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The superhuman perception of the Six Eyes could sense an aura from the other party that was completely different from the real Hizashi Hyuga.
"He's not Hizashi-sensei," Hakuki said, the recent memory flashing in her mind—the writhing flesh, the pungent, coppery stench. She forcefully suppressed the churning in her stomach and explained to the others, "Hizashi-sensei uses the Byakugan frequently during the day and needs to rest at night. He wouldn't be able to continue surveillance until tomorrow. He'd never say something like 'keeping watch all night alone.' And as the leader of this squad, his approach would be to organize shifts for the watch."
Hakuki added, "This guy is too eager."
The hidden excitement and malice in the man's eyes were poorly concealed.
She didn't know the strength of this man pretending to be Hizashi Hyuga. She had to be prepared for a one-hit kill.
Even if she didn't make a move, Kakashi and the others would probably have figured it out.
"Well done."
Hizashi Hyuga landed softly from a tree branch. His gaze held approval as he looked at Hakuki. He had returned far earlier than they had imagined, hiding high up in a distant tree to see if they could detect the imposter.
The results satisfied him.
"Hizashi-sensei," Shisui pointed at the man on the ground. "Do you know who he is?"
Hizashi approached. "He's likely a roving ninja."
"A roving ninja?" Juri's voice was laced with confusion.
"Frequent wars cause many ninja from smaller nations to defect. They become roving ninja, banding together, surviving on robbery and plunder," Hizashi explained, then warned, "Not far ahead is a known roving ninja outpost. We don't know their numbers. From now on, you must all be extra careful."
"Understood!"
Juri's voice was brimming with excitement. Finally, something not boring!
"Alright. For tonight, Hakuki, you, Kakashi, and Might Guy will take the first watch. The other three of you will handle the second half," Hizashi assigned the shifts.
"Understood."
The night deepened.
The campsite fell silent once more. Everyone sank into slumber.
Hakuki sat before the fire, but her hands and feet still felt cold. The memory of the Divine Spear piercing flesh, puncturing a heart, the sudden explosion of that bloody scent right in her nose… it still turned her stomach. That soft, yet resilient feeling of skin and muscle yielding to a blade, the faint tremor transmitted through the hilt. Hakuki could still recall that sensation with perfect clarity.
In the moment, her mind had been hyper-focused. When she made the lethal strike, she hadn't thought of anything. Only now could she truly process it.
She had killed someone. A living person.
In her previous life, she wouldn't have dared to imagine such a thing.
The flickering firelight danced across her face. She clenched her jaw, unable to suppress the tremor inside. The feeling was complex—fear, disgust, shock, all tangled together.
"You need to get used to killing. The sooner, the better."
Kakashi prodded the fire with a stick, speaking suddenly.
Hakuki's state reminded Kakashi of his own past. The first time he killed… it was like this too. Helplessness, confusion, disgust, shock, and revulsion at himself… It was something every ninja was destined to grow accustomed to.
Hakuki hadn't expected Kakashi to notice her concealed turmoil. She looked at Kakashi, somewhat taken aback, but his gaze remained fixed on the fire.
"I'm… fine. Just a bit… slow to react."
Hakuki managed a weak smile, projecting a fragile sort of strength. The system in her mind fell silent for a moment. It never imagined that even at a time like this, Hakuki wouldn't abandon her act. It had underestimated her.
Kakashi's eyes lifted, resting on Hakuki's deliberately brave expression. "If you don't kill them, they'll kill you. Or kill even more innocent people. By killing one, you saved many more."
Hakuki couldn't control her shock.
What kind of twisted logic was that? And yet… it kind of made sense. Hakuki, who was used to brainwashing others, felt momentarily dazed being on the receiving end for the first time.
In Kakashi's eyes, Hakuki was deep in thought. The girl's face still held a touch of baby fat. Her gem-like blue eyes seemed distant.
[Ding! Favorability with Kakashi Hatake: 30!]
Hakuki snapped back to attention. Light returned to her eyes. She pursed her lips in a shy smile. "Thank you for your guidance, Kakashi-senpai."
[Ding! Favorability with Kakashi Hatake: 35!]
Hakuki's smile widened. That completely unclouded, bright expression inexplicably lightened Kakashi's own mood.
Kakashi's little speech did help the earlier feeling inside Hakuki slowly dissipate.
