The world had fallen deathly silent, so quiet it felt like time itself had died. Only a faint, phantom-like ringing buzzed in the ears.
Might Guy, driven by sheer reflex, had just activated the Eight Gates. But Hyuga Sho's figure had already frozen mid-spin, knee bent in a defensive stance.
He stared dumbfounded at Sho's long hair drifting to the ground. It wasn't until a drip rang out, a single drop of blood striking the earth, that Guy snapped out of it.
"An ambush?"
His expression instantly darkened. His silhouette blurred and vanished, dashing without hesitation toward the direction the attack had come from.
But by the time he arrived, the attacker was gone.
All that remained was a fresh pool of blood, and a cleanly severed right arm, sliced so precisely that muscle and bone structure were laid bare.
Sho's kunai hadn't taken the assassin's life… but it had taken a limb and forced a desperate retreat.
Sho soon walked over as well. Glancing at the arm on the ground, he looked up into the forest's depths.
Leaves quivered in the wind. The gaps in the canopy let in scattered light.
"Sho, did you see them?" asked Guy gravely.
There was no blood trail, clearly the attacker had tended to the wound quickly to cover their tracks.
"No," Sho said, shaking his head, his tone tinged with faint regret. "Too fast. I couldn't get a good look."
[Ding. Your lie has been judged as [Feigning Ignorance]. Might Guy has experienced strong emotional fluctuation. Level: [Completely Believes You]. Gained 300 Reality Points…]
One reason Sho had chosen to cozy up to Might Guy was because of his hidden potential, the man who would one day nearly kick Six Paths Madara to death.
But another reason was his simple, emotional nature.
Guy never questioned him. Once again, Sho earned a burst of points from his absolute trust. Guy's expression grew heavy with fury.
"This has to be reported to Lord Third! Someone dared commit murder in Konoha!"
Then, as if remembering something, he turned to Sho's hand. "Your injury, are you okay?"
"It's nothing. The guy's Wind Release was weak," Sho replied with a smile, showing only a shallow cut across his palm.
[Ding. Your lie…]
In truth, it had been dangerously close. The enemy's Wind Release was far from weak. If he'd grabbed the blade instead of the handle, his entire hand would have been lopped off.
"Whew, good. Still, being able to activate the Byakugan ended up being a blessing in disguise," Guy said, visibly relieved.
Even so, the memory of that kunai's terrifying speed lingered in his mind. For once, even Might Guy looked shaken.
He wondered: what if he'd been the target instead of Sho?
Could he have reacted in time?
Only if he'd already opened the Eight Gates.
But the enemy had allowed no such chance. That strike was too fast. Too sudden.
"Sho, that was incredible."
Realizing this, Guy looked at Sho with newfound awe. He clapped his shoulder, eyes shining with determination.
"Looks like I've still got a long way to go! Starting today, 500 more upside-down walks every day!"
Even if Death itself came swinging a scythe at him, he'd punch his way through!
"Just luck," Sho replied with a wry smile.
There was no system notification this time. Clearly, Guy believed it wasn't luck, but skill.
"Come on. Let's get that hand treated and report this to Lord Third," Guy said seriously. "I can't believe a spy's already slipped into the village."
A spy?
Maybe… but maybe not.
Sho glanced at his now-healing palm and recalled the figure he saw with his Byakugan. A thoughtful light flashed in his eyes.
Who was it?
Hiruzen?
No, he hadn't revealed enough of his cards yet.
Then maybe someone left behind by Orochimaru… or,
"Danzo Shimura," Sho chuckled coldly in his heart. "Striking this quickly? Truly a master of internal warfare… and utterly useless in foreign ones."
Meanwhile, at the edge of the Forest of Death,
A figure cloaked in black landed on a tree branch after a series of rapid Body Flicker Techniques. He knelt, clutching a bleeding stump of an arm.
"Ghhk!"
The assassin's face was hidden, head bowed. A strangled cry escaped clenched teeth, half agony, half fear.
Damn it! How did this happen?!
He had followed the intelligence. Laid in wait for hours in the area where the target was known to train.
It should have been simple.
He'd used his best technique, the one he was most proud of, taught to him personally by Lord Danzo.
But somehow, at the last moment, the boy had stopped, turned his head slightly, and, activated the Byakugan?!
That wasn't in the intel!
Even then, the assassin hadn't panicked. He was cautious. Even if the Byakugan was active, he kept himself perfectly positioned in the dead zone caused by the cursed seal of the branch family.
He should have been invisible.
Then the kid closed his eyes, as if giving up.
And then, caught the kunai.
With his bare hand.
Blindfolded.
By the handle.
What kind of joke is that?!
The forest stretched outward like a woven net of shadows. Yet from across that vast distance, the assassin had felt the boy's gaze.
He had felt those eyes meet his.
A second later, a screeching wind split the air.
Leaves flew like rain.
It was beautiful, almost like spring wind rustling through trees… until his body exploded in pain.
SHLUKK.
His right arm, the one that had thrown the kunai, was sliced clean off. The fabric of his cloak unraveled. A red line bloomed across his skin.
Blood sprayed.
His arm hit the ground with a horrible thump.
"He caught my jutsu and threw it back?!"
He hadn't even thought, he just ran.
Now, kneeling on a tree limb, he clutched his stump and shook.
The intelligence said that kid was a failure.
So how could he possibly catch Danzo-sama's personally taught Wind Release technique with his bare hand?
How could someone with that kind of reaction speed… be called a failure?
If he's a failure… then what the hell does that make me?
"You there. Kamaitachi. What are you doing?"
A cold, rasping voice snapped him out of his daze. The assassin jolted upright in terror.
He looked up at the figure standing before him, then quickly dropped his gaze again. "L-Lord Danzo, I, "
"Pathetic. Looks like you failed."
Danzo's voice was emotionless. He cast a glance at the man's missing arm and scoffed.
This ninja had been hand-picked, trained for assassination.
He'd taken out countless targets, even Jōnin.
But now?
"Lost your dominant arm? Useless," Danzo said flatly.
Still, his narrowed, shadowy eyes gleamed with interest.
"So… that Hyuga brat really isn't as simple as he looks. Orochimaru must've left something behind in him."
Hmph.
"If Hiruzen wants to play dirty by stealing my Mokuton ninja…"
"Then he'd better not complain when I start playing dirty too."