Mayfair leaned her back against the tree, smiling softly as she looked at Kazehaya Hayate. She patted the ground beside her and said gently, "Brother, come sit with Mayfair."
"Yeah." Hayate smiled and took a step forward—
SHH!
A flash of silver cut through the air. A long blade burst through the tree trunk, piercing straight through Mayfair's back. Crimson droplets splattered against the silver-white steel.
Hayate's eyes widened. "M–Mayfair!!"
Her lips still curved faintly, that same warm smile frozen in place as her eyes glazed over.
"Heh… walked right into it."
A man stepped out from behind the tree, dressed in a shinobi uniform with a Sunagakure forehead protector gleaming on his brow. He was a vulture—one of the mercenaries hired by the tea merchants. Knowing the mission's danger had exceeded his pay grade, he had decided to hang back, waiting for both sides to exhaust each other before swooping in to claim the prize.
He'd counted on Jiraiya being too distracted by the battle to notice him. But when the Sannin entered Sage Mode, his perception sharpened beyond the vulture's expectations—forcing him to retreat.
So the man hid, waiting on the only road out of the Land of Tea for the survivors to emerge—weak, wounded, easy prey.
And now, at last, his target had appeared: the Blood Clan's leader, Mayfair. The perfect opportunity… until this boy ruined it.
"You're… a Konoha shinobi?" The vulture frowned, studying Hayate. Recognition flashed in his eyes. "I've seen you before—at the tea hall. The kid following the Leaf group."
Hayate's hands trembled. "You… you actually…" His voice cracked as his gaze fell on Mayfair, her small frame limp, the blade still impaling her. His breath hitched. "You killed her…"
His eyes turned scarlet with rage. "I'll kill you!!"
Whoosh!
The Body Flicker Technique activated in a flash of wind. Before the vulture could even blink, Hayate was behind him.
Chhk!
The kunai in Hayate's hand struck the vulture's back—but instead of flesh, it hit something hard. A burst of fine sand exploded from the wound.
"The… Armor of Sand?!" Hayate thought, cold sweat prickling his neck. He hadn't expected the man to know such a defensive technique—coating his body in sand, much like a shield.
The vulture stiffened as he felt the impact. He jumped back, widening the distance between them, his eyes narrowing.
"How did this brat—get behind me so fast?" he thought, shaken. "That was the Body Flicker, wasn't it? But he's just a kid… how could he already master that level of jutsu?"
Hayate's eyes darted to Mayfair's still body. His heart clenched.
The vulture followed his gaze, his greed returning. He sneered. "You know, kid, that girl's head—the Blood Clan leader—she's worth seventy million ryō. I could split you a thousand ryō for helping me out. Consider it a fair reward. After all, she's dead. Shouldn't the living make the best of it?"
Hayate's glare could have cut stone. His voice was low and shaking with fury. "Don't you dare… say another word."
He lunged.
Shing!
His kunai sliced through the air, aiming for the vulture's eyes.
"Hmph! Fool!" The vulture twisted aside with a sneer, narrowly avoiding the strike.
"It's not over yet!" Hayate's voice came from nowhere. In the same instant, he vanished again—then reappeared beside the vulture. Snatching his thrown kunai out of midair, he slashed again in one seamless motion.
Clang!
The kunai struck the vulture's sand-covered arm and fell to the ground with a sharp clang.
The mercenary lowered his arm, grains of sand spilling away from the cracked armor. He glared at Hayate coldly. "You'd better stop, brat. I'm offering you money. I'm doing you a favor."
Hayate's teeth clenched. "Even if I had nothing… even if I were starving in the gutter… Mayfair's life isn't something that can be bought with money!"
The vulture's smirk faded. His expression hardened. "Then die with her."
He slammed his hands together in a rapid seal. "Sand Illusion: Jellyfish Mirage!"
"Not good!" Hayate's instincts screamed. He teleported instantly, vanishing nearly five hundred meters away.
But as soon as he landed, a low hum filled the air.
"...!"
When he opened his eyes, the world had changed. The forest was gone—replaced by an endless desert, stretching beyond sight in every direction.
"A genjutsu!" Hayate realized in horror. "I fell for it!"
He frantically searched his memory for a way to dispel it, flipping through the knowledge embedded in his system.
Then—a flash of inspiration.
"System! Exchange for the Eye of Illusion Break!"
Ding!Congratulations. You have acquired the pupil technique: Eye of Illusion Break.Effect: Instantly dispels all forms of genjutsu.
"Eye of Illusion Break!" Hayate shouted. His pupils changed, transforming into a shimmering lotus pattern.
"Break!!"
Crack!
The false desert shattered like glass, fragments scattering into nothing. The world snapped back to normal.
And before he could even take a breath—
Whoosh!
The vulture was already lunging straight at him.