Welcome Back to Hell

Nameless Forest, battlefield.

After only two exchanges, this clearing in the forest looked as though it had been ravaged by a Category 8 gale.

Blade marks were everywhere, along with lingering flames from explosions and shattered ground as though trampled by wild beasts.

"Tch..."

Kushimaru Kuriarare frowned deeply, Nuibari in hand, its trailing wire pulled taut into a grim web of blades. Looking at the empty thread-blade formation before him, he clicked his tongue in clear irritation.

Beside him, Munashi Jinpachi, who also found the situation somewhat troublesome, furrowed his brow and thought:

"This brat is clearly only twelve or thirteen. Why does he fight like some old battlefield veteran who's been at war for over a decade...?"

The coordination that had always served them so well had been broken by Hyuga Yu in an almost suicidal manner.

Nuibari had come within a hair's breadth of piercing straight through Hyuga Yu's head. Yet under such extreme circumstances, he had survived—and still retained the ability to fight.

That made the two members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist cast him another look. They began to take this mission, which they had assumed was certain to succeed, with utmost seriousness.

"This time, I'll take the lead." Kushimaru Kuriarare held Nuibari in a reverse grip and analyzed the situation calmly.

"He's lost an eye, so his field of vision will be affected. But to ensure nothing goes wrong, you'll use Explosive Sword Technique: Hachōdō this time."

"Take him out in one go!"

"Fine." Munashi Jinpachi nodded.

The two quickly regrouped and switched positions, taking up a horn formation with Kushimaru Kuriarare at the front left and Munashi Jinpachi at the rear right. At the same time, they glanced toward Hyuga Yu.

Then—

An urgent shout suddenly came from the ground:

"You two idiots, look where that guy is... He... he's going to destroy the Main House's eyes!"

"Stop him!"

Kushimaru Kuriarare and Munashi Jinpachi froze, then abruptly looked up.

They saw—

In the brief gap of less than ten seconds, Hyuga Yu had already reached the side of the Hyuga Main Family member. Using an extremely brutal method, he forcibly gouged a pair of Byakugan from that man's eye sockets.

"Damn it!"

Ao tilted his head, his pupils suddenly shrinking. He thought Hyuga Yu was about to crush that pair of Byakugan right in front of them.

However—

What none of the four Kirigakure ninja present expected was—

Without another word, Hyuga Yu stuffed the pair of Byakugan directly into his own eye sockets as though fitting together building blocks!

Ao blinked, frozen where he stood. Then his scalp began to tingle!

No, did he think Byakugan were hot-swappable toys?

And a Branch House member stealing the Main House's eyes—what the hell was he trying to do?!

What about his clan's Caged Bird? Go off already!

"Wait!"

At that moment, Kensuke, the sensory ninja who had been slacking off at the side all along, suddenly changed expression and warned them urgently:

"That brat's chakra... something's wrong!"

Munashi Jinpachi, who had no idea what was happening and had merely lowered his head to discuss a battle plan before looking up to find that everything seemed to have changed, shook his head in confusion. Like a college student zoning out during an advanced calculus lecture, he turned to the "top student," Kensuke the sensory ninja, and asked:

"What happened?!"

"His chakra... changed from blue to cyan!"

"Huh? What does that mean?"

"And his chakra fluctuations..." Kensuke widened his eyes, his voice dry as he spoke.

"They're rising exponentially!"

It was as though an entirely new world was emerging through the haze to meet him.

It was as though a flower that had waited thirteen years had finally blossomed today.

Thus Spoke Zarathustra, long buried in the deepest recesses of his memory, softly recited itself beside his ear:

"Break with his past, associate with the outcast;

Overturn what is respected, approve what is forbidden;

When the soul becomes tranquil, peaceful, and joyful,

The eyes will possess depth, clarity, purity, and innocence."

The camel that had bowed its head for thirteen years—

When he opened his childlike eyes once more, he saw that the imprisoned self had transformed into a proud lion with its head held high!

At this moment—

Hyuga Yu slowly opened his eyes—

His vision was a little crooked. He even seemed slightly cross-eyed.

But—

Everything in his field of vision had become clearer than ever before!

He could see every slender eyelash of Hyuga Natsu before him, the joy glittering in her fluttering eyes.

He could also see, behind Hyuga Natsu, the four Kirigakure ninja with grave expressions. Their faces were filled with confusion, incomprehension, shock, and killing intent.

Farther away, on the most distant tree at the edge of his vision, he could see a caterpillar chewing among the branches and leaves.

Everything, everything—

Was visible in perfect detail!

It was like an 8K film playing at half speed, the colors so vivid that even Hyuga Yu felt slightly uncomfortable.

It was as though he had entered another world.

Then, on this dangerous battlefield—

He suddenly heard the bloodstained girl standing before him, smiling with a sweet tone. Her cheeks were faintly flushed, and her crescent-shaped eyes were narrowed as though she were even happier than he was. She congratulated him:

"Lion-kun, welcome back to hell!"

The next instant—

"That brat successfully suppressed the Caged Bird and stole the Main House's Byakugan!!!"

Ao stared at Hyuga Yu in utter shock. He suddenly understood what this scene represented.

The throbbing excitement and fervor buried deep within him made him forget all concern for appearances. Spittle flew from his mouth as he roared:

"Quick, Kushimaru Kuriarare, Munashi Jinpachi, Kensuke!"

"Capture him!"

"Alive!"

"He must be alive!"

"With him, Kirigakure will have countless Byakugan! We'll have Hyuga of our own!"

"With him, we can ignore the Caged Bird and take the Byakugan of the Hyuga Branch Family!"

"With him, we can continue the Hyuga Clan in Kirigakure!"

"We! We! We—"

"Could even win the Third Shinobi World War!!!"

Ao roared in incoherent excitement, howling furiously. Even the sluggish chakra in his body, which he had been unable to command, seemed affected by his emotions.

He swung his arms as though clutching a bugle and blowing it with all his might!

As his words struck the ground—

Three savage, fanatical gazes on the field locked onto Hyuga Yu at once!

Hyuga Yu took a deep breath, his expression darkening slightly.

Only then did he respond to Hyuga Natsu, his tone heavy:

"Yeah. Yeah, this place... really is hell!"

As he spoke, Hyuga Yu sensed the condition of his body and gave Hyuga Natsu an order without hesitation:

"Natsu, I'll count down from three. When you hear '1,' immediately flee south, in the direction I'm facing. When you see Root ninja, tell them—"

"I successfully exempted myself from the Caged Bird and completed the first Byakugan transplant surgery!"

Hyuga Yu asked calmly, "Are you ready?"

Hyuga Natsu smiled and nodded.

"If you do this, you'll end up at the center of the storm."

Hyuga Yu did not answer. He merely began counting calmly while frantically mobilizing the chakra within him, which had unexpectedly surged after replacing his eyes.

"3."

Hyuga Natsu raised her eyes and looked at Hyuga Yu. She seemed to want to say something more.

But in the end, she only gritted her teeth, wiped every trace of a smile from her face, and said coldly:

"Hyuga Yu, remember to make it home alive."

"2."

"And—"

"1."

The instant the countdown ended, three demon-like figures pounced with bared fangs and claws!

Hyuga Yu ground his toes into the earth and launched himself upward!

"—Boom!!!"

The three words Hyuga Natsu cried out were swallowed by the thunderous roar of countless Explosive Tags.