"…"
The air fell into a deathly silence, so quiet it felt as if the entire world had died. The only sound was a sharp ringing in the ears, like an auditory hallucination.
Might Guy, reacting on pure instinct, had already begun opening the Eight Gates. Meanwhile, Hyūga Kumokawa remained frozen in his low, spinning stance.
Guy stared blankly as Kumokawa's long black hair slowly drifted down behind him. Only when he heard the soft plop of blood dripping from the other boy's fingertips did he snap back to reality.
"Enemy attack?"
Guy's expression turned grave in an instant. His figure vanished from the spot as he raced toward the direction the attack had come from without the slightest hesitation.
But by the time he arrived, the attacker was already gone.
All that remained was a glaring pool of fresh blood and a cleanly severed right arm, its bones and muscle fibers clearly visible.
It was obvious that the kunai Hyūga Kumokawa had thrown hadn't killed the assailant. It had only cost him an arm as he fled the scene in panic.
Kumokawa soon walked over as well. He glanced down at the severed arm on the ground, then slowly lifted his gaze deeper into the forest.
The leaves rustled in the breeze, sunlight breaking through in scattered patches between the branches.
"Kumokawa, did you see who it was?" Might Guy asked from beside him.
There was no blood trail. The attacker had clearly stopped the bleeding immediately to avoid leaving any traces.
"No," Kumokawa shook his head, withdrawing his gaze with a faint look of regret. "It was too fast. I couldn't see clearly."
[Ding! Your lie has been judged as [Playing Dumb]. Might Guy experiences a strong emotional fluctuation, reaching [Utter Belief]. You have gained 300 Truth Points…]
One of the reasons Hyūga Kumokawa had chosen to get close to Might Guy was because he saw the immense future potential in this man who would one day nearly kick Six Paths Madara to death. The other reason was Guy's straightforward, honest, and highly emotional personality.
Guy clearly didn't doubt Kumokawa's words in the slightest. He once again provided a small wave of points, his expression heavy with anger and seriousness. "We have to report this to Sandaime-sama immediately. Someone actually dared to commit murder inside Konoha!"
As if remembering something, Guy turned to look at Kumokawa's hand. "Right, your injury…"
"It's nothing. That guy's Wind Release wasn't up to standard," Kumokawa smiled and waved his hand, showing Guy the palm that only had a single cut.
[Ding! Your lie…]
In truth, the situation earlier had been quite dangerous. The opponent's Wind Release technique was far more powerful than he had let on. If he had grabbed the blade instead of the handle, his entire hand would likely have been sliced clean off.
"Whew, as long as you're okay. Looks like awakening your Byakugan was a blessing in disguise," Might Guy sighed in relief. Although he believed Kumokawa's words, the terrifying speed of that kunai still left a serious look on his face.
Even someone as bold as him felt a lingering fear.
He couldn't help wondering—if the target had been him instead, would he have been able to react in time?
The answer came quickly.
If he had opened the Eight Gates, even just the First Gate, he could have reacted and dodged in time.
But the attacker wouldn't have given him that chance. The strike had been far too fast and sudden. No one would have expected an assassination attempt right inside Konoha.
"Kumokawa, that was incredible."
Realizing this, Might Guy looked at him with a new light in his eyes. He patted Kumokawa's shoulder firmly and said with emotion, "It seems my training is still far from enough. Starting today, I'm adding five hundred handstand walks to my daily routine!"
Next time, even if the Grim Reaper himself came swinging his scythe, he would punch his way through with his own fists.
"Just luck," Kumokawa replied with a bitter smile and a shake of his head.
No system notification sounded this time. In Guy's eyes, it clearly hadn't been luck—it had been pure skill.
"Let's go. First, get that wound bandaged, then we'll report this to Sandaime-sama," Might Guy said in a low, serious tone. "I can't believe a spy has already infiltrated Konoha and is attacking our own people."
A spy?
Not necessarily.
Hyūga Kumokawa looked down at his already healing palm and recalled the figure he had glimpsed with his Byakugan. A thoughtful glint flashed in his eyes.
Who could it be?
Hiruzen Sarutobi?
No, he shouldn't have exposed himself yet.
Then perhaps remnants of Orochimaru's faction… or…
"Danzō Shimura," Kumokawa sneered inwardly. "You're so quick to make a move. Truly an expert at internal fighting and useless in external wars."
At the same time, on the outskirts of the Forest of Death.
A figure cloaked in black robes repeatedly used the Body Flicker Technique. Only after putting a great distance between himself and Hyūga Kumokawa did he finally stop. Clutching his severed arm, he dropped to one knee on a thick tree branch.
"Ugh…!"
The black-robed man's head hung low, his face hidden. A long-suppressed scream of agony escaped through his clenched teeth, laced with unmistakable terror.
Damn it! Damn it! How could this happen?!
According to the intelligence, he had set up an ambush long in advance at the training ground the target frequented.
When the target appeared, he had been completely relaxed. In his view, this was supposed to be the simplest mission imaginable.
So he had used the technique he was most proud of—the one Lord Danzō had personally taught him.
But at that exact moment, the kid had suddenly stopped, tilted his head, and activated his Byakugan—something the intelligence had never mentioned.
Then that brat had raised his hand and caught the kunai wrapped in Wind Release chakra with his bare hand.
Yes. That guy had caught his kunai. Bare-handed. By the handle—the only part not covered in wind chakra!
What kind of sick joke was this?!
Thick, dense trees stretched out endlessly into the distance, their branches forming a sparse net overhead.
Yet even at this great distance, using his sensory ninjutsu, he felt as if he was staring directly into a pair of calm, dead-calm eyes.
The next instant, before he could react, a sharp whistle of wind tore through the air.
A rain of leaves suddenly fell within the forest.
It was as if a spring breeze had blown through, silently passing through the woods like scissors, slicing off countless dry leaves. The falling foliage fragmented his vision.
The scene had actually been quite beautiful.
But right after came excruciating pain.
Thud.
The arm he had used to throw the kunai had its black sleeve slowly tear open. A clean circular red line appeared around the skin.
Blood sprayed out as the arm slid off and hit the ground with a sickeningly clear sound.
"That guy… he caught my ninjutsu with his bare hand and threw it right back!"
The black-robed man, who had instinctively fled, knelt on the branch. Although he now understood what had happened, he still found it utterly unbelievable.
According to the intelligence, wasn't that guy supposed to be a complete failure?
How could a failure catch a Wind Release technique that he had trained for years under Lord Danzō's personal guidance with his bare hands?!
With such terrifying reaction speed, you're telling me he's a failure?
If he's a failure, then what the hell am I?
"Kamaitachi, what are you doing?"
While he was lost in shock, a low, raspy voice suddenly sounded, causing him to shudder violently.
He slowly raised his head toward the figure that had appeared before him, then quickly lowered it again, his voice trembling. "Lord Danzō, I…"
"Hmph. Useless. It seems your mission has failed."
Before he could finish, Danzō Shimura coldly cut him off, his gaze flicking to the stump where the man's arm had been.
This was one of the assassins he had personally trained for high-level elimination missions.
In the past, with proper preparation, he could kill most jōnin in a single strike.
But now…
"Having lost your dominant hand, you're completely finished."
Danzō narrowed his shadowed eyes, thinking to himself, 'Interesting. That Hyūga brat really isn't as simple as he appears on the surface. Orochimaru must have left something special in him.'
Hmph. Since Hiruzen has no honor and stole my Wood Release shinobi, don't blame me for being ruthless and making a move on this kid.
***
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