The Unsolved Case! Hayate's Death

"It really was you."

Gaara withdrew the sand, showing no intention of attacking.

With his arms crossed, he landed and slowly walked over.

Hayate frowned, looking ready to strike at any moment.

"Don't move."

Neji picked up his mask, and Hayate obediently stopped.

But when he saw Neji's face, Hayate was at a loss for words.

The powerful person who had saved his life from so many skilled opponents was actually one of the candidates he had examined just a few days earlier!

Could a Genin really be this powerful?

Temari and Kankuro just now, and now Gaara standing before him—not to mention this man who was as mysterious as an enigma, Hyuga Neji!

What was going on with this year's Genin? Their strength was beyond comprehension!

"But the most important thing now is to report this. He's an enemy, Neji."

Hayate spoke to Neji.

"Yeah, I know."

Neji walked forward, holding the mask in his hand, and let out a breath.

"You won this time."

Neji admitted it wholeheartedly.

Regardless of their strength, the entire act Neji had carefully arranged and hidden behind had been ruined when Gaara stepped in and knocked off his mask.

Now, Neji almost hoped Hayate wouldn't inform the Hokage. Otherwise, his true strength would surely be exposed in full.

"...No."

Gaara closed his eyes and gently shook his head.

"You're too strong. You keep exceeding my expectations. At first, I thought of you as nothing more than a way to pass the time, but now I see that's not the case. Hyuga Neji, I'll remember you. You're a man as mysterious as an enigma—one who makes me uneasy right up to the very end!"

Neji steadied his breathing and held out a hand.

"Examiner, you should go first. This is the battlefield for him and me."

"You..."

Hayate hesitated.

But Gaara turned around and walked away without a moment's hesitation.

"You can go, but I hope you remember your promise to me."

"What?"

Neji swallowed. He had already prepared for the worst, so why was he suddenly getting such good news?

"You said you'd come and defeat me once and for all."

With that, Gaara left without hesitation.

Only Neji and Hayate remained, staring at each other.

Beneath the moonlight, Hayate and Neji hurried onward.

"So that's why. You hid your strength to avoid drawing attention, and you took part in the Chunin Ninja Exams just to prove your abilities to your clan?"

Neji nodded. "Yeah. So if possible, please don't reveal who I am."

"I'll keep your secret."

"Well, I've made it. You should hurry along now. The Anbu might spot you up ahead."

As Hayate spoke, Neji saw the Hokage Building not far ahead and felt reassured.

"Yeah."

After saying goodbye to Hayate, Neji pressed a hand to his wound.

The cut on the inside of his left arm still throbbed from time to time, but it seemed a layer of Resistant Chakra had protected it, dulling the stinging pain considerably.

Orochimaru's scheme against Konoha would fail this time. Neji had done everything he could.

He had never wanted to get involved in these conflicts. His standing within the clan was already awkward enough.

And this time, it wasn't just a dispute between villages. The Chunin Ninja Exams a month from now involved the daimyo and had become a war between nations. If he got mixed up in it, he could lose his head at any moment.

Neji quickly disappeared into the night.

Meanwhile, Moonlight Hayate...

"The barrier is just ahead."

A powerful barrier had been set up within a hundred meters of the Hokage Building. If anyone dared to act there, they would surely be detected.

Just ten steps, then nine...

Hayate, somewhat exhausted, walked slowly forward.

"Hiss..."

A strange sound drifted over, growing denser and more frequent.

Hiss...

Hiss...

"Hmm?"

Sensing something was wrong, Hayate hurried toward the barrier.

Just three steps, then two...

"Ugh!"

Blood sprayed everywhere!

In his final moments, Hayate saw something terrifying he had never encountered in his life.

Those snake-like pupils and the ghastly, bluish face beneath the moonlight—before he lost consciousness, terror had already consumed him completely!

"Hehehe..."

Watching as two giant snakes slowly lifted Moonlight Hayate's corpse, Orochimaru smiled with satisfaction.

There were several flecks of blood on his face.

He extended his long tongue and licked them, his eyes cold and gloomy.

"Hyuga Neji, was it? What an interesting fellow."

The night was silent as still water!

"Hayate!"

Seeing Hayate's corpse tossed onto a rooftop, Yugao broke down in tears.

Several Anbu teammates stood nearby, bowing their heads in mourning.

Mitaraishi Anko stood with her hands behind her back, her expression grave.

"Did you see anything else?" Anko asked the Konoha resident beside her.

The middle-aged man was flustered too. "I, I'd had a bit too much to drink last night. I didn't get a clear look. That's all I know. He was a young man wearing a mask. He fought five people by himself! No, six!"

Anko could only sigh. She walked over to Yugao and patted her on the shoulder.

The Hokage Building.

In the Hokage's office, the Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi, looked at the documents on his desk and smoked the last drag of his cigarette.

He took the hat off his head, his gaze aged and impossibly complicated.

"Could Orochimaru be involved?"

When Sarutobi asked, Anko paused before replying, "We haven't found any trace of Orochimaru nearby."

"Of course not."

Hiruzen lowered his head and snorted. "He was once my proudest student. How could you possibly track him down?"

The old man saw things clearly enough. If Orochimaru wanted to strike Konoha now, they would be forced to act in plain sight.

"But that young man must be the one I encountered in the Forest of Death. He isn't Anbu. He took his mask from Yugao," Anko said with certainty.

Hiruzen took a deep breath and let it out heavily.

"You and Yugao investigate Hayate's death. Call Ebisu in!"

"Yes!"

Anko then left the Hokage's office with two Anbu. A man wearing sunglasses and a dark blue Konoha uniform walked in.

"Lord Third! You called for me!"

"Ebisu, how has Konohamaru been lately?"

Hiruzen asked about his grandson. But his expression was no longer as gentle as usual; he seemed distracted.

Ebisu sensed something was wrong too and paused.

"Uh... Young Master Konohamaru has been studying very hard lately. He says he wants to surpass his big brother Naruto soon and claim the Hokage Position or something..."

"That brat!"

Hiruzen let out a breath and gave a wry smile.

"Moonlight Hayate is dead."

When Hiruzen said this, Ebisu froze, then clenched his fists.

His voice turned heavy in an instant. "Then please tell me if there's anything you need me to do."

"That won't be necessary. The Chunin Ninja Exams are tied to the daimyo, and the tension affects all of Konoha and the Land of Fire. Many of the Jonin stationed at the borders can't be recalled. For something like this to happen at a time like this... This ominous feeling is exactly the same as it was twelve years ago..."

"Lord Third..."

"I'm old now. Even if I give what little strength I have left in my twilight years, things could still spiral beyond our control. Go and bring that man here. It's time to give up the Hokage Position."

Ebisu slowly raised his head. "You mean that lord, one of the legendary Sannin!"