"Jiraiya will lead another squad over tomorrow. It'll be fine."
Tsunade said.
As expected, the higher-ups in the village were already quickly preparing a second squad, which would set out for the battlefield tomorrow.
So, tomorrow night... is the best time to act.
With Tsunade's hint, Hakushi was even more certain about this.
"Tsunade-sensei, is it really okay not to go with them? I heard the Hidden Sand Village is coming in full force this time. The frontlines..."
Worry appeared on Hakushi's face.
Shizune seemed about to say something but held back, thinking it over. After all, this was an important village secret and shouldn't be revealed easily to outsiders.
She only knew a little because she lived with Tsunade.
This information was top secret in the village.
"I told you, it's fine, you don't need to worry. With the abilities of those two, they should be able to hold off the Hidden Sand Ninjas. Besides, I'm already tired of fighting. This teaching job was forcibly assigned to me by Teacher Sarutobi."
Tsunade deftly ended the topic, her eyes gazing out the window, lost in thought.
Obviously, no matter how calm she pretended to be, she was still worried about Orochimaru and Jiraiya inside.
Not wanting to annoy Tsunade further, Hakushi sat at his place and started preparing lessons, while Shizune went to make two cups of hot tea, setting them in front of Tsunade and Hakushi on the table.
At 5:30 p.m., classes at school finished. After answering some students' medical questions, Hakushi left the school and started wandering around the village.
He wandered until the sky was fully dark, then, feeling the time was right, he headed back toward the Uchiha Clan Land.
The patrol work for today was done. As long as he checked again before the action tomorrow night, there should be no problem.
Unless there was some major accident, the plan didn't need to change. But the biggest issue now was, indeed, how to explain things to Ruri tonight.
As for whether Ruri would leave Konoha with him or not, Hakushi wasn't too sure.
The ties between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha ran deep, and Ruri was a ninja of the Uchiha Clan. The complicated fate between Uchiha and Konoha was also Ruri's fate with Konoha.
In short, whatever the result, he just had to face it calmly.
This village—it's time to say goodbye.
He had already asked the head of the Shion Flower Company to hand over valuable medical research materials to Konoha, in exchange for the village training medical ninjas for the organization. That would be his final gift.
Go back and rest, then wait for Ruri to return, and confess to her that he would be leaving Konoha. That was the choice Hakushi had made in his heart.
With this resolve, Hakushi returned to his room, calmly awaiting Ruri's return after she finished her patrol, ready to tell her the truth.
"It's seven-thirty..."
He remembered Ruri saying she'd rotate shifts with another team around eight—only half an hour left.
Hakushi gave a bitter smile. Honestly, for some reason, his mood