Concealment

At those words, Nai Hyuga felt a wave of relief.

She knew Yui was real, not someone he had made up.

That news gave her a little more hope of surviving.

If only I could live.

But Hyuga Feng's next words angered her.

Was he going to treat Yui as a tool? Absolutely not.

"You can't treat Yui like that. You can't."

She shouted toward Hyuga Feng.

Hearing her, Hyuga Feng scoffed.

"Hah, you're practically dead already, and you still care about other people?"

Yes, she was practically dead already.

"Hmph, so what if I'm dead?" Nai Hyuga said scornfully.

Nai Hyuga's stubborn defiance got under Hyuga Feng's skin.

"Fine. Just fine," Hyuga Feng said angrily. "I've decided. I don't want you dead anymore."

"Sano, put her in the white water. I'll turn her into nutrients for it and make her watch her own body dissolve!"

"She'll wish she were dead in there..."

Hyuga Feng seemed genuinely furious, his eyes wide as he shouted at Sano.

The white water was the nutrient solution inside the Byakugan crystal sphere. Originally, the liquid inside had been a solution of inorganic salts, but with countless Byakugan stored in it, its nutritional requirements had grown increasingly demanding.

So Hyuga Feng had found a special liquid that could convert anything into nutrients to nourish the Byakugan.

Hearing this, Sano was startled by Hyuga Feng's demand.

"Clan head, we can't..." Sano tried to reason with him. "It might upset the balance. Then all these Byakugan would..."

"Hmm?" Hyuga Feng looked impatient at Sano's refusal.

"What, you won't even obey my orders now?"

At those words, Sano shuddered.

"As you command, clan head."

With that, Sano dragged Nai Hyuga off the operating table.

He headed toward the crystal sphere.

"Don't touch me..."

Nai Hyuga startled Sano.

"Damn it..." He had already been nursing his anger.

Now, seeing the woman's reaction, he stopped being gentle.

He dragged her over and threw her straight into the crystal sphere.

"Ugh..." The moment she entered the water, Nai Hyuga felt waves of itching spread throughout her body.

The itching made her uncomfortable.

There was nothing she could do but endure it.

In the shadows, unnoticed by Hyuga Feng and the others, a black-clad figure vanished.

Creak-

She pushed open the door.

Yui arrived at the Hyuga Training Ground.

But Nai Hyuga was nowhere to be seen.

It was as though she had vanished into thin air.

Yui had already checked every place Nai Hyuga might have been, but had found no trace of her.

This was the last place within the Hyuga Clan grounds where she could have turned up.

A possibility occurred to her. Could Nai have left the village on a mission with a ninja squad?

That seemed possible, but she would have to ask the Hokage.

The Lord Third... Hiruzen Sarutobi.

She hesitated, wondering whether she should go and meet him.

After thinking it over, she made her decision.

It was time she met this Professor of Ninjutsu.

Still, the Hokage was busy, and she did not know whether she would be able to see him.

Right now, the little lab mouse was sleeping, and her original body was trapped inside the seal.

Whatever came next would have to depend on her, a Shadow Clone.

Oh well. Back to the laboratory first!

The next day.

Early that morning, Yui was on her way to the Hokage's office.

Inside the Hokage's office.

With his Hokage hat on, Hiruzen Sarutobi had arrived early that morning.

Ever since becoming Hokage, he had gone to bed late and risen early, usually sleeping only three hours a day.

Still, even those three hours were enough to leave him full of energy.

Whoosh, whoosh-

"Lord Hokage..."

A black-clad ANBU appeared in the office.

"Oh? You already have results?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi was a little surprised. Had the assignment he had given him just last night been completed in less than a day?

The black-clad ANBU nodded, then bowed.

"Lord Hokage, while following the Hyuga clan head, I discovered..."

As he listened to the ANBU's report, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression grew increasingly grim.

He had never imagined such dark deeds were taking place in Konoha right under his nose.

Fusing Byakugan, increasing their power, and human experimentation.

After a moment's consideration, he told the black-clad ANBU, "Yes, I understand. Keep watching the Hyuga Clan's movements and gather more evidence."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was already displeased with Hyuga Feng's actions.

"It's just a pity about that little girl, Nai Hyuga." He had observed her before. Nai Hyuga truly was an exceptional genius.

What puzzled him, though, was that Yui Hyuga had apparently not been used as a test subject. Where had she gone, then?

He slowly shook his head.

He could use his authority as Hokage to eliminate that cancer.

But the man was still the head of the Hyuga Clan. Acting too quickly would only provoke the clan's resentment. At the very least, he had to wait until the clan's next heir had grown up.

Knock, knock, knock...

A knock at the door pulled Hiruzen Sarutobi from his thoughts.

He looked up at the time.

"Who would come at this hour?" he murmured.

Then he waved a hand at the ANBU.

Seeing the Lord Third's gesture, the black-clad ANBU nodded.

Whoosh-

With a rush of air, the black-clad ANBU vanished from the Hokage's office.

Standing at the door, Yui was puzzled.

She had been knocking for so long. Why was there still no response?

Was the Hokage not in his office yet?

Right, it's only six. I'll wait outside for a bit!

Inside the office.

When the knocking stopped, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a little puzzled. He took a crystal ball out from under his desk.

Feeding chakra into it, Hiruzen Sarutobi saw the pale-skinned girl standing outside his door.

"Yui Hyuga?" Hiruzen Sarutobi was surprised. Why had she come here?

He had just been wondering where Hyuga Feng had taken her!

After considering it for a moment, he decided to invite her in.

"Come in!"

Yui, waiting outside the door, jumped.

Where had that voice come from?

She looked up and around, but could not find the source of the voice.

Watching her, Hiruzen Sarutobi was a little speechless.

Couldn't it have come from inside the room?

"Come in! I'm inside!"

Only after hearing the voice again was Yui certain.

Feeling apprehensive, she pushed open the office door.

As she entered, the first person Yui saw was Hiruzen Sarutobi, seated at his desk.

This was her first time meeting Hiruzen Sarutobi.

He was still quite young, around thirty or forty, rather than the elderly man Yui had seen in the anime in her previous life.

"Lord Lord Third."

Upon seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi, Yui greeted him first.

"Oh, Yui... What brings you here today?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with a kindly smile.

Yui was a little surprised. How did he know her name?

But after thinking about it, she understood. He was the headmaster of the Ninja Academy, after all.

Learning about a student would hardly be difficult.

"Lord Hokage, I did come here to ask you something today." Yui paused for a moment, then said, "I'd like to know whether Nai Hyuga has left the village on a mission with a ninja squad."

"I haven't seen her in days."

Yui did not beat around the bush about Nai Hyuga. She asked him directly.

Hearing her question, Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent for a moment.

How was he supposed to answer?

It seemed this little girl still didn't know what had happened to Nai Hyuga.

Should he tell her everything that had happened to Nai Hyuga?

He shook his head. No.

He thought it over, then decided to conceal the matter.

At least until the operation began, he could not let anyone else find out.

Especially Yui.

This little girl shared a very special bond with Nai Hyuga!

If she found out, she would definitely go straight to Hyuga Feng.

He could only find an excuse to put her off.

Then it occurred to him that the person before him had already supplied that excuse.

A mission? That was a good excuse, too.