The silver moon hung high, its water-like glow pouring down.
Under the faint moonlight, Heidao Xingping moved lightly and swiftly across rooftops, slipping through shadowed corners with practiced ease.
Cloud ninja were famous for their taijutsu, and he was one of the finest. Before long, he had already reached the Hyūga Clan's Compound.
Without hesitation, he dashed across the compound's rooftops.
What he failed to notice was someone tailing him from a distance.
Noticing the unobstructed path, Aozora muttered to himself, "Could the Hidden Cloud spy actually be from the Hyūga?"
Aozora couldn't think of any other explanation for what was happening.
Everyone knew the Hyūga Clan was always on high alert; their defenses were as strong as the Hokage Tower itself.
Without an inside man, even a Kage-level expert would struggle to get close.
Since no one blocked his way, Aozora soon reached the estate of Hiashi Hyuga.
From the rooftop, Aozora clearly saw Heidao Xingping carry Hinata as he jumped out the window and landed in the courtyard below.
To Aozora's surprise, the star of this whole show, Hiashi, had still not appeared.
As Heidao Xingping was about to abduct Hinata, Aozora quickly changed into a black robe, put on a dog-faced mask, and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear before Heidao Xingping.
"Who are you? How dare you kidnap the daughter of the Hyūga Clan Leader?"
Heidao Xingping, seeing Aozora's appearance, showed a flicker of surprise in his eyes and muttered, "Konoha Anbu?"
He had never expected that the one stopping him would be from Konoha's Anbu instead of someone from the Hyūga Clan itself.
Aozora continued shouting fiercely, "Drop the Hyūga Clan Leader's daughter immediately and surrender!"
As he shouted, Aozora remained on guard, eyes darting until he finally spotted Hiashi Hyuga burst out of the house, murder in his eyes.
Seeing this, Heidao Xingping immediately unleashed chakra beneath his feet, rushing toward Aozora blocking his way as though trying to escape.
His taijutsu was far from mediocre; even an average jonin would struggle to do anything but defend and look for an escape route against such a rapid assault.
But Aozora was different. Even without activating the Sharingan, his left eye, after extensive cultivation, had developed far beyond normal dynamic vision.
Therefore, Heidao Xingping's taijutsu moves appeared slow-motion-like to Aozora, who easily discerned the openings.
However, Aozora simply parried normally, intercepting the attacks while saving the finishing blow for Hiashi.
Sure enough, Hiashi appeared behind Heidao Xingping in an instant and struck him sharply in the back with his palm.
Boom!
After a soft thud, Heidao Xingping's heart exploded instantly.
Moments later, he collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
Witnessing Heidao Xingping's sudden death before his eyes, Aozura felt a slight sense of caution toward Hiashi.
Although the Lightning-Fire Golden Body primarily enhanced exterior defense, internal organs still received some improvement, but they couldn't withstand the Hyūga's Gentle Fist.
What's more, Hiashi's gentle palm strike seemed deceptively simple, yet impossible to dodge. A moment ago, Aozora vaguely felt the surrounding air binding him.
The real problem was, Aozora wasn't even Hiashi's main target.
Aozora fixed a calm gaze on Hiashi before handing over the unconscious Hinata. Without a word, the two silently leaped to a safe distance.
Veins bulged on Hiashi's temples as he stared at Aozora and asked, "Who are you?"
The numerous sealing formulas inscribed on Aozora's cloak and mask interfered with Byakugan's detection.
"I'm just a night patrolling Anbu," Aozora replied. "I noticed someone sneaking into the Hyuga Compound, so I followed."
Then Aozora glanced toward Heidao Xingping's body and logically added, "Since Clan Leader Hiashi has already handled the situation, I'll take my leave now. Please hand this person over to our Anbu tomorrow."
After saying that, Aozora made a hand seal and vanished underground.
Hiashi didn't stop the Anbu from leaving, after all, he had left the corpse behind for him, giving him one night to investigate who had kidnapped Hinata.
Moreover, the physique and attire of this individual seemed vaguely familiar. It wouldn't be worth offending him over minor issues.
Once Aozora disappeared, Hiashi turned his attention back to checking on his daughter.
"Thankfully Hinata is unharmed, otherwise..."
Letting out a cold snort, Hiashi picked up Hinata and stepped forward to remove the kidnapper's face mask.
The black cloth dropped, revealing a forehead protector bearing the Hidden Cloud emblem. Immediately, Hiashi's expression changed drastically.
