Eyes Outside the Hospital Room

The third-floor corridor of Konoha Hospital was thick with the smell of disinfectant.

Hyuga Xiao carried a basket of fruit as he walked steadily toward the nurses' station. Today, he wore the standard light-gray kimono of the Branch House, with bandages wrapped around his forehead—the shame-cloth concealing the "Caged Bird Seal," and also the standard public attire for Branch House members.

"I'm visiting an injured colleague." He set the fruit basket on the counter, his voice gentle. "During the Middle Ninja Exam training camp, Yamashiro Aoba from our team was injured."

The nurse on duty looked up at him, her gaze lingering briefly on the bandages around his forehead before she lowered her head to check the register.

"Room 307." The nurse handed him a visitor's pass. "Twenty minutes."

"Thank you."

Xiao took the card and headed deeper into the corridor. His pace was neither hurried nor slow, his gaze naturally passing over the room numbers on either side—305, 306, 307.

He stopped outside Room 307 and knocked.

Yamashiro Aoba's somewhat weak voice came from inside. "Come in."

Xiao pushed the door open. Yamashiro Aoba was the only one in the room. His left arm was bandaged and suspended against his chest, and he was leaning against the headboard reading a book on ninjutsu theory.

"Xiao?" Yamashiro Aoba looked surprised. "Why are you here?"

"I heard you were injured, so I came to visit." Xiao placed the fruit basket on the bedside table, his tone sincere. "I'm still grateful for your guidance in taijutsu during training camp."

Yamashiro Aoba smiled. "The Branch House kid has good manners. Sit."

Xiao sat in the chair beside the bed, and the two spoke about matters from the training grounds. Yamashiro Aoba was not much of a talker, but he was fairly gentle with juniors. During their conversation, Xiao's gaze occasionally drifted toward the window "by accident."

From this angle, he could see the door to the special hospital room diagonally across from them.

That door differed from the others—three pale-purple paper talismans were affixed along the edge of its frame, and the sealing formulas drawn in cinnabar glimmered faintly beneath the fluorescent lights. They were barrier talismans, and a triple-layered model at that, usually used to confine dangerous ninja or seal special chakra.

Two men in dark-gray uniforms sat on the bench outside the room.

They did not move at all, like two statues.

Root monitors.

A faint blue gleam flashed deep in Xiao's pupils, then vanished.

Byakugan: X-Ray Vision.

His sight passed through the walls, and the scene inside the hospital room came clearly into view—

Anko Mitarashi lay on the bed, her complexion so pale it was nearly translucent. On the right side of her neck, the snake-shaped cursed seal emitted an ominous dark-purple radiance. The light writhed like a living thing, and with every movement, it siphoned away a thread of chakra from Anko's body.

Three medical ninja stood beside the bed. Leading them was a middle-aged female medical ninja wearing glasses, frowning as she examined the chart in her hands.

"The rate of chakra loss has accelerated again." The female medical ninja's voice carried through the wall, laced with suppressed anxiety. "What did the Sealing Team say?"

"The barrier has been reinforced to three layers, but it can only delay it, not stop it." The younger medical ninja beside her spoke quietly. "Her body is like a leaking container. Chakra is constantly escaping through that cursed seal. At this rate..."

He did not finish the sentence.

But Xiao understood the female medical ninja's lips: three days.

At most, Anko Mitarashi's chakra would be completely exhausted in three days. Once that happened, her life force would drain away with it.

Anko seemed half-conscious on the bed. Her lips moved faintly, but no sound came out. The fingers of her right hand curled unconsciously, her fingertips tracing tiny marks across the bedsheet.

That was a signal.

Xiao's pupils narrowed slightly.

Even in her unconscious state, Anko was still using ANBU's basic coded signals to send a message—not a plea for help, but a warning.

"Dan...ger..."

"Leave..."

Who was she warning?

Xiao withdrew his gaze, his expression as calm as ever. Yamashiro Aoba was describing an ambush by Hidden Rock during a previous mission, gesturing with his injured arm when he reached the critical moment.

"So, you can never let your guard down on the battlefield." Yamashiro Aoba concluded. "Even if the opponent looks weaker than you."

"You're right, Senior." Xiao nodded in agreement while calculating rapidly in his mind.

A triple-layered barrier and two Root monitors working shifts—from the faint creases in their uniforms, he could tell that those two had been sitting there for at least four hours. They would be replaced soon.

There would be a gap of around thirty seconds during the shift change.

The medical ninja made their rounds once every two hours. The next round would be in an hour.

Anko's life countdown: seventy-two hours.

Time was tight, but there was still room to act.

"By the way, Senior," Xiao suddenly said, his tone carrying just the right amount of curiosity, "when I came in, I noticed the room diagonally across from us looked rather unusual. There are so many talismans on the door."

Yamashiro Aoba's expression immediately turned serious.

He lowered his voice. "Don't ask about that room."

