Over the heartland of the Land of Fire, the last hint of night wrestled with the gradually spreading dawn. A white form streaked across the sky, speeding toward Konoha.
If anyone had looked closely, they would have realized it wasn't a migratory bird, but a person.
Hyuga Kawa had a pair of wings, glowing with a soft white light, trailing two long white lines behind him. The weapons on the upper and lower sides of the wings were compressed into a shuttle shape by the wind pressure.
His hands tightly gripped the arms of Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kakashi Hatake.
Every beat of the wings generated a strong current of air, propelling them forward at high speed.
The chill before dawn was the most biting. The high-altitude air currents felt like knives scraping against the skin. Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was slightly pale, his brow furrowed with unconcealed exhaustion.
Clearly, the previous battle with the 'Mōryō' and the subsequent rush had significantly depleted his energy, and his injuries were not fully healed.
"The threat of the 'Hollows' is getting more serious," Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed, looking down at the Land of Fire below. Though it should have been bustling with light, it was now shrouded in darkness. He clearly sensed the pervasive fear gripping everyone.
"When we get back, everything will be fine," Hyuga Kawa comforted him.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head noncommittally. Kakashi Hatake, meanwhile, stared intently at the gradually sharpening horizon ahead.
The three traveled in silence, pervaded by a sense of foreboding, like the calm before a storm. They rushed back to the village without stopping, all preoccupied by an uneasy premonition.
"I see it!" Hyuga Kawa suddenly broke the silence, his voice carrying a hint of relief. "That's Konoha!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kakashi Hatake's spirits lifted, and they immediately focused their gaze forward.
In the distance, the familiar outline of Konoha finally appeared in the faint light of the morning. The massive Hokage Rock carvings stood silently like guardian deities.
However, when they finally saw the state of the village, the slight joy of arrival on their faces instantly froze, replaced by unbelievable horror!
Konoha was not the quiet village they expected!
Dense columns of smoke were rising from multiple locations, and fires flickered and danced in several areas, casting an ominous dark-red glow upon the sky!
From afar, they could even faintly hear explosions and the noise of chaos!
"What is that?!" Kakashi Hatake cried out in shock, his gaze fixed on the sky above the Hyūga Clan compound in the southeast direction of the village!
There, instead of the fiery glow of explosions, stood an enormous golden pillar of light, reaching between heaven and earth.
"Damn it!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's face turned incredibly grim, his heart sinking.
His worst fear seemed to have materialized. The village was not only under attack, but the scale of the assault was far beyond imagination!
The aura emanating from that golden pillar of light caused even him a wave of inexplicable dread!
Hyuga Kawa's flying speed was extremely fast, and the three quickly approached Konoha. As they closed the distance, they saw things more clearly.
The golden pillar of light and the chaotic, smoking areas of fire across the village were clearly two different incidents.
The fires were scattered throughout the village, and countless figures wearing strange flying ninja tools were circling over Konoha. They were clearly the ones launching the massive attack on the village.
The unsettling golden pillar of light, however, was precisely enveloping the Hyūga Clan compound.
"How is this possible? Konoha is..." Hyuga Kawa's voice deepened, filled with anger and shock. "And that, that's the direction of the Hyūga Clan?"
"Kawa! Land immediately!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't hesitate, decisively ordering in an unquestionable tone, "Put Kakashi and me down. Leave this area to us!"
"You must rush to the Hyūga Clan compound as fast as possible, find out what is happening there, and you are permitted to use any means necessary to handle it!"
"But, Lord Third, your injuries..."
Hyuga Kawa looked at Sarutobi's still-pale face, his tone hesitant.
"That's an order!" Hiruzen Sarutobi interrupted him.
Judging by sight alone, those explosions were caused by people using strange ninja tools, and from their chakra signatures, they weren't difficult opponents.
The pillar of light emanating from the Hyūga Clan posed a greater and unknown threat. It was most suitable to leave it to Hyuga Kawa.
Hyuga Kawa saw the unquestionable resolve in Sarutobi's eyes, glanced at the bizarre golden pillar in the distance, and grit his teeth. "I understand!"
"Kakashi-senpai, please be sure to protect Lord Third. I will return to assist as soon as possible!"
[Ding! Your lie was judged as [Talking Nonsense], and Kakashi Hatake and Hiruzen Sarutobi experienced an emotional fluctuation, reaching the level of [Profound Belief]. You gain 700 Truth Points...]
Before he finished speaking, Hyuga Kawa sharply decreased his altitude. Over the forest bordering Konoha, he released Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kakashi Hatake.
"Be careful!" Kakashi said solemnly to Kawa, who was about to ascend again, the moment he landed.
Hyuga Kawa nodded, then fiercely flapped the wings on his back.
Swish!
