The True Face of Lion Fang

In the woods outside Konoha Village.

"You handled this beautifully." Shikaku watched Ning Qi, offering his sincere assessment.

Hanabi had been brought out of his home by Ning Qi. Nearly all the Konoha higher-ups who knew about it instantly understood that the so-called search for Hanabi in accordance with Clan Head Hiashi's dying wish had merely been an excuse for Ning Qi to enter Konoha and sow discord everywhere.

Ning Qi had known from the very beginning that Hanabi was hidden in his home. He might even have been the one who hid her there.

Ten minutes was not enough time for Konoha to evacuate tens of thousands of people, but it was enough for Ning Qi to spread the truth everywhere, undermine the authority of Konoha's higher-ups, and tear open the first breach in Konoha's internal unity.

"You flatter me." Ning Qi tossed the remote control to Hanabi and had her bring it before Shikaku.

"Hanabi, do you know what great deed your Brother Ning Qi has done?" Shikaku caught the remote, carefully sealed it away, then suddenly asked the adorable long-haired little girl before him.

"I don't know." Hanabi shook her head blankly.

Shikaku glanced at Ning Qi and asked,

"Can I tell her?"

Ning Qi said nothing, merely curling his lips into a faint smile.

Taking that as permission, Shikaku exposed the truth to Hanabi.

"He killed your parents, as well as many of your relatives and friends. Most of your clan died by his hand."

The little girl parted her lips slightly. She looked at Shikaku, then turned back to Ning Qi. When she looked back again, she seemed to understand something and defended him angrily.

"That wasn't Brother Ning Qi's fault! Brother Ning Qi did that to protect me!"

Shikaku was so shocked that he could not speak for a moment.

What did that mean?

Were your parents, relatives, and friends all monsters who would harm you?

So in your eyes, Ning Qi killing them meant he had saved you?

He could not understand the logic behind it. He merely frowned, feeling that Ning Qi's brainwashing methods were truly unique.

Hanabi wanted to return to Ning Qi's side, but an ANBU operative restrained her with one hand.

"Do you have any other means of activating the Explosive Tags?" Shikaku asked.

Ning Qi smiled at him without speaking.

Ordinary Explosive Tags were activated through hand seals. The remote-control trigger was merely something Ning Qi had deliberately modified to increase the pressure.

So—how could there possibly be no other way?

Shikaku narrowed his eyes. Just as he had thought.

This guy had arranged things so perfectly. How could he possibly have failed to leave himself a backup plan?

Having confirmed that it was unwise to make a move, he ultimately allowed Hanabi to return to Ning Qi's side.

Getting the remote control was useless. Ning Qi still had other ways to activate the Explosive Tags.

They could not possibly trust Ning Qi.

So the work still had to be done. Before the civilians were evacuated and the Explosive Tags throughout the various locations were neutralized, they would remain under Ning Qi's coercion.

"We need to keep you under surveillance for a while," Shikaku said, proposing a solution.

As long as Ning Qi was far enough away from the Explosive Tags, forget activating them with hand seals—even if he pulled another remote control from his pocket, it definitely would not receive a signal.

Ning Qi shook his head and refused.

"That was not part of the agreement."

"Besides, I, Ning Qi, have always followed the rules. As long as you do not attack me first, I will not activate the Explosive Tags."

Shikaku nodded slightly, recalling the two explosions Ning Qi had triggered after entering Konoha. When all was said and done, both had been caused by Ning Qi coming under attack.

Although, then again.

If entrapment counted as following the rules.

"I hope so," Shikaku said coldly.

The deal was over. Under the cold gazes of Konoha's many ninja, Ning Qi smiled and looked at Hanabi.

"Let's go."

"Okay."

Like someone boarding a train for a long journey for the first time, Hanabi did not yet understand what this departure truly meant. She merely jogged after Ning Qi in a daze.

But before they had taken two steps—

"Ning Qi—" A roar startled countless birds from the forest.

Ning Qi turned his head and saw a blue-glowing figure break through countless obstacles. The figure even evaded Shikaku's Shadow Jutsu with nimble movements, then struck through the air with a palm, charging straight at him.

Gentle Fist: Lion Fang!

The boy roared.

"You—die!"

Using my own technique against me?

Ning Qi shook his head, unsure whether he felt disappointed or gratified.

He gripped the long blade on his back. As his sword swept forth, it resembled a lion king hunting prey.

Eight Trigrams Sword: Lion Fang!

The blade lion and the fist lion tore into one another. Before the boy's disbelieving eyes, his fist lion was almost instantly bitten into fragments by Ning Qi's blade lion, crushed with overwhelming force and without the slightest chance to resist.

Bang!

The boy was sent flying backward.

Several ANBU operatives hurriedly subdued him.

Shikaku demanded sternly, "Neji, what are you doing?"

A Konoha ninja attacking Ning Qi might give him an excuse to directly trigger the Explosive Tags inside the village. That was why Shikaku had been both shocked and furious when he saw Neji charge forward. Just like the two ninja who had been unable to resist trying to assassinate Ning Qi before, who had actually been lured into it by Ning Qi himself, Shikaku had nearly thought Neji's appearance here had also been deliberately arranged by Ning Qi.

When no explosions came from within Konoha Village, Shikaku breathed a slight sigh of relief. Seeing that Neji had not suffered any overly serious injuries, he seemed to understand something and cast a complicated glance at Ning Qi, who stood not far away with his sword drawn.

Was it because the one who attacked him was his younger brother, Neji...?

Ning Qi could certainly have used the attack as an excuse to trigger another explosion in Konoha. But clearly, no matter where in Konoha the explosion occurred, the group whose interests were harmed would blame Neji, who had caused it.

On top of that, Neji was Ning Qi's younger brother. His situation in Konoha would inevitably become even bleaker because of it.

"So this is... the true face of Lion Fang?" Neji roared at Ning Qi as he struggled desperately to break free from the grip of several ANBU operatives.

In that instant of their clash, Neji suddenly realized that the Lion Fang Ning Qi had taught him was not actually a Gentle Fist technique.

It was a sword technique.

Only swordsmanship could unleash Lion Fang's greatest power.

Neji had not understood that until today.

So this was Lion Fang's true face?

Was this your true face as well?

"Why did you do this?" Neji asked, seeming to question why Ning Qi had taught him the wrong Lion Fang, yet also seeming to ask something else entirely.

Tears ran from the corners of his eyes to his nose, his mouth, and his chin before finally dripping onto the ground, moistening the earth.

Ning Qi glanced at Shikaku. The latter frowned, but still had his men release Neji.

"Do you really want to know?"

Ning Qi's gentle voice rang out, as though they had returned to those ordinary afternoons of the past. Neji looked up blankly, and countless images of Ning Qi from his memories overlapped before his eyes.

False?

Real?

He could not see clearly.

Yet after hearing news of Ning Qi, scaling the prison walls, evading pursuit, seizing this final chance, and coming all the way to this forest to meet this man shrouded in mist, was it not all for the sake of obtaining an explanation and learning the truth?

Do you really want to know?

Neji nodded.

I want to know... But Neji did not have time to say it aloud.

Squelch.

The moment he nodded, the long blade plunged into his abdomen.

Pain shot from his stomach to his brain. Neji lowered his head, and blood seeped from the gap between the wound and the blade.

He raised his head.

Ning Qi, who had thrust the blade, wore a gentle, radiant smile.

The ANBU operatives closed in. Ning Qi's figure rapidly retreated, while chaos and clamor filled the surroundings.

Before losing consciousness, he heard Ning Qi say,

"Then do your best to survive."

"Live until we meet again, then come ask me..."