The black-robed, masked man held Zsurui by the collar, lifting him like a worn-out doll and turning him to face the convoy. The sun painted the entire plain in a bloody crimson, illuminating a scene of despair.
"Take a good look. This is reality," the voice from under the mask was chillingly devoid of any warmth. "Even so, will you continue to resist?"
Zsurui's body trembled violently. In his field of vision, the nine terrifying summoning beasts were carrying out a one-sided slaughter of the Cloud ninja—
The Southern Dipper and Northern Dipper Sages floated in mid-air, one hand holding a staff, the other forming a seal. A purple formation appeared on the ground, trapping the Cloud ninja within it, unable to move. As the phantom of a grim reaper's scythe swept past, their chakra was drained like a spring running dry, and they collapsed one by one.
"Stop!!"
A Cloud Jonin roared and charged forward to save his comrades, only to be entangled by the Celestial Maiden's ribbon around his neck and slammed heavily into the ground. After a dull thud, his body plowed a deep furrow in the dirt road, the blood he coughed up tracing a stark arc in the air.
The remaining survivors were even more suppressed—the Golden Snake's body coiled around them, the White Tiger's claws pinned their chests, the Vermilion Bird's shadow circled them, the Azure Dragon's body imprisoned them, and the Black Tortoise's gravity made their bones creak.
"Before I take your lives..."
The black-robed man brought Zsurui face-to-face. "I'll ask one last time—hand over the Byakugan peacefully."
A cold chakra flowed between them, the stench of death washing over him. "Otherwise, my next move will bury you all here."
"In your... dreams!"
Zsurui squeezed a hoarse roar from deep in his throat, blood trickling down the corner of his mouth. Even with his vital points seized, his bloodshot eyes burned with a mad obsession.
"A guy like you... how could you possibly understand?!"
He gasped for breath, every word carrying the scent of blood. "As long as we get the Byakugan... the Cloud will gain the power to detect chakra! Everything we're doing... is for the great cause of our nation!"
His voice rose, bordering on hysteria. "Come on! Kill me! But remember this—for every Cloud ninja you kill, Lord Raikage's wrath will grow! You and those behind you will pay for what you've done today!"
In that instant, Zsurui felt the fingers around his throat tighten slightly. More terrifyingly, the chakra emanating from under the mask suddenly became bone-chillingly cold, as if the very air around them was beginning to freeze.
"The great cause of your nation..."
The black-robed man's voice was as deep as an echo from hell. "So your so-called great cause—"
"Is to kidnap a three-year-old child?"
"Is to force others to willingly go to their deaths?"
"Is to devour an innocent person alive in this twisted world?!"
Each question landed like a sledgehammer. The black-robed man suddenly grabbed Zsurui by the hair, forcing him to look at his subordinates being ravaged by the Nine Masked Beasts. The Celestial Maiden's ribbon was hoisting a struggling ninja into the air, the Southern Dipper's scythe already at his throat.
"Don't think... that by spouting a few sanctimonious words..."
"You can paint yourself as righteous!"
Zsurui's body twitched uncontrollably. He felt a sinister force corroding his body. Shrouded in the shadow of death, he suddenly remembered the terrifyingly calm smile on Hizashi Hyuga's face as he was being loaded into the prison cart.
"But..."
The black-robed man's tone suddenly calmed. "My heart and actions are utterly unclouded. Are all that you do truly for 'Justice'?"
"I applaud your resolve..."
"Farewell."
Crack.
The crisp sound of bone breaking echoed across the battlefield. The black-robed man cleanly snapped Zsurui's neck and tossed his body aside like a rag. At almost the same moment, the Nine Masked Beasts' slaughter reached its climax—blood splattered in lurid arcs, and screams and wails filled the air.
As the last Cloud ninja collapsed, the black-robed man suddenly raised his hand. "Leave one alive."
The Celestial Maiden's ribbon, about to strike, froze less than an inch from the terrified, wide-open eyes of a young ninja.
The black-robed man's footsteps crossed the blood-soaked plain. He arrived at the special prison cart at the end of the convoy. The heavy iron door still bore the Cloud's seal.
BOOM—!
A straightforward punch, with no fancy moves, landed on the lock. The steel lock shattered like paper, and the iron door twisted under the immense force, bursting open with a crash.
Inside the cart, Hizashi Hyuga remained in a forced kneeling position. A black blindfold covered his eyes, and rough ropes were cutting deep into the flesh of his wrists. The sudden sunlight stung his eyes, which had long been in darkness. Even through the cloth, he could feel the change in the light outside.
What happened?
The sounds of battle and screams in his ears gradually subsided, replaced by an eerie silence. Hizashi's heart began to beat uncontrollably—the convoy had clearly been attacked, but it couldn't possibly be a rescue from Konoha.
If Konoha had intended to save me...
He thought bitterly, why would I have been forced to go to my death willingly?
Could it be that another ninja village had heard the news and come to seize the Byakugan? The moment that thought surfaced, Hizashi felt a lightness at his wrists—the ropes that had bound him for so long were cleanly cut. Then, the collar of his shirt was grabbed, and he was lifted by an irresistible force, stumbling out of the prison cart.
As his feet touched the soft earth, the thick smell of blood washed over him. Even though he couldn't see, Hizashi could tell from the pungent smell that a massacre had just taken place here.
The surviving Cloud ninja sat paralyzed on the ground, the short sword in his hand trembling uncontrollably. His gaze swept across the battlefield. The Grim Reaper's scythe dripped with his comrades' blood, the Celestial Maiden's ribbon dropped a twisted corpse, and the other summoning beasts stood over shattered bodies...
Why... was I the only one left alive?
The answer came soon enough.
The black-robed man slowly walked over, dragging Hizashi Hyuga with him, the nine terrifying summoning beasts surrounding them like guards. The surviving ninja looked up and met the gaze of the fox mask looking down on him.
"The Byakugan..."
A deep voice came from under the mask.
"I'll be taking it."
The black-robed man turned slightly, allowing the trembling ninja to see the "spoils of war" in his hand.
"Go back and tell the Raikage... if he wants revenge and to take back the Byakugan... then come find me in the Land of Fire. I'll be waiting for that reckless fool."
Before he finished speaking, a gust of wind suddenly rose! The survivor instinctively closed his eyes. When he opened them again—
The empty plain was littered with corpses. The black-robed man, the summoning beasts, the Hyuga captive... all had vanished without a trace. Only the smell of blood and the deep drag marks on the ground proved that it had all been real.
The surviving ninja stood there stunned for a long time, then suddenly broke into a frantic run in the direction of the Hidden Cloud Village, like a terrified stray dog fleeing for its life.
-------
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