Rescue

Watching the few people not far ahead, Haku didn't rush to act.

The people across from him were ninjas too. The moment they realized they couldn't complete their mission, they would surely kill the Hyuga child.

He only had one chance to strike, and he couldn't afford any mistakes. Now he just had to wait for Uchiha Yu to create an opening for him.

Haku didn't have to wait long.

[Great Fireball Technique!]

A massive fireball suddenly appeared beside the three people ahead. The unexpected turn of events sent the enemies leaping away in different directions in a panic.

Uchiha Yu hadn't expected the Great Fireball to injure the enemies. As soon as she finished casting it, she hurled a shuriken at one of them.

At the same time, she gripped a kunai and charged at another enemy who wasn't carrying anyone.

When they saw the Konoha ninjas suddenly appear before them, the enemies panicked for a moment. Then they realized their opponent was just a little girl, and relaxed slightly.

The ninja closest to Uchiha Yu immediately engaged her.

After exchanging a few blows, he called to his companion, who was about to flee with the Hyuga child.

"Something's off about this one. She's no pushover. And judging by that Great Fireball, she must be a genius from the Uchiha Clan. Come help me. Let's see if we can take her back with us too."

At his words, his unarmed companion stopped preparing to flee, turned around, and headed for Uchiha Yu.

Uchiha Yu seemed to realize she couldn't take on two people at once, and began retreating the moment the enemy ninja spoke.

Watching this from a distance, Haku couldn't help admiring Uchiha Yu's combat instincts. Her acting was so convincing that, if he hadn't known the plan beforehand, even he would have been fooled.

As Uchiha Yu drew the two ninjas farther and farther away, Haku didn't waste any time. He sped up and caught up with the last enemy ninja.

Haku raced through the dense forest. Now that he'd removed his weights, he was moving fast. He leaped over branch after branch, until he could see the enemy ahead, dressed in black ninja clothes.

Once he got a clear look at the enemy, he also saw the girl slung over his shoulder.

She was indeed wearing the clothes of the prestigious Hyuga Clan of Konoha. Looking closely, she seemed to be his classmate—the Hyuga Main Family girl who had introduced herself today.

The Hyuga Clan had passed down its heritage all the way from the Warring States period, and its Byakugan had always been coveted by other ninja villages. The women of the Hyuga Main Family were especially valuable: successfully abducting one would be like giving another Hyuga Clan a new start.

The Hyuga Clan protected its Byakugan extremely well. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been only one Byakugan left in Ao's possession in the original story. Though it was difficult, the villages never gave up trying to get their hands on the Shinobi World's most powerful scouting eye. Even Hyuga Hinata was abducted in a later era.

Judging by the situation, it seemed she'd been abducted on her way home. But why hadn't anyone been guarding her? Weren't members of the Hyuga Main Family supposed to have members of the Branch Family protecting them?

But rescuing her was the urgent matter now. The other questions weren't something he needed to think about yet.

And if he could bring Hyuga Riko back, then in return for helping the Hyuga Clan recover a pure-blooded heir who'd been kidnapped, he might be able to gain their support during the Third Shinobi War.

Besides, if he wanted to learn some ninjutsu in the future, having ties to the Hyuga Clan should make it easier.

Haku put more strength into his stride. As he closed in, he pulled out a kunai and threw it. He didn't aim at the fleeing enemy ahead. Since he hadn't undergone systematic training in kunai throwing, he wasn't confident he could hit his target with a single throw.

If he threw directly at the enemy, he might miss and injure Hyuga Riko instead. It was better to use his inaccurate throw to draw the enemy's attention while also misleading him about Haku's abilities.

Aiye Bi had been a Kumogakure spy embedded in Konoha for over ten years. His original job was to monitor Konoha's movements, and the abduction of a member of the Hyuga Clan hadn't been planned at all. The opportunity had simply been too good to pass up.

After school, Hyuga Riko had been guarded, but the family had suddenly summoned her escort away on an errand. On top of that, it was the first day of school, so classes had ended early, leaving Hyuga Riko alone.

While setting up his stall, Aiye Bi noticed Hyuga Riko by herself and contacted the other two spies working in Konoha. Hyuga Riko hadn't begun formal training yet and was no match for three Genin. She didn't even manage to put up a fight before they knocked her out and carried her away through an alley where few people usually went.

Aiye Bi was still imagining the praise he'd receive from Yagura after bringing her back to the village when a sudden Great Fireball gave him a fright. He thought Konoha's Military Police Force had discovered them and caught up. But when he saw that it was only a little girl, he immediately relaxed again.