"..."
The deathly silent air was so quiet it felt like an illusion, with only a sharp ringing in the ears. Might Guy, acting on pure instinct, only now managed to strike a pose, while Hyuga Kawa's stance was already fixed in a bent-knee, spinning posture. He stared blankly as Hyuga Kawa's long hair slowly fanned out behind him, until he heard a crisp "splat" and saw blood collecting at his fingertips, dripping and splattering, bringing him back to reality.
"Enemy attack?"
Might Guy's face instantly became serious. His figure vanished from the spot, heading without hesitation towards the direction of the attack. But when he arrived, there was no one in sight. All that remained was a striking puddle of crimson blood and a cleanly severed right arm, with the textures of bone and muscle perfectly clear. Evidently, the kunai Hyuga Kawa had thrown hadn't killed his opponent, only taking an arm and forcing a hasty retreat.
Hyuga Kawa also walked over, glanced at the severed arm on the ground, and looked up slightly into the depths of the forest. The tree branches trembled in the wind, and between the shadows of the leaves were scattered patches of light.
"Kawa, did you see?" Might Guy asked from beside him. No blood trail was left, clearly to avoid exposing their tracks; they had quickly dealt with the injury.
"No," Hyuga Kawa retracted his gaze, shaking 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 strong emotional fluctuations, reaching the level of [Deeply Convinced]. You have gained 300 Realization Points...]
Hyuga Kawa chose to befriend Might Guy initially because he saw the potential in this future individual who nearly kicked Six Paths Madara to death. Secondly, it was naturally due to Guy's "purity" and emotional nature. He clearly had no doubts about Hyuga Kawa's words, once again contributing a small wave of points to Hyuga Kawa. His expression was grave and resentful. "This must be reported to Lord Third. Someone actually dared to commit such violence in Konoha!"
Seemingly remembering something, Might Guy looked at Hyuga Kawa's hand and quickly asked, "By the way, your injury..."
"It's nothing, that guy's Wind Style isn't up to par," Hyuga Kawa said with a smile, waving his hand and showing him his palm, which only had a single blood cut.
[Ding! Your lie...]
In reality, the situation just now was quite dangerous, and the opponent's Wind Style ninjutsu wasn't as simple as he made it out to be. If he had grabbed the blade instead of the handle, his entire palm would likely have been severed by now.
"Phew, it's good that you're alright. But Kawa, being able to activate your Byakugan, it's a blessing in disguise."
Might Guy let out a sigh of relief. Although he believed Hyuga Kawa's lie, his serious and grave expression couldn't dissipate as he recalled the terrifying speed of that kunai earlier. Even with his strong heart, he felt a lingering fear. He even wondered if he himself would have survived if that guy had been trying to kill him. He quickly came to a conclusion in his mind.
"I would die," Might Guy frowned slightly, thinking. If he could activate the Eight Gates Released Formation, even just one gate, he could have reacted in time and dodged. But the opponent wouldn't give him that chance; that attack was too fast and too sudden. Moreover, he wouldn't have expected anyone to dare commit such an act in Konoha; he would have been killed before he even reacted.
"Kawa, you're amazing."
Realizing this, Might Guy's gaze towards Hyuga Kawa seemed to gain something more. He raised a hand to pat his shoulder, exclaiming, "It seems my training is still far from enough. From now on, I'll add five hundred more handstand walks to my daily routine!" Next time, even if the Reaper himself came chasing with a scythe, he would use his fists to smash open a path to survival.
"Just luck," Hyuga Kawa said with a wry smile, shaking his head. This time, there was no system notification. Clearly, in Might Guy's eyes, this was a display of strength, not luck.
"Let's go, first get your wound bandaged, then report this to Lord Third," Might Guy said in a low tone. "I can't believe a spy has infiltrated Konoha and attacked a comrade."
A spy?
Perhaps not?
Hyuga Kawa looked at his already healed palm, recalling the silhouette he saw with his Byakugan earlier. A thoughtful look flickered in his eyes. Who could it be? Hiruzen Sarutobi? No, he shouldn't have exposed his true abilities yet. Then it's Orochimaru's remnants, or...
"Danzo Shimura," Hyuga Kawa scoffed inwardly. "He acted so quickly. He's really good at internal conflict, but useless in external battles."
Meanwhile, on the edge of the Forest of Death.
A figure shrouded in a black cloak continuously used the Body Flicker Technique until he was far from Hyuga Kawa and Might Guy. He then stopped, clutching his arm, kneeling on a tree branch.
"Ugh."
The cloaked figure, whose face was obscured, hung his head. A long-suppressed scream escaped his clenched teeth, pain subtly laced with fear. Damn it! Damn it! How could this happen?! He had clearly ambushed the target at the training ground, where he frequently appeared, according to the intel. When the target appeared, he had felt relaxed; in his eyes, it was a straightforward mission.
So, he used his most proficient and proud ninjutsu, personally taught by Lord Danzo. But at the same time, that kid seemed to have noticed him, suddenly stopping, tilting his head, and then activating the Byakugan, which hadn't been mentioned in the intel. Even so, he wasn't overly worried. He was cautious. Even though the intel said the target hadn't activated the Byakugan, he still maintained a careful distance from the target. He even ensured he remained within the Byakugan's blind spot.
Until he saw that kid seemingly give up, actually closing his eyes.
Next, that kid raised his hand and, bare-handed, grabbed the kunai enveloped in Wind Style chakra. Yes, that guy, with his eyes closed, bare-handed, grabbed his kunai! And he even grabbed the handle!
What kind of joke is this?!
Thick, dense trees stretched to the distant horizon, their branches forming a sparse web. But he, using his perception secret technique, felt that even from such a distance, he was "gazing" into a pair of eyes as calm as stagnant water.
The next moment, before he could react, he heard a sharp whistling sound. A rain began to fall in the forest before him. It was like a sudden spring breeze blowing towards him, silently passing through the trees, cutting off withered leaves like scissors. Countless leaves fell, fragmenting his vision. That scene was truly beautiful.
But immediately following, came excruciating pain.
Pfft.
The sleeve of his black robe on the arm that had thrown the kunai slowly tore open, and circular red lines appeared on his skin. Blood splattered, and his arm slid down, hitting the ground with an incredibly clear sound.
"That guy actually caught my ninjutsu bare-handed and sent it back!"
The cloaked figure, who had instinctively turned and fled, now knelt on the tree. Although he had realized what had just happened, he still found it unbelievable. The intel said that guy was a waste, didn't it? How could a waste catch a Wind Style ninjutsu, personally taught by Lord Danzo and honed for years, bare-handed?! Such terrifying reaction speed, and you call him a waste?
If he's a waste, then what am I?
"Kamaitachi, what are you doing?"
While he was lost in thought, a hoarse, gloomy voice reached his ears, making him shiver violently. He slowly looked up at the figure that appeared before him, then quickly lowered his head, his voice trembling. "Lord Danzo, I..."
"Hmph, trash. It seems your mission failed."
Before he could finish speaking, Danzo Shimura coldly interrupted him, glancing at his missing arm. This guy before him was a ninja he had specifically trained to carry out assassination missions. In the past, he could achieve a one-hit kill against most Jonin, given sufficient preparation. But now...
"Losing his dominant hand, he's completely useless now."
Danzo Shimura's gloomy eyes narrowed slightly, thinking, "Interesting. That Hyuga brat is indeed not as simple as he appears on the surface. Orochimaru must have left something on him." Hmph, since Hiruzen is unrighteous and stole my Wood Style ninja, don't blame me for being unrighteous and going after this brat.