"Sakura, stop running! That old man isn't chasing us anymore!" Hinata gasped, grabbing Sakura's arm as she continued sprinting.
Even though she herself was clearly more scared, Sakura was actually running faster!
"Really? He's not following?"
Sakura turned her head to look back and indeed saw no sign of the elderly man.
"Good he's gone! That guy really scared me."
"Hinata, do you think what that grandfather said about ghosts is real?" Hinata asked nervously.
Looking around at the tombstones, she felt even more frightened.
"No way! He was just trying to scare us."
"But who exactly is he? I don't remember ever knowing someone like him here before?"
"He's probably a grave keeper."
Sakura spoke solemnly, "I once heard my elders mention that in the mountains behind Konoha, there has always been a reclusive elder protecting this place. His surname is Chen, and he's an expert in taijutsu, though I don't know much more than that."
"Chen?"
Hinata pondered for a moment but couldn't recall anything about this person.
Ye Liang became agitated!
Baojun Chen! Master Chen...
He now finally knew who this was!
When Ye Liang first arrived in the Naruto world, he had once sought out this old man!
The strongest taijutsu ninja in all of Konoha!
He created the Leaf Dragon God technique himself, which once dominated the Ninja War and earned him the title of Konoha hero! Later, his only disciple died during the Third Great Ninja War.
Disillusioned, he faked his death and went into hiding.
Ye Liang hadn't found him in the previous world because history had changed due to Ye Liang's interference. Never did he imagine having another chance to meet this Konoha hero—he was finally living his dream!
"Hinata, hurry back!"
Ye Liang whispered softly into Hinata's ear.
"Sakura! I just heard Teacher Ye Liang again! He said we should go back!" Hinata suddenly tensed up. Although it seemed unbelievable, she still voiced what she heard.
"I think you've really lost your mind! Well then, after meeting that person today, we clearly have no chance. Let's hide the head first and come back later," Sakura tugged on Hinata's sleeve, ready to leave.
But Hinata jerked away from her.
"No way, I really heard the teacher's voice just now! He wants us to go back! It's true!"
"Smack!"
A heavy slap landed across Hinata's face!
"Have you completely lost your mind?! Stop acting so foolishly!" Sakura shot her a look filled with frustration.
If Hinata lost her mind over this, as her closest friend, Sakura would be heartbroken.
Ye Liang was stunned!
He never expected this kind of scene to greet him!
Just as he prepared to explain himself,
Hinata, right at that moment,
Suddenly ran off toward the distance!
"You wouldn't understand! You know nothing! The teacher isn't dead! He's still alive! I can feel it!" Her figure disappeared westward.
Sakura stood frozen, staring at the retreating silhouette. Then she looked at her own hand—the very hand that had slapped Hinata—and realized it was all her fault that Hinata had snapped. Sighing helplessly, she quietly left the graveyard on the mountain behind Konoha.
She was planning to report everything!
It was quiet for a long time afterward.
Hinata ran all the way to a wooden hut.
Following Ye Liang's advice, she had been searching for Baojun Chen but tripped and fell due to carelessness, causing a large gash on her leg.
"Slow down. There's no rush. That guy should be just ahead."
Ye Liang's voice floated over casually, yet Hinata didn't feel the slightest fear.
Looking at Ye Liang's talking head, she quietly shoved it back into her chest.
"I must've imagined that."
Hinata slowly approached the hut.
There was a figure inside, mumbling to himself.
"Should I bury you? Or should I be the one buried? Or maybe just stuff you into the ground?" It was that old man, speaking with someone.
Inside the room of the wooden hut, Hinata used her Byakugan to see two chakra signatures.
"How strange? Why doesn't the other person's head have any chakra?" She muttered. In fact, not only couldn't she detect any chakra, but she couldn't even see the head!
Inside the dilapidated hut sat a headless man!
The elderly man in the hut had tied the headless body onto a stool.
Yet the body continued struggling fiercely.
"What incredible strength! I, Baojun Chen, have lived half my life, but this is truly the first time witnessing such a bizarre sight! Without a head, the body can still move!" He kicked Ye Liang's groin area again but noticed the latter showed no reaction, seemingly unaware of the pain.
Suddenly, Ye Liang outside cried out in pain!
[F*** your grandma's funeral! Someone just dug up your ancestors' graves!]
That was his most precious part!
How could this old man just kick it like that!
What if his vital parts were damaged? How would he live the rest of his life!
"Who's there!"
The old man, hearing the noise, hurriedly rushed outside.
Hinata quickly ducked behind some nearby shrubs. Although she also heard Ye Liang's voice, she remained undisturbed since she suspected she had gone mad.
"You think you can run? Where do you think you're going, little girl!" The old man grabbed Hinata's shoulder and dragged her back in front of the hut.
"It's you again! What are you doing back here? Haven't you learned your lesson yet!"
After clearly recognizing it was Hinata, the old man angrily reprimanded.
"Sorry, Grandpa, I merely came here following Master's instructions. If this has caused you trouble, I apologize sincerely."
"Master?"
Before the elder could finish his confusion, Hinata presented Ye Liang's head with both hands.
"Hello there, Teacher Baojun Chen," Ye Liang grinned widely as he greeted.
"..."
Baojun Chen's expression instantly changed.
"Take it away!"
"This is my master, Grandpa Chen."
"I told you to take it away. Didn't you hear me?"
"But Grandpa Chen, Master seems really happy to see you."
[WTF!] "I said take it away!"
"But..."
What was going on lately? First a headless body, now a bodyless head? And worst of all, both were alive!
Baojun Chen tightly gripped his head; just like Hinata, he began questioning whether he had gone completely insane!
"Teacher Chen, hello. Could I bother you to put my head back onto my body? The body inside the house belongs to me." Ye Liang suddenly spoke up.
While Hinata was scouting earlier, Ye Liang did the same too — after all, he now possessed the byakugan ability.
"Yours?"
Chen Baojun couldn't help but blurt out.
Hinata found this amusing.
"Grandpa Chen, can you also hear what Teacher is saying?" she asked.
"Teacher?"
Now Chen Baojun realized something strange was going on. It seemed that this young girl had also heard the talking head—meaning he hadn't gone mad after all!
"Could this be some kind of [Decapitation Secret Technique]!"
Though Chen Baojun had never encountered something like this before, he'd seen severed limbs regenerate and wounds heal — all sorts of amazing things. Well... he'd just never seen anything involving a completely severed head.
"Come with me!"
Chen Baojun grabbed Hinata's hand and immediately pulled her into the wooden hut.
"[Pengtong!]"
His body inside was thrashing wildly!
Apparently influenced by the head, it was struggling frantically!
Ye Liang watched, stunned.
Could my own body still have consciousness?
[Silence hung in the air.]
"Did the head find its way back to the body, or did the body reclaim its head?"
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