Chapter 198: Venting Rage
This sudden turn of events immediately alarmed the guard who had been watching the surgery.
When he spun around, he saw his companion's head missing, blood fountaining from the neck stump like a geyser.
"Enemy attack!" The guard's eyes widened in shock as he frantically reached for his weapon.
But the moment his hand touched his blade, white light flashed before his eyes. His neck suddenly felt cold, and a spray of blood shot skyward as his head spun through the air.
While airborne, he caught sight of the assistant extending an unnaturally long tongue to lick around his lips.
That signature gesture was unmistakable.
"It's Orochimaru!"
"How did he get in here?"
The thought flashed through his mind before consciousness left him completely.
Kabuto chuckled as he wiped the blood from his surgical knife on Hishi's body, then casually removed Hishi's Byakugan as well. He placed them in another solution case and handed them to Orochimaru.
This time, Orochimaru didn't even glance at them, simply waving his hand dismissively.
"Now that I have the Tenseigan, what would I want with these Byakugan?"
"They're yours."
"Go study cloning techniques properly. Perhaps someday you can create your own Tenseigan."
"Thank you very much, Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto didn't stand on ceremony, accepting the Byakugan with a smile.
"After this, you won't be able to continue your infiltration in Konoha."
Orochimaru formed a hand seal, and with a puff of white smoke, he transformed into the guard he'd just killed.
Kabuto also used the Transformation Jutsu to become the other guard, smiling as he spoke.
"Ever since the Director was sent out as a spy and died outside the village, I've had nothing left here worth staying for."
"Besides, with Konoha in such a pathetic state now, there's no value in continuing to infiltrate."
Though Kabuto still smiled, his expression no longer carried any warmth. Only cold indifference remained.
But this version of Kabuto was exactly what Orochimaru valued. He said nothing more, simply nodding with a smile as he strode toward the door.
Kabuto followed close behind.
The two walked brazenly out of the operating room, through the clan compound, and all the way out of Konoha Village without a single person questioning them.
After they'd traveled a considerable distance, Orochimaru finally stopped, turning back to gaze at the distant village with a smile.
"The anesthetic should have worn off by now, shouldn't it?"
"I wonder what expression that fool is wearing right now?"
"I really hope they manage to create a second Tenseigan."
In the operating room, Hishi finally stirred from unconsciousness. He opened his eyes, only to find everything pitch black.
"What? Did something go wrong with the surgery?"
Hishi frowned, about to call out, but in the next instant, the thick smell of blood assaulted his nostrils, choking back all his words.
Damn it, something's happened!
Hishi leaped from the operating table and assumed a defensive stance before calling out loudly.
"Someone! Is anyone out there?"
Footsteps approached, and someone pushed the door open.
"Elder Hishi... Ah! Something's wrong! Someone come quickly!"
Seeing the empty sockets where Hishi's eyes should have been, the Branch House guard stationed outside nearly died of fright. He rushed forward to support Hishi, but Hiashi shoved him away.
He spun toward the other operating table, crying out in panic, "Never mind me! Where's the Tenseigan?"
"Where's the Tenseigan?"
Only then did the Branch House members notice that their acting clan leader, Lady Hinata, was also lying on the operating table with empty eye sockets.
"Ah!" The Branch House guards screamed, wishing they were dead already.
They stood frozen in place, already contemplating whether suicide now might spare them some suffering.
After a chaotic period, Hishi finally understood what had happened.
That Kabuto Yakushi and his assistant had stolen both his Byakugan and Hinata's Tenseigan.
What he found most unbearable was that this disaster was entirely self-inflicted. He had invited the wolf into the house himself. Otherwise, given the Hyuga clan's xenophobic and closed-off environment, enemies would never have found an opportunity to strike.
"No..." Hishi let out a wretched cry, his mind nearly breaking.
"Those bastards!"
"How dare they!"
"Isn't Kabuto Yakushi supposed to be a Konoha jonin?"
"They said he had impeccable credentials, raised in Konoha's orphanage since childhood, absolutely loyal to the village..."
"All of it was complete fucking bullshit!"
Hishi normally prided himself on his noble birth and paid careful attention to his image. Even when forcing Hinata to surrender the Tenseigan, he'd insisted on maintaining propriety, requiring her verbal consent to make it legitimate.
But now, after Orochimaru's assault, he'd completely lost control. Image meant nothing anymore. Even crude profanity came spilling out.
After cursing for some time, Hishi redirected his fury toward the Branch House members.
"You worthless trash!"
"So many of you watching outside, and you let two imposters just walk out!"
"Are you all blind?"
"Where were your Byakugan?"
"Why didn't you activate them to see what was happening inside?"
"Two people died in that room and none of you noticed?"
None of the Branch House members dared respond. They knelt there obediently, heads bowed deeply, not daring to speak a word or even breathe too loudly.
But verbal abuse wasn't enough to soothe Hishi's rage. He formed a hand seal and activated the Caged Bird curse mark, pointing randomly in front of him.
He was blind now and couldn't see anyone, but that didn't matter. He just needed some Branch House member to vent his frustration on. Anyone would do.
The unlucky target let out an agonized scream and began writhing on the ground, begging desperately for mercy.
"Elder Hishi, please spare me..."
"I was wrong! I'll never do it again..."
"Give me one more chance! I'll lead a team to pursue them. If I don't retrieve the eyes, I swear I won't return alive..."
"Kill me! Please, just kill me..."
Watching their companion's suffering, the other Branch House members turned pale as corpses, trembling violently as they pressed themselves to the floor, not daring to move an inch for fear of drawing attention.
Hishi was at the peak of his rage. He couldn't care less about this person's life or death. He kept the curse mark activated without pause.
Only the Branch House member's screams could provide any consolation to his fragile psyche that had been so thoroughly toyed with.
Under the sustained activation, the unfortunate Branch House member finally couldn't endure any longer. He suddenly drew a kunai from his waist and drove it forcefully into his own chest.
With a wet sound, blood sprayed forth. His body hit the ground, twitched several times, then went completely still.
In death, his face finally showed a trace of relief.