If He's Trash, Then What Am I?

"..."

The deathly still air was so silent it seemed dead. The only sound was a piercing ringing, like an auditory hallucination.

Might Guy acted on pure instinct, activating the Eight Gates Released Formation only now, while Hyuga Yunchuan had already frozen in the pose of crouching and twisting around.

He stared blankly as Hyuga Yunchuan's long hair slowly drifted down behind him. Only when he heard a crisp drip and saw blood gather in the other's palm, run to his fingertips, and fall did he snap back to his senses.

"An enemy attack?"

Might Guy's expression instantly turned grim. His figure vanished from the spot as he dashed without hesitation toward the direction the attack had come from.

But by the time he arrived, there was no one there.

Only a glaring pool of crimson blood remained, along with a severed right arm. The cut was smooth and clean, every detail of bone and muscle visible.

Clearly, the kunai Hyuga Yunchuan had thrown had failed to kill the attacker. It had only taken one of his arms, forcing him to flee the scene in disgrace.

Hyuga Yunchuan soon walked over as well. He glanced at the severed arm on the ground, then slightly raised his head to look into the depths of the forest.

The trees swayed in the wind, patches of light broken apart beneath their shadows.

"Yunchuan, did you see him?" Might Guy asked from beside him.

There was no blood trail. Clearly, the attacker had treated his wound in an emergency to avoid exposing his tracks.

"No." Hyuga Yunchuan withdrew his gaze and shook his head, a faint hint of regret on his face. "He was too fast. I couldn't see clearly."

[Ding, your lie has been judged as [Playing Dumb], causing a strong emotional fluctuation in Might Guy. He has reached the level of [Utterly Convinced]. You have gained 300 Reality Points...]

The reason Hyuga Yunchuan had chosen to get close to Might Guy in the first place was partly because he had his eye on this potential powerhouse, who would nearly kick Six Paths Madara to death in the future. The other reason, naturally, was the man's straightforward and emotional personality.

Might Guy clearly had no doubts about Hyuga Yunchuan's words. He contributed another small wave of points, his expression grave and furious as he said, "We have to report this to the Third Hokage. Someone actually dared to commit violence in Konoha!"

Seeming to remember something, Might Guy looked at Hyuga Yunchuan's hand and hurriedly asked, "Right, your injury..."

"It's fine. That guy's Wind Style wasn't up to par." Hyuga Yunchuan smiled and waved a hand, showing him his palm, which bore only a bloody cut.

[Ding, your lie...]

In truth, the situation just now had been quite dangerous. The opponent's Wind Style Ninjutsu was nowhere near as simple as he had claimed. If he had grabbed the blade rather than the handle, his whole palm would probably have been sliced off by now.

"Phew, it's good that you're all right. Still, Yunchuan, being able to awaken the Byakugan means this disaster turned into a blessing."

Might Guy let out a breath of relief. Although he believed Hyuga Yunchuan's lie, the terrifying speed of that kunai kept the grave look from fading off his face.

Even someone as fearless as him felt lingering dread.

He even wondered whether, if that person's target had been him, he could have reacted in time.

The answer came quickly.

If he could activate the Eight Gates Released Formation, even if only the First Gate, he could react in time and dodge.

But the opponent would not have given him that chance. That strike had been too fast and too sudden, and he never would have expected anyone to dare commit violence in Konoha.

"Yunchuan, that was amazing."

Realizing this, something seemed to have changed in Might Guy's gaze toward Hyuga Yunchuan. He raised a hand and patted his shoulder, saying with feeling, "It looks like my training is still far from enough. From now on, I'll add five hundred more handstand walks every day!"

Next time, even if the Shinigami came after him with a scythe, he would blast open a path to survival with his fists.

"Just luck." Hyuga Yunchuan shook his head with a bitter smile.

No system prompt sounded this time. Clearly, in Might Guy's eyes, that had been a display of strength rather than luck.

"Let's go. We'll bandage your wound first, then report this to the Third Hokage," Might Guy said in a low voice. "I never thought spies had already infiltrated Konoha and started attacking their comrades."

