The sleeping mist slowly spread through the room.
Hyūga Yuki suddenly woke up.
Just as she tried to stand, a wave of dizziness struck her. She collapsed heavily onto the floor, struggling to rise—but her limbs had no strength, and her vision blurred.
After a few futile attempts, she lost consciousness.
Hearing the dull thud from inside, Sanmura slowly pushed open the door and slipped into the room.
Moonlight spilled in.
He quickly assessed the situation.
Yuki had fainted beside the bed.
Little Hinata lay unconscious on it.
Between an adult and a child—
The choice was obvious.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Hinata, tucked her under his arm, and rushed out.
The Chase
Sanmura moved swiftly, making no effort to hide his trail.
He leapt onto the rooftops.
Tap. Tap.
His footsteps echoed across the tiles.
It didn't take long for someone to notice.
Lights flickered on in nearby houses.
In Konoha—
A ninja running across rooftops at night almost always meant trouble.
Hyūga clan members quickly armed themselves.
Meanwhile—
Hiashi and Hizashi were walking home under the moonlight.
Suddenly, Hiashi stopped.
He tilted his head slightly, listening.
Hizashi immediately understood.
His Byakugan activated.
"That is—"
His eyes widened.
"Hinata!"
He shot forward instantly.
Hiashi followed, activating his Byakugan as well.
Far ahead—
A figure carrying Hinata appeared clearly in their vision.
Sanmura moved fast—
But deliberately left a trail.
As if inviting pursuit.
"Bastard! Stop!" Hizashi shouted.
Chakra gathered in his palm—
But he didn't dare release Air Palm, fearing it would hit Hinata.
Hiashi, driven by desperation, surged ahead even faster.
But there was still distance between them.
The Trap
Suddenly—
Hizashi stopped.
His expression sharpened.
He analyzed the enemy's path—
Then abruptly changed direction, moving to intercept from the side.
Sanmura smirked.
Everything was going exactly as planned.
At the moment Hizashi blocked his route—
Sanmura suddenly threw Hinata high into the air!
And stopped at the edge of the rooftop.
Hizashi's pupils shrank.
He burst forward—
But the small body was already falling like a drifting leaf.
A white shadow flashed through the night.
Hiashi landed on one knee atop the roof—
And caught Hinata firmly in his arms.
"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!"
Hizashi roared.
The palm strike blasted forward like a raging tide.
Sanmura was sent flying—
His body crashing to the ground like a ragdoll.
The Aftermath
Hizashi landed beside Hiashi.
"Brother, how is Hinata?"
Hiashi checked quickly, his expression tense—
Then he exhaled in relief.
"She's just unconscious from the sleeping gas."
Hizashi nodded, relieved.
He then descended to the ground—
Approaching Sanmura's body.
Under the moonlight—
He froze.
The man wore no mask.
On his forehead—
A Kumogakure headband.
Sanmura lay dead, eyes wide open.
His chest had collapsed inward.
There was no chance of survival.
Hiashi soon joined him.
When he saw the corpse—
His heart sank.
A Diplomatic Crisis
Kumogakure was here for peace talks.
Yet now—
A Cloud envoy lay dead in Konoha.
Even if he had infiltrated and kidnapped Hinata—
This was not within Hyūga territory.
There was no clear proof.
Was it self-defense?
Or assassination?
No one could definitively say.
Hizashi swallowed hard.
"Brother… this is bad."
Hiashi's expression turned grave.
If mishandled—
The Hyūga clan would bear the accusation of murdering a foreign envoy.
It could even trigger war.
Even if Minato and Wen Lan protected them—
Konoha would likely be forced into major concessions.
And worse—
The method of death was unmistakable.
Gentle Fist.
Even if they tried to cover it up—
Internal organ destruction couldn't be hidden.
The truth would be obvious.
The night wind swept across the rooftops.
Hiashi slowly closed his eyes—
Then opened them again, calm but resolute.
"Hizashi, return to the clan."
"I'll report to the Hokage."
He gently passed Hinata over.
Hizashi gave a bitter smile.
His Byakugan was still active.
"Brother… it's too late."
Confrontation
In the next instant—
Several figures landed on the rooftops.
The entire Cloud delegation.
Along with ANBU operatives who had been monitoring them.
The ANBU had been watching carefully—
But when the Cloud ninjas suddenly moved, they had no choice but to follow openly.
When they saw the scene—
Even they were stunned.
Dodai stared at Hiashi.
His fists clenched.
Rage erupted.
"You dare kill our envoy?!"
"Is Konoha declaring war?!"
Hiashi stepped forward, calm and steady.
"This man infiltrated our clan and abducted my daughter."
"Are you saying this was ordered by Kumogakure?"
"Bullshit!" Dodai roared, stepping forward as chakra surged.
"This isn't Hyūga territory!"
"Our envoy was simply touring Konoha—and was murdered by you!"
The ANBU felt a headache coming on.
Both sides had arguments.
An ANBU captain whispered:
"Inform the Hokage and the Advisor immediately."
Two ANBU vanished at once.
The captain stepped forward.
"The situation is unclear."
"We cannot rely on one side's claim."
"The Hokage and the Advisor will decide."
"There's nothing to decide!" Darui shouted.
"Our envoy died at the hands of the Hyūga!"
Hiashi's gaze sharpened.
"Without evidence, you accuse us so easily?"
"That is arrogance."
"Evidence?" Darui sneered, pointing at the corpse.
"Only the Hyūga's Gentle Fist can cause this kind of internal damage!"
"What more proof do you need?!"
Dodai swept his gaze across everyone, voice cold:
"Or does Konoha intend… to go to war with Kumogakure?"
Those words—
Hit like a hammer.
Hiashi and Hizashi's hearts tightened.
This was exactly what they feared.
Once war was invoked—
Regardless of the outcome—
The Hyūga clan would be branded as the cause of war.
Their reputation would collapse.
—------------------------------
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