The Dark Side of the Wood Industry

Shen Ye furrowed his brows, feeling a bit confused by the situation.

He had just been preparing to shake off the awkwardness of being discovered by Mikoto, only to run into something like this.

Moreover, the voice sounded extremely familiar; it seemed to be that little one who had screamed in the women's bathhouse that day.

The thought flashed through his mind, and Shen Ye decided to go and see exactly what was happening.

No sooner said than done, he stepped with light, quick paces and sprinted toward the scene.

From a distance, he saw two figures in a corner of the woods.

A masked individual had a young girl cornered, seemingly planning to do something untoward.

"Damn it, in broad daylight and under the clear sky, is there no justice left!"

The masked individual was drawn to the sudden voice, only to find it was a child just a few years old.

"Where did this wild brat come from?"

Damn it, to be looked down upon by this guy because of this body—I really am in the same boat as Conan.

Shen Ye shook his head helplessly, sighing twice with his hands clasped behind his back.

He didn't know the guy's strength yet, and acting rashly might lead to a bad outcome.

So, Shen Ye decided to continue observing the situation, looking for the critical moment to strike.

"Judging by your attire, you're from the Konoha Anbu, right? To lay a hand on a girl from your own village—aren't you afraid of the Hokage's judgment?"

"Judgment? As long as I leave both your lives here, who would ever know it was me?"

It seemed this Anbu guy was ready to act and had no intention of leaving any evidence behind.

But since Shen Ye had stumbled upon this, the final result could only be the hero successfully saving the beauty; otherwise, it would be a waste of having transmigrated into this world.

If not for the fact that he possessed very few abilities right now, Shen Ye would have slapped this guy aside without a second thought.

The Anbu guy clearly didn't take Shen Ye seriously; after waving his hand to release a seal that firmly restrained the little girl, he prepared to stand up.

As the masked man stood up bit by bit, Shen Ye finally saw the little girl's face clearly.

In the center of her natural face was a pair of pale, white eyes.

It's Hinata's mother—no wonder Hinata grew up to be so beautiful.

Shen Ye muttered inwardly, but by now, the masked man was already preparing to attack him.

Visible chakra erupted around his body, and a tense atmosphere condensed in the air.

Hiding in the corner, Hyuga Yuexing stared at Shen Ye.

She had already recognized Shen Ye; he was the guy who had been peeping at everyone bathing from the roof that day.

However, she couldn't figure out why this lecherous guy would stand out at a time like this.

"Go to hell, you brat!"

The masked man shouted, though his heart was filled with nothing but contempt for Shen Ye.

He was just a child; there was no need to use his full strength. A single shuriken would be enough to settle it.

With two whoosh sounds, two shurikens cut through the air.

The corners of Shen Ye's mouth curled up slightly. In truth, the moment this masked guy stood up, he had already devised a countermeasure.

No matter who it was, they would lower their guard against his small body, and this was the perfect moment for a counterattack.

"Strength of a Hundred, activate!"

Shen Ye clenched his fist, gathering all his strength into it, and smashed it fiercely toward the shurikens in the air.

A booming sound erupted in the air, like a sonic boom ringing instantly in the masked man's ears.

"I didn't expect you to have some skill. I'll let you two go for today, but you won't be so lucky next time."

After throwing out a harsh threat, the masked man fled the scene in a flash. Shen Ye snorted coldly and jumped to Hyuga Yuexing's side to pull her up.

Shen Ye looked at his own fist, unable to help but marvel at how useful Tsunade's natural strength was.

"Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, but why did you suddenly appear here? If I remember correctly, you were clearly with Mikoto."

Shen Ye scratched his head awkwardly; he absolutely couldn't let Hyuga Yuexing know about the unpleasantness he'd just had with Mikoto.

Although Yuexing wasn't very old, she possessed a pair of eyes that could see through things, and she already had some inkling of the truth.

"By the way, why did this guy block you in this place? Looking at his attire, he seems to be a ninja from our Konoha village."

Hyuga Yuexing nodded undeniably; that guy was indeed from the village, and his status and position were not ordinary.

"He is a member of the village's Anbu. It is a very mysterious existence, filled with some extremely greedy people."

"If that's the case, I think I know what his goal was."

As he spoke, Shen Ye shifted his gaze bit by bit toward Hyuga Yuexing's white eyes.

As their eyes met, a burning sensation surged in Hyuga Yuexing's mind, causing her to subconsciously dodge his gaze.

Shen Ye shook his head with a smile, not saying anything more.

As he looked Hyuga Yuexing up and down, memories regarding her flooded into Shen Ye's mind; at this very moment, she was a fourteen-year-old kunoichi whose talent for cultivation was near the bottom of the entire clan.

Even so, within the Ninja Academy, Hyuga Yuexing still managed to hold onto the reputation of an expert.

"What? Have you not seen enough yet?"

Shen Ye was stunned, not understanding what Hyuga Yuexing was trying to express with her sudden words.

Hyuga Yuexing waved her hand and shook her head.

"I'm just curious as to why your strength has suddenly become so great, when just before this, you were still a frail little child."

"I won't hide it from you; I can only use this move for now, and I can only use it once every so often."

Hyuga Yuexing nodded. In fact, through the ability of her Byakugan, she could see through Shen Ye's current state, from his chakra reserves to the meridians in his body.

"Regardless, I still have to thank you. If you hadn't appeared suddenly, that detestable person might have succeeded."

Seeming to see through Shen Ye's thoughts, Hyuga Yuexing suddenly took a step forward, closing the distance to his side.

Their eyes met in the air once more, and this time, it was Shen Ye who felt a bit flustered.

"You... why did you suddenly come so close?"

"Tell me, was it you who was peeping from the roof that day!"

With a hint of indisputable authority, Hyuga Yuexing's eyes remained fixed on Shen Ye, not looking away for even a second.

Under such a gaze and physical proximity, Shen Ye's face instantly flushed crimson; he never imagined that Hyuga Yuexing knew about that incident as well.

For a moment, Shen Ye did not know what to say.

"You don't need to lie. These eyes of mine are even brighter than Mikoto's, and the moment I saw you, I was already certain it was you!"