The Land of Hot Water is located to the northeast of the Land of Fire. This small country, without a ninja village of its own, is perpetually shrouded in the steam of its hot springs. Geothermal heat has created a landscape dotted with onsen, and the rising steam lingers among the scattered inns year-round. It is both an excellent place for spies from major powers to meet secretly and a favorite trading post for black market merchants.
The Inu-no-Yu Inn sits at the end of the town's most prosperous street. Legend has it that long ago, when this was just a poor little village, a dog suddenly appeared. It barked incessantly at a certain spot on the ground. The villagers, unable to bear the noise, finally, led by the village's youth, dug up that patch of land.
Splash!
Scalding hot spring water suddenly gushed out, and steam instantly enveloped the entire village. From then on, this village, which prospered thanks to the hot spring, gradually grew, eventually becoming the hot spring town it is today. The villagers firmly believed that the dog was a messenger sent by the Dog God, so they named the hot spring "Inu-no-Yu" (Dog's Hot Spring), and the inn built later adopted the name as well.
Second floor of the inn, Japanese-style room
The paper door slid open gently. Hizashi Hyuga knelt by the window. His black blindfold had long been removed, but his pure white Byakugan were still slightly narrowed. The long period of darkness made it temporarily difficult for him to adjust to the light.
It had been two full days since his rescue. During that time, the black-robed man had only instructed him to use the Transformation Jutsu to disguise himself as an ordinary traveler and had given no other orders. No restraints, no interrogation, not even any unnecessary conversation—just a simple "Keep up," and he had been led across the border to this place.
What is going on...
Hizashi's fingertips unconsciously traced the rim of his teacup, questions assailing him. If the man was truly after his Byakugan, he could have tied him up like the Cloud ninja did. If he were a ninja from another village, he wouldn't have attacked the Cloud convoy so openly.
What confused him most...
Was the black-robed man's declaration when he saved him, "I'll be taking the Byakugan." Yet, to this day, the man hadn't even touched his eyes.
Familiar footsteps sounded outside the paper door, and Hizashi immediately straightened his back. With a soft creak, the figure in the fox mask appeared at the door, still wearing the same black robe. Fortunately, the faint sense of pressure he exuded seemed to have disappeared, perhaps because he was no longer in combat.
Hizashi Hyuga maintained a standard kneeling posture. Opposite him, the mysterious man also sat on the floor, the hem of his black robe spread out on the tatami mat woven from rushes, the fox mask completely hiding his face in shadow.
The room fell silent for a moment, with only the faint sound of the hot spring water flowing outside. Just as Hizashi was considering how to begin...
"You must have a lot of questions right now."
The masked man suddenly spoke, his voice muffled by the mask.
"I can't tell you the details of my identity." He raised a hand, his fingertip gently tapping his mask. "I can't take this mask off either. If you need a name to call me by... just call me 'Menma'."
"Lord... Menma," Hizashi cautiously chose a respectful title. After the man had single-handedly annihilated the Cloud envoy, he instinctively maintained the highest level of courtesy.
He took a deep breath, his white eyes looking directly at the strange mask. "This question may be overstepping... but what is your objective?"
Unexpectedly, Menma didn't seem to mind the direct question. He remained casually seated on the tatami.
"It's fine, there's no need to be secretive about that question. Strictly speaking, my identity doesn't belong to any ninja village. As for saving you..."
"It wasn't for the Byakugan."
Hizashi's body visibly stiffened for a moment. The words from the battlefield, "I'll be taking the Byakugan," were still ringing in his ears, yet now they were being so casually denied?
Sensing his confusion, Menma took the initiative to explain. "That sentence, to be precise, was to make those Cloud guys believe that was my objective. I committed an act equivalent to a declaration of war, so they'll surely paint me as some kind of vicious villain, right?"
A soft chuckle came from under the mask. "I don't want to be morally blackmailed. In front of them, I might as well play the role of someone to be feared."
Hizashi was stunned. He realized that the man before him, who had easily destroyed an elite unit, now demonstrated a level of strategic thinking that was far more terrifying than his military might.
"Then... what is your true purpose?"
Menma didn't answer immediately. He reached for the teapot on the table and slowly poured tea into a cup.
"Besides the Byakugan, I can't think of anything else I have that..."
He paused, his throat bobbing slightly.
"...gives me the right to be saved."
Menma's fingers gently traced the rim of the teacup. "Do you believe me?" His voice suddenly took on an indescribable emotion, like anger mixed with pity.
"Sometimes, saving someone... doesn't require a special reason."
The teacup was placed heavily on the table, splashing a few drops of tea.
