Setting Out Again

He could still stand.

Uchiha Jie's gaze at Kakashi grew complicated. He had either underestimated the name "Fifty-Fifty," or overestimated his imitation Tsukuyomi. After taking a Mangekyo Sharingan ocular technique head-on, Kakashi gritted his teeth and stood up.

Kakashi was covered in countless fine bloodstains. Not only had he risen to his feet, but Uchiha Jie's sharp ears also caught a crisp crackle of electricity.

The crackling quickly grew louder. Pale blue chakra transformed into arcs of blue, white, and purple lightning, leaping from Kakashi's ankles to his arms before finally converging in his palm.

It illuminated the surrounding forest as brightly as day.

Uchiha Jie's brow twitched as he recognized Kakashi's signature Ninjutsu—the Lightning Cutter, said to be capable of slicing lightning in two.

Lightning Release stimulated the muscles for a brief burst of extreme speed, paired with the Sharingan's peerless dynamic vision and an exceptionally short hand-sign sequence.

For Uchiha Jie, dodging was practically impossible. As for using something like the Substitution Technique, there was even less time for that.

He was not skilled at the Substitution Technique to begin with, and he had not prepared any substitution logs in advance.

Yet he was not panicked in the slightest. The instant Kakashi raised his right hand, Uchiha Jie raised his own.

The cold wind in the forest continuously gathered in his hand. Blue-white chakra spun and twisted toward his palm, and Kakashi, who was unleashing the Lightning Cutter, could not help widening his eyes.

He recognized that Ninjutsu. It was an A-rank technique created by his Teacher.

This technique was not easy to learn. Even now, only a handful of people could use it, and more importantly, he knew every one of them. None of them had the slightest connection to the person before him.

Then his eyes widened even further. The Rasengan in the other man's hand was clearly less condensed than when his Teacher used it, yet it was growing larger and larger, far surpassing the size it had possessed in his Teacher's hands.

He was charging forward. The violent gale produced by the Rasengan had already carved tiny wounds across Kakashi's face.

If he continued thrusting forward with the Lightning Cutter, then regardless of the outcome, one of his arms would certainly be torn to pieces by the violent Wind Release.

But it was already too late to stop. Besides, as a Konoha ninja, how could he stop? He had to complete his mission.

"Did... did you kill him?" Hinata asked cautiously from the carriage, watching Uchiha Jie bandage his right hand.

She had fallen asleep after her first bite of beef rice. The sleeping drug's effects lasted until the carriage began swaying along the road again, only then did she wake up.

"No, no, no. He's a fine audience member—and a fine actor too." Uchiha Jie grimaced in pain, but still smiled and shook his head.

The Lightning Cutter truly was a terrifying Ninjutsu, but Hatake Kakashi was not a terrifying ninja. He might possess formidable combat instincts and combat skills.

But his body was still that of an ordinary ninja. He had neither a sturdy Lightning Release armor nor the red chakra of the Eight Gates Released Formation bursting from him, and he certainly could not transform into a giant mech and rise from the ground at any moment.

If he had clashed Rasengan against Rasengan, they would surely both have been badly injured and each lost an arm. But using the Rasengan's principles to create a twisted wind field, deflecting and hurling Kakashi's entire body away, was undoubtedly something Uchiha Jie could accomplish.

Although he had made some contact with the Lightning Cutter's lightning, his current injuries were acceptable to Uchiha Jie. Mm, he just needed to smile more.

Kakashi had it worse. His entire body had been swept away by the Wind Release like a rag doll, and his back slammed into a large tree. At least he had kept his arm and his life. As for broken bones and internal injuries, they were not the sort of problems that became hopeless just because Tsunade was absent.

He could still crawl back to Konoha step by step, or wait for Konoha's reinforcements.

"Actor? Audience? Wasn't Father the one who chased after us?" Hinata asked cautiously as she watched Uchiha Jie bandage his wound while smiling.

"You're not still fantasizing that your father will come after us, are you? He doesn't dare show himself now. If anything happens to him again, the Hyuga Clan will only have little Hyuga Hanabi left."

Uchiha Jie chuckled softly.

"I told you from the very beginning. I saved you."

"But..."

"Enough buts. What time did your father tell you to go to bed?"

As he spoke, Uchiha Jie took out a pocket watch. The battle had not lasted particularly long, but neither had it been short. The night had deepened, the moon hung directly overhead, and even he could not help yawning.

"But... but I'm still not full..." Hyuga Hinata cautiously glanced at the drugged beef rice, then cautiously swallowed a large mouthful of saliva.

"Fine, fine. I'll add the antidote for you. Eat..." Uchiha Jie shook his head helplessly. Since he had kidnapped her, he still had to make sure she was fed.

"If it wasn't Father who came after us, was it Sister Yue?"

After taking two bites, Hyuga Hinata raised her head again and looked at Uchiha Jie. He had already finished bandaging himself and was leaning against the carriage wall with his eyes closed, though she could not tell whether he was resting or already asleep.

"She and your father are both surrounding Hyuga Hanabi right now."

Uchiha Jie did not open his eyes, nor did his lips move. The one answering Hyuga Hinata's question was the driver seated at the front of the carriage. He was Uchiha Jie's Shadow Clone, who had shed his Transformation Jutsu at some point and returned to his original appearance.

"Are you angry? Jealous?" he continued. "You were the one kidnapped, yet your Father and your beloved Sister Yue did not come looking for you. Instead, they are both keeping your little sister company."

"They should stay by Hyuga Hanabi's side! They should protect her properly so she won't be kidnapped by a bad person like you!" Hinata's mouth was stuffed with rice, but her words remained firm. She desperately hoped her family would come save her, but once she thought of her little sister possibly falling into danger, she did not hope for it quite as much.

"Haha, of course they should. That's why I saved you." The Shadow Clone acting as the coachman flicked the whip, making the horses run faster as his laughter echoed through the forest.

"Otherwise, you would have become just like your good uncle, Hizashi Hyuga."

"Uncle Hizashi?" Hyuga Hinata froze for a moment, then found the name in her memories. "Brother Neji's father?"

"He was your father's younger brother. His relationship with Hyuga Hiashi was just like yours with Hyuga Hanabi."

"I know that. Uncle Hizashi usually took good care of me too, but whenever Father was around, he became as strict as Father." Hyuga Hinata swallowed a large mouthful of rice and answered.

"Sometimes, Uncle Hizashi would look at me with strange, even frightening eyes..."

"But last year, Uncle Hizashi..."