He transformed into a white streak of light, instantly tearing through the air. Ignoring the chaos below, he shot toward the Hyūga Clan with greater speed than before!
Hiruzen Sarutobi and Kakashi Hatake watched Kawa's receding form, their expressions extremely grave.
"Kakashi, let's go!"
Sarutobi took a deep breath, suppressing the throbbing pain of his injuries. His eyes regained their sharp composure, and he immediately charged toward the nearest sounds of fire and explosions.
Kakashi Hatake followed closely. Their figures quickly disappeared into the swirling smoke and chaotic forest.
In the underground secret room of Hyūga Hiashi's residence, within the Hyūga compound.
A heavy, bloody stench still permeated the air, mixed with an indescribable sensation of searing heat.
Hyūga Aoi stood frozen, her pupils trembling with shock, staring intently at Kado Hyūga's altered corpse in front of her.
Kado's body was now completely enveloped in a golden flame. Kado's soul let out a piercing shriek within the fire, twisting and struggling frantically, before quickly dissipating.
All that remained was an irregular sphere, pitch-black like ink, suspended in mid-air, emitting a pure, chilling aura of negative energy.
"What is that?"
Aoi's face changed as she looked down at the few subtle but striking golden flames that were flickering and burning on her own body.
The intense pain she expected didn't come immediately. Instead, it was a searing sting deep in her soul that made her cheek muscles twitch slightly, filling her with dread.
"Hyūga Neji! What have you done?!"
She abruptly lifted her head to look at Hyūga Neji, who stood not far away. Her voice carried a subtle tremble due to the sudden turn of events.
Hyūga Neji held the tachi sword in one hand. The blade was long and narrow, the edge glowing with an eerie, dangerous golden luster.
The demonic blade was trembling slightly, absorbing the pitch-black sphere left after Kado was incinerated, emitting a low, hungry hum.
Neji's gaze fell upon the few golden flames flickering on Aoi's body, and his lips seemed to pull up in a minuscule, subtle movement.
"It seems," his voice was hoarse and steady, "your 'evil' against the Branch House has not yet accumulated to the point where it can be utterly consumed by this karmic flame."
Looking intently at Aoi, he continued, "You should count yourself lucky for that."
Hearing this, Aoi's deepest suspicions were confirmed, and her face darkened.
Sure enough, this golden flame doesn't act on matter, but directly scorches the soul!
Even existences like the 'Hollows,' which are entirely composed of spiritual energy and have virtually no physical form, couldn't resist it and were instantly incinerated and purified.
This bizarre and terrifying ability completely surpassed her understanding of Ninjutsu and chakra.
"There won't be a next time." Neji's tone turned cold. He raised the blade in his hand, golden flames dancing along its edge. "If you don't step aside now, you'll die right here."
Seeing Aoi still frozen in place, her expression shifting grimly but making no move to retreat, Neji no longer hesitated.
He tightened his grip on the tachi, 'Fūri' (Fury/Wrath), and the ground beneath his feet cracked instantly!
Swish!
His figure blurred instantly, vanishing from the spot like a ghost, leaving only a sonic boom aftershock!
The next moment, he had appeared directly in front of Aoi. The sword in his hand tore through the air, carrying the soul-searing karmic flame, and swung horizontally toward Aoi's neck!
The speed was too fast, the angle too vicious—there was no chance to dodge!
Aoi's pupils constricted abruptly. The shadow of death loomed, and she could even feel the stinging sensation of the golden flame scorching her soul.
I'm done for!
The thought had just flashed through her mind.
BOOM!!
A deafening roar suddenly erupted from above their heads!
The entire secret room shook and trembled violently. The sturdy rock ceiling shattered thunderously, and countless broken stones and dust poured down like a waterfall!
A figure crashed down between Aoi and Neji, blocking the path of the tachi burning with golden karmic flame.
The figure that burst in suddenly, with an almost bare-handed technique, gripped the blade of Neji's sword, which was slicing toward Aoi!
Pshk!
The golden flame licked at the palm, making a sizzling sound as it burned, yet the hand remained perfectly still, as if feeling no pain at all!
Warm, crimson blood gushed from the palm, cut open by the blade, quickly flowing and dripping down the cold sword and the dancing golden flame...
Drip... Drip...
Amidst the dust and shattered stone falling all around, illuminated by the flickering firelight, a cold voice, filled with furious wrath, reached the ears of all three.
"Hyūga Neji!!"
Hyuga Kawa stared intently at Neji in front of him, his voice seeming to tremble with anger. "What have you done?!"
Under Aoi's watchful gaze behind him, a flicker of blue seemed to surge within Kawa's ferocious, angry eyes.
"That's..."
Thinking of the Tenseigan Neji had mentioned earlier, Aoi's pupils contracted.
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