Hizashi, who was engaged in combat with the mysterious masked man, felt as though his proud Gentle Fist techniques were being swallowed whole, utterly failing to deal any substantial damage to his opponent.
After just a dozen or so exchanges, Hizashi was already shaken, while the enemy moved leisurely along the courtyard wall, effortlessly blocking his attacks with just one hand.
The cold moonlight reflected off the white three-eyed fox mask, and the mysterious man seemed to be looking at Hizashi with a thoughtful gaze.
Hizashi activated his Byakugan, veins bulging around his temples as he attempted to see through the enemy's true form.
But he discovered that underneath the white three-eyed fox mask lay only an abyss-like darkness, devouring all who dared to look… a sight that sent chills down his spine!
An indescribable sense of terror surged within him, breaking Hizashi's focus.
Seizing the opportunity, Uzumaki Menma clenched his fist, the strike carrying a piercing howl as it slammed into Hizashi's face, sending him tumbling off the wall.
Hizashi flipped midair, twisting his body to land unsteadily, cold sweat dripping down his back.
As he looked up at the mysterious man still standing atop the wall, it felt as though a pair of cold, calculating eyes were scrutinizing him from behind that mask.
Whoosh-
At the critical moment, Hiashi swooped in like a white falcon, launching a direct assault on the masked man atop the wall.
Hizashi followed closely, and the two brothers used the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist techniques and the tacit cooperation between the brothers to continuously perform various combination moves.
Hiashi charged head-on from the front, Chakra condensed in his palm, and shouted loudly:
"Eight Trigrams! Sixty-Four Palms!"
At the same time, Hizashi quickly adjusted his stance, forming a pincer attack with his elder brother. Chakra gathered in his palms as he struck relentlessly: "Eight Trigrams! Thirty-Two Palms!"
The two executed an exquisite combination of Gentle Fist techniques, weaving what seemed like a net of Chakra as they closed in on the masked man from both sides.
In an instant, three figures flickered and clashed atop the courtyard walls. The collisions of Chakra stirred violent gusts of wind, forcing the surrounding Hyuga Clan's members to shield their faces with their sleeves, struggling to withstand the pressure.
[Spiralling Ring]
Menma felt that it was almost time, so he clenched his right hand and formed a black Rasengan, aiming straight for the blind spot in Hizashi's defense.
In an instant, a sudden sense of mortal danger engulfed Hizashi.
Without hesitation, Hizashi instinctively released all the Chakra from his Chakra Points in an instant, forming a swirling blue Chakra barrier to protect himself.
[Eight Trigrams Palms Rotation]
Boom!
The small Spiralling Ring slammed into Hizashi's Rotation. The violent Dark Chakra tore through the defense, sending Hizashi flying backward.
Pfft-
A mouthful of blood sprayed from Hizashi's lips as his body was flung several meters away!
"Hizashi!"
Hiashi's furious shout hadn't even finished when an icy voice suddenly reached his ears.
"You're next."
The masked man had somehow already appeared right in front of Hiashi.
At this time, a large amount of Chakra was condensed in the hands of the masked man, and one could vaguely see the Chakra transforming into a ferocious lion heads.
"What! How could you-" Hiashi's entire body prickled with alarm as he tried to activate Rotation.
However, the mysterious masked man was even faster than before.
[Twin Lion Fists] Menma's fists struck out, slamming heavily into Hiashi's chest.
Hiashi was sent flying like a broken kite, plummeting from the high wall.
"Hiashi-sama!" The other Ninjas of the Hyuga Clan quickly rushed forward, forming a protective circle around their fallen leader.
Under the rising full moon, Menma, cloaked in darkness, his white three-eyed fox mask gleaming, stood imposingly atop the Hyuga Clan's front gate. Behind the mask, cold eyes seemed to scrutinize the entire Hyuga Clan's compound.
