Abandonment

The sky had not yet brightened at the break of dawn.

Hyuga Ning was already fully prepared to depart.

He stood silently for a moment outside the door where his wife and child slept. In the end, he did not disturb them; he merely cast one deep, lingering look before turning to merge into the hazy morning mist, heading to rendezvous with Danzo and the members of Root.

A group of several people left Konoha in silence, moving like ghosts as they sped toward the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain.

According to intelligence, there had been frequent activity from an unidentified faction there, suspected to be linked to Amegakure.

The closer they drew to Amegakure, the more humid the air became, and the sky seemed permanently shrouded in dark clouds.

During this period, Hyuga Ning and another clansman, Hyuga Lan, walked at the forefront, taking turns keeping their Byakugan active throughout the journey.

Their 359-degree perspective acted like the most precise radar, constantly scanning for chakra signatures within several kilometers to avoid potential traps and patrols. Their Byakugan truly played an irreplaceable role in such a complex environment.

As they gradually pushed deeper and neared the border, Hyuga Ning spotted a base buried underground.

"Lord Danzo, three kilometers ahead, there is a strong chakra signature underground. The structure is complex, with at least ten people, and the chakra intensity... is suspected to be at the Jonin level."

Hyuga Ning lowered his voice to report, the veins around his white eyes bulging as he strained to maintain his Byakugan's insight.

Hearing Hyuga Ning's report, Hyuga Lan, who had accompanied him, also activated his Byakugan to observe.

A flash of sharp light crossed Danzo's single eye.

"Are you certain?"

"I am certain, Lord Danzo," Hyuga Lan replied, his tone firm.

"Very well. Now, locate any suspicious entrances nearby and observe their internal structure."

Danzo's tone was grave and cold as he issued orders to the group around him.

"Yes," they replied in unison.

And so, the group moved stealthily toward the suspicious location they had observed.

Hyuga Ning and Hyuga Lan kept their Byakugan active; one focused on finding and marking all traps, while the other continuously relayed the internal structure of the underground base and the distribution of personnel to Danzo in real-time.

Under the all-encompassing perspective of the Byakugan, the Root members skillfully bypassed the traps, silently eliminated the two sentries on the perimeter, and successfully infiltrated the underground base through a hidden fissure.

"Hyuga Ning, you are to lead three Anbu members skilled in frontal combat to clear the path ahead and create a commotion, drawing the attention of the majority of enemies within the base."

"I will lead the other member and two Root operatives skilled in stealth and intelligence processing to infiltrate the core area during the chaos and steal the critical intelligence."

"Understood?"

"Yes."

Everyone nodded to signify they understood.

With the deployment set, the operation began.

Hyuga Ning took a deep breath and, along with the other three, charged toward the entrance like arrows released from a bow, instantly shattering the underground silence. A fierce battle erupted immediately. The sounds of metal clashing, the roar of ninjutsu, and the shouts and screams of the dying instantly echoed through the underground tunnels.

Meanwhile, Danzo led his three subordinates inside.

Hyuga Ning's Gentle Fist was pushed to its limit. Relying on the 359-degree vision of his Byakugan, he easily parried the enemies' sneak attacks and frontal assaults.

The remaining three Anbu members also relied on their numbers and taijutsu to hold off the enemy's onslaught, buying time for Danzo.

They fought while retreating, stubbornly resisting the tide-like offensive of the enemy.

On the other side, Danzo's team, guided by Hyuga Lan's continuous Byakugan surveillance, bypassed the main battlefield as if following a map, penetrating deep into a secret chamber at the heart of the base. It was filled with a large number of scrolls and communication equipment.

The two Root members quickly began to screen and seal the critical intelligence.

Time ticked away.

The pressure on Hyuga Ning and the others above ground grew increasingly heavy. He had already sustained multiple wounds, and his chakra was depleting rapidly. The veins around his white eyes looked increasingly ferocious, yet he gritted his teeth and persisted.

He believed that as long as Danzo obtained the intelligence, they would receive reinforcements or orders to withdraw, and he would be able to return alive.

However, he did not know that inside the secret chamber, Hyuga Lan was observing the main battlefield through layers of rock to ensure the enemy did not suddenly turn back.

But.

After one Root member reported that all intelligence had been collected, Danzo made a specific hand gesture, causing Hyuga Lan's pupils to constrict instantly.

He understood clearly that this was a signal to retreat—but it applied only to them; there was no need to concern themselves with the bait.

Hyuga Lan's face turned pale instantly. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but under Danzo's cold, emotionless gaze, he could only lower his head with difficulty and respond.

"...Yes."

The next moment, Danzo turned without hesitation, taking the two Root members and the seized intelligence, and quickly retreated along a pre-planned secret route far from the main battlefield.

Hyuga Lan took one last look toward the main battlefield, a flash of complex emotion in his eyes, before finally following Danzo's team, his figure disappearing into the dark tunnel.

At the main battlefield.

Hyuga Ning was still stalling for time with the three Root members.

Suddenly, he felt the pressure lighten; the enemy's attacks seemed to suffer a momentary lag.

He took the opportunity to scan the depths of the base with his Byakugan, only to find that it was already empty.

Realizing this, he hurriedly looked toward the direction from which they had come.

Danzo and Hyuga Lan were rapidly retreating, already nearing the edge of his Byakugan's effective range!

In an instant, he understood everything.

They had been abandoned.

The so-called mission to buy time was, from the very beginning, a sacrifice of expendable pawns.

Danzo had never intended to take them with him!

As this realization struck, a cold despair mingled with towering rage surged in his heart, though it was overshadowed by an endless longing and guilt for his wife and son back home.

"Xue... Ning Xue..."

He murmured, whispering the names of his wife and son.

The enemies before him swarmed forward once more, and he knew there was no path left for him to survive.

The other three members of Root, seeing Ning's reaction, seemed to realize the truth as well.

Yet they showed no surprise; instead, they performed an unbelievable act.

They pressed their weapons against their own throats and committed suicide.

Seeing this, Ning nearly broke down.

If there had been four of them, perhaps they could have fought their way out, carving a bloody path to freedom, but he had never expected the three of them to simply end their own lives.

"Haaah—!"

Hyuga Ning let out a roar like a trapped beast, holding nothing back. He poured out every ounce of his chakra, even burning his life force to push his Gentle Fist to its absolute limit, launching a final, desperate, and tragic counterattack!

I want to live!! I want to go home!!!

Hyuga Ning's palm struck like a dragon, putting every ounce of his strength into a blow against an enemy's abdomen, killing him instantly.

"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!!!"

"Eight Trigrams Palm!!!"

Hyuga Ning fought with everything he had, but two fists were no match for four hands, especially against enemies who were both powerful and superior in number.

A poisoned kunai pierced his shoulder from a treacherous angle, and immediately after, a searing Fire Style jutsu slammed into his back.

Agonizing pain swept through his body, and his life force began to drain away rapidly.

Hyuga Ning stumbled a few steps, his white eyes losing their focus as his vision began to blur.

Seeing this, the enemies rushed to finish him off, driving a blade through his chest, and Hyuga Ning collapsed to the ground, powerless.

In the final moment before his consciousness sank into the abyss, he seemed to see his wife's gentle smile and his son's eyes, so similar to his own yet far more composed.

"I'm sorry... Xue... I've broken my promise... Ning Xue... take care of... your mother..."

Finally, his breath ceased. With endless regret and unfinished words, he remained forever in this cold, damp borderland of the country.