Hero Saves the Damsel in Distress · Part 2

The night in the Forest of Death was colder than anywhere else in the Leaf Village.

Moonlight was sliced into fragmented patches by layers upon layers of canopy, scattering across the ground carpeted with fallen leaves. The air was thick with the rank stench of soil and rotting vegetation. The low growls of unknown beasts drifted from afar, adding even more deathly stillness to this already eerie forest.

The Hidden Cloud spy raced through the woods with Hinata slung over his shoulder.

He moved swiftly, like a black shadow weaving through the trees. Hinata was roughly carried over his shoulder, her stomach pressed painfully against him. Her tears had long since dried up, leaving behind only numb terror. She could feel this man's chakra—cold, sharp, carrying the bloody scent only someone who had killed many people possessed.

"Let... let me go..." she struggled weakly.

The spy sneered and suddenly stopped.

This was a relatively open clearing in the woods, where the moonlight could finally shine down in full. He tossed Hinata onto the ground like a sack. She let out a muffled groan as her back struck an exposed tree root, curling up in pain.

"Let's wait here," the spy said hoarsely as he looked around. "Young lady of the Hyuga Clan, how much do you think your father would be willing to pay in exchange for you?"

Hinata raised her head tremblingly.

Under the moonlight, the spy's face finally came into view—a man around thirty, with a vicious scar beneath his left eye and a gaze like poisoned blades. He was pulling out a signal flare from his ninja tool pouch, clearly intending to contact his companions.

Just then—

"Let her go."

The voice came from deep within the forest. It was not loud, yet it clearly pierced the silence of the night.

The spy spun around, a kunai instantly appearing in his hand.

From the shadows untouched by moonlight, a figure slowly emerged. He walked very slowly, each step somewhat unsteady. His right hand clutched his left shoulder, dark red liquid continuously seeping through his fingers and dripping onto the fallen leaves with soft pattering sounds.

It was Xiao.

His face was frighteningly pale beneath the moonlight. The Caged Bird Seal on his forehead faintly burned from the violent depletion of chakra. More than half of his white Branch House attire had been soaked in blood, and the wound on his left shoulder was still bleeding. Yet he stood straight, his pale eyes locked onto the spy. There was no fear in them, only an almost crazed obstinacy.

"A Branch House brat?" The spy narrowed his eyes, then snorted. "You're injured like that and still dared to chase after me? Are you looking to die?"

Xiao did not answer.

His breathing was heavy. Every breath pulled at the wound in his shoulder, making his vision go dark from pain. But he could not fall—not yet.

Hinata stared blankly at him, her lips trembling as she tried to say something, but no sound came out.

"Young lady," Xiao said, turning his gaze toward her, his voice softening slightly. "Don't be afraid."

Just three simple words.

Hinata's tears suddenly began flowing again.

"How touching." The spy rolled his wrist, and the kunai gleamed coldly in the moonlight. "Unfortunately, I hate this sort of scene the most."

He moved.

He was so fast he almost left an afterimage, the kunai stabbing straight toward Xiao's throat—an assassination technique, clean and decisive, without a single unnecessary movement.

Xiao's pupils shrank sharply.

He could not dodge.

In his current state, there was no way he could evade this strike. The kunai's edge rapidly filled his vision as the scent of death rushed toward him, so cold it nearly froze the blood throughout his body.

At that instant—

[Host detected in critical condition. Emergency protocol activated]

[Temporary reward issued: Kurenai Yuhi's Genjutsu Experience Card (Incomplete)]

[Effect: Causes the target to enter a dazed state for 0.5 seconds]

[Notice: One-time consumable. Disappears after use]

The system's voice exploded in his mind.

Xiao almost instinctively mobilized his last trace of chakra—not toward his eyes, not toward his limbs, but through a strange path he had never attempted before. It circulated along some peculiar trajectory before bursting forth from his eyes.

There were no hand seals, no warning.

The spy's movements suddenly froze.

For a moment, his eyes went unfocused, as if he had suddenly forgotten what he was doing. The hand holding the kunai stopped in midair, and his entire body seemed to have had its pause button pressed.

0.5 seconds.

It was brief, so brief that an ordinary person would not even notice its passing.

But for Xiao, it was enough.

He did not choose to attack, nor did he choose to flee—instead, he threw himself toward Hinata with every ounce of strength he had.

Squelch!

The sound of a kunai piercing flesh was especially clear in the silent forest.

When the spy came back to his senses, he found that the kunai in his hand had already plunged deeply into that Branch House brat's shoulder—not his throat, but his shoulder. And the brat was using his body to shield the young lady of the Hyuga Clan, his back facing the spy and every vital point exposed.

"You..." The spy froze.

He had seen people who were not afraid of death, but he had never seen someone so eager to die.

Xiao's entire body trembled from the pain.

The kunai had entered from his back and pierced through his shoulder blade, its tip nearly emerging from his chest. Agonizing pain crashed against his nerves like waves. His vision repeatedly darkened, and a sweet metallic taste rose in his throat.

But he did not fall.

He braced himself against the ground with his still-functional right hand, completely shielding Hinata beneath him. Warm blood dripped onto Hinata's face. She widened her eyes and looked at the face right before her—deathly pale and covered in cold sweat, yet those eyes shone with frightening brightness.

"Xiao... Xiao..." She tremblingly reached out, wanting to touch his face but not daring to.

"I'm fine." Xiao forced out an ugly smile, his voice so hoarse it was nearly inaudible. "Young lady... don't look at my back... it doesn't look good..."

The spy finally snapped out of it and yanked out the kunai.