Spies?

Perhaps not.

Hyuga Yunchuan looked at his already healed palm. Recalling the figure he had seen through his Byakugan, a thoughtful glint flickered in his eyes.

Who could it be?

Sarutobi Hiruzen?

No, my true abilities shouldn't have been exposed yet.

Then it was either remnants left behind by Orochimaru, or...

Shimura Danzō. Hyuga Yunchuan sneered inwardly. He moved this quickly. Truly skilled at civil strife, useless in foreign conflict.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the Forest of Death.

A figure shrouded in a black robe repeatedly used the Body Flicker Technique. Only after putting a great distance between himself and Hyuga Yunchuan's group did he stop, clutching his arm as he dropped to one knee on a tree branch.

"Argh..."

The Black Robe lowered his indistinct head. A scream he had suppressed for so long leaked through clenched teeth, his agony carrying a trace of fear.

Damn it! Damn it! How did this happen?!

He had clearly followed the intelligence and ambushed the training ground where the target frequently appeared well in advance.

When the target had shown up, he had been relaxed. In his eyes, this had been an exceedingly simple mission.

So, he used the Ninjutsu he was best at, the one he was most proud of—the Ninjutsu Lord Danzō had personally taught him.

Yet at that very moment, that brat had seemed to notice him. He suddenly stopped, tilted his head slightly, and activated the Byakugan that had never been mentioned in the intelligence.

Even so, he had not been overly worried.

He was cautious. Even though the intelligence said the target had not awakened the Byakugan, he had still kept a considerable distance away. He had even ensured that he remained within the Byakugan's Blind Spot the entire time.

Then, he saw that brat seemingly give up resisting and actually close his eyes.

Next, the brat raised his hand and caught the kunai wrapped in Wind Style Chakra with his bare hand.

Yes, that guy had closed his eyes, used his bare hand, and caught his kunai!

And he had caught it by the handle!

What kind of joke was that?!

Thick, towering trees stretched toward the distant horizon, their branches woven together like a sparse net.

Yet through his sensory secret technique, he felt that despite the vast distance between them, he was staring into a pair of calm eyes as still as dead water.

The next moment, before he could react, a sharp howl of wind rang out.

It began to rain inside the forest before him.

It was as though a sudden spring breeze had blown toward him, silently passing through the woods and shearing away withered leaves like a pair of scissors. Countless leaves fell, shattering his vision into fragments.

That sight had truly been beautiful.

But what followed was an excruciating pain tearing through his body.

Rip.

The sleeve covering the arm that had thrown the kunai slowly split apart, and a ring-shaped red line appeared across his skin.

Blood sprayed out. His arm slipped free and hit the ground, the sound impossibly clear.

"That guy caught my Ninjutsu with his bare hand... and sent it back at me!"

The Black Robe, who had turned and fled on instinct, knelt on the tree branch. Although he had already realized what had happened, he still found it unbelievable.

Hadn't the intelligence said that guy was trash?

How could trash catch the Wind Style Ninjutsu personally taught by Lord Danzō and refined over years with his bare hand?!

With reflexes that terrifying, you call him trash?

If he's trash, then what am I?

"Kamaitachi, what are you doing?"

As he stood there dazed, a hoarse and sinister voice entered his ears, making him shudder violently.

He slightly raised his head to look at the figure that had appeared before him, then hurriedly lowered it again. His voice trembled as he said, "Lord Danzō, I..."

"Hmph. Trash. It seems your mission has failed."

Before he could finish, Shimura Danzō interrupted coldly, glancing at the stump where his arm had been.

This man before him was a ninja he had specifically trained to carry out assassination missions.

In the past, with sufficient preparation, he could kill most Jonin in a single strike.

But now...

"Having lost his dominant arm, he's completely useless."

Shimura Danzō narrowed his shadowy eyes slightly. Interesting. That Hyuga brat really isn't as simple as he appears. Orochimaru must have left something on him.

Hmph. Since Sarutobi was unjust enough to steal my Wood Release ninja, he can't blame me for being unjust and laying hands on this brat.