Hero Saves the Beauty · Part One

The night wind passed through the corridors of the Hyuga Estate, letting out a low, mournful moan.

Hinata curled up in the corner of the confinement room, her arms tightly wrapped around her knees. This room was located in the estate's most remote western wing. It was usually a storage room for old belongings, but now it had become her cage.

Moonlight slanted in through the high window, casting a patch of ghastly white across the floor.

She recalled what Xiao had just told her.

"Your father... intends to use you as bait."

"People from the Branch House can be sacrificed at any time."

Those words were like icy needles, piercing her heart one by one. Hinata bit her lower lip, trying desperately not to cry. She had always known her father was strict, and that there was a divide between the Main House and the Branch House, but she had never imagined—

Boom!

An explosion sounded in the distance.

Hinata abruptly raised her head, her heart tightening sharply. The sound had come from the estate's front courtyard, followed by the piercing clash of ninja tools and men's furious shouts.

"Enemy attack!"

"Protect the young lady—ah!"

The scream stopped abruptly.

Hinata trembled all over. She wanted to stand, but her legs were too weak to support her. Xiao had told her to stay here and not move, saying someone would come save her. But...

Footsteps.

Not one person. At least three sets of footsteps were rapidly approaching this way. They had deliberately lowered their voices, but Hinata's Byakugan saw everything clearly in the darkness—three men dressed as Hidden Cloud ninjas, their faces covered, kunai and short blades in hand.

How did they know she was here?

The moment that thought surfaced, Hinata understood. The information her father had deliberately leaked must have included her hiding place. This was part of the trap, meant to let the Hidden Cloud men "find" her.

The door was kicked open brutally.

Wood chips flew everywhere.

The leading man swept his gaze across the room, instantly locking onto Hinata in the corner. He grinned, his exposed teeth glinting coldly in the moonlight.

"Found her."

Hinata wanted to scream, but her throat seemed blocked by something. She desperately shrank backward until her back hit the icy wall. There was nowhere left to retreat.

"Don't be afraid, little girl." The man approached step by step, his voice teasing. "We're just inviting you to be our guest."

The other two stood guard at the door, warily watching the corridor.

Hinata finally forced out a sound. "M-My father..."

"Your father?" The man snorted. "He's taking the fake to the Hokage Tower right now. By the time he realizes he's been fooled, we'll already be out of Leaf Village."

His hand reached for Hinata.

At that instant—

A third person's scream came from the corridor.

The two Hidden Cloud ninjas guarding the door whirled around. A figure lunged from the shadows, the palm wind of the Gentle Fist aimed straight for a throat. The attacker was a Hyuga Branch House ninja, his movements clean and decisive. He was clearly at Elite Ninja level.

"Teacher Tokuma!" Hinata blurted out.

Tokuma Hyuga faced two alone, his palms opening and closing in broad, forceful arcs, every strike aimed at the enemy's chakra points. But his expression was grim—the strength of these two Hidden Cloud Elite Ninjas exceeded expectations, and...

"Watch behind you!" Hinata screamed.

The third Hidden Cloud ninja had somehow circled behind Tokuma, his kunai stabbing straight toward his back.

Tokuma narrowly twisted aside, but his left shoulder was cut open, leaving a wound deep enough to expose bone. Blood instantly soaked through his dark blue clan uniform.

"Tch, troublesome." The leading Hidden Cloud ninja frowned, no longer bothering with Hinata as he turned to join the fight.

Three against one.

Tokuma was instantly forced into a disadvantage. He gritted his teeth, veins bulging around his Byakugan as he pushed the Gentle Fist to its limit. Palm wind howled through the narrow corridor, and deep palm prints kept appearing on the walls.

But the Hidden Cloud coordination was too seamless.

One feinted, one blocked his movements, and the third launched surprise attacks from blind spots. Tokuma's wounds multiplied, and his breathing grew heavier.

"Teacher Tokuma, run!" Hinata cried.

Tokuma did not look back. He could not retreat. If he did, the young lady would truly be finished.

But the difference in strength was right there. One Hidden Cloud ninja caught an opening and kicked Tokuma in the abdomen. Tokuma grunted, smashing through the railing and falling to the first floor.