Blood sprayed.

Xiao let out a muffled groan. His body swayed, and he nearly collapsed, but he still stubbornly kept himself from falling onto Hinata.

"What a loyal dog." The spy flicked the blood off his kunai, his gaze cold. "Then I'll kill you first before taking the young lady away—"

Before he could finish—

The sound of something cutting through the air came from the side.

Three shuriken formed a triangle, sealing off the spy's retreat. Immediately afterward, a white figure dove down from the treetops, the palm wind of the Gentle Fist sharp enough to tear through the air.

Tokuma Hyuga had arrived.

And he was not alone—behind him were four or five Hyuga Branch House shinobi, all with their Byakugan activated. The identical Caged Bird Seals on their foreheads stood out painfully beneath the moonlight.

"Protect the young lady!" Tokuma roared.

The spy's expression changed, and he immediately retreated, but it was already too late.

The Branch House shinobi coordinated flawlessly. Two blocked his path while three attacked from all sides. Their Gentle Fist techniques formed a great net, locking down every possible escape route. He tried to break through with Lightning Release, but before he could even finish forming hand seals, Tokuma's palm struck his chest.

Pfft!

His chakra points were sealed. The spy spat out blood and staggered backward.

"Take him alive!" Tokuma shouted.

But it was too late.

A vicious glint flashed in the spy's eyes. He suddenly bit down on the poison capsule hidden in his back molar. Black blood seeped from the corners of his mouth. He stared at Tokuma, then at Hinata beneath Xiao's protection, and pulled his lips into a savage grin.

"Hyuga... heh..."

He collapsed, never making another sound.

The forest suddenly fell silent.

There was only the wind, and Xiao's ragged breathing.

Tokuma hurried to Xiao's side and crouched down to inspect his injuries. His face immediately darkened. "He's badly hurt. The kunai pierced his lung. He needs treatment immediately."

"Check... the young lady first..." Xiao said with difficulty.

"I'm fine!" Hinata finally burst into tears. She frantically tried to press down on the wound in Xiao's back, but the blood simply would not stop, warm liquid continually pouring through her fingers. "Xiao... Xiao, don't die... please..."

Her tears fell heavily onto Xiao's face.

Xiao looked at her and suddenly smiled.

He lifted his still-moving right hand and very gently wiped the tears from her face, his movements clumsy yet tender.

"Young lady... don't cry..." His voice grew weaker and weaker. "As long as you're safe... that's enough..."

"I don't want that!" Hinata grabbed his hand and held it tightly, as if he would disappear the moment she let go. "I want you to live... Xiao... You promised to protect me... You can't go back on your word..."

Xiao's eyes had already begun to lose focus.

The cold brought on by excessive blood loss swept through his body. He could feel his life force rapidly draining away. Yet strangely, he was not afraid.

[Mission complete: Successfully rescued Hinata Hyuga]

[Destiny Points +500]

[Hinata's trust increased to 65%]

[Special status obtained: Hinata's Obsession (Under this status, Hinata will unconditionally trust the host and develop intense dependence)]

[Host's injuries detected as too severe. Emergency repair procedure initiated]

[200 Destiny Points consumed. Fatal injuries repaired]

[Remaining Destiny Points: 300]

The system notifications rang in his mind.

Immediately afterward, a warm current surged out from his heart and rapidly spread through all four limbs and every bone in his body. The wound on his shoulder began to itch—the sensation of flesh rapidly healing. He was still weak, but at least his life had been saved.

Xiao let out a breath of relief and finally allowed himself to lose consciousness.

"Xiao!" Hinata's scream was heart-wrenching.

Tokuma checked Xiao's breathing and sighed in relief. "He's alive, but we must return to Konoha Hospital immediately. You lot, deal with the scene and bring the body back. I'll take the young lady and Xiao back."

"Yes!"

The Branch House shinobi swiftly got to work.

Tokuma carefully carried Xiao onto his back. Hinata followed closely beside him, never leaving his side. Her eyes were swollen and red, her face still stained with Xiao's blood, and her white Main House attire was a complete mess, but she did not care about any of it.

She only stared fixedly at Xiao's pale profile, her fingers clutching the corner of her clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Moonlight shone over the forest clearing, over the pool of blood that had yet to dry.

In the distance, the lights of the Leaf Village began to appear, and the sounds of approaching security forces could faintly be heard.

But Hinata could hear none of it.

She only remembered Xiao's eyes when he threw himself over her. She remembered the warmth of his fingers when he wiped away her tears. She remembered the reassuring tone in which he had said, "Don't be afraid."

Something had completely changed that night.

Tokuma raced through the forest with Xiao on his back. Catching sight of Hinata's expression from the corner of his eye, his heart gave a slight jolt.

She was no longer the timid young lady who always kept her head lowered.

Something was burning in those pale eyes—anger, determination, and a nearly obsessive persistence he had never seen in the eyes of anyone from the Main House.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at the unconscious Xiao on his back.

That Branch House brat...

What exactly was he plotting?

And at that moment, deep within Xiao's consciousness.

The system's voice sounded once more:

[Phase mission complete: Disrupted Hiashi Hyuga's plan and rescued Hinata]

[Calculating rewards...]

[Byakugan purity increased to 12%]

[Caged Bird Seal removal progress: 15%]

[Special item obtained: Kurenai Yuhi's Genjutsu Insights (Fragment)]

[Notice: When Caged Bird Seal removal progress reaches 30%, the Tenseigan's basic abilities will be unlocked]

The moonlight gradually faded.

The darkness before dawn was always the deepest.