"..."
The silence was so complete it felt dead—only the faintest phantom of a piercing ringing buzzed in the ears.
Reacting purely on instinct, Might Guy had just activated the Eight Gates, while Shigure remained frozen mid-crouch, mid-spin.
He stared blankly at Shigure's long hair slowly fluttering down behind him. Only when he heard a crisp drip and saw blood pool and shatter beneath Shigure's fingers did he snap back to reality.
"An ambush?"
Might Guy's expression turned grave. In a flash, he vanished from his spot, sprinting without hesitation in the direction the attack came from.
But when he arrived—there was no one there.
Only a pool of vivid, jarring blood and a severed right arm with a clean, smooth cut—the muscle and bone clearly exposed.
Evidently, the kunai Shigure had thrown hadn't claimed the enemy's life. It had only taken one of their arms, forcing them to flee in panic.
Shigure approached soon after, glanced at the arm on the ground, then raised his eyes to the depths of the forest.
The branches shivered in the wind; shadows and slashes of light fell between them.
"Shigure, did you see who it was?" Might Guy asked.
No blood trail—that meant the attacker had treated the wound to avoid being tracked.
"No," Shigure said, shaking his head, his tone tinged with regret. "Too fast. I couldn't see clearly."
[Ding. Your lie has been judged as "Playing Dumb." Might Guy experiences a strong emotional fluctuation. Reached 'Firm Belief' level. You gain 300 Reality Points…]
One reason Shigure had chosen to get close to Might Guy was because of his potential—he was, after all, the man who nearly kicked Madara to death in the future. The other was Guy's simple and emotionally driven nature.
He didn't doubt Shigure's word for a second, once again generating a modest point bonus. His expression turned grim. "This must be reported to Lord Third. Someone dared to commit an attack within Konoha!"
Then, remembering something, he glanced at Shigure's hand. "Right, your injury—"
"It's fine. That guy's Wind Release wasn't very good." Shigure smiled and waved it off, letting Guy see the single shallow slash on his palm.
[Ding. Your lie…]
In truth, the situation had been very dangerous. That Wind Release technique wasn't as simple as he made it sound. If he'd caught the blade instead of the handle, his hand would likely have been severed entirely.
"Whew, glad you're okay. Still, unlocking your Byakugan turned out to be a blessing in disguise," Guy said with relief. Even though he'd believed Shigure, the memory of that terrifyingly fast kunai kept his expression tight with lingering fear.
Even someone as iron-nerved as Guy felt shaken.
He wondered—if the target had been him instead of Shigure, would he have reacted in time?
The answer came quickly.
If he'd had time to open at least the First Gate, he could've dodged it. But the attack had come too fast and too suddenly. No one would expect someone to strike inside Konoha.
"Shigure, you were incredible."
Realizing this, Might Guy looked at him with newfound awe and admiration, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Seems my training still isn't enough. From now on, 500 extra handstand push-ups a day!"
Next time, even if Death itself came swinging a scythe, he'd punch his way through.
"Just luck," Shigure said with a modest smile.
No system alert came—Guy clearly saw it as skill, not luck.
"Come on, let's get your wound treated and report this to Lord Third." Guy's tone grew heavy. "I didn't think a spy would dare attack a fellow shinobi within Konoha."
A spy?
Maybe… maybe not.
Shigure looked at his already healed palm and recalled the shadow he'd seen through the Byakugan. His eyes flickered—deep in thought.
Who could it have been?
Sarutobi Hiruzen?
No—he hadn't been exposed yet.
Then maybe a remnant of Orochimaru, or…
"Danzo Shimura." Shigure sneered inwardly. "So quick to act. A master of internal strife, but useless at war."
——
Meanwhile, at the edge of the Forest of Death…
A figure cloaked in black flickered through the trees, using Body Flicker Technique repeatedly before finally stopping far from Shigure and Guy.
Clutching a bleeding stump, he knelt on a branch.
"Urgh…"
His head hung low. The pain-filled moan forced its way out between clenched teeth—tinged with unmistakable fear.
Damn it! Damn it! How did this happen!?
He had set up an ambush long before, hiding in a training ground the target frequented.
When the boy showed up, he'd felt confident. It was supposed to be a simple mission.
He used his best, most refined technique—personally taught to him by Lord Danzo.
Yet that brat had suddenly stopped, as if sensing him. Tilted his head. Activated the Byakugan—something not mentioned in the intel.
Even then, he hadn't panicked.
He'd stayed at a great distance, in the Byakugan's known blind spot.
Until the kid… closed his eyes.
He raised his hand. And caught the chakra-enhanced kunai.
Caught it. Barehanded. With his eyes closed.
And he'd caught the handle.
What kind of sick joke is this!?
Branches stretched toward the forest's edge, their leaves like a sparse net.
But using his sensory ninjutsu, he felt—as though from miles away—himself locking eyes with a pair of still, emotionless pupils.
Before he could react—
Whoosh!!
A sharp wind shrieked past.
Leaves fell like rain, cleaving his vision into ribbons.
It was… beautiful.
And then—agony.
Thud.
The sleeve of his black cloak split slowly apart, a crimson ring cutting across his arm.
Blood sprayed. His arm hit the forest floor with a brutal thud.
"That bastard caught my technique and threw it back!"
Now kneeling on a branch, still dazed from what had happened, the black-cloaked man couldn't believe it.
The intel had said that kid was a failure.
How the hell does a failure catch—barehanded—a Wind Release jutsu Danzo himself had spent years developing!?
That kind of reaction time—you're telling me he's a failure?
If he's a failure… then what the hell am I?
"Kama-itachi, what are you doing?"
A raspy voice interrupted his thoughts. He shivered.
Lifting his head slightly, he saw a shadowed figure appear, then quickly bowed low. "Lord Danzo, I…"
"Hmph. Useless. Looks like you failed."
Danzo cut him off coldly, glancing at the missing arm.
This assassin was his personally trained killer—capable of dispatching most Jonin if given proper preparation.
But now…
"You've lost your dominant hand. You're finished."
Danzo narrowed his shadowy eyes.
"Interesting. That Hyuga brat really isn't as simple as he looks. Orochimaru must've left something inside him."
Hmph. Since Hiruzen stole my Wood Release ninja, don't blame me for targeting the boy instead.