"..."
An all-encompassing silence fell over the air, dead and still, broken only by a faint, phantom-like ringing in the ears.
Might Guy, reacting on pure instinct, finally activated the first of the Eight Gates. By then, Hyūga Kumokawa's figure had already settled into a poised, half-crouched stance, having completed his spin.
Guy stared dumbly as Kumokawa's long hair drifted slowly to rest behind his shoulders. He only snapped out of it upon hearing a soft plip and seeing blood gather at Kumokawa's fingertips before dripping and splattering on the ground.
"An enemy attack?!"
Might Guy's expression instantly turned serious. He vanished from the spot without hesitation, racing toward the direction the attack had originated.
But by the time he arrived, there was no one in sight.
Only a shockingly vivid, crimson pool of blood remained, and a severed right arm with a perfectly smooth, clean cut. The textures of bone and muscle were clearly visible.
Clearly, the kunai Hyūga Kumokawa had hurled back hadn't taken the assailant's life. It had merely claimed an arm, forcing a hasty, disheveled retreat.
Hyūga Kumokawa walked over a moment later. He glanced at the severed arm on the ground, then looked up slightly toward the forest's depths.
The leaves of the trees trembled in the wind, the dappled light between the shadows fragmented.
"Kumokawa, did you see them?" Might Guy asked beside him.
No blood trail. The assailant had clearly treated the wound urgently to avoid leaving a trace.
"No," Hyūga Kumokawa withdrew his gaze, shaking his head with a hint of regret. "Too fast. I couldn't make them out."
[Ding. Your lie has been judged as [Playing Possum]. Might Guy experiences intense emotional fluctuation, reaching the state of [Utter Conviction]. 300 Fulfillment Points acquired…]
One reason Hyūga Kumokawa had initially chosen to befriend Might Guy was the man's potential—the man who, in the future, would nearly kick Six Paths Madara to death. The other reason was naturally Guy's "simplicity" and emotional nature.
He clearly harbored no suspicion towards Kumokawa's words. Once again, he contributed a small wave of points. His expression was grave and indignant. "This must be reported to Lord Third! How dare someone commit such violence within Konoha!"
As if remembering something, Guy looked at Kumokawa's hand, quickly asking, "Ah, your injury…"
"It's fine. That guy's Wind Release skills were subpar," Hyūga Kumokawa replied with a smile, waving his hand dismissively and showing Guy the palm, which bore only a single, shallow cut.
[Ding. Your lie has been judged as [False Modesty]...]
In reality, the situation had been quite perilous. The opponent's Wind Release jutsu wasn't as simple as he made it sound. If he had grabbed the blade instead of the handle, his entire hand might have been severed.
"Whew… Good, good that you're alright. But Kumokawa, being able to awaken your Byakugan can be considered a blessing in disguise," Might Guy sighed in relief. Though he believed the lie, the memory of that kunai's terrifying speed kept his expression stern and troubled.
Even someone as thick-skinned as him felt a lingering fear.
He even wondered, if the target had been him, could he have reacted in time?
The answer came quickly.
If he could open the Eight Gates, even just the first, he could have reacted and dodged in time.
But the opponent wouldn't have given him that chance. That strike was too fast, too sudden. And one simply wouldn't expect such an attack within Konoha itself.
"Kumokawa… you're amazing."
Realizing this, something new glinted in Might Guy's eyes as he looked at Hyūga Kumokawa. He reached out and patted his shoulder, sighing with emotion. "It seems my training is still far from sufficient. Starting today, I'll add five hundred handstand walks to my daily regimen!"
Next time, even if Death himself comes swinging his scythe, I'll blast open a path with my own fists!
"It was just luck," Hyūga Kumokawa shook his head with a wry smile.
This time, there was no system prompt. Clearly, in Might Guy's eyes, it was a display of skill, not luck.
