly. "Brother Neji, it’s the 21st century. Let’s stop talking about clan heads. Besides, I never wanted to be a leader. I only want to be strong..." She added silently, *...and stay by Brother Ye’s side to fight with him.*

Neji tried to protest, but Hinata ignored him, focusing on Su Ye. "Brother Ye, I want to go with you. I want to become a warrior like you!"

Neji panicked. "Hinata, you’re a girl, you can't—"

"A woman can study the Eight Trigrams of Xichuan and wield the seal of command! Since ancient times, heroines have gladly taken up the mantle; why must a general always be a man?" Su Ye’s booming voice cut Neji off.

"What if you are a girl? Girls must be independent, strong, and brave! Women are not born to be appendages of men; women can be heroic figures who hold up the sky!"

"Since you want to go, Brother Ye will take you. I’ll let you see what a real battlefield is. Only by experiencing it can you become a qualified warrior and a future hero!"

"No, Ye, Su Ye, you can't do this!" Neji shouted, trying to stop them, even using Su Ye’s real name.

Su Ye glared at him. "Either stay here and wait for our victory, or shut up and follow. If you keep whining, don't blame me for not showing Uncle Xiang any respect!"

Neji went silent, wanting to argue but lacking the courage. Ignoring him, Su Ye kicked open the door and tossed out a sphere he had just formed.

*Rasengan!*

After his Spider-Man clone had practiced endlessly in the woods, Su Ye had finally mastered the technique—not just a basic Rasengan, but the *Great Ball Rasengan*, capable of massive area damage.

The basketball-sized sphere struck the center of the courtyard, emitting a flash of white light before exploding with the force of a bomb.

*BOOM!*

With the deafening roar, half of the Chitauri soldiers were wiped out, while the rest staggered, dazed by the shockwave.

"Nineteen monsters left. Let’s see who kills them faster!" Su Ye charged out first.

With his Spider-Sense, he didn't fear the Chitauri energy rifles; he could dodge the fire before they even pulled the triggers. As for Hinata, with her Byakugan active, she possessed 360-degree vision and could track energy flow. As long as she wasn't pinned down by heavy fire, she was safe. Plus, Neji was there, and he would die before letting anything happen to her.

Soon, Su Ye had closed in on ten Chitauri, dispatching them one by one with his kunai. On the other side, with Neji’s help, Hinata cleared out the remaining nine. Although she had personally finished off only three, it was a remarkable feat for a twelve-year-old girl raised in a time of peace.

"Not bad!" Su Ye returned to her side and gave a thumbs-up. "I can tell this is your first real combat, but you didn't hesitate at all. Your use of the Byakugan and Gentle Fist was flawless!"

Hinata’s eyes curved into crescents. "It’s all thanks to your teaching, Brother Ye. Without your sparring, I could never have performed like this!"

"That’s because you have the drive," Su Ye ruffled her hair. "Any discomfort from killing for the first time?"

Hinata blinked. "Killing? Weren't they just monsters?"

Su Ye grinned. "Fair point. They’re just monsters. Nothing to feel bad about." He then glanced at Neji. "Your movements were fluid, your offensive awareness was sharp, and your destructive power was impressive. You’re worthy of being the most talented man in the Xiang family; you didn't embarrass them."

Neji lifted his chin, feigning indifference, though he clearly appreciated the praise.