As a professional intelligence operative, Darby had more than one way to end his life.
Within the teeth of these specialists, a hollow compartment usually held a poison potent enough to kill in seconds. This was their final fail-safe. Using it required only a forceful bite to crack the capsule—a method that was silent, invisible, and often designed to corrode the body quickly so enemies couldn't extract data from the remains. It was the quintessential "essential tool for home, travel, and self-silencing."
The poison Darby carried was an "upgraded version." Upon being crushed, it released the fresh scent of strawberry cake, allowing him to pass away peacefully amidst the aroma of his favorite food. It was, in his mind, the height of "painless euthanasia."
While Darby found this method less glorious than having his head pulverized by an enemy, he couldn't afford to be picky at this moment. Death was the priority!
And so, in those final seconds after being immobilized by the Gentle Fist, Darby prepared to bite down... but he couldn't.
"Mmph? Mmph! Mmmph!!!!!"
Before Darby could realize what was happening, a large clump of mud was shoved into his mouth! The mud reeked of earth and filth, making his stomach churn with immediate nausea.
It doesn't matter! If I swallow the mud, I can choke myself to death! I—
THWACK!
Suddenly, Darby felt a heavy blow to the back of his head. The world spun violently, and his consciousness drifted into the void.
I'm... finished...
In the last millisecond before blacking out, a child's smiling face appeared before him.
"Sorry, but the moment you stepped foot here, you lost even the right to die."
Watching Darby lose consciousness from the guard captain's strike, Yuki wiped his muddy hand on the man's clothes and let out a relaxed sigh.
If I don't want you to die, you won't.
Actually, the moment Darby had been hit by the Gentle Fist, Yuki had already scooped up a handful of dirt from the courtyard. He sprinted over and stuffed it into the man's mouth without hesitation. The guard captain, Tokuma Hyuga (or Fire Gate/Tokuma), had coordinated perfectly, delivering the knockout blow from behind to stop any further "scamming" attempts.
"Take this guy to my father. Just explain exactly what happened."
With the crisis averted, Yuki turned to the guard captain. His voice was calm—so calm it was almost unsettling.
What is with this Young Master...? To be honest, the guard captain, Hiromon Hyuga (Kamon/Tokuma variant), had never imagined a three-year-old could face such a situation without flinching, much less calmly outmaneuver a Jōnin.
"You two, take the Young Master back to his room. I'll take this one to Lord Hiashi."
"Yes, sir!"
After one final, lingering look at Yuki, Kamon ordered his subordinates to escort the boy back while he slung the unconscious Darby over his shoulder to report to Hiashi.
A short while later, back in his room, Yuki finally let out a long breath. An excited expression bloomed on his face.
It worked! The first major hurdle is cleared!
For Yuki, the rewards of tonight were substantial. First, he had successfully tested the power of "Kaguya-hime" in her Tides of the Moon state. Second, he had averted a catastrophe for the clan.
The Hidden Cloud envoys were a persistent threat. Their plan was a classic scam: die in the Hyuga compound and demand compensation. In the middle of a war, Konoha wouldn't have had any good options. In the original story, the Hyuga and the village had to swallow that bitter pill. While Hizashi's death saved the clan, it was a disgusting outcome—especially for Neji, who ended up as the only one of the "Konoha 11" to kick the bucket in the end.
But with Darby captured alive, the Cloud's plan hit a brick wall. As long as he was alive, there was room for negotiation. You can't claim an envoy was "murdered" if he's currently sitting in a cell being interrogated for kidnapping.
Beyond stopping the plot, Kaguya-hime's abilities surprised Yuki. He hadn't expected much from "Tides of the Moon" given her low base stats. However, the trial proved it was much stronger than anticipated.
Even in her lunar state, her raw power was perhaps only slightly better than a Genin. But combined with the fact that no one can see her, she became terrifying.
Imagine a "ghost" that can attack from any angle, at any time, and is completely invisible even to the Byakugan. Even if that ghost only has Genin-level strength, it's a game-breaker. Furthermore, Kaguya-hime's Development Potential was a giant question mark. Yuki was only three years old. What would she become in five years? Ten years?
"Hehe... hahahaha!"
Thinking about it, Yuki couldn't help but laugh out loud. Perhaps because of his excitement, his reactions were a bit slow, and he failed to notice someone quietly sliding the door open.
"What are you laughing at?"
"Whoa!"
Hearing that familiar, cold voice, Yuki nearly jumped out of his skin. He looked up to see his father's eternal ice-sculpture of a face.
They say members of the Hyuga clan are emotionally distant, but Hiashi took it to the extreme. That "ice-mountain face" plus the cataracts meant he looked stern even when looking at his own son. However, for once, there was a flicker of genuine shock in Hiashi's eyes—though it was hard to tell behind the white pupils.
"Father... don't go around scaring people in the middle of the night..." Yuki swallowed hard, his heart still pounding.
"Scaring people? Who exactly is scaring whom? You have quite the nerve, wandering outside in the dead of night. I hope this incident teaches you a lesson."
Hiashi stared at his flesh and blood. He tried to remain composed, but the slight tremor in his voice betrayed his inner turmoil. From the moment Kamon had arrived with the captive and recounted the events, the Clan Head realized he hadn't understood his three-year-old son at all.
Based on Kamon's reputation, he wasn't the type to exaggerate facts. The level of composure and strategy Yuki had displayed was far beyond anything Hiashi had predicted.
"Father, the Cloud ninja was clearly coming for me. Whether I stayed in bed or went for a stroll, I was going to be caught. There isn't much difference, is there?"
Scolded by Hiashi's mock-sternness, Yuki rubbed the back of his head with a wry smile.
"Hmph... didn't you just tell the guards he was a rogue? Now you admit he's a Cloud ninja?"
Hiashi snorted. On his way here, he had considered the implications of the Cloud's move. The depth of the plot and the potential fallout had made his spine go cold. He was the head of the clan; he saw the "scam" for what it was. It was a "guaranteed profit" venture for the Cloud.
Yet, that guaranteed profit had been dismantled by a three-year-old. If the world found out, they'd laugh themselves to death.