He recognized this person's identity and understood the implications of them being found within the Hyuga Compound.
Just as he was about to act, suddenly he spotted several figures approaching from afar.
Shua! Shua! Shua!
Moments later, figures stood atop nearby rooftops.
Seeing the arriving Hidden Cloud delegation and Konoha Anbu, Hiashi's expression darkened. Obviously, they came prepared and gave him no time to deal with the corpse.
At the same time, various Hyuga ninjas rushed to stand protectively in front of Hiashi.
Looking at the corpse on the ground, the leader of the Hidden Cloud Jonin loudly demanded, "May we ask what this means, Clan Leader Hiashi? Why did you kidnap our Leader and kill him?"
An Anbu Squad Captain who arrived with them also asked, "Clan Leader Hiashi, what exactly is going on here?"
Hiashi calmly stated, "Heidao Xingping coveted my clan's Byakugan, kidnapped my daughter, and paid the price with his life."
The firmness and calmness in Hiashi's tone convinced the Anbu members present, but the Hidden Cloud Jonin grew even angrier.
"We came here with intentions of peace and friendship, yet we never expected to be treated in such a disgraceful manner by Konoha!
First, you murdered our Leader, and now you dare to frame him for something he didn't do!"
Another Hidden Cloud ninja beside him said, "I clearly saw a white-robed ninja... Yes, exactly a ninja wearing the same style of clothes as Clan Leader Hiashi. That person kidnapped Leader Xingping."
The Hidden Cloud Jonin continued, "I will immediately report this to the Raikage, and demand that the Raikage declare war on Konoha!"
Hearing the Hidden Cloud Jonin threaten to declare war, a Konoha Anbu officer quickly said, "Please calm down, Jonin Ryohei! This matter appears very suspicious indeed. Please allow us some time to investigate..."
The Hidden Cloud Jonin interrupted, "Investigate what more? The evidence and witnesses are clear. If Konoha refuses to hand over Hiashi Hyuga for this murder, the Hidden Cloud will not rest until we seek retribution!"
"Absolutely not!"
Ninja from other delegations loudly echoed in agreement, "We won't let this slide!"
Provoked, the Hyūga immediately shifted into offensive stances, and the Hidden Cloud ninja instinctively reached for their weapons.
"Stop!"
Just as tensions flared, a sharp command drew everyone's attention.
Moments later, Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived on scene wearing his Sacred Robe of Office, accompanied by his Shadow Guard Team.
Witnessing this, both sides held back from taking action.
After questioning both parties, Hiruzen hesitated briefly before declaring, "Peace has been hard-earned; I will absolutely not allow anyone to disrupt the peace between our nations—be it Konoha... or Hidden Cloud."
A Jonin from Hidden Cloud demanded, "Then hand over Hiashi Hyuga immediately!"
Hiruzen replied, "This matter still has many unanswered questions. Allow us one week for investigation from Hidden Cloud. Afterward, we shall offer you a proper explanation."
The Hidden Cloud Jonin was about to argue further when Hiruzen coldly added, "Konoha has already shown great sincerity!"
Realizing he had pressed too far, the Hidden Cloud Jonin snorted, then stepped forward to retrieve Heidao Xingping's body.
A Jonin from the Hyūga Clan interjected, "Wait! He is an important clue for solving the case!"
The Hidden Cloud Jonin turned toward Hiruzen and suspiciously asked, "Is Konoha attempting to steal intelligence from Hidden Cloud?"
Upon hearing that, Hiruzen gave the Hyūga ninja a slight shake of his head, signaling them not to intervene as the Hidden Cloud delegation took Heidao Xingping's body with them.
The next day, the Hidden Cloud delegation directly transmitted news that their Leader had been kidnapped and murdered by Hiashi Hyuga back to Hidden Cloud.
Receiving such information, even the traditionally conservative dove faction became furious, officially demanding Konoha deliver the culprit.
Moreover, Hidden Cloud's Front Line troops—who had yet to withdraw—moved forward again toward the border of the Land of Fire.
Faced with Hidden Cloud's aggressive stance, Konoha currently had only two choices.
Either hand over the leader of the Hyūga Clan, or face war with Hidden Cloud.
However, most of the ninjas stationed at the Northeast Front Line had already been recalled to Konoha by Hiruzen Sarutobi. Starting a war now would only mean the Land of Fire's border falling once more.
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