Hero Saves the Beauty, Part Two

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

Moonlight was sliced into shattered patches by layers upon layers of tree canopies, scattering across the ground carpeted with dead leaves. The air reeked of soil and rotting vegetation, while the low growls of unknown beasts echoed in the distance, adding even more deathly gloom to the already sinister forest.

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

He moved swiftly, like a black shadow darting between the trees. Hinata was roughly carried on his shoulder, her stomach pressed painfully against him. Her tears had long since dried up, leaving only numb terror. She could sense this man's chakra—cold, sharp, carrying the bloody stench of someone who had killed many people.

"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 unobstructed. He tossed Hinata to the ground like a sack. She groaned as her back struck an exposed tree root, curling up in pain.

"Wait here." The spy glanced around, his voice hoarse. "The Hyuga Clan's eldest daughter... how much do you think your father would be willing to trade for you?"

Hinata raised her head tremblingly.

Under the moonlight, the spy's face finally became clear—it was the face of a man around thirty, with a vicious scar beneath his left eye and eyes like poison-coated blades. He pulled a signal flare from his ninja tool pouch, clearly preparing to contact his companions.

Just then—

"Let her go."

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

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

From the shadows beyond the 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 dead leaves with soft pattering sounds.

It was Xiao.

His face was terrifyingly pale beneath the moonlight. The Caged Bird Seal on his forehead faintly burned from the intense chakra depletion. Most 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 fixed tightly on the spy. There was no fear in them, only an almost insane stubbornness.

"A Branch House brat?" The spy narrowed his eyes, then scoffed. "You chased me here with injuries like that? Looking to die?"

Xiao did not answer.

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

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

"Lady Hinata." Xiao turned his gaze toward her, and his voice softened. "Don't be afraid."

Just three simple words.

Hinata's tears suddenly welled up again.

"How touching." The spy rolled his wrist, his kunai gleaming coldly under the moonlight. "Too bad I hate this kind of scene most."

He moved.

He was so fast that he nearly left an afterimage, his kunai stabbing straight at Xiao's throat—an efficient killing move, clean and without a single unnecessary motion.

Xiao's pupils contracted sharply.

He could not dodge.

In his current condition, there was no way he could evade this strike. The edge of the kunai rapidly enlarged in his vision as the aura of death crashed into him, so cold that his blood nearly froze.

At that very instant—

[Host detected to be near death. Emergency protocol activated.]

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

[Effect: Causes the target to fall into a 0.5-second daze.]

[Notice: Single-use consumable. Disappears after use.]

The system's voice exploded in his mind.

Almost instinctively, Xiao mobilized the last trace of chakra he had left—not toward his eyes, not toward his limbs, but in a way he had never attempted before. It circulated along a strange trajectory before bursting forth from his eyes.

There were no hand signs, no warning.

The spy's movement suddenly froze.

For a brief instant, his eyes lost focus, as though he had suddenly forgotten what he was about to do. The hand gripping the kunai stopped in midair, and his entire body seemed to have been put on pause.

0.5 seconds.

It was brief—so brief that an ordinary person would not even notice time passing.

But for Xiao, it was enough.

He did not choose to attack, nor did he choose to flee—he used all his strength to throw himself toward Hinata.

"Splat!"

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 deep into the shoulder of that Branch House brat—not his throat, but his shoulder. And that brat was using his body to shield the Hyuga Clan's eldest daughter, his back facing the spy and every vital point exposed.

"You..." The spy froze.

He had seen people unafraid of death, but never someone so eager to throw his life away.

Xiao trembled all over from the pain.

The kunai had stabbed in through his back and pierced his shoulder blade, its tip nearly protruding from his chest. The agonizing pain crashed through his nerves like a tide, darkening his vision in waves as a metallic sweetness rose in his mouth.

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 her face. Her eyes widened as she stared at the face so close to hers—deathly pale and drenched in cold sweat, yet those eyes were frighteningly bright.

