The gates of Kirigakure.
The gaze of the Anbu, led by Kirigarasu and Ketsuken, converged with those of Kurio's four-man squad upon a single point.
A silver-haired girl stood there, her right hand gripping a blind cane, her left stained with blood. She wore a hood, and a strip of pure black cloth covered her eyes, adding a layer of mystery to her delicate face.
Kirigarasu's hands moved in a blur of seals, finally forming the 'Ram' sign aimed directly at Hinami.
Having lost her sight, Hinami was plunged into darkness, unaware of Kirigarasu's specific movements. However, her keen, formless perception sensed a foreign chakra slowly creeping over the surface of her skin, as if searching for something.
A long silence followed.
Finding nothing, the chakra receded reluctantly. Kirigarasu slowly lowered his hands and nodded to Ketsuken, signaling that there were no chakra fluctuations within Hinami's body.
Seeing this, Kurio Mari breathed a silent sigh of relief, her lingering suspicions finally put to rest.
"Is that enough?" Mari asked, preparing to lead Hinami away.
"No, no. Do not be so hasty, Miss Kurio. There is one last check."
Kirigarasu extended an arm to block their path. His eyes grew sharper as he looked at the mysterious girl.
"Little lady, please—remove the blindfold from your face."
Hinami's movements stiffened.
It was a fraction of a second, almost imperceptible, but it was caught perfectly by Kirigarasu's predatory gaze. The suspicion in his chest solidified.
This blind girl is hiding something!
"We already checked her chakra," Mari protested, her confusion rising. "Why do you need to check her eyes?"
"Normally, it wouldn't be necessary."
Ignoring Mari, Kirigarasu fixed his stare on the black cloth, as if trying to pierce through it.
"For such a beautiful blind girl to stay in Kirigakure for so long alone and remain unharmed... Little lady, I am not targeting you specifically. I simply wonder: since when did our village's public security become so excellent?"
The Anbu and the others shifted their gaze toward Hinami.
Her silver-gray hair fell over her shoulders, and her pale skin seemed to glow against the contrast of the black cloth. Her features were refined, her lips a soft cherry-pink. Even at her young age, she possessed a striking, ethereal charm.
The expressions of Kurio's team wavered. Kirigarasu's logic was sound; in a place like the Hidden Mist, a girl with no guardian, no identification, and no way to defend herself should have been prey for human traffickers long ago.
Had no one really laid a finger on her?
The weight of their collective doubt pressed against Hinami's face. Despite the darkness, she could feel the heat of their scrutiny. Without her vision, her other senses had become hyper-aware.
Now is not the time for testing.
Suppressing her unease, she handed her cane to the person beside her, judging by the heavy breathing that it wasn't Kamine Karin.
"If I am truly blind, may I leave the village?" Hinami asked, tilting her face upward.
"Of course," Kirigarasu replied firmly.
The surrounding ninja nodded in agreement. A spy could lack chakra, they could lack jutsu, they could even be a child. But a spy could never be truly blind. If she was blind, it was the ultimate proof of her innocence.
Lowering her head, Hinami slowly untied the black cloth.
She opened her eyes.
The crowd gasped, their breath catching in their throats.
Within Hinami's eye sockets were two spheres that looked like polished stones. Her eyes weren't moist and bright like a normal person's; they were a haunting, rocky gray. There were no pupils—just a solid, pure expanse of stone-like surface.
Combined with her exquisite features, she looked less like a living human and more like a masterfully crafted doll.
"This..."
Even Kirigarasu was taken aback. There was no need for further examination. Those eyes had no luster; they were as lifeless as pebbles.
"Is this sufficient, Master Ninja?" Hinami asked, her sightless gaze turned toward them.
"I wish you a speedy recovery, little lady. Let them pass."
"Thank you."
Hinami replaced her blindfold. With a wave of Kirigarasu's hand, the heavy gates of Kirigakure groaned open, stirring up clouds of dust.
"Here, Hinami."
