Rescue

"Phew~"

"Phew~"

Keep moving, keep running, don't stop!

It felt as if her throat was bleeding, and a coppery taste spread through her mouth.

Hui kept running. She had no right to stop.

"Hahahaha!"

"This power is the best!"

The force behind her kept closing in. Hui couldn't help glancing back.

"Hey."

"What else can a Guardian's blood be used for?"

Hui's eyes widened as she stared at the man before her, whose entire body had turned white and whose head had sprouted two small horns.

Kuchiki Kurohane. That was the man's name.

The wind blew, and blood dripped onto the ground, splattering—

Half an hour earlier.

When Hui woke up, all she saw was a pillar of light shooting into the sky, with a Chakra Fruit floating inside it.

Then Kurohane ate the sparkling Chakra Fruit.

It was clear that Kurohane had struggled to approach the Chakra Fruit. He had even been injured and was bleeding heavily.

The reason was simple.

The chakra spilling from the Chakra Fruit alone surged into Kurohane's body. The fact that his body hadn't exploded was already lucky.

Kurohane endured the chakra and even absorbed it into his body, making it his own.

Thanks to Kurohane's efforts, he finally obtained the Chakra Fruit.

The tiny, sparkling fruit was like a little sun as Kurohane swallowed it whole.

Then the strange phenomenon began.

Could this be called the evolution of a person?

Hui didn't dare make a casual judgment.

After Kurohane ate the Chakra Fruit, his body began to change abnormally.

His skin turned snow-white, as if he had put on another layer of skin. The change was unmistakable.

Then there were both sides of his forehead.

Two small horns began to grow there, though they looked somewhat incomplete.

His eyes also began to change.

His clear eyes gradually turned white, until even his pupils were pure white.

They looked just like—

The Byakugan of Konoha's Hyuga Clan, the Kekkei Genkai unique to the Hyuga Clan.

Apart from those changes, the most obvious difference was the mark that had appeared on the crown of Kurohane's head.

Hui still couldn't say whether this was human evolution.

His strength was astonishing, and the aura radiating from his whole body made that clear.

The gale blew, tossing Hui's hair in every direction.

"This is it!"

"Hahahaha!"

"This feeling!"

Kurohane's cries rang out through the air.

His voice brimmed with excitement, with a hint of madness.

He's gone mad!

That was Hui's first thought.

The Chakra Fruit was known as a Small Divine Tree Fruit. Hui didn't know exactly what that meant, but it certainly wasn't ordinary.

Was a person even qualified to swallow the fruit of the God Tree?

Before she could get an answer, a powerful gust swept Hui off her feet.

Kurohane slowly calmed down. Hui understood the situation and immediately started making her way out.

No matter where she went or how she did it, she just had to run now.

And this was the result—

The girl's blood splattered across the ground.

No!

That was Kurohane's blood!

A flash of sword light appeared as Yueshu quietly emerged from the side. The Kusanagi Sword in his hand slashed down in an instant, aiming straight for Kurohane's hand.

The Kusanagi Sword didn't do much damage, but that was enough for the moment.

Hui was released, and a blond figure rushed out and scooped her up.

"Fire Style: Flame Eraser."

Jiraiya's voice rang out, and Yueshu moved at the same time.

He spun in midair and kicked Kurohane, using the force to leap away.

At that moment, Jiraiya's jutsu arrived.

The ground beneath Kurohane's feet turned red, then flames erupted.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Kushina and Mikoto appeared as well. Each girl used a jutsu, adding more fuel to the pillar of fire.

Yueshu landed steadily, and Minato Namikaze had rescued Hui.

Neither of them stopped. Each unleashed a jutsu, adding more to the assault on Kurohane.

"You..."

Hui looked at Minato Namikaze and the others, her arms trembling slightly.

"This time..."

Minato Namikaze turned to Hui, his eyes seemingly shining.

"We'll definitely protect you."

Hui froze. So many words were stuck at the tip of her tongue, but in the end, they all became one expression—

A pure smile.

"Mm."

"I believe in you."

Whoosh.

As soon as the words left her mouth, a gust of wind swept past them, and a figure appeared behind Minato Namikaze.

Hui's smile was still blooming, but it froze in an instant.

Behind Minato Namikaze—

Was Kurohane, who should have been in the flames.

Just like Hui, Kurohane wore a smile. It was pure, too.

Pure evil.

Clang.

Minato Namikaze had surpassed his own limits. He reacted in an instant and raised both arms to block.

Kurohane's fist came down, its tremendous force sending Minato Namikaze flying.

"Next..."

Kurohane looked at Hui and started to reach for her.

"You're the one I'll deal with."

It wasn't Kurohane who spoke, but Yueshu beneath him.

In that brief moment, Yueshu had managed to rush over.

Kurohane reacted instinctively. His gaze had only just dropped when a flash of sword light appeared.

It was the Kusanagi Sword, thrusting upward. Yueshu was aiming straight for Kurohane.

The Kusanagi Sword loomed larger and closer in Kurohane's eyes, but he showed no sign of panic.

He leaped lightly into the air, easily evading the Kusanagi Sword.

"Fire Style: Toad Oil Bomb."

Jiraiya spat out a mass of oil. With Kurohane in midair, he was an easy target.

Kurohane glanced toward Jiraiya and swung out a hand. The incoming oil bomb was smashed apart.

Jiraiya hurriedly leaped into the air. The spot where he had been standing was struck, and a cloud of dust billowed up.

—Gentle Fist of the Hyuga Clan.

Jiraiya's expression turned serious.

The Gentle Fist of the Hyuga Clan was a Taijutsu unique to them. Yet this unknown ninja could not only use it, but had also mastered it to a high level. And his appearance—

His eyes looked just like the Byakugan.

And perhaps they only looked similar. They might actually be the real thing.

Jiraiya landed steadily beside Kushina and Mikoto.

His two female disciples were the weakest members of the team. Against an opponent like this, they could barely protect themselves, so Jiraiya naturally had to stay by their side.

As for Yueshu and Minato Namikaze, they were Konoha's two great prodigies. Jiraiya wasn't entirely confident, but he chose to trust his students.

"Rasengan!"

Yueshu charged forward and formed a Rasengan.

The blue-and-white Rasengan slammed toward Kurohane. He easily sidestepped it, then kicked Yueshu.

Yueshu's figure turned into a cloud of white smoke.

Shadow Clone!

Kurohane paid it no mind, then casually flicked away the Kunai flying toward him.

The Kunai flew off to the side and exploded.

Yueshu and Minato Namikaze appeared as well.

Yueshu's Shadow Clone had already carried Hui away. Now—

It was time for the battle of revenge!