"Xiao... Xiao..." She reached out tremblingly, 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. "Lady Hinata... don't look at my back... it doesn't look good..."

The spy finally reacted and yanked out the kunai.

Blood sprayed.

Xiao groaned, his body swaying as he nearly collapsed, but he still forced himself to stay upright rather than fall on Hinata.

"What a loyal dog." The spy flung the blood from his kunai, his gaze icy. "Then I'll kill you first, and take the eldest daughter away afterward—"

Before he could finish—

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

Three shuriken sealed off the spy's retreat in a triangular formation. Immediately afterward, a white figure dove down from the canopy, the palm wind of the Gentle Fist sharp enough to tear through the air.

Tokuma Hyuga had arrived.

And not just him—behind him were four or five Hyuga Branch House shinobi, all with their Byakugan activated. The identical Caged Bird Seals on their foreheads were especially glaring beneath the moonlight.

"Protect Lady Hinata!" Tokuma roared.

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

The Branch House shinobi worked in perfect coordination. Two blocked his path while three surrounded and attacked. Their Gentle Fist strikes formed a great net, locking down every route of escape. He tried to break through with Lightning Release, but before he could finish forming hand signs, Tokuma's palm had already struck his chest.

"Pfft!"

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

"Take him alive!" Tokuma shouted.

But it was already too late.

A vicious glint flashed through the spy's eyes as he bit down and crushed the poison capsule hidden behind his molars. Black blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. He stared hard at Tokuma, then glanced at Hinata beneath Xiao's protection and bared a savage grin.

"Hyuga... heh..."

He fell, never to move again.

The forest suddenly fell silent.

Only the wind remained, along with Xiao's ragged breathing.

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

"Check... Lady Hinata first..." Xiao said with difficulty.

"I'm fine!" Hinata finally burst into tears. She fumbled desperately to press down on the wound in Xiao's back, but the blood would not stop. Warm liquid kept flowing through her fingers. "Xiao... Xiao, don't die... please..."

Her tears fell onto Xiao's face in large drops.

Xiao looked at her and suddenly smiled.

He raised his still-functional right hand and gently wiped away the tears on her face. The movement was clumsy, but tender.

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

"No!" Hinata grabbed his hand and held it tightly, as if he would disappear the instant she let go. "I want you to live... Xiao... you promised to protect me... you can't break your word..."

Xiao's eyes had already begun to lose focus.

The cold brought by excessive blood loss swept through his entire 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 acquired: Hinata's Obsession (While this status is active, Hinata will trust the host unconditionally and develop a strong dependence.)]

[Host injuries detected to be too severe. Emergency repair program activated.]

[200 Destiny Points consumed. Fatal injuries repaired.]

[Remaining Destiny Points: 300]

The system notifications rang in his mind.

Then, a warm current surged from his heart and quickly spread through every limb and bone. The wound on his shoulder began to itch—the feeling of flesh and blood rapidly healing. Though he was still weak, 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 he must be sent back to Konoha Hospital immediately. You lot, handle the scene and bring the corpse back. I'll take Lady Hinata and Xiao back."

"Yes!"

The Branch House shinobi immediately began moving.

Tokuma carefully carried Xiao on his back, while Hinata followed close beside him without leaving his side for even a step. Her eyes were red and swollen, and Xiao's blood still stained her face. 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 hem of her clothes so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

Moonlight shone on the clearing, on the pool of blood that had not yet dried.

In the distance, the lights of Leaf Village began to come on, and the sounds of the security forces rushing over could faintly be heard.

But Hinata could hear none of it.

She only remembered Xiao's eyes when he had thrown himself toward her. She remembered the warmth of his fingers when he wiped away her tears. She remembered the reassuring tone in his voice when he told her not to 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 that timid eldest daughter 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 Hyuga Hiashi's plan and rescued Hinata.]

[Calculating rewards...]

[Byakugan purity increased to 12%.]

[Caged Bird Seal removal progress: 15%.]

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

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

The moonlight gradually faded.

The darkness before dawn was the deepest.