Taking Hanabi Away

No one knew whether Laiyun was too strong or Neji Hyuga was simply not in the right state.

In the blink of an eye.

Neji Hyuga had already been completely suppressed by Laiyun, left with no choice but to take a beating and no strength to fight back.

"Neji!"

Having snapped back to her senses, Tenten shouted and instinctively threw a kunai.

At the same time.

Rock Lee charged forward at astonishing speed, trying to save Neji Hyuga, who was pinned beneath Laiyun's paw.

Crack!

With a light sound, Laiyun actually caught the kunai Tenten had thrown in his teeth.

Then.

Thud!

Rock Lee, who had just rushed over, was sent flying back by a single swipe of Laiyun's paw.

Roar!

Laiyun let out another roar, carrying the imposing aura of the king of beasts.

"Ye Fan, stop your Ninja Hound!"

Iruka hurriedly spoke up.

He knew very well that, aside from Ye Fan, probably no one could quickly stop Laiyun's actions.

"Come back!"

Ye Fan spoke calmly. His voice was not loud, yet it drifted into everyone's ears.

Hearing Ye Fan's command, Laiyun truly withdrew his aura and paced back.

Yet his fierce eyes swept around as though they were saying:

Who else?

"Neji, how are you?"

By then, Tenten and Rock Lee had already reached Neji Hyuga's side, both wearing concerned expressions.

Neji Hyuga struggled into a sitting position. Blood hung from the corner of his mouth, and he seemed to have suffered some internal injuries.

Even so, Neji Hyuga continued to glare fixedly at Ye Fan, as though he wished he could carve Ye Fan into a thousand pieces with his eyes.

At that moment, Ye Fan had lost his usual calmness. Instead, he spoke with a cold expression:

"Neji Hyuga, I don't care what conflicts exist between your Branch House and the Main House. But if you dare show murderous intent toward Hanabi again, I won't mind crippling you!"

The moment those words came out, everyone present was shocked.

Even Tenten, who had reached out to help Neji Hyuga up, was startled by Ye Fan's words.

Neji Hyuga had just intended to kill Hanabi Hyuga?

Almost instantly, everyone's gaze turned to Neji Hyuga.

As if seeking confirmation, they hoped Neji Hyuga would say something.

But the stubborn Neji Hyuga remained silent, still glaring with those bloodshot eyes at Ye Fan and Hanabi Hyuga beside him.

Strictly speaking, Neji Hyuga had never had any conflict with Ye Fan.

All his hatred stemmed from the Main House.

He hated the crow and everything associated with it.

Hinata Hyuga and Hanabi Hyuga alike had become targets of his hatred.

Ye Fan did not know much about the Hyuga Clan's internal conflicts. The little he knew had come from reading Kurenai Yuhi's memories back then.

"Senior Ye Fan..."

Hanabi Hyuga stared blankly at Ye Fan's stern face.

Seeing that Ye Fan had become so angry for her sake, it felt as though a strange seed had been planted somewhere within her heart.

Ye Fan raised his arm and gently placed his palm atop Hanabi Hyuga's hair, softly comforting her:

"Hanabi, I'll take you for a walk. Don't pay attention to that guy."

Without even thinking, Hanabi Hyuga nodded.

A brilliant smile appeared on her face as well.

"Iruka-sensei, I'll leave the rest to you."

Ye Fan pulled Hanabi Hyuga onto Laiyun's back and spoke to the headache-ridden Iruka.

Iruka's headache was not because Neji Hyuga had been injured, but because of what Ye Fan had just said.

Whether Neji Hyuga had truly harbored murderous intent toward Hanabi Hyuga was an issue that, if mishandled, could directly lead to a war between the Hyuga Main House and the Branch House.

As Ye Fan passed Neji Hyuga, he spoke again:

"If you have a problem, come at me, genius of Konoha!"

Neji Hyuga clenched his teeth tightly. His fists were so tightly balled that his nails dug into his palms.

Hanabi Hyuga held Dark Shadow, who was in low spirits, while Ye Fan protected her from behind.

The two rode atop Laiyun, racing swiftly toward the forest.

The scenery flashed past before their eyes.

Although this was not Hanabi Hyuga's first time riding on Laiyun's back, compared to back at the academy, the speed Laiyun displayed now was countless times faster.

If her eyes had not felt uncomfortable, Hanabi Hyuga truly wanted to use her Byakugan to test whether her ocular power had been affected at such speed.

The feeling was too wonderful, as though she were riding on a white cloud and flying through the sky.

At last, they reached an open and secluded place, where Laiyun stopped.

Woof!

Dark Shadow, nestled in Hanabi Hyuga's arms, barked pitifully at Ye Fan, seeming to blame himself for not performing well during the make-up exam.

"Senior Ye Fan, don't worry. Dark Shadow merely had the chakra in his body sealed off. He'll recover after some time."

Hanabi Hyuga said.

Ye Fan was not worried about Dark Shadow. Instead, seeing Hanabi Hyuga's slightly reddened eyes, he felt somewhat guilty.

Actually, if Hanabi Hyuga had not deliberately used her Byakugan, her condition would not have become this serious.

"Senior Ye Fan, may I ask you a question?"

Hanabi Hyuga had already been adorable, and with her reddened eyes, she looked as though she had cried, making her all the more pitiful.

"What is it?"

As Ye Fan spoke, he took an exquisite little porcelain bottle from his robes.

"Senior Ye Fan, how did that little ball you used first during the make-up exam disappear?"

Hanabi Hyuga asked curiously.

At the time, she had used her Byakugan to observe the battle without blinking, yet she still could not figure out the vanished little ball no matter how much she thought about it.

"It vaporized, just like water droplets evaporate."

Ye Fan smiled faintly, then pulled the stopper from the little porcelain bottle.

The instant the stopper was removed, a strange fresh fragrance drifted out, immediately catching Hanabi Hyuga's attention and making her forget what she had wanted to continue asking.

Seeing Hanabi Hyuga's curious face, Ye Fan hurriedly explained:

"Apply two drops, and it will ease the swelling pain in your eyes."

Hanabi Hyuga quickly leaned closer.

She had originally intended to inspect it carefully, but at that moment, an unbelievable sight appeared.

Two drops of crystalline liquid actually floated out of the little porcelain bottle.

As though they had escaped the pull of gravity, they hovered above the bottle.

Hanabi Hyuga instantly showed an adorably astonished expression. This was the first time she had ever seen something like this.

"Hanabi, don't be nervous. These two drops of Spirit Dew will make you feel much better."

Almost as soon as Ye Fan finished speaking, the two crystalline drops flew toward Hanabi Hyuga's eyes.

Hanabi Hyuga instinctively wanted to dodge, but the next moment, she forcibly stopped herself.

For some reason, she had an indescribable trust in Ye Fan.

The Spirit Dew touched her pupils, and Hanabi Hyuga instantly felt a cool sensation that immediately dispelled the burning swelling pain.

Not only that.

There was also an indescribable feeling.

It seemed that her vision was slowly becoming clearer.