"Taken care of." The Hidden Cloud ninja flicked the blood from his hand and looked at Hinata again. "Now, let's handle the real business."

Hinata closed her eyes.

She remembered the way Xiao had looked at her before leaving. For the first time, there had been something in those always-gentle Byakugan eyes that she could not understand—something like determination, and something like pity.

I'm sorry, Xiao.

I probably... won't be able to wait for you.

"Come with me." The man's hand seized her wrist.

Just then—

A figure crashed in through the high window.

Shards of glass rained down, refracting countless cold stars in the moonlight. The figure staggered slightly upon landing, clearly unskilled at this kind of difficult infiltration. But the instant he steadied himself, he was already standing between Hinata and the Hidden Cloud ninja.

White pupils glimmered faintly in the darkness.

"Let her go."

Hyuga Xiao's voice was calm—too calm for a thirteen-year-old boy.

The Hidden Cloud ninja froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Another one here to die? Is the Hyuga Clan wholesaling cannon fodder today?"

Xiao did not smile. His gaze swept over the room—Tokuma was gone, and fighting could still be heard below, but there was clearly one less person. The plan had reached this point. It was time for him to enter.

"Hinata, get back," Xiao said.

"Xiao, you can't beat them..." Hinata's voice trembled.

"I know." Xiao spoke frankly. "But some things have to be done, even when you can't win."

He assumed the opening stance of the Gentle Fist. His movements were standard, but clearly unpracticed. One look was enough to tell that this was the level taught through the Branch House's basic training.

The Hidden Cloud ninja finally lost his patience.

"Move!"

He threw a punch.

Xiao did not dodge. Or rather, he could not. An Elite Ninja was too fast—so fast that he could only barely raise his arm to block.

Bang!

Xiao was sent flying into the wall. Agonizing pain spread from his arm throughout his body, and a metallic sweetness surged into his throat. He coughed up blood, staining the front of his clothes red.

"Xiao!" Hinata screamed.

Xiao pushed himself upright against the wall. His left hand hung limply at his side, clearly broken. Yet he assumed his stance once more.

"I said..." He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Let her go."

The Hidden Cloud ninja's expression changed. His teasing gaze turned icy.

"Seeking death."

This time, he got serious. The kunai spun in his hand and stabbed straight for Xiao's heart.

Xiao's Byakugan fixed on the opponent's movements. The instant the kunai struck, he sidestepped and slapped at the man's wrist with his right hand at an awkward but precise angle.

Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams One Palm.

Smack.

It hit.

But he was too weak. The Hidden Cloud ninja's wrist merely went numb, and the kunai shifted half an inch before piercing Xiao's right shoulder.

Blood sprayed out.

Xiao's face turned deathly pale in an instant. But instead of backing away, he used his injured left hand to seize the man's weapon-wielding wrist tightly.

"Now!" Xiao roared.

He was not shouting at the enemy.

He was shouting downstairs.

Almost at the same instant, Tokuma Hyuga—who should have fallen downstairs and lost all combat ability—leaped up through the gap in the shattered railing, both palms striking out together!

Gentle Fist Method: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!

Palm shadows poured down like a torrential rain. The Hidden Cloud ninja was held tightly in place by Xiao and had no time to evade. Every one of Tokuma's palms landed solidly on his body, sealing dozens of chakra points.

"Ugh—ah!"

The Hidden Cloud ninja spat out blood and collapsed limply.

But the battle was not over.

The other two Hidden Cloud ninjas had already reacted. One pounced at Tokuma, while the other charged straight at Hinata—if they could not take her alive, they would bring back her corpse to report their success!

The cold gleam of a kunai stabbed for Hinata's throat.

Hinata's eyes widened, and time seemed to freeze at that moment. She could see every tiny scratch on the kunai and the frigid killing intent in her opponent's eyes.

Then, a figure stepped in front of her.

Xiao took the blow with his back.

The kunai pierced through the right side of his chest, its bloody tip emerging from the front. Xiao's body swayed, but he did not fall. He grabbed the kunai lodged through him with his backhand, gripping it tightly to keep the enemy from pulling it free.

"Hinata..." Xiao's voice was soft, so soft that only Hinata could hear it. "Run."

