Uchiha Hayashi felt a sudden wave of dizziness. His arm tingled strangely, with a pale purple hue creeping along the skin. It wasn't a normal poison—it felt like a chronic neurotoxin, creeping slowly, insidiously.
The Sand-nin shinobi who had delivered the blow watched with cruel satisfaction. His blood had been modified—given a nerve poison that lingers and spreads through any wound. There was no antidote known.
Hayashi swallowed hard, reaching into his pouch for antidote pills.
Before he could even pop one into his mouth, the Sand-ninja reappeared behind him, kunai glinting dangerously in hand.
With reflex born of survival, Hayashi drew a kunai himself and used its ring to parry the incoming blade. Simultaneously he kicked the attacker in the chest.
The Sand-ninja skidded backward across the sand, feet digging into the ground.
Hayashi seized the moment.
In mid-air he triggered his jutsu: rock erupted beneath the ninja—four earth pillars thrust upward like spears aimed at his body.
With agile flips he dodged the stabbing columns, then hurled his kunai at the enemy.
But the ninja had already vanished with a swift Body-Flicker jutsu. The kunai landed, piercing the sand deep—had the ninja not escaped, it would have been lethal.
Hayashi collapsed to one knee, chest heaving.
The antidote pills had barely entered his system. Pain and weakness coursed through him—this toxin was harsh.
The Sand-ninja sneered, approaching with cruel amusement. "Can't get up? I timed you well. Not bad for a Leaf's so-called genius. You lasted longer than most."
Hayashi's vision blurred. His body felt heavy, movements labored. Survival hung by a thread.
Still, he refused to show fear.
As the ninja lunged, Hayashi delivered a sudden, high-pitch shout—and activated a sound-based genjutsu, aiming to seize control of the ninja's senses.
The attacker froze, muscles locked for an instant, just inches from striking.
But as powerful as this illusion was, it could not hold him more than a second. Instantly the ninja disrupted his chakra, prepared to slash.
Hayashi sprang back, drawing a kunai charged with Lightning-style chakra. The blade hissed in the air as he lunged forward.
With flickering speed, he slashed at the ninja's chest. The blade bit deep, chakra igniting the wound as it carved a narrow cut.
Lightning danced along the blade, burning flesh and chakra simultaneously. The ninja staggered, hands clawing at the injury.
But he was far from done.
He twisted violently, and suddenly Hayashi felt a burning pain as nails—poisoned claws attached to the ninja—cut into his arm. He gasped, shock flashing across his face.
Blood and pain surged. Poison coursed through his nerves, but Hayashi didn't retreat.
Instead, he locked eyes on his opponent.
"Distracted in battle? That's fatal."
He vanished into motion—kunai flashed, chakra surged.
Before the ninja could counterattack again, Hayashi delivered another explosive strike. The lightning-imbued kunai flew like a missile, piercing straight through the ninja's chest.
The body went limp and crumpled, chest collapsing with a final gasp.
Hayashi collapsed too. The cost had been heavy—his chakra nearly depleted, body trembling.
Nearby, a girl with cobalt hair dropped to her knees—Himeji. She had tried to intervene, but the ninja's strike had thrown her off.
Her Byakugan eyes were wide, tears forming, but she didn't move.
Hayashi managed a weak whisper: "Stay back, Himeji… It's over."
Himeji shook her head, voice shaking but firm. "I won't run. You protected me before. If you fall… then I must protect you now."
Her words hung in the smoky air.
Hayashi attempted a faint smile, but the pain wracked his body and consciousness slipped away.
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