Seated calmly on a nearby rock, Samui tried to ease the group's tension.
"Relax. Lord Raikage isn't likely to punish us. Knowing his personality, he's far more likely to turn his anger toward the Hidden Leaf."
Though she understood the Fourth Raikage's temper, she also knew the cost of a full-scale war with Konoha. Neither side could afford it.
Their aggression had been mostly a bluff to pressure Konoha into submission. It nearly worked. The Third Hokage was on the verge of caving—until one Uchiha stood up and reversed the situation with overwhelming force.
Still, these decisions weren't hers to make. Only the Fourth Raikage could choose whether to pursue war or resume negotiations.
Hearing Samui's words, the other Cloud shinobi calmed somewhat. She was a Jōnin of the village, and her younger sister worked as the Raikage's secretary—her words carried weight.
Nearby, still hidden in the trees, Ryōsuke listened carefully to the Cloud shinobi's conversation.
The mention of the "Konoha breeding plan" triggered his rage.
'So their real goal was the Hyūga clan's Byakugan, and their method… kidnapping Hinata?'
The implications made his skin crawl. Using a child for forced breeding—treating her like livestock—was sickening.
Hinata was the Hyūga heiress, her bloodline pure. Any offspring would inherit that legacy. That's what Cloud had planned.
His anger burned. There would be no forgiveness.
The women would be spared. The men would die.
Rising from his cover, Ryōsuke stepped out from the trees and calmly approached the Cloud shinobi.
Samui was the first to notice him. Her face shifted at once, eyes locking on the figure clad in a black hooded cloak and white mask.
"Who are you?" she demanded, instantly on alert.
No ordinary person could have gotten this close without detection. This was near the border—an area crawling with rogue ninja, bandits, and mercenaries.
The others turned to look. One scowled.
"Some creep hiding his face? Let me take care of him."
Samui didn't stop him. Someone who approached like this rarely came with good intentions. If he was weak, they'd kill him. If he was strong, they'd gauge his strength.
The man stepped forward, unsheathing a long sword and using Body Flicker to launch himself toward the masked intruder, blade aimed for Ryōsuke's head.
Ryōsuke tilted his head slightly, dodging effortlessly.
In the same motion, he struck the man's sword arm, tore the weapon from his grasp, and reversed the blade straight into the man's heart.
The Cloud shinobi screamed in pain, eyes wide.
"You bastard… you actually killed me…"
His head slumped forward. Dead.
Ryōsuke pulled the sword free. The body collapsed.
It had happened in an instant. Samui couldn't react in time.
One strike. Fatal.
She stared in disbelief. Even she couldn't kill one of her comrades that cleanly. Who was this masked man?
The remaining Cloud ninja were furious.
"You bastard! Who are you to kill one of ours?"
"Forget talking—kill him!" another shouted, drawing his blade.
The rest followed, charging in unison.
No matter how strong this masked intruder was, surrounded like this, he couldn't possibly escape.
Ryōsuke's Sharingan activated.
The Cloud ninja faltered for a moment at the sight of those red eyes. Everyone had heard of them. But it was too late to stop.
They had committed. Retreat now, and they'd be easy prey.
All at once, blades flashed toward him.
But Ryōsuke's dynamic vision tracked every movement. He weaved through the attacks with ease and countered, killing another Cloud shinobi in the chaos.
Suddenly, Samui moved. She'd waited for the right moment—then struck from behind, plunging a finely crafted dagger toward Ryōsuke's back.
Eye for an eye.
But Ryōsuke was already gone, flipping upward and landing lightly on a tree branch.
Samui's attack missed.
Gritting her teeth, she glared up at him.
"Who are you? Are you one of the Uchiha?"
After all, not everyone with Sharingan had to be Uchiha. Unlike the Hyūga's Caged Bird Seal, Uchiha eyes could be stolen. It was possible he wasn't clan at all.