Hinata's tears spilled from her eyes.

She saw Xiao's blood drip down the kunai, blossoming into dark red flowers on the floor. She saw that his face was white as paper, yet those eyes remained bright—so bright that it broke her heart.

"I won't run," Hinata heard herself say.

She stood up.

Before the Hidden Cloud ninja's stunned gaze, the Hyuga Main House's young lady—who had always been weak and timid—assumed the opening stance of the Gentle Fist. Her movements were even more unpracticed than Xiao's, but her resolve had never been firmer.

"Let him go."

Hinata's voice trembled, but her hands were steady.

The Hidden Cloud ninja's eyes hardened as he tried to forcefully pull out the kunai. But Xiao held on with all his strength, his nails digging into flesh. Meanwhile, Tokuma had already suppressed the other enemy and was desperately trying to break free and come to their aid.

The stalemate lasted a mere three seconds.

For a ninja, three seconds was enough to do many things.

For example, assess the situation.

The Hidden Cloud ninja holding Hinata hostage suddenly released the kunai, grabbed Hinata's wrist, turned, smashed through the window, and jumped out.

"Hinata!" Xiao tried to pursue, but the wound in his chest made him stagger and collapse to the floor.

Tokuma finally dealt with his opponent and rushed to the window. In the night, the Hidden Cloud ninja was holding Hinata hostage and fleeing at high speed toward Leaf Village's outer wall.

"I'll go after them!" Tokuma was about to jump through the window.

"Wait." Xiao rose while coughing blood. "He's deliberately running in that direction... He has backup."

Tokuma suddenly realized.

Of course. The Hidden Cloud operation had been meticulously planned. How could they not have an escape route? There had to be people stationed in that direction, waiting for their companion to succeed and meet up with them.

"Then what do we do?" Tokuma asked anxiously.

Xiao tore off part of his shirt and hastily wrapped the wound on his chest. His movements were slow, and every motion made sweat bead on his forehead from the pain. But after bandaging it, he raised his head, his gaze frighteningly calm.

"I'll pursue him."

"Are you insane?!" Tokuma grabbed his shoulder. "In your condition, chasing after them is just throwing your life away!"

Xiao looked at Tokuma and suddenly smiled.

It was a smile Tokuma had never seen on the gentle Branch House boy's face—a nearly crazed, resolute smile.

"Teacher Tokuma, stay here," Xiao said. "The Main House people will arrive soon. You need to give them an explanation—why you were here instead of in the front courtyard when the young lady was kidnapped."

Tokuma froze.

"As for me..." Xiao walked to the window, moonlight falling across his pale face. "A Branch House boy who risked his life to save the young lady chased after the enemy. Isn't that a believable script?"

"But—"

"No buts." Xiao cut him off. "This is part of the plan."

With that, Xiao leaped out the window.

His movements were distorted by his injuries, and he nearly fell when he landed. But he quickly steadied himself and chased in the direction where the Hidden Cloud ninja had vanished.

Tokuma rushed to the window, watching that staggering yet resolute figure disappear into the night.

"Xiao!" he shouted. "Don't chase them! You can't beat—"

The rest of his words were scattered by the night wind.

Tokuma punched the window frame. Wood splinters pierced his flesh, but he felt no pain. Xiao's words echoed in his mind.

A script.

All of this was part of the plan.

What exactly was that thirteen-year-old boy plotting?

Tokuma did not know. He only knew that what he should do now was follow Xiao's instructions—stay here and wait for the Main House people.

Then, play his own role well.

He turned around and looked at the fallen Hidden Cloud ninja in the room, along with the glaring pool of blood on the floor.

Moonlight shone through the broken window, dyeing everything a cold silver-white.

And on a distant rooftop, Xiao was gritting his teeth as he gave chase.

Every step sent tearing pain through the wound in his chest. Blood continuously seeped through the bandages, staining his dark blue clan uniform a deep purple.

But his eyes were bright.

His Byakugan swept through the darkness, firmly locking onto the figure ahead holding Hinata hostage.

Almost there.

Very soon.

A cold curve lifted at the corner of Xiao's mouth.

The first half of this hero-saves-the-beauty act was over.

For the second half, it was time to change the script.