After the watch shift changed, Hakuki leaned against a tree, muttering something under her breath as she gradually drifted to sleep.
"Hm? What's Hakuki saying?" Juri, waking up, heard Hakuki murmuring and couldn't resist leaning in to listen.
Shisui saw Juri's ear practically pressed against Hakuki's mouth. He frowned and stepped forward to intervene.
Thus, the words Hakuki was chanting entered their ears clearly.
"I am the Agent of Justice!"
"I am the Agent of Justice."
"I am the Agent of Justice…"
"…"
…
Morning.
The sun pierced the thin clouds, casting dappled light through the gaps in the branches. The light patches danced softly across Hakuki's face.
She stood in the same position as the day before. Perhaps anticipating today's potential conflict, Juri had lost yesterday's nonchalance. His dark eyes darted around, scanning.
Hakuki's field of vision was far wider and clearer than anyone else's. Every movement in the surroundings was captured by her. She could sense the fall of a needle.
At the ultimate stage of the Six Eyes, her perception of her surroundings was amplified and refined by several magnitudes.
The convoy suddenly halted.
Ahead was a narrow valley. This kind of terrain was perfect for an ambush.
"Be on your guard!" Hizashi's voice came from the front.
Hakuki gripped the hilt of her Divine Spear. Following the supply convoy, she entered the valley.
The towering cliff walls on either side blocked the sun. The world suddenly grew dim and cold.
"Something's off," Shisui, walking behind Hakuki, warned.
Hakuki nodded. "Mm."
Before entering the valley, birdsong had been constant. The moment they stepped into this place, an eerie silence descended.
Shisui and Hakuki's suspicions were confirmed instantly.
THOOM! The sound came first, deafening. Hakuki looked up. Countless massive boulders were raining down from the cliffs above.
"Evade!" Hizashi shouted. He was the first to guide those near him to take shelter at the base of the cliffs, where the rolling stones couldn't reach.
Those below scrambled for cover, but not every spot was safe from the onslaught.
Shisui and Hakuki pressed themselves against the base of the cliff. However, a boulder from the opposite side was hurtling directly toward them.
The Divine Spear's two-meter extension range was more than enough to cleave this rock. Hakuki drew her blade. The boulder, which had just blotted out her form, was sliced into a perfect hemisphere in the next instant. The upper half, carried by momentum, spun through the air, still carrying enough force to smash into them.
"Hado #69: RAIKŌHŌ!"
A pillar of light, crackling with the chaos of lightning, blasted the stone into dust.
Before the Konoha ninja could recover from the initial assault, several black shadows surged down from the cliffs above.
"After this hit, boys, we're set for life!" An excited roar echoed from the air.
Eerie figures scattered, charging from every direction.
The ninja who appeared before Hakuki looked at her with disdain. "What's this? Just a little girl? Is Konoha that desperate? Hahaha!"
The ninja pulled a kunai from his pouch, sauntering lazily toward Hakuki. In his eyes, finishing off this little girl was as easy as squashing an ant.
"Don't worry, little sister! It'll be quick! Won't hurt too much!" The ninja laughed wildly, eyes fixed on Hakuki, eager to drink in her fear.
"It will be quick indeed."
Hakuki chuckled lightly.
As the words fell, her figure materialized in front of the ninja.
"You—"
GACK! A torrent of blood erupted from the ninja's mouth. His pupils rapidly dilated. A massive, blooming flower of crimson blossomed on his chest.
Hakuki shifted her gaze, forcibly ignoring the corpse on the ground, and moved to help those under attack.
Like the poor Uchiha Juri.
Four ninja of decent skill had him surrounded, likely due to his Sharingan.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
The vortex of wind was frighteningly fast. In the blink of an eye, it was at Uchiha Juri's face. He was busy fending off attacks from two other ninja, looking thoroughly flustered.
Suddenly, a hand grasped Juri's wrist. Their figures instantly retreated to higher ground, escaping the encirclement.
"Another brat!" The ninja whose attack missed wasn't angry. Like a cat playing with a mouse, he savored the sight of his prey scrambling.
"You take the two on the left. I'll handle the ones on the right." Hakuki's words were barely out before her figure vanished from the spot.
"What?!"
"Where did she go?!"
"A brat can't have that kind of speed!"
