The ninja from Kumogakure had been dawdling outside for ages. Chinatsu understood why he was dragging his feet, but...
Understanding did not mean forgiving!
Just as the hot-tempered Chinatsu was about to lose patience, scrap her heroic rescue scene, and switch to justice from above, the Kumogakure ninja finally made his move!
Tiny steps... glances left and right... over the wall!
Chinatsu inwardly shouted, Nice! Then she began preparing for her upcoming damsel-in-distress rescue.
Come to think of it, Chinatsu had serious doubts about the Hyuga Clan's security. Hinata was the eldest daughter of the main family, yet a single ninja could just carry her out of her own home.
Before long, the Kumogakure ninja repeated his performance, leaving the Hyuga estate exactly the way he had entered. The only difference was the extra "something" in his arms.
Little Hinata Hyuga, all soft and adorable~
"Hehe~ So this is all the security the Hyuga Clan has? That was way too easy. If there's time, why not grab a few more Byakugan to take home? Oh, right, I heard there are two Sharingan left, too. Might as well pick up one of those while I'm at it."
Greed!
Although Konoha was no longer at its peak, both the Byakugan and the Sharingan were among the very best kekkei genkai in the world of Naruto. The kekkei genkai possessed by other villages simply could not compare.
Just as the Kumogakure ninja thought this and prepared to turn away, he finally noticed another figure in his field of vision.
The figure wore a fox mask and leaned against the wall of the Hyuga estate, arms folded and head slightly lowered, radiating an overwhelming aura of "Look! This person is showing off!"
"You... who are you?!"
The Kumogakure ninja stopped and furrowed his brows. As he spoke, he instinctively shifted Hinata behind him.
He was only fooling himself. The Kumogakure ninja already intended to kill. His goal was to steal a kekkei genkai anyway; as long as he brought it home, being exposed would not matter.
He held Hinata in one hand while faint sparks of lightning flickered around the other.
This was a well-known enhancement ninjutsu from Kumogakure, which strengthened the body by concentrating lightning release chakra within it.
[Lightning Release: Lightning Tile]!
The Kumogakure ninja pushed off the ground, darting forward like a flash of lightning. He raised his hand, turning it into something like a sharp blade as he charged at Chinatsu.
Fast! Incredibly fast!
But... before the Sharingan, the Kumogakure ninja's movements slowed to a crawl. Chinatsu merely made a small hop to the right, effortlessly dodging his knife-hand strike.
The startled Kumogakure ninja was about to turn and attack again when his eyes wavered and he froze.
Crackling lightning sprang from Chinatsu's palm. Although many ninjutsu had similar effects, the Kumogakure ninja recognized it at first glance. She was using the exact same technique as him. This was unmistakably Kumogakure's Lightning Release!
"How is that possible?!"
It all happened in an instant, leaving the Kumogakure ninja no time to consider the Sharingan. All he saw was a flash of lightning before the hand holding Hinata was severed and sent flying.
At the same time, Chinatsu reached out and caught Hinata. The entire sequence was smooth and stylish. In other words...
Everything went exactly as I calculated!
The Kumogakure ninja's eyes widened. He clenched his teeth, and blood came not only from his severed arm but also from his mouth, where he had bitten down too hard.
He could not help it. It really hurt that much.
But screaming in pain would be no different from asking to die. As a ninja qualified to carry out a mission like this, he at least possessed that level of "professional discipline."
He? She? How on earth did she do that?
He stared at Chinatsu with trembling eyes, utterly tense. Chinatsu, however, was having an entirely different experience.
Wow! Little Hinata! So cute!
Chinatsu could not resist rubbing her cheek against Hinata's. Little Hinata was so soft and adorable, and this "torment" from Chinatsu brought a shy blush to her face.
Hinata: She... she... what is she doing...?
If a man had done this, even an exceptionally handsome one, he would have been labeled a "pervert."
But if a woman did it, especially a very beautiful woman, that was a completely different story.
The social acceptance of "perversion" and "yuri" was on entirely different levels, okay!!!
After sizing Chinatsu up for a while, the one-armed Kumogakure ninja... chose to turn tail and run.
Kumogakure ninja: As long as I live, I can always try again!
With that thought, the Kumogakure ninja decisively fled. Seeing this, Chinatsu had no desire whatsoever to chase him. Instead, she quietly murmured numbers, counting down.
"It's... about time~"
The Kumogakure ninja had barely taken a few steps when a man emerged around the corner.
Hinata Hyuga's father... Hyuga Hiashi!
"Hmm? You're... wait. Someone from the Anbu... Hinata?"
Hyuga Hiashi's mind raced, and he quickly understood what had happened. At the same time, anger surged within him.
You dared lay a hand on my daughter?!
Hyuga Hiashi's eyes flared, and the Byakugan, the symbol of the Hyuga Clan's kekkei genkai, opened wide.
The Byakugan ranked alongside the Sharingan as one of the most prestigious kekkei genkai, possessing the ability to see through everything. A pure Byakugan offered a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree field of vision without blind spots, along with penetrating sight that could perceive the body's chakra network.
Furious, Hyuga Hiashi raised a palm, intending to strike the Kumogakure ninja dead on the spot as though swatting a filthy fly.
At that very instant, a flash of lightning streaked across Hyuga Hiashi's vision. His palm collided with Chinatsu's, which had been strengthened with lightning release chakra, while the Kumogakure ninja landed on his backside with a thud, his teeth chattering wildly in terror. That was only natural, considering Hyuga Hiashi had killed him on the spot in the original story.
"Anbu... what do you think you're doing?"
Hyuga Hiashi frowned slightly, displeased with Chinatsu's actions. Chinatsu simply withdrew her hand and replied calmly, "Calm down. If you kill him, have you thought about how you'll deal with the aftermath?"
"Well..."
At Chinatsu's words, Hyuga Hiashi instantly calmed down. He really had not thought that far ahead. Now that he considered it properly, killing this man would indeed have turned a favorable situation against them.
Kakashi, who happened to arrive just then, witnessed the scene. Beneath his cat mask, his expression turned surprised.
Kakashi: What levelheaded judgment. Even I might not have reacted in time under those circumstances.
Chinatsu: Easy now~ Easy now~ I'm just standing on the shoulders of a giant-the original story~
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