At the Masked Man's feet lay a corpse.
The corpse belonged to Guard A, who usually stood watch at the entrance to the Torture Department.
Now.
Guard B was being held in the Masked Man's hand.
His throat was being clamped.
He struggled desperately.
But...
The Masked Man's fingers held fast, leaving him unable to break free.
With just a little force, his windpipe would be crushed.
Judging by his build, the killer who had suddenly appeared at the Torture Department and murdered someone was a man.
He wore a strange mask.
The mask had been painted orange.
Black flame patterns bloomed irregularly across it.
The mask's right eye was a swirling hole.
The pitch-black hole made it impossible to see what lay inside.
He wore a long robe that reached past his knees, open at the collar, with a white cloth belt tied around his waist.
Aside from the strange mask, he was dressed like an ordinary person at home.
The Masked Man turned his head.
His long, tousled black hair swayed with the movement.
"..."
"..."
Silence met silence.
The Torture Department was located on Konoha's outskirts, near the rear mountain.
It was deliberately placed in a remote area to prevent anyone from hearing the prisoners' screams.
That meant it was already too late to call for reinforcements.
"Put him down."
Hyuga Sho spoke calmly.
"..."
The Masked Man said nothing, simply standing there in silence.
He seemed to be thinking, or perhaps he simply had no intention of replying to Hyuga Sho.
"..."
Nohara Rin took a small step back.
As a Medical Ninja, the basic strategy was never to become a burden to the team.
Therefore, protecting herself immediately was the right thing to do.
The next moment.
Hyuga Sho made his move.
An orange-red beam