"Sorry, I was being presumptuous." Xiao apologized at once, though he allowed a suitable trace of unease into his eyes. "I was just... a little worried. Setting up a barrier of that level in a hospital means whoever is inside must be very dangerous..."

"If you know it's dangerous, don't pry." Yamashiro Aoba cut him off, though his tone softened slightly. "It's a joint matter handled by ANBU and the Medical Department. Ordinary ninja like us only need to do our own jobs."

"Yes."

Xiao lowered his head, putting on the appearance of someone who had taken the lesson to heart.

But his ears caught the faint sound of footsteps in the corridor—very light, yet steady in rhythm, the gait of professionally trained ninja.

It was time for the shift change.

"It's about time. Please get some proper rest, Senior." Xiao stood and bowed politely. "I'll come visit again another day."

"Mm, go on." Yamashiro Aoba waved a hand. "Don't train too hard. You Branch House... sigh, forget it. Go."

Xiao exited the room and gently closed the door behind him.

In the corridor, the two Root monitors had already risen. Two new Root members were approaching from the stairwell. The four exchanged a few quiet words during the handover, their voices lowered so much that even Xiao's Byakugan could only catch scattered fragments.

"...cursed seal activity..."

"...Orochimaru's..."

"...surveillance level increased..."

Thirty seconds of downtime.

Xiao walked toward the nurses' station to return his visitor's pass, his pace unhurried. As he passed Anko's room, his left hand "accidentally" braced against the wall.

The instant his palm touched the wall, an extremely thin strand of chakra seeped from his fingertips, silently passing through the wall and attaching itself to the edge of a barrier talisman on the inside of the room.

It was the Hyuga Clan's secret Gentle Fist: Chakra Mark, a technique so subtle that even the Byakugan would struggle to notice it without a careful inspection. Mark duration: twenty-four hours.

Effect: real-time detection of chakra fluctuations within the barrier.

"Your visiting time is over." The nurse's voice came from behind him.

Xiao withdrew his hand and turned with a smile. "All right, I'm leaving now."

He headed for the stairwell, went downstairs, and walked out through the hospital entrance. The afternoon sunlight was somewhat glaring. Pedestrians came and went along the streets, and Konoha Village looked no different from usual.

But Xiao knew that undercurrents had already begun to stir.

He turned into an alley, confirmed that no one was around, then leaned against the wall and closed his eyes.

The system interface appeared in his mind:

[Current intervention target: Anko Mitarashi]

[Fate node intervention progress: 42%]

[Warning: Target's vital signs continue to decline. Estimated entry into failure stage in 72 hours]

[Recommended action window: Within 24 hours]

[Estimated reward for successful interception: Byakugan purity +8%, Destiny Points +500, unlock "Cursed Seal Analysis" ability]

Xiao opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing through them.

Twenty-four hours.

Within that time, he needed to formulate a complete rescue plan while ensuring that his true strength and intentions were not exposed.

The triple-layered barrier outside Anko's room was troublesome, but not impossible to crack. The essence of the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist was precise control over chakra points, while the core of every barrier technique was the construction of chakra circuits—as long as he had enough time to analyze it, finding the circuit's weak point would not be difficult.

The difficult part was the two Root monitors, as well as any additional hidden sentries in the hospital.

And Anko's cursed seal.

That thing Orochimaru had left behind was devouring its host's life force. Even if he rescued Anko, she would not live long if he could not suppress the cursed seal.

"I need an inhibitor," Xiao murmured.

He recalled the temporary inhibitor he had injected Anko with in Chapter 28. Based on the Hyuga Clan's ancient records on chakra-corrosion forbidden techniques, he had temporarily mixed it with several herbs and his own chakra. Its effect was limited, lasting only a few hours.

To make a truly effective inhibitor, he needed more specialized medicinal ingredients and equipment.

And a safe place to prepare it.

Several locations surfaced in Xiao's mind: a hidden cave deep in the Forest of Death, an abandoned outpost on the outskirts of Leaf Village, or even... the Hyuga Clan's medicinal storehouse.

The last option was extremely risky, but it also offered the greatest reward. The Hyuga Clan had been passed down for a thousand years. Among the rare medicinal ingredients and ancient texts stored within the clan, there might very well be records of cursed-seal forbidden techniques and methods to deal with them.

"I need to return to the clan grounds."

Xiao made his decision.

He straightened his collar, walked out of the alley, and merged into the flow of people on the street. The bandages around his forehead stood out beneath the sunlight, and passersby occasionally glanced his way—the distinctive look directed at Branch House members, mixed with pity, disdain, and a trace of entitlement.

Xiao accepted those gazes without expression.

Soon.

He repeated the word silently.

Once the Caged Bird Seal was completely removed, once the Tenseigan fully awakened, once he had the entire Hyuga Clan beneath his feet—

Those looks would become fear.

By evening, at the Hyuga Clan Grounds.

As usual, Xiao returned to the Branch House residential area after completing his daily training. This section lay on the western side of the clan grounds. The houses were far plainer than those of the Main House, and the streets were narrower as well.