"I just couldn't stand it," Menma's voice suddenly turned cold. "I couldn't stand watching those self-righteous bastards, under the banner of national interest, push an innocent person to their death."
"That's all."
Hizashi's body went completely rigid.
...What?
His thoughts froze. Just because... he couldn't stand it? This powerhouse, who could easily wipe out an elite Cloud unit, risked making an enemy of a major nation, just because...
He was a hero for justice?
The absurd thought almost made him laugh out loud. As a pawn abandoned by his village, as a sacrifice willing to go to his death, he was now being saved for a reason straight out of a fairy tale?
Menma saw through his doubt, his mask tilting slightly. "Of course, saving you isn't without its benefits for me. But as for the specific reasons... I'm afraid I can't say."
Silence spread through the room.
Suddenly, Hizashi slowly stood up. Under Menma's confused gaze, he took a few steps back, and then...
Thud.
His forehead touched the tatami mat in a standard dogeza bow. Hizashi's voice was low and trembling. "This debt of gratitude..."
"I, who had already prepared to die, who had already been abandoned by my comrades, never thought I could be given a new life in this way."
When he looked up, his white eyes shone with a complex light. "Regardless of your purpose... my life right now was indeed given by you."
"If you have any commands, I, Hizashi Hyuga... will gladly die for you."
Menma—or rather, Naruto wearing the fox mask—scratched his head in some confusion. He wasn't used to such solemn formalities. Although a life-saving grace was indeed worth a bow, being so formally sworn allegiance to made him feel a bit awkward.
Fortunately, Hizashi soon straightened up and sat properly again. His expression was calm, but deep within his pure white eyes, complex emotions seemed to stir.
"I really want to say that... really, thank you so much. But... I'm sorry. Even after all you've done, I'm afraid my life... won't last much longer."
Menma didn't let him continue.
"I know."
A calm voice came from under the mask.
"The Caged Bird, right? If the Konoha elders want to appease the Raikage's anger, the main family will definitely activate the curse mark on you—even if you've been 'abducted,' they'll use the curse mark to ensure you 'die,' correct?"
Hizashi was slightly taken aback, then gave a bitter smile.
"...You really do know everything."
Menma watched him quietly for a moment before speaking. "But, even so... even if you convince yourself that you've 'accepted death'... deep down, you still don't want to die, do you?"
That sentence struck a deep chord within Hizashi, triggering a long-suppressed emotion.
I don't want to die... He had already prepared himself, had already decided to die for the Hyuga clan and for the peace of Konoha... but, the moment he stepped into that prison cart, the face that appeared in his mind was Neji's.
My son... he's still so young...
Menma slowly stood up, the hem of his black robe falling silently. "In this world, as long as you have something to hold on to, no one truly wants to die."
His voice carried an unquestionable certainty. "Since I decided to save you, I won't do it halfway—I'll see this good deed through to the end."
Hizashi looked up, Menma's figure reflected in his white eyes. Menma walked up to him, reached out, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't move."
The next second, a gentle yet profound chakra flowed from his palm, seeping into Hizashi's body like a gentle stream.
The chakra gradually formed an intricate mark. Its lines were intertwined like chains, yet possessed a unique style.
"This is...?"
Hizashi stared at the mark, feeling... like he had seen a similar formula somewhere before?
Menma withdrew his hand, and the mark's light gradually faded. "If you feel the Caged Bird being activated, stimulate this mark with your chakra."
"I will sense it immediately. I can't guarantee 100% success, but I'm at least 70% confident I can save your life."
Hizashi's pupils contracted slightly. Stop the Caged Bird?! Does such a technique... really exist?
"Afterwards, once things with the Cloud have calmed down, I will arrange for you to meet your son under the guise of being 'dead'."
"My... son?"
Hizashi's voice suddenly choked.
Neji...
That small figure instantly appeared in his mind—the stubborn eyes, the determined expression, and the way he would still grit his teeth and say, "Father, I can still go on," even when exhausted from training.
Can I... see him again?
This promise was like a key, instantly unlocking the emotions he had long suppressed. His throat felt like it was blocked, and even his breathing became slightly shaky.
"Lord Menma..."
He opened his mouth but found he couldn't say anything more.
Menma waved his hand, cutting off any potential thanks. "Before that, just stay here for now. I've already paid for your lodging."
He paused, his tone suddenly taking on a subtle hint of a smile. "Of course, later... I do have something I'll need your help with."
Before Hizashi could respond—
Poof!
With a soft sound, the Menma before him vanished in a puff of white smoke.
A Shadow Clone?!
Hizashi was left stunned in the empty Japanese-style room. The faint sound of the hot spring water flowed in from outside. Only the chakra mark on his shoulder proved that the mysterious man had been real.
-------
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