"Let's go. First, get that wound bandaged, then report this to Lord Third," Might Guy's tone was low. "To think spies have already infiltrated Konoha and are attacking our comrades."
'Spies?
Perhaps… not necessarily?'
Hyūga Kumokawa glanced at his already healing palm, recalling the figure he'd glimpsed with his Byakugan earlier. A thoughtful glint flickered in his eyes.
'Who could it be?
Hiruzen?
No, my secrets shouldn't be exposed yet.
Then it must be remnants left by Orochimaru, or perhaps…'
"Shimura Danzō," Hyūga Kumokawa chuckled inwardly. "Moving so quickly. Truly adept at fighting internal battles, inept at external ones."
Meanwhile, at the edge of the Forest of Death.
A figure shrouded in a black cloak continuously used the Body Flicker technique, not stopping until they were far from Hyūga Kumokawa and Might Guy. They knelt on a tree branch, clutching their arm.
"Urgh…"
The cloaked figure's head hung low. A suppressed scream finally escaped their gritted teeth, the pain laced with a thread of fear.
'Damn it! Damn it! How could this happen?!'
He had lain in ambush at the training ground the target frequented, based on the intelligence report.
When the target appeared, he had felt relaxed. In his view, it was a simple, straightforward mission.
So, he had used the technique he was most proficient in, the one he took the most pride in—the technique taught to him personally by Lord Danzō.
But at that very moment, the brat had seemed to sense him, suddenly stopping, tilting his head slightly, then awakening his Byakugan—something not mentioned in the intelligence.
And that brat had raised his hand… and caught the kunai wrapped in Wind Release chakra with his bare hand?
Yes, that guy had caught it. With his bare hand. The kunai. By the handle, where the Wind Release chakra didn't cover.
'What kind of joke is this?!'
The thick, lush trees stretched towards the distant horizon, their branches intertwining like a sparse, loosely woven net.
But the cloaked figure, using his sensory technique, felt as if—across such a vast distance—he was making eye contact with a pair of calm, deathly still eyes.
In the next instant, before he could react, he only heard a sharp whistle of wind.
A rain began to fall within the woods before him.
It was as if a spring breeze had suddenly blown towards him, passing silently through the forest, scissor-like, shearing away the withered leaves. Countless leaves fell, fragmenting his vision.
The scene was truly beautiful.
But what followed was excruciating physical pain.
Schlick.
The sleeve of his black robe, covering the arm that had thrown the kunai, slowly tore open. A circular red line split his skin.
Blood sprayed. The arm slid down and fell to the ground with an unnervingly clear sound.
"That guy… he caught my jutsu with his bare hand… and threw it back!"
Kneeling on the branch, having fled on instinct, the cloaked man now understood what had happened, yet he still found it unbelievable.
According to the intelligence… wasn't that guy a failure?
How could a failure possibly catch a Wind Release jutsu—one personally taught by Lord Danzō and refined over years—with his bare hand?!
With such terrifying reaction speed, you call him a failure?
If he's a failure, then what am I?
"Kamaitachi, what are you doing?"
As he was lost in shock, a hoarse, gloomy voice reached his ears, making him shiver violently.
He looked up slightly at the figure that had appeared before him, then quickly bowed his head again, his voice trembling. "Lord Danzō, I…"
"Hmph. Useless. It seems your mission failed," Shimura Danzō coldly interrupted before he could finish, glancing at the man's severed arm.
This man before him was a shinobi he had specifically cultivated for assassination missions.
Previously, against most Jōnin, with sufficient preparation, he could achieve a one-hit kill.
But now…
"Losing your dominant hand… you're utterly useless now."
Shimura Danzō narrowed his shadowed eyes slightly. 'Interesting. That Hyūga brat is indeed not as simple as he appears on the surface. Orochimaru must have left something within him.
Hmph. Since Hiruzen shows no mercy, stealing my Wood Release user from me, don't blame me for being unjust and targeting this brat.'