"..." The world was deathly silent, with only a sharp ringing in the ears that felt like an auditory hallucination.
It was only now that Might Guy, acting on pure instinct, activated the Eight Gates. Hyuga Kumo's form was already frozen in a posture of bent knees and a twisted torso.
He stared blankly as Hyuga Kumo's long hair slowly billowed and fell behind him. He only snapped back to reality when he heard a crisp "patter" and saw fresh blood gather at Kumo's fingertips before dripping and shattering on the ground.
"Enemy attack?"
Might Guy's expression immediately turned serious. His figure vanished from the spot, and he unhesitatingly sprinted in the direction the attack had come from.
However, when he arrived, the person was already gone.
All that remained was a pool of glaringly crimson blood and a right arm, severed cleanly and smoothly, the texture of the bone and muscle laid bare.
Evidently, the kunai Hyuga Kumo had thrown back hadn't managed to kill the opponent, only taking an arm and forcing them to flee the scene in a sorry state.
Hyuga Kumo walked over moments later. He glanced at the severed arm on the ground, then looked up towards the depths of the forest.
The leaves of the trees trembled in the wind, with fragmented patches of light between the shadows.
"Kumo, did you see them?" Might Guy asked from the side.
There were no bloodstains left behind. The attacker had obviously treated the wound immediately, worried about exposing their trail.
"No." Hyuga Kumo retracted his gaze and shook his head, a hint of regret in his expression. "It was too fast. I couldn't get a clear look."
[Ding, your lie has been judged as [Playing Dumb]. Might Guy has experienced a strong emotional fluctuation, reaching the level of [firm belief]. 300 Manifestation Points obtained...]
The reason Hyuga Kumo had chosen to get close to Might Guy in the first place was, on one hand, that he saw the potential in this future powerhouse who would nearly kick Madara of the Six Paths to death, and on the other hand, because of Guy's "simple" and emotional nature.
Guy clearly had no doubts about Hyuga Kumo's words, once again contributing a small wave of points. His expression was grave and resentful as he said, "This matter must be reported to Lord Third! To think someone would dare to attack within Konoha!"
As if remembering something, Might Guy looked at Hyuga Kumo's hand and hurriedly asked, "Right, your injury..."
"It's nothing. That guy's Wind Release skills weren't up to par." Hyuga Kumo smiled and waved his hand, letting him see the palm which only had a single bloody gash.
[Ding, your lie...]
In reality, the situation just now had been quite dangerous, and the opponent's Wind Release ninjutsu was not as simple as he claimed. If he had grabbed the blade instead of the handle, his entire hand would probably have been sliced off.
"Phew, it's good that you're okay. But for you to be able to awaken the Byakugan, Kumo, I suppose it's a blessing in disguise."
Might Guy let out a sigh of relief. Although he believed Hyuga Kumo's lie, when he recalled the terrifying speed of the kunai from moments ago, the serious and grave expression on his face couldn't dissipate.
Even he, with his strong heart, felt a little scared in retrospect.
He even wondered, if the person trying to kill him had been him just now, in that same situation, would he have been able to react?
He quickly came to a conclusion in his mind.
If he could activate the Eight Gates, even just the first gate, he would be able to react in time and evade.
But the opponent wouldn't have given him that chance. The speed of that strike was simply too fast, too sudden, and he would never have imagined someone would dare to attack within Konoha.
"Kumo, that was amazing."
Realizing this, something new seemed to appear in Might Guy's eyes as he looked at Hyuga Kumo. He raised a hand and patted his shoulder, remarking with emotion, "It seems my training is still far from enough. From now on, I'll add five hundred handstand walks to my daily training!"
Next time, even if the God of Death himself came chasing him with a scythe, he would punch open a path to survival with his own fists.
"Just luck," Hyuga Kumo shook his head with a wry smile.
This time, there was no system prompt. Clearly, in Might Guy's eyes, this was a display of strength, not luck.
"Let's go. First, let's get your wound bandaged, then we'll report this to Lord Third," Might Guy said in a low tone. "I can't believe a spy has already infiltrated Konoha and attacked a comrade."
