The blazing tree illuminated the surroundings as Haruto Saito had just left, rushing out of the area bathed in firelight and into the dense fog. From another direction, two high-ranking Hyuga clan shinobi sprinted toward the scene.
They arrived at the charred, bloodstained, headless corpse and instinctively slowed their steps.
Their gazes fell upon the severed head that had rolled aside. Though half of the face was burned beyond recognition, they could still tell who it was… their captain, a prominent figure among the younger generation of the Hyuga clan, the leader of the Konoha Intelligence Division's reconnaissance team, and the only son of the Hyuga clan's Second Elder—Hyuga Kyokyoku!
Hyuga Kyokyoku held many prestigious titles, each of which carried significant weight, marking his special status within the clan.
He had been a key figure in the Hyuga clan's future, a promising candidate to ascend to the rank of an elder like his father.
Yet now, he was dead.
"Kyokyoku-sama… Kyokyoku-sama…"
"This is… this is a disaster…"
The two Hyuga jonin murmured, teetering on the edge of despair, their eyes flashing with fear. Hyuga Kyokyoku's death was shocking, but that wasn't the worst part—the real terror lay in the fact that he was dead, while they were still alive.
In the rigid hierarchy and brutal traditions of the Hyuga clan, the death of someone as important as Hyuga Kyokyoku while on a mission meant consequences. Someone had to take responsibility. Someone had to pay for his death.
Meanwhile, Akakura and another Sunagakure jonin had also arrived nearby, crouching on a tree at a safe distance from the flames, observing the scene.
"It's that Hyuga elite jonin! It's him!"
"He was blown to pieces?"
"What about our captain?"
"Lord Shaki… he…"
Akakura and his comrade had no particular feelings about Hyuga Kyokyoku's death. They were far more concerned about the fate of Shaki—only if Shaki was still alive could they team up to eliminate the two Hyuga jonin. Otherwise, their best option was to flee.
The Hyuga jonin began analyzing the battlefield, reconstructing the events based on the evidence left behind.
The Sunagakure jonin did the same. Hyuga Kyokyoku's death was confirmed, but Shaki's complete corpse was nowhere to be found.
"Look over there…" Akakura suddenly spotted something and pointed before leaping forward.
About forty meters from the explosion site, a blade was embedded in a tree.
"It's the captain's sword!" Akakura appeared beside it, swiftly pulling it out—only for his expression to darken. The blade came out too easily; it wasn't deeply embedded.
It was broken.
"The captain's sword…" The other Sunagakure jonin's pupils contracted.
The phrase "a warrior dies with his blade" was often used for samurai, but for ninja, the sentiment was sometimes the same—especially when facing Hyuga clan members. A ninja without their weapon stood little chance against a Hyuga's close-quarters combat.
Besides, Hyuga Kyokyoku had always been stronger than Shaki.
At the beginning of the battle, Hyuga Kyokyoku had already demonstrated himself as the most powerful fighter among all present. Everyone had witnessed it.
"The captain's sword was broken… He lost. So he must have used up all his explosive tags to cause this explosion…" Akakura theorized, his eyes flashing with realization. "If that's the case, then somewhere around here…"
The broken blade had likely been blasted away in the explosion, embedding itself into the tree. As for Shaki, he had been completely blown apart—explosive tags didn't burn; they destroyed.
If this theory was correct, then there had to be remnants of Shaki's body left behind.
"Search!" Akakura commanded.
The two Sunagakure jonin split up to comb the area. Soon, Akakura found a mangled, severed hand among the underbrush. It was severed at the wrist, with some fingers blown off and the flesh charred.
The two Hyuga jonin had already noticed Akakura and his comrade, maintaining a distance of several dozen meters. The Hyuga shinobi paid them no mind—they were too preoccupied with Hyuga Kyokyoku's death.
"Something isn't right," the taller Hyuga shinobi suddenly muttered.
"Hmm?" the shorter one responded.
"Kyokyoku-sama was gravely wounded by the explosion, but he was then decapitated. Who cut off Kyokyoku-sama's head?"
"Wasn't it that Sunagakure elite jonin?"
"No. Look at their reactions!"
"Oh?"
The two Hyuga jonin turned their attention to Akakura and his companion. The taller one pointed discreetly and whispered, "They're searching for body fragments… and that broken blade. Look at them. Kyokyoku-sama wouldn't have lost in a direct fight. The explosion came from a massive detonation of explosive tags—meaning his opponent must have detonated them all in desperation. If both sides perished in the blast, then who cut off Kyokyoku-sama's head?"
"That's just speculation…"
"Ask them!"
By now, Akakura and his comrade had confirmed Shaki's death. Though they hadn't found his complete corpse, they had located enough body fragments and personal belongings, including a severed hand with a distinctive ring on the pinky finger—Shaki's.
"You bastards! Your captain is dead, and you're next!" The taller Hyuga shinobi suddenly roared, his chakra flaring as if he were about to go berserk.
The two Sunagakure jonin exchanged a glance.
"Go!"
"Retreat!"
Without hesitation, they turned and vanished into the darkness, retreating swiftly.
They fled.
The tall Hyuga jonin gradually reined in his chakra, his expression dark. "Judging by their reaction, their elite jonin is definitely dead. My deduction must be correct. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had the strength to defeat Kyokyoku-sama."
The two Hyuga shinobi turned their gazes back to Hyuga Kyokyoku's corpse.
A question loomed in their minds.
Who had decapitated him?
Could there have been other Sunagakure shinobi?
Understanding exactly how Hyuga Kyokyoku died was crucial. They needed to be sure before reporting back.
"I recall that another Sunagakure jonin had been fighting Kyokyoku-sama earlier. Could it have been him?"
"Was it him?"
"Search for his body!"
The two Hyuga jonin combed the area. Before long, they found the corpse of Sunagakure's Sagos. He had died earlier—his body had already begun to cool.
"It wasn't him."
"Then who?"
They returned to Hyuga Kyokyoku's remains, staring at the headless body and the severed head.
"There's only one possibility," the tall Hyuga shinobi said grimly. "It was the Uchiha! It was Uchiha Iwa or Uchiha Tohoku! They did it!"
"This… could it really be…?" The shorter jonin hesitated, then met his comrade's gaze. Understanding flashed in his eyes. "Yes! It was the Uchiha! It had to be them!"
"There's no other possibility. The Uchiha took advantage of the situation, assassinating Kyokyoku-sama while he was severely wounded!"
"Yes! They were nearby just moments ago, but now they've fled."
"We must return to Konoha and report this immediately!"
"Agreed. The Uchiha must not be forgiven."
The two Hyuga shinobi fabricated the conclusion they needed—blaming the Uchiha. Whether or not it was true didn't matter. This accusation was their only way to avoid severe punishment from their clan.