Unable to track Hakuki's movements at all, the four ninja grew panicked. Reason told them a child couldn't possibly move like that, but the evidence before their eyes was undeniable.
"Not necessarily."
Hakuki's figure ghosted into existence behind one of them. The Divine Spear pierced straight through his body.
"Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bullet!"
Horrified by the scene, the other ninja leaped back while unleashing his jutsu.
"Hado #69: RAIKŌHŌ!"
The Lightning element naturally overpowered Earth. Hakuki held nothing back, chakra surging forth violently. The Earth Dragon Bullet was blasted to dust, and the powerful energy wave sent the ninja flying.
He spat out a mouthful of bloody foam and turned to run. Supplies? What were they compared to his life? As long as he lived, there'd be other chances. As for loyalty… among roving ninja like them, it wasn't worth a single steamed bun.
His fleeing steps faltered. Goosebumps prickled across his skin.
"I—" His words were cut off by searing agony. He stared at the pillar of light transfixing his chest, mouth gaping soundlessly before collapsing lifelessly.
The chaos gradually subsided. The Konoha ninja here weren't the strongest, but their coordinated teamwork managed to wear down the roving ninja. As for ninja like Kakashi and Might Guy… they were more than enough to deal with this scum.
"Are you alright?" Hizashi stepped over the bodies of the fallen roving ninja, coming to stand before Hakuki and the other two.
Hakuki shook her head.
"Good." Hizashi inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze shifted to the other Konoha ninja, and he couldn't help but frown. While they had prevailed, many of their own were injured.
"Sensei, let me treat everyone," Hakuki stepped forward, raising her voice slightly. Her face was pale from the recent battle, but her eyes held unwavering resolve. Many of the injured ninja looked over, visibly moved.
"Hakuki, you're exhausted yourself. Rest first," Hizashi objected. Hakuki was just a child. The fight must have drained a lot of her chakra. How could they ask her to heal others immediately?
Hakuki's eyes swept over the wounds of the injured ninja. She pressed her lips together, a worried look on her face. "Sensei, I can rest later. But everyone's injuries can't wait."
Her small face was set with stubborn determination. Even if Hizashi disagreed, she was going to help.
[Ding! Favorability with Hizashi Hyuga: 75!]
Hizashi let out a soft sigh. "Alright. But you must know your limits. Don't push yourself to injury."
"Okay!" Hakuki's eyes lit up.
She rushed to the side of a severely wounded ninja. Her hands glowed with a soft, nurturing green light. The nasty gash slowly stopped bleeding as fresh, pink tissue rapidly grew over the wound.
"This…" The Konoha ninja being treated was stunned. He looked up, words of thanks dying on his lips as he saw the beads of sweat at the girl's temple. Guilt and gratitude warred on his face.
"Hakuki… really… thank you." The ninja was not good with words.
Hakuki offered a gentle, unbothered smile, then spoke seriously to the man before her. "It's no trouble at all. We're all Konoha ninja. I couldn't just stand by and watch you suffer."
She didn't lower her voice. Every injured ninja nearby heard her. The gratitude in their eyes was almost overflowing.
Most injuries were minor. Hakuki treated them while taking breaks in between, and soon, everyone was patched up. Not fully healed, but at least mobile.
Now, every ninja looked at Hakuki as if she were an angel. Gentle, attentive, offering soft words of comfort while she worked… 'Angel' didn't even seem sufficient.
After a collective rest, they set out again. Hizashi walked at the front, glancing back at the ninja behind him. He was the team leader, but it felt like everyone's hearts were now following Hakuki.
Hizashi looked at Hakuki, who was now riding on one of the carts, his gaze softening. Hakuki truly possessed a charm that made people want to follow and protect her.
On the collective suggestion of the ninja she had treated, the "exhausted" Hakuki was given a seat on a cart, spared from walking. She leaned quietly against the supplies behind her, a faint smile on her pale little face.
She could brainwash others. Now, she was brainwashing herself. By constantly repeating mantras like "eliminating evil for the people" and "Agent of Justice," she was slowly overcoming the fear that came with killing.
The Alluring Conquest System's satisfaction with Hakuki was now approaching a full five stars. Her flawless, 24/7 acting and her sharp instinct for seizing every opportunity to boost favorability had the system nodding in continuous approval.
It had to retract its previous assessment of her. Hakuki was now, officially, the most outstanding student it had ever guided.
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