"Xiao, you're back?" The aunt next door was hanging laundry outside her door. "How was training today?"

"Not bad." Xiao nodded politely. "Auntie, I heard the medicinal storehouse has been organizing its inventory lately and needs extra hands?"

"That's right. The Main House gave the order for the Branch House to send a few people to help take stock." The aunt lowered her voice. "They call it inventory, but it's really just manual labor. What, do you want to go?"

"Yes. I want to learn more about medicinal ingredients." Xiao showed a gentle smile. "If I get injured on a mission someday, I'll be able to treat myself."

"You really are ambitious, child." The aunt sighed. "All right, I'll put in a word with the steward for you. But Xiao, be careful around the Main House. Don't talk too much. Just do whatever they tell you."

"I understand. Thank you, Auntie."

Xiao bowed in thanks and turned to enter his small house.

The moment he shut the door, the gentle expression on his face vanished, replaced by cold calculation.

The medicinal storehouse's organizing work was usually handled by Branch House members in rotation, each assignment lasting three to five days. It was a perfect opportunity—he could enter the storehouse openly, access rare ingredients he normally would never see, and even... search through the ancient records kept there.

Of course, the risks were just as real.

The medicinal storehouse was overseen by a Main House steward, and there was also a simple barrier inside. Furthermore, he had to act under the steward's watchful eye. Any unusual movement could arouse suspicion.

"I need to create a plausible 'accident.'"

Xiao walked to his desk, spread out a sheet of white paper, and began writing out his plan.

Step one: Apply to join the medicinal storehouse inventory group. Preparation complete.

Step two: During the inventory process, "accidentally" discover records about forbidden cursed seals in an ancient text. He needed to tamper with the text in advance.

Step three: Under the guise of "curiosity," ask the steward about the uses of relevant medicinal ingredients. Establish a reasonable motive.

Step four: At the end of the inventory, "accidentally" knock over a medicinal cabinet, create confusion, and take the ingredients he needed amid the chaos. The amount had to be small and the types varied to avoid detection.

Step five: Use nighttime training hours to make the inhibitor at a hidden location in the Forest of Death.

At this point, Xiao stopped writing.

There was still one more problem: moving Anko.

Even if he made the inhibitor, he still needed to get Anko out from under the hospital's heavy surveillance. Charging in head-on would be the stupidest choice. He had to outwit them.

Xiao lightly tapped the tabletop with his fingertips.

Hospital, barrier, Root, ANBU...

In his mind, a three-dimensional map of Konoha Hospital gradually became clear. The layout of every floor, the location of every stairwell, the direction every window faced...

He had it.

A faint curve appeared at the corner of Xiao's lips.

He remembered an abandoned equipment storage room on the east side of the hospital's third floor. That storage room was directly against the outer wall, and outside its window was the hospital's back alley. More importantly—

Directly beneath the storage room was the hospital's underground pipeline maintenance passage.

It was part of an old pipeline system laid down during the early days of Leaf Village. Most of it had long been abandoned, and even hospital staff rarely remembered it existed.

But Xiao remembered.

Because three years ago, during a D-rank mission, he had followed a maintenance crew into that passage.

"Pipelines... storage room... hospital room..."

Three points connected into a line.

A hidden escape route that even Root might not know existed.

Xiao picked up his pen again and added the final steps to the plan.

Step six: Use the hospital's underground pipelines to infiltrate during the shift change, then use Gentle Fist techniques to temporarily paralyze the barrier circuits. Time window: five minutes.

Step seven: Inject the inhibitor and evacuate Anko through the pipelines to a predetermined safe house.

Step eight: Erase the evidence and create the illusion that Anko escaped on her own.

After finishing, Xiao held the plan close to the oil lamp.

The flames licked across the page, swiftly devouring it into ashes.

He pushed open the window and let the night wind disperse the burnt smell. The Main House estate in the distance was brightly lit, and he could faintly hear the bustle of a banquet—supposedly, Hiashi Hyuga was entertaining a high-ranking official from the Hokage Tower tonight.

Xiao watched those lights with cold eyes.

Enjoy yourselves, Main House elders.

By the time you realize that the bird in the cage has grown claws—

It will already be too late.

He shut the window, sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, and began refining chakra.

Beneath the bandages around his forehead, the Caged Bird Seal gave off a faint burning sensation, like a venomous snake writhing beneath his skin.

Xiao ignored the discomfort.

His consciousness sank into his body, sensing the Otsutsuki Bloodline gradually awakening within his blood. That power was still weak, but with every heartbeat, it grew stronger.

The system interface flickered in his mind:

[Byakugan purity: 41.2%]

[Caged Bird Seal Release Progress: 18.7%]

[Next Stage Unlocked: Tenseigan Chakra Mode (Prototype)]

Soon.

Xiao opened his eyes. A flash of azure starlight flickered deep within his pupils, then vanished.

Tomorrow, the medicinal herb storeroom.

The day after tomorrow, the hospital.

The seventy-two-hour countdown started now.