Chapter 6

Chapter 6 — The Mysterious Man Attacks the Village

Hyūga Hizashi, locked in combat with the mysterious masked man, realized that his proud Gentle Fist techniques vanished into nothingness, unable to inflict any real damage.

After only a dozen exchanges, shock filled him. Meanwhile, his opponent walked calmly along the courtyard wall, defending against every attack using only one hand.

Moonlight reflected coldly off the white three-eyed fox mask as the mysterious figure seemed to study him thoughtfully.

Hizashi activated his Byakugan, veins bulging at his temples, attempting to see through the enemy’s true face.

What he saw beneath the mask was not a face—but a depthless darkness that devoured his gaze, sending a chill through his body.

An indescribable sense of terror caused his focus to falter.

Seizing the opening, Uzumaki Menma clenched one fist. The punch tore through the air with a sharp howl and slammed into Hizashi’s face, knocking him off the wall.

Hizashi flipped midair and barely stabilized himself upon landing, cold sweat running down his back.

He looked up. The masked figure still stood on the wall, as if calmly judging him from behind the mask.

Whoosh—

At the critical moment, Hyūga Hiashi descended like a white falcon, launching an attack directly at the masked intruder.

Hizashi immediately joined him. The brothers combined their Gentle Fist techniques with flawless coordination.

Hiashi attacked head-on, chakra gathering in his palm.

“Eight Trigrams! Sixty-Four Palms!”

At the same time, Hizashi shifted position, forming a pincer attack.

“Eight Trigrams! Thirty-Two Palms!”

Their synchronized strikes formed a woven net of chakra, attacking from both sides.

Three figures flashed across the wall. Violent chakra collisions generated powerful gusts that forced nearby Hyūga ninja to shield their faces against the pressure.

“Mini Rasenshuriken.”

Deciding it was enough, Menma formed a black Rasengan in his right hand and struck toward a blind angle in Hizashi’s defense.

In an instant, a deadly premonition seized Hizashi.

Without hesitation, he released chakra explosively from every tenketsu.

“Eight Trigrams! Rotation!”

Boom!

The Mini Rasenshuriken crashed into the Rotation. Dark chakra violently tore through the defense, blasting Hizashi away.

Blood sprayed from his mouth as his body flew several meters before crashing to the ground.

“Hizashi!”

Hiashi’s shout had barely left his mouth when a cold voice sounded beside him.

“You’re next.”

The masked man had already appeared before him in a body-flicker.

Massive chakra gathered around both of the intruder’s hands, forming ferocious lion heads.

“What—how do you know—” Hiashi felt every hair on his body stand on end as he tried to activate Rotation.

He was too slow.

“Twin Lion Fists!”

Menma’s fists struck Hiashi squarely in the chest.

Hiashi fell from the wall like a kite with its string cut.

“Clan Head!”

Hyūga ninja rushed forward, forming a defensive circle around him.

Under the rising full moon, Uzumaki Menma stood atop the clan gate wall, white fox mask gleaming as if cold eyes surveyed the entire compound.

“Who exactly are you?” Hiashi stood again despite his injuries, blood at the corner of his mouth.

Menma, many ninja are approaching quickly, the small Nine-Tails whispered from inside his collar.

Whoosh—

Menma vanished from the wall and appeared beside the corpse of the fallen Cloud envoy.

“All gifts of fate come with a price already marked,” he said, lifting the fox mask slightly as he addressed Hiashi.

Then he glanced toward Hizashi, who lay in a crater.

“I’ll be back.”

Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—

Numerous figures arrived from all directions.

“Clan Head Hyūga! ANBU have arrived to investigate!”

A white-haired ANBU wearing a cat mask and carrying a short sword landed on a nearby pole.

Even Kakashi, hardened by countless battles, was shocked by the scene before him.

The Hyūga clan head was heavily injured. Hizashi lay in a crater, his condition uncertain. The surrounding Hyūga jōnin stood on full alert against the masked man.

“This guy carries quite a bounty,” the mysterious figure said, lifting a corpse from the ground.

Kakashi focused—and recognized the body.

The Cloud envoy.

“Impossible! Wasn’t the envoy at—” another ANBU exclaimed.

The masked man leapt onto the wall with the corpse.

“So fast,” even ANBU Captain Kakashi thought grimly.

But the intruder had no intention of continuing the fight. After several body-flickers, he disappeared into the night.

“Pursue!”

Kakashi immediately gave chase, followed by the ANBU.

The envoy’s corpse could not be allowed to leave Konoha. That would be a direct humiliation of the village—of the Third Hokage himself.

After the mysterious enemy and ANBU disappeared, Hiashi held his chest and walked toward the wounded Hizashi.

“Brother…” Hizashi gasped. Dark chakra from the Mini Rasenshuriken had torn open his back to the bone, blood pouring from the wound.

Surviving such an attack was already a miracle.

Comparable in destructive power to the S-rank Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, the Mini Rasenshuriken possessed tremendous single-target lethality.

“Don’t speak! Homon, take Hizashi to Konoha Hospital immediately!” Hiashi ordered.

“Yes!”

Hyūga Homon lifted Hizashi onto his back and rushed toward the hospital.

Looking at the devastated clan grounds, lingering fear filled Hiashi’s heart.

If that masked man had not appeared, killing the Cloud envoy might have triggered a catastrophic diplomatic incident—possibly even reigniting war between Kumogakure and Konoha.

Yet one question refused to leave his mind.

Why did that man know the Twin Lion Fists?

He could still feel the burning impact in his chest.

“Hm?”

A childish voice interrupted his thoughts.

Hiashi turned to see his daughter Hinata awake.

Despite her round, youthful face, her expression carried unexpected maturity as she observed the chaotic surroundings.

“Tch.” Little Hinata placed one hand on her hip and clicked her tongue. “Old man, you dragged me out for a midnight stroll or what?”

Hiashi nearly coughed up blood again.

Damn… the young lady’s second personality has surfaced again.

Nearby, the jōnin Hyūga Kō silently stepped back half a pace as if facing a formidable enemy.