The two locked eyes for several tense seconds.
Yuichi finally turned away, clearly intending to leave—when Asuma's voice cut sharply through the air.
"Nagano Yuichi, stop! I order you to return to Konoha immediately."
Order?
What a joke.
This man thought he could order him.
Yuichi tilted his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he glanced back.
"You're not qualified to order me."
"I am Konoha's Elite Jōnin," Asuma shot back coldly. "And you are just a Genin. I have every right to command any Genin of this village."
"You'd better not get in my way."
Yuichi's eyes narrowed. "That's enough nonsense. Goodbye, Elite Jōnin… Asuma."
Huff—!
A surge of chakra exploded beneath Yuichi's feet, propelling him forward. His figure blurred into streaks of afterimages, vanishing into the distance in a heartbeat.
"As—!"
By the time Asuma reached out, Yuichi was already gone.
The Jōnin remained where he stood, his expression dark and stormy as he stared after the boy's fading trail.
A Genin had not only disobeyed his command but had killed a Sand shinobi Jōnin who had come under the flag of negotiation. That reckless act alone could spark a war between Konoha and Sunagakure.
If tensions erupted… there was a seventy percent chance it would ignite a Fourth Great Ninja War.
The weight of it left Asuma furious.
He had no doubt Baki's words were genuine. Sunagakure wouldn't risk such an open deception.
No—the Sand's plan had been simple: stall for time until they secured their bargaining chip—Hyūga Hinata. With her as leverage, they could reduce the price of defeat and lessen their losses.
But Yuichi had seen through it.
And Baki never imagined that this "mere Genin" would act with such ruthless decisiveness.
No hesitation. No fear of his opponent's status as an Elite Jōnin of Sunagakure.
One strike, meant to kill.
As merciless as a lion's bite.
Either he did not move—or his blow would be fatal.
That was Yuichi.
And Baki had underestimated him. The result: an Elite Jōnin cut down in an instant.
By now, Yuichi had already covered nearly a kilometer.
Ahead, faint traces of Sand shinobi footprints marked the forest floor.
He could sense them closing in on their comrades—the ones who had taken Hinata.
Through the thick trees, several Sand shinobi pressed forward at speed. Hinata hung limply in the arms of one, bound hand and foot. She had clearly been drugged, her half-lidded eyes hazy and unfocused.
"It's impossible for Konoha's ninja to catch up now," one of the Jōnin said, though there was a note of uncertainty.
Another snorted. "No one can follow us. Our escape route leaves no easy trail. To track us through this dense forest would slow any pursuer to a crawl."
"That's right." The third shinobi nodded, relief spreading across his face. "At this pace, we'll cross the border by tomorrow. Then the Wind Country will be within reach."
The three exchanged smiles, the tension in their shoulders easing.
Finally, they were safe.
Or so they thought.
A sudden weight pressed down on the air, making it hard to breathe.
Rustle…
From the darkness between the trees came a strange sound.
Shhhhhh—!
Two silver vines shot out like serpents, wrapping around the necks of two Jōnin before they even realized what had happened. In a blink, their bodies were yanked violently into the forest shadows, screams echoing for only a heartbeat—then silence.
The last Jōnin froze on his perch, heart hammering. With a sharp breath, he jerked Hinata forward, pressing a kunai hard against her throat.
"Come out! Show yourself, or this girl dies!"
Rustling.
From the undergrowth a short distance away, a figure emerged.
Yuichi stepped into view, a black jacket draped over his shoulders, a kunai lazily spinning in his hand. He tossed it upward, letting the blade twirl in the air, catching and releasing it again with absent ease.
His eyes, however, never once rested on the shinobi.
They were fixed solely on Hinata.
"Let her go," Yuichi said evenly, voice flat. "Then you can die quickly."
"Otherwise… I'll make sure not even your bones remain."
His words were soft. Unhurried. But they sent a chill racing down the Jōnin's spine.
What is this? Why am I the one being threatened? I have the hostage…!
Yuichi's voice cut through his panic.
"Three."
The shinobi blinked in disbelief. He's counting down?
"Two."
"Brat! Take one more step and I'll slit—"
"One."
The last number had barely left Yuichi's lips when the shinobi's vision warped.
Yuichi's body blurred, like a reflection rippling on water—and then vanished.
The Jōnin's eyes widened. A shadow fell across his sight—
Not darkness.
Shoes.
Yuichi's shoes, right before his face.
He's—!
Bang!
Yuichi's solid form slammed into existence, his foot smashing against the shinobi's skull. The air thundered with the force of the blow, blood spraying as the man's face crumpled.
"Ghh—!"
His body was hurled backward like a broken doll, blasting through branches as shockwaves rippled through the forest.
Yuichi landed lightly on a branch, steady as stone, Hinata safely in his arms.
Behind him, two wooden spikes shot from the trees, skewering the retreating shinobi before he could even recover.
Blood bloomed in the air. Silence followed.
The mission was complete.
Yuichi glanced at the unconscious girl in his arms.
Saving Hinata meant the Hyūga clan now owed him a favor.
Right now, such a debt meant little.
But once his strength grew… such a favor would prove invaluable.
And besides—
His eyes softened as he looked at her flushed cheeks, her small body still heavy with the drug's haze.
Even half-conscious, she looked almost unbearably cute.
Hinata's blurred eyes fluttered open, gazing up at him weakly.
Beneath the slanting sun, the wind stirred the forest leaves.
Through the shifting shadows, Yuichi carried her forward, his figure moving unhurriedly but steadily, as though nothing in the world could halt his steps.