A spy?
Perhaps not, right?
Hyuga Kumo looked at his already healed palm. He recalled the figure he had seen with his Byakugan just now, his glittering eyes seemingly lost in thought.
Who could it be?
Hiruzen Sarutobi?
No, I shouldn't have revealed my hand yet.
Then it must be a remnant left behind by Orochimaru, or...
"Danzo Shimura," Hyuga Kumo sneered inwardly. "He acted so quickly. Truly an expert at internal conflict, and a novice at foreign wars."
Meanwhile, at the edge of the Forest of Death.
A figure shrouded in a black cloak continuously used the Body Flicker Technique. They didn't stop until they were far from Hyuga Kumo and Might Guy, clutching their arm and kneeling on one knee on a tree branch.
"Argh." The black-robed person, whose face was obscured, bowed their head. A long-suppressed scream escaped through their gritted teeth, a cry of pain laced with fear.
Damn it! Damn it! How could this have happened!?
He had clearly followed the intelligence, ambushing the target at the training ground they frequented.
When the target appeared, he had been in a relaxed mood. In his eyes, it was a simple mission.
And so, he used the ninjutsu he was best at, the one he was most proud of, taught to him by Lord Danzo himself.
But at the same time, the kid acted as if he had discovered him. He suddenly stopped, tilted his head, and then activated the Byakugan—something not mentioned in the intelligence.
Even so, he hadn't been too worried.
Because he was cautious. Even though the intelligence said the target hadn't awakened the Byakugan, he had still maintained a great distance from the target. He had even ensured he was always within the Byakugan's blind spot.
Until he saw the kid seem to give up the struggle and actually close his eyes.
And then, the kid raised his hand and caught the kunai, which was wrapped in Wind Release chakra, with his bare hand.
Yes, that guy, with his eyes closed, with his bare hand, caught his kunai!
And he caught it by the handle!
What kind of joke was this?!
The thick, dense trees stretched into the distance, their branches weaving a sparse net.
But he, using his Sensory Ninjutsu, felt as though he was "meeting" a pair of eyes, calm as still water, from such a great distance.
The next moment, before he could react, he only heard a sharp whistle of wind.
A rain began to fall within the forest before him.
It was as if a spring breeze had suddenly blown towards him, silently passing through the woods, its scissor-like touch cutting away the dead leaves. Countless leaves fell, fragmenting his vision.
That scene was truly beautiful.
But what followed was intense pain.
Splurt.
On the arm he had used to throw the kunai, the sleeve of his black robe slowly tore open, and a circular red line split his skin.
Blood splattered. His arm slid off and hit the ground with a sickeningly clear sound.
"That guy actually caught my ninjutsu with his bare hands and returned it!"
The black-robed man, who had turned and fled on instinct, knelt on the tree. Though he had realized what had happened, he still found it unbelievable.
The intel said that guy was a failure, didn't it?
How could a failure catch a Wind Release ninjutsu that he had spent years honing after being personally taught by Lord Danzo!
Such terrifying reaction speed, and you're telling me he's a failure?
If he's a failure, then what am I?
"Kamaitachi, what are you doing?"
As he was lost in his shock, a hoarse and sinister voice entered his ear, making him shudder violently.
He raised his head slightly and looked at the figure that had appeared before him, then quickly lowered his head again, his voice trembling. "Lord Danzo, I..."
"Hmph, failure. It seems your mission has failed."
Before he could finish, Danzo Shimura cut him off coldly, glancing at the stump where his arm used to be.
This man before him was a ninja he had specially trained to carry out assassination missions.
In the past, when facing most Jonin, with sufficient preparation, he could achieve a one-hit kill.
But now...
"Losing your dominant hand, you're completely useless."
Danzo Shimura's gloomy eyes narrowed slightly as he thought, "Interesting. That Hyuga kid is indeed not as simple as he appears. Orochimaru must have left something in him."
Hmph, since Hiruzen was unjust and stole my Wood Release ninja, don't blame me for being unrighteous and targeting this kid.