As he clashed with the mysterious masked man, Hyuga Hizashi felt as though his proud Gentle Fist techniques were sinking into mud, unable to inflict any real damage.
After just a dozen exchanges, Hizashi was already shaken to the core. Meanwhile, the opponent strolled leisurely along the courtyard wall, blocking every attack with a single hand.
The bright moonlight reflected coldly off the white three-eyed fox mask. The masked figure seemed to be calmly observing him, almost thoughtfully.
Hizashi activated his Byakugan, veins bulging around his temples as he tried to peer through the mask and uncover the enemy's identity.
But what he saw was not a face.
Behind that mask was a bottomless darkness—so deep and unfathomable that it swallowed every gaze directed at it. The sight alone sent a shiver down his spine.
An indescribable terror welled up within him, and for just a split second, Hizashi lost focus.
Uzumaki Menma seized the opening.
With a single fist wrapped in howling wind, he struck Hizashi square in the face and knocked him clean off the wall.
Hizashi flipped midair, barely managing to land on his feet, cold sweat pouring down his back.
He looked up again at the figure still standing calmly above him. Behind that mask, it felt as if a pair of cold eyes were silently evaluating him.
Whoosh—
At that critical moment, Hyuga Hiashi descended like a falcon, launching a direct attack at the masked man.
Hizashi quickly joined in, and the two brothers fought together in perfect coordination. Their synchronized Gentle Fist strikes formed intricate combination techniques as they attacked from multiple angles.
Hiashi charged head-on, chakra surging through his palm as he shouted:
"Eight Trigrams! Sixty-Four Palms!"
At the same time, Hizashi adjusted his stance and followed suit.
"Eight Trigrams! Thirty-Two Palms!"
Their joint assault wove together like a net of chakra, striking from both sides to trap the masked intruder.
In an instant, three figures darted across the courtyard wall. The collision of chakra whipped up fierce gusts of wind, forcing nearby Hyuga guards to shield their faces.
"Small Spiraling Wheel Devastation."
Deciding the time was right, Menma clenched his right hand and condensed a black Rasengan-like sphere. Aiming for Hizashi's blind spot, he unleashed it.
In that instant, the sensation of death washed over Hizashi.
Without hesitation, he instinctively released chakra from every tenketsu point in his body.
"Eight Trigrams Palm—Rotation!"
BOOM!
The Small Spiraling Wheel Devastation slammed into Rotation. The violent dark chakra tore through the defense and blasted Hizashi backward.
"Gah—!"
Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was sent flying several meters away.
"Hizashi!"
Hiashi's horrified shout was cut short by a cold voice beside him.
"You're next."
The masked man had already appeared right in front of him.
A massive amount of chakra gathered around the intruder's hands, taking on the form of two roaring lion heads.
"Impossible! How can you—?!"
Hiashi felt every hair on his body stand on end and tried to activate Rotation.
But the masked man was even faster this time.
"Twin Lion Fists!"
Menma struck with both fists, landing a devastating blow squarely on Hiashi's chest.
The Hyuga clan head was launched from the wall like a broken kite.
"Clan Head!"
Several Hyuga guards rushed forward to protect him.
Under the bright moon, Uzumaki Menma stood tall atop the main gate of the Hyuga estate, white fox mask gleaming as he looked down upon the entire compound.
"Just who are you?!" Hiashi demanded, forcing himself to stand despite his injuries, blood staining his lips.
'Menma, a lot of ninja are rushing this way,' the tiny Nine-Tails warned from inside his collar.
Whoosh—
Menma vanished from the wall and reappeared beside the corpse of the dead Kumogakure envoy.
"All gifts of fate come with a hidden price," he said calmly to Hiashi, lifting his mask slightly.
Then he glanced toward Hizashi lying injured in a crater.
"I'll be back."
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—
Dozens of figures descended upon the Hyuga compound from every direction.
"Hyuga Clan Head! ANBU, here to investigate!"
A white-haired ANBU ninja wearing a cat mask landed nearby, a short blade strapped to his back.
Hatake Kakashi.
But even he was stunned by the scene before him.
The Hyuga clan head was seriously injured. Hizashi lay bleeding in a massive crater. Several Hyuga jōnin surrounded them, staring warily at the mysterious intruder.
"That bounty must be worth quite a bit," the masked man said as he hoisted the envoy's corpse.
Kakashi froze when he recognized the body.
"The Kumogakure envoy?! Impossible—wasn't he at—"
Before anyone could react, the masked figure leapt onto the wall with blinding speed.
"Too fast!"
Even Kakashi felt a chill at the display.
But the intruder had no intention of continuing the fight. After a few swift movements, he disappeared into the night.
"Pursue!" Kakashi ordered, leading the chase with the rest of the ANBU close behind.
They couldn't allow someone to walk off with the corpse of a Kumogakure envoy. That would be a direct slap to Konoha—and to the Third Hokage himself.
Once the enemy vanished and the ANBU left in pursuit, Hiashi walked over to his injured brother.
"Brother…"
Hizashi lay bleeding heavily, his back torn open by the dark chakra of the Small Spiraling Wheel Devastation. The wound was deep enough to expose bone.
Surviving that attack at all was already a miracle.
"Don't speak! Homon—get Hizashi to the hospital immediately!" Hiashi ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
Hyuga Homon quickly lifted Hizashi onto his back and rushed toward Konoha Hospital.
Looking around at the devastated clan grounds, Hiashi felt lingering fear.
If that masked man hadn't intervened, he would have killed the envoy himself—triggering a catastrophic diplomatic incident.
Perhaps even prolonging the war with Kumogakure.
'But… that technique… why did he know Twin Lion Fists?'
Hiashi touched his burning chest.
'That strike just now…'
"Eh?"
A small voice interrupted his thoughts.
He turned to see his daughter Hinata had woken up.
She glanced around at the chaos with an expression far too mature for a child.
"Tch~," she scoffed, hands on her hips. "Old man, you really dragged me out for a midnight stroll or what?"
"Pfft—!"
Hiashi nearly spat blood again.
'Oh no… the young lady's second personality is out again!' one Hyuga guard thought in panic as he instinctively took a step back.
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