Okamura Arata pressed the cane back into her hand, his voice tinged with a hint of guilt for his earlier doubts. Hinami offered a small, indifferent nod.
The morning mist had begun to scatter, and the warm sunlight cast a sharp shadow of the girl against the ground.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The steady rhythm of the cane echoed as Hinami and the Kurio squad finally stepped through the gates, watched closely by the Anbu until they disappeared from view.
Outside the village, the group walked along a forest path.
Hum—
Brilliant chakra reignited within Hinami's mind, illuminating her internal organs and slowly bringing light, silhouettes, and the world around her back into focus.
The sky was bright. The chirping of birds and the drone of cicadas felt like a symphony rather than a nuisance. Even the humid air felt fresh.
Perhaps it's the taste of freedom, Hinami thought.
Escaping the cage of the Hidden Mist made even her bleak life feel a few shades brighter.
She knew the Anbu's inspection had been thorough. Aware of her own physical giveaways, she had used her Shikotsumyaku (Dead Bone Pulse) to generate a thin layer of bone membrane over her corneas. The cloudy, opaque bone had hidden the distinct pupils of her Byakugan, making her eyes look like dead stones.
It was the perfect defense. To others, it looked like total blindness; to her, it was a biological visor. Her Byakugan could see through it perfectly.
She turned her 360-degree vision toward her companions.
Arata was practically bouncing with excitement. Sanma walked with his head down, a massive scythe on his back. Karin walked beside Hinami, supporting her while looking around with wide, emerald eyes.
Then there was Mari. Her brow was slightly furrowed, her expression clouded with worry.
Hinami focused, her chakra shifting to enhance her visual depth. Four figures glowing with circulating chakra appeared in her mind's eye.
Mari, a Jōnin, possessed the largest reserve, her chakra flowing through her pathways like the deep blue of the ocean. Sanma and Karin had similar levels—light blue and steady. Surprisingly, Arata had the largest reserve among the three students, his chakra active and volatile.
However, even their combined reserves barely matched Hinami's, and even doubled, they couldn't compare to Mari's.
A Tokubetsu Jōnin, Hinami concluded, gauging Mari's strength.
In this world, a Jōnin was part of the village leadership. While the original stories sometimes made them seem common, they were the elite. Mari had the chakra of a Jōnin, though her physical skills seemed closer to a Chūnin's level. Her ninjutsu remained an unknown variable.
Even so, a direct confrontation with Mari would be a life-or-death gamble for Hinami. If her true identity were ever revealed, this peaceful journey would turn into a bloodbath in an instant.
I hope it doesn't come to that, Hinami prayed silently.
Her memories had begun in the blood and fire of a battlefield. Since then, it had been a cycle of killing—no name, no past, only survival. Now, she was traveling with the sister of the man who had killed her "father," yet Mari was also the savior who had pulled her out of that hell.
At this moment, she didn't want to break this fragile peace.
"Hinami, let me carry you," Mari said suddenly, having reached a decision.
Hinami, observing through her hidden Byakugan, was startled.
"It's okay, Sister Mari. I can walk."
"No, Hinami." Mari stopped and turned around, the three students halting with her. "Beyond helping you get home, I have my own mission. If we continue at this pace, it will take forever to reach the Land of Fire."
Mari looked at her with genuine sincerity. "I know you don't want to be a burden, but please—do it for me."
"In that case... alright. Thank you, Sister Mari. Thank you, everyone. I don't know what I would do without you."
The four of them beamed at her. "Don't mention it!"
Karin carefully helped Hinami climb onto Mari's back, while Arata and Sanma took charge of her bag and cane.
"Are you holding on tight?"
"Yes."
Hinami wrapped her slender arms gently around Mari's neck, resting her face against her shoulder. The faint scent of incense lingered in Mari's hair.
"Then, let's go!"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
Feeling the soft weight against her back and hearing Hinami's gentle voice in her ear, Mari's blue eyes crinkled into thin slits.
Little Hinami is just too cute!
A cheerful, almost giddy laughter echoed in Mari's heart as they leapt into the trees.