"Just who are you?!" Hiashi forced himself to his feet, his chest heavily injured, blood trickling from his lips as he stared in shock at the figure on the wall.
'Menma, a lot of Ninja are closing in fast.' Inside his high collar, the little Nine-Tails clung to Menma's shoulder, relaying the sensed movements.
Whoosh-
Menma instantly jumped down from the high wall and appeared next to the body of the dead Kumogakure's envoy.
"All gifts of fate come with a hidden price." Menma said, tilting his white three-eyed fox mask slightly toward Hiashi.
Then, he turned his gaze toward Hizashi, who lay on the massive crater on the ground.
"I'll be back."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh-
At that moment, countless figures rushed toward the Hyuga Clan's compound from all directions.
"Hyuga Clan's Head! The Anbu have been ordered to investigate the commotion!" An Anbu's Ninja wearing a cat mask and carrying a tanto landed on a nearby telephone pole beside the two Hyuga brothers.
However, even the battle-hardened Kakashi was shocked by the scene before him.
The Head of the Hyuga Clan appeared heavily injured, while Hizashi lay motionless in a deep crater, his condition unknown.
Several Hyuga Clan's Jonin stood nearby, their expressions tense as they warily watched the mysterious figure in the distance.
"This guy's bounty isn't small." The masked man remarked as he grabbed the corpse from the ground.
Kakashi looked carefully and realized that it was the Kumogakure's envoy!
"Impossible! Wasn't the Kumogakure's envoy supposed to be..." An Anbu's Ninja landed beside Kakashi, his voice filled with disbelief.
But the masked man hoisted the envoy's body onto his shoulder and leaped back onto the high wall in an instant.
"Such speed!" Even Kakashi, an Anbu Captaion, recognized how dangerous this opponent was.
But the masked man had no intention of fighting. Instead, he swiftly retreated, vanishing into the night with a few rapid body flickers.
"After him!" Kakashi gave the order and rushed out first. After him, the Anbu's Ninjas immediately gave chase.
They absolutely could not let the enemy escape with the Kumogakure envoy's body… This would be a direct insult to Konoha's reputation!
An insult to the Third Hokage himself!
Once the mysterious masked man had fled and the Anbu had chased after him, Hiashi clutched his chest and walked over to Hizashi, who was being treated.
"Brother…" Hizashi gasped, his back torn open by the Dark Chakra of the Spiralling Ring, the wound deep enough to expose bone. Blood poured from the injury.
Surviving a direct hit from the Spiralling Ring, an S-Rank Ninjutsu comparable to the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, was nothing short of a miracle.
"Don't talk! Kamado, get Hizashi to Konoha Hospital immediately!" Hiashi ordered sternly.
"Yes!" Kamado bowed slightly before carrying Hizashi on his back and dashing toward the Konoha Hospital.
Looking at the Hyuga Clan's compound after the great battle, Hiashi felt a lingering sense of dread.
'If not for the sudden appearance of that masked man, me killing of the Kumogakure's envoy could have triggered a catastrophic diplomatic incident… perhaps even reigniting the war between Kumogakure and Konoha, leading to countless more deaths.'
'But... that guy… how did he know the Twin Lion Fists?!' Hiashi pressed a hand to his chest, still feeling the residual heat from the attack.
'That strike...'
"Huh?" A young voice suddenly sounded, interrupting Hiashi's thoughts.
He turned to see his daughter, Hinata, who had somehow woken up.
Looking at the chaotic scene around her, Hinata's chubby face displayed an uncharacteristically mature expression.
"Tsk~" The Little Hinata planted a hand on her hip and scoffed disdainfully, "Old man, why are you dragging me out to go shopping in the middle of the night?"
"Pfft-"
Hiashi felt his chest tighten, nearly coughing up another mouthful of blood.
'Oh no! The young lady's second personality is acting up again!' Hyuga Takashi, a Jonin beside Hiashi, tensed up and subtly took a step back, as if facing a formidable enemy.