The night in the Forest of Death had never belonged to tranquility.
Moonlight was sliced into fragmented specks by layers of tree canopies, scattering across the ground piled with decaying leaves. Insects chirped in the distance, while nearby there was only the rustling of wind through the leaves—the disguise of fabric brushing against branches as ninjas deliberately softened their footsteps.
Kurenai Yuhi crouched on a thick branch twenty meters above the ground, her deep purple hair tied into a neat ponytail. The black ANBU bodysuit outlined her increasingly mature figure. She held her breath, her crimson eyes faintly glowing in the darkness as her unique illusionary ocular power operated.
Three hours earlier, she had intercepted an encrypted piece of intelligence through ANBU channels.
The Hyuga Main House had issued an internal warrant for Hyuga Xiao of the Branch House on charges of "stealing the clan's secret techniques and colluding with foreign enemies." The final tracking coordinates attached to the report had disappeared in this very Forest of Death.
Hong's fingers unconsciously tightened, her nails digging into her palm.
She knew what Xiao was doing—the boy had never hidden his hatred for the Caged Bird Seal, nor had he ever truly submitted to the Main House's rule. Ever since their "chance encounter" at the training ground two years ago, she had sensed the undercurrent beneath that Hyuga Branch House boy's gentle facade.
"Senior Hong, what do you think is the meaning of a ninja's existence?"
That was the first time Xiao had approached her of his own accord, beneath the cherry blossom trees in the rear courtyard of Konoha Hospital. The boy wore his forehead protector properly, concealing that humiliating Curse Mark. His tone was so mild that it sounded like he was asking about something insignificant.
Hong had just returned