"..."
By the faint moonlight filtering through the night sky, Yurui stared intently at the dark figure before him, his pupils contracting. His right hand, still numb from the earlier impact, tensed alongside his entire body.
'A Konoha shinobi?' The thought flashed, but he dismissed it immediately. 'No. This person's attire doesn't match a Konoha ninja.'
The bottomless black robe completely concealed the figure. A profound sense of malice made Yurui feel as if his teeth were being hollowed out by decay.
If this were a Konoha ninja, there would be no need to hide their features. Simply sounding an intrusion alarm would be enough to trap him completely.
'Then… a 'colleague'?'
With this thought, Yurui's focus sharpened. He knew this was his only chance.
There was no time to waste here. This person clearly had no intention of letting him pass. He had to kill them immediately!
No words were exchanged. Almost instantaneously, both figures moved, rushing towards each other.
Two streaks like unfurling silk, their speed and sequence impossible to distinguish.
All that could be heard was the terrifying whistle of wind; anything caught in its path would be shredded.
In the next moment, a drifting leaf between them was sliced by the sword's gleam. The two blades collided.
Clang!
Dazzling sparks erupted brilliantly between them, bursting and splashing into the deep, gloomy woods.
The kunai and short sword were locked together. Yurui stared at the figure so close, yet he couldn't discern the face hidden within the shadow, as if it had swallowed all light.
'Where did this person come from? And how did they know to intercept me here?'
Before he could analyze the other's identity further, Hyūga Kumokawa's cold short sword slid away. Yurui's kunai followed suit. A trail of sparks shot from the blades' edges, carving several arcs through the air.
Ting! Ting! Ting!!
Sharpness against sharpness. Metal against metal.
A brilliant burst of starlike sparks rained down, beautiful as a tree of iron blooming with silver flowers.
Yurui could clearly sense his opponent wasn't particularly skilled in swordsmanship. The stalemate existed only because the other possessed sufficient speed and strength.
'If I just had a little more time…'
But soon, as the blades continued to clash, this thought faded. Yurui's expression grew increasingly grim.
He realized the other's sword was becoming… sharper.
It was as if… they were using his "blade" to hone their own.
'Is this person… using me to refine their swordsmanship?!'
The thought struck him with a chill. But before he could react—
Schlick.
Warm, crimson blood slid down, soaking his face.
A thin red line traced its path, inch by inch, splitting his skin, stopping only at his cheekbone.
Feeling the sting on his cheek, Yurui's pupils trembled violently.
In just a few short minutes… the other's swordsmanship had progressed from rudimentary to the point of being able to wound him?
"Enough."
The hoarse voice reached his ears, jolting the stunned Yurui back to reality.
Hyūga Kumokawa held his sword in one hand. With the other, he formed a seal, simultaneously slashing towards Yurui.
The two blades collided again, emitting a piercing shriek.
But this time, what scattered forth weren't sparks.
It was… azure lightning.
"Lightning Release: Chidori Blade."
The sound of crackling electricity filled the air. Lightning crawled along the short sword in Hyūga Kumokawa's hand, rapidly traveling down the connected kunai.
"Ghk—!!"
Agony from the electricity flooding his body forced Yurui's mouth open, but his paralyzed body couldn't produce any sound.
All his strength drained away in that instant, along with his earlier composure.
The fear of mission failure… the fear of dying for no reason…
'No! No! NO!
I was so close! Just one more step!
Who is this guy?! Who?!'
Hyūga Kumokawa gave Yurui no more time to dwell on his terror. He slowly raised a hand. Mental energy coalesced in his palm, forming a blue orb of light.
Mental Puppetry. This was the ability awakened when his [Kekkei Genkai] reached 20.1%, the second stage. It was the technique Ōtsutsuki Toneri used to control others' wills and read their thoughts.
"Sleep well."
Meeting Yurui's pain-filled, fearful gaze, Hyūga Kumokawa leaned in slightly, smiling faintly. "I'll use your body to complete your mission for you."
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
Schlick!!
As the words fell, Hyūga Kumokawa pressed his palm into Yurui's chest. Ripples spread across Yurui's torso. The orb of light and the hand seemed to sink into a muddy pool.
A moment later, he took a step back, withdrawing his hand from the chest. The Lightning Release chakra lingering on his blade dissipated.
"..."
Yurui stood motionless before him, his eyes gradually growing vacant.
"Interesting." Hyūga Kumokawa's gaze flickered. "So this is the feeling of using this ability for the first time."
He could clearly feel a connection established between himself and the Yurui before him. This ability seemed somewhat similar to the Yamanaka clan's "Mind Body Switch Technique."
The Mind Body Switch Technique concentrated one's spirit into a single point, releasing mental energy to seize and control the opponent's body.
However, that jutsu was only a C-Rank, close-to-mid-range support ninjutsu. The released spiritual energy could generally only move in a straight line, imposing significant limitations on its range and accuracy.
Moreover, if the caster's released spirit failed to hit the target and couldn't return to their body within a short time, it left the caster defenseless. Any damage the target sustained would also harm the caster's own body, making it a high-risk technique.
But the Mental Puppetry Ōtsutsuki Toneri used on Hinata in the original story—and which Hyūga Kumokawa now possessed—was different.
It was more like the Shadow Clone Technique, separating a portion of chakra and mental energy to create an independent entity. Not only were there no range limitations, but the controlled "puppet" could also operate with a capacity for autonomous action and follow commands as easily as moving one's own arm.
"It seems, if given the chance, I should collect a few more puppets," Hyūga Kumokawa thought.
But for now, the most important matter was the Hyūga clan.
He attempted to control the Yurui before him. The once-vacant eyes suddenly gained focus. In the next moment, Yurui respectfully dropped to one knee. "My Lord."
"Go." Hyūga Kumokawa's voice was soft. "Do what you must."
"Yes, my Lord."
'Yurui' bowed his head in acknowledgment, stood up, and then vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.
After he left, Hyūga Kumokawa stood amidst the shadowy woods in prolonged silence. The forest was so quiet only the faint sounds of flowing water and rustling leaves could be heard.
Until the sound of faint footsteps approached from the distance. Hyūga Hizashi emerged from the tree shadows behind him.
Hizashi understood clearly why he had been summoned here. His face, identical to his brother's, was etched with a complex look.
In the darkness, Hyūga Kumokawa raised his head.
"The time has come," he said. "Are you ready?"