This battlefield is truly tragic. Especially for the Uchiha clan.
The number of fallen shinobi here is almost equivalent to the total force of a mid-sized clan. If memory serves, the Uchiha were only recently deployed to this front.
Kawaki Aoba stood quietly, his sensory abilities scanning the battlefield. He could feel the remnants of chakra fading into the wind — the final echoes of the dead. In moments, he reconstructed how the battle had unfolded.
It was an ambush.
Konoha's forces had walked directly into a Mist-nin trap. The elemental disadvantage in their jutsu matchups only worsened their position. Without that, perhaps the losses wouldn't have been so severe.
In the end, only Uchiha Fugaku remained alive. It was said he managed to turn the tide in desperation — awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan, and with it, annihilating the Mist-nin forces.
But something didn't sit right.
"Why didn't the Uchiha scout ahead?" Aoba thought. "Why were they in such a rush to redeploy?"
And more importantly — how did the Mist-nin know exactly where to strike?
Too many inconsistencies.
A single name rose in his thoughts like a shadow creeping across the battlefield.
Shimura Danzō.
The image of that cold, calculating elder surfaced in Aoba's mind. If Danzō was involved, everything made sense.
Weaken the Uchiha. Tip the balance. Sacrifice the lives of two hundred regular troops to trap and bleed the elite forces of the Uchiha clan — that was a trade Danzō would make without blinking.
Aoba let out a long breath.
"Konoha…" he muttered, the weight of his own conscience pressing heavily on his shoulders.
Hundreds of Uchiha had died here. Many must have activated their Sharingan — possibly even advanced forms. The number of Three-Tomoe Sharingan alone could fill a vault.
He could collect them now. Harvest their dojutsu. It would be a tremendous gain.
But he didn't move.
Fugaku still stood among the bodies of his fallen clanmates. Guarding them. Mourning them. Aoba knew if he tried anything, Fugaku would fight him to the death.
More than that — he couldn't bring himself to do it.
"I may be a man who seeks gain," he admitted to himself, "but I'm no monster like Danzō."
Aoba closed his eyes and expanded his Kenbunshoku Haki to its maximum range. Dozens of miles lit up in his mind.
Then — a flash of motion. An unfolding scene caught his attention, jolting him to full alert.
"Interesting..." He vanished instantly, teleporting toward the disturbance using his Instant Movement technique.
As for Fugaku, Aoba wasn't worried. Reinforcements from the Konoha camp were already en route — many from the Uchiha clan. Fugaku would be safe.
---
Roughly twenty miles away, a small team of Konoha ninja sprinted through the forest, breath ragged, movements desperate.
Their pale eyes marked them clearly — a Hyūga clan unit. Oddly, the entire team was composed solely of Hyūga.
Strange — such homogeneity was rare in mission squads.
But the explanation became clear upon seeing who they were protecting.
A young boy, no older than thirteen, was in their center — carefully shielded. Despite being on the run, the formation around him never faltered.
He was a Hyūga from the Main House.
Then came the voice from behind, chilling and mocking.
"Heh heh… Young master of the Hyūga clan… you've run far enough. Just hand over your eyes."
Four enemy ninja leapt from the trees, moving fast — Mist-nin, closing the gap quickly.
"Damn it! They're already here! Why didn't those idiots delay them? You two — do something!" the young heir barked, panic overtaking his voice.
The two Hyūga Branch House members glanced at each other. Their eyes betrayed both sorrow and resentment.
This was all his fault.
Had he stayed in camp as instructed, the mission would've proceeded smoothly. The glory would have gone to him regardless — a token reward for the Main House. They would have accepted that.
Instead, the young master insisted on "experiencing the frontlines" — and drew attention straight to their squad.
Everyone else was dead. Only the two of them remained. And now, even their lives hung by a thread.
Still, they dared not protest. To speak out would bring disaster upon their families back in Konoha.
Even in their final moments, they had one duty — protect the Main House.
As the Mist-nin approached, both Branch House shinobi prepared for their last stand.
One of them turned and said resolutely, "Lord Yōta, run. We'll hold them off."
After saying that, the two of them turned around together and rushed toward the four Mist Ninjas who had already closed in.
The young master of the main family, who was referred to as Lord Yota, continued to flee into the distance without looking back.
However, before he could escape far, a figure suddenly attacked from the side at extreme speed.
Sensing the danger, Yota reacted instantly and twisted his body to dodge to the side. Despite the pressure, he was still cultivated by the Hyuga main family and had received ample resources. It was no surprise that he was able to avoid a fatal blow in such a crisis.
However, although he avoided the fatal strike, the Mist Ninja who had ambushed him was already in front of Hyuga Yota.
Two fingers extended toward him, aimed at gouging out his eyes.
As the target, Yota's pupils dilated, and for a moment, his thoughts seemed to freeze. He wanted to move, to dodge, but the opponent's speed was overwhelming.
Despite his best efforts to turn his head, one of the opponent's fingers was still closing in on his eye socket.
Horror filled Yota's eyes, and just as the finger was about to pierce his eye, a flash of cold light erupted before him, followed by a spray of blood that splattered into his eyes.
"Ugh, ah."
His vision blurred with blood. Yota quickly wiped his eyes and looked forward.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the Mist Ninja who had just ambushed him being decapitated with a single slash.
"So strong," he blurted out subconsciously. Looking up, he saw the man who had saved him—a figure with short white hair, a fierce appearance, draped in a coat, and no insignia from the Hidden Leaf Village on his body.
Since the man had saved him, Yota assumed he was somehow connected to the Hyuga clan, even if not from the Leaf Village.
Just as Yota was about to express his gratitude, he saw the white-haired man glance behind him. In the blink of an eye, the man became an afterimage and disappeared.
Yota wasn't sure if he had been mistaken, but he thought he saw that the man's eyes were unfocused.
Turning to look behind him, Yota saw the white-haired man rushing to deal with the remaining Mist Ninjas.
With his Byakugan, Yota watched as the white-haired man, now holding a short blade that seemed out of place for him, charged at a Mist Ninja. With a swift, decisive movement, the Mist Ninja's head fell to the ground.
Again, it was just one slash. This was the second Mist Ninja slain by the white-haired man.
Yota's Byakugan eyes widened. He didn't want to miss anything.
The mysterious man didn't disappoint, quickly setting his sights on the last three Mist Ninjas.
Then, Yota saw the three Mist Ninjas, who had been chasing them like dogs just moments ago, turn and flee without hesitation, even running in different directions. They looked like they were retreating, similar to how they had attacked earlier.
Yota wondered if the white-haired man would chase after them, and if so, whether he should wait here for his return.
Yota's thoughts were cut short as he saw a layer of billowing flames ignite on the white-haired man's body.
Yota was shocked. He had never seen anything like this before. The flames burned on the man's body as though it were part of him. Was it chakra? The pressure it emitted was overwhelming.
In the blink of an eye, the man was a blur, leaving nothing but afterimages.
Despite activating his Byakugan, Yota could see nothing clearly except flashes of movement.
In less than a second, the man caught up to the first fleeing Mist Ninja.
It appeared the white-haired man struck, perhaps with a punch or a kick—the speed was so fast that Yota couldn't tell—but he clearly saw the blood mist explode as the Mist Ninja's head shattered like a smashed watermelon.
The man moved again, this time going after the second Mist Ninja.
Yota marveled in awe. The white-haired man was so fast, his speed matching his Byakugan's vision.
Without delay, the second Mist Ninja met the same fate—his head exploded in a spray of blood.
Finally, the third Mist Ninja, though further ahead, quickly followed the same grisly path as his predecessors.
"Too strong," Yota exclaimed, unable to hide his shock. He wondered if even the Hokage would be able to defeat such a powerful figure.
Just as he finished his thought, Yota's vision blurred again, and before he could react, the white-haired man appeared right in front of him.
Frightened, Yota quickly closed his Byakugan. Staring at such a powerful figure with his Byakugan was impolite.
Meanwhile, two branch family ninjas, equally shocked, trotted to Yota's side, but remained silent, too frightened to speak.
Yota glanced at the two of them before putting on a smile and saying to the white-haired man in front of him:
"Sir, thank you for saving me. My name is Hinata Yota..."
Yota began to thank him, trying to figure out how to build a connection with the white-haired man.
However, before he could finish, the other man raised his hand to stop him, "Hinata Yota, I know who you are. There's no need for thanks."
Hearing this, Yota felt a surge of happiness. If the man knew him, perhaps he had ties to the Hyuga clan or had received a favor from them. Or maybe he was a contact Yota's grandfather had made outside the village.
Yota happily speculated about the connection between the white-haired man and the Hyuga clan.
But just then, a wave of numbness spread through his eyes, followed by excruciating pain that shot from his nerves straight to his brain.
"Ah, ah..."
The intense pain was overwhelming, causing Yota to fall to the ground, wailing in agony. He instinctively covered his eyes with his hands, but they felt strangely empty. The only sensation he could feel was warm liquid flowing into his hands.
Blood. His own blood.
He quickly realized what had happened. Though the pain temporarily robbed him of his voice, the loss of his eyes filled him with pure panic.
Losing his Byakugan, even as a member of the main family, would make him a disgrace. He might even lose his position as a member of the main family entirely.
The two branch family ninjas, equally horrified, stood frozen. They watched Yota, writhing on the ground in agony, then glanced at the white-haired man, who was calmly placing Yota's Byakugan eyes into a test tube.
The duty of the branch family was to protect the main family. Normally, they would have no hesitation in putting their lives on the line to defend Yota. But they couldn't even keep up with the white-haired man's movements.
What should they do now? Should they charge in and fight? But doing so would be nothing but a death sentence.
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