Abandoned

Before dawn, while the sky was still dark.

Hyuga Ning was already fully prepared to depart.

He stood quietly outside the room where his wife and son slept for a moment. In the end, he did not disturb them. After taking one deep look, he turned and vanished into the hazy morning mist, heading to rendezvous with Danzo and his Root members.

The group silently left Konoha, racing like ghosts toward the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rain.

According to intelligence, an unknown force had been frequently active there, suspected to be connected to Amegakure.

And the closer they drew to the Land of Rain, the damper the air became, while the sky seemed permanently shrouded in dark clouds.

During this time, Hyuga Ning and another Hyuga clansman, Hyuga Lan, walked at the front, taking turns keeping their Byakugan activated.

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

As they advanced deeper and neared the border, Hyuga Ning spotted an underground stronghold.

"Lord Danzo, three kilometers ahead, there are powerful chakra signatures underground. The structure is complex. There are at least ten people, and their chakra strength... they are suspected to be jonin."

Hyuga Ning reported in a low voice. The veins around his pale eyes bulged as he maintained his Byakugan at full power.

Upon hearing Hyuga Ning's report, Hyuga Lan, who had come with him, also activated his Byakugan to observe.

A glint flashed through Danzo's one eye.

"Are you certain?"

"Certain, Lord Danzo," Hyuga Lan spoke as well, his tone resolute.

"Good. Find any suspicious nearby entrances and observe the enemy's internal layout."

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

"Yes." xN

Thus, the group secretly advanced toward the suspicious location they had observed.

Hyuga Ning and Hyuga Lan kept their Byakugan active. One focused on locating and marking every trap, while the other continuously relayed the underground stronghold's internal layout and personnel distribution to Danzo in real time.

Under the Byakugan's all-encompassing vision, the Root members skillfully avoided the traps, silently dealt with two outer sentries, and successfully infiltrated the underground stronghold through a concealed crack.

"Hyuga Ning, lead three Anbu members skilled in frontal combat to clear the way and create a disturbance ahead, drawing the attention of most of the enemies inside the stronghold.

"I will lead one other member and two Root members skilled in infiltration and intelligence processing into the core area amid the chaos to steal the key intelligence."

"Understood?"

"Yes."

Everyone nodded to show their understanding.

With the deployment decided, the operation began.

Hyuga Ning drew a deep breath and charged toward the entrance with the other three like arrows loosed from the string, instantly shattering the underground silence. Fierce combat erupted at once. The clang of metal, the thunderous roar of ninjutsu, angry shouts, and agonized screams immediately echoed through the underground passageways.

Meanwhile, Danzo led three people inside.

Hyuga Ning's Gentle Fist had been pushed to its limit. With the Byakugan's 359-degree vision, he easily blocked the enemy's sneak attacks and frontal assaults.

The remaining three Anbu members also relied on their numbers and taijutsu to resist the enemy attacks, buying time for Danzo.

They fought as they retreated, stubbornly holding back the enemy's tide-like offensive.

On the other side, guided by Hyuga Lan's continuously active Byakugan, Danzo's team bypassed the main battlefield as if they had navigation and penetrated deep into a secret chamber at the very heart of the stronghold. It contained a large number of scrolls and communication devices.

The two Root members swiftly began sorting and sealing the critical intelligence.

Time passed bit by bit.

Hyuga Ning and the others above ground came under mounting pressure. He had already suffered numerous injuries, and his chakra had been greatly depleted. The veins around his pale eyes had become increasingly hideous, yet he still gritted his teeth and held on.

He believed that once 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 walls to prevent the enemy from suddenly turning back.

But.

After a Root member reported that all the intelligence had been collected, Danzo made a special hand signal that instantly caused Hyuga Lan's pupils to shrink.

He understood that this signal meant retreat, but only for them. There was no need to concern themselves with the bait.

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

"...Yes."

The next moment, Danzo turned without hesitation, taking the two Root members and the seized intelligence as he swiftly withdrew along a preplanned secret route far from the main battlefield.

Hyuga Lan gave the main battlefield one last look. A complicated emotion flashed through his eyes, but in the end, he followed Danzo's team, his figure disappearing into the dark passageway.

The main battlefield.

Hyuga Ning was still buying time with the three Root members.

Suddenly, he felt the pressure lessen, as though the enemy's attacks had briefly stalled.

Taking the opportunity, he swept the depths of the stronghold with his Byakugan, only to find that there was no one left inside.

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

He saw Danzo, Hyuga Lan, and the others rapidly moving away, already nearly beyond the Byakugan's effective observation range!

In an instant, he understood everything.

They had been abandoned.

The so-called stalling for time had meant they were expendable pawns from the very beginning.

Danzo had never intended to take them with him!

Once he realized this, an icy despair mixed with towering fury surged into his heart. Yet stronger still was his endless longing and guilt toward his wife and son at home.

"Xue... Ning Xue..."

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

The enemies surged forward again. He knew there was no way out for him.

The other three Root members seemed to realize something as well when they saw Ning's reaction.

But they were not surprised. Instead, they did something unbelievable.

They placed their weapons against their own throats and killed themselves.

Ning nearly broke down at the sight.

If there had been four of them, perhaps someone could have escaped by carving a bloody path out. But he had never expected the three of them to commit suicide outright.

"Haaah!"

Hyuga Ning let out a roar like a trapped beast. No longer holding back any chakra, he made the chakra throughout his body surge wildly. He even burned his life potential, driving the power of his Gentle Fist to its limit as he launched his final and most desperate counterattack!

He wanted to live!! He wanted to return home alive!!!

Hyuga Ning's palm strike swept forth like a dragon. With all his strength, he struck an enemy's abdomen, killing him instantly.

"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!!!"

"Eight Trigrams Palm!!!"

Hyuga Ning gave it everything he had, but two fists could not defeat four hands, much less enemies who were both powerful and numerically superior.

A poisoned kunai pierced his shoulder from an odd angle. Immediately afterward, a blazing Fire Release ninjutsu struck fiercely into his back.

Excruciating pain swept through his body as his life force rapidly drained away.

Hyuga Ning staggered several steps. His pale eyes began to lose focus, and his vision gradually blurred.

Seeing this, the enemies hurried forward to finish him off. One blade pierced through his chest, and Hyuga Ning collapsed powerlessly to the ground.

In the moment before his consciousness completely sank away, he seemed to see his wife's gentle smile and his son's eyes, so like his own yet calmer.

"Sorry... Xue... I have to break my promise... Ning Xue, you must also... take care of... your mother..."

In the end, his breath ceased. Carrying endless regret and unfinished final wishes, he remained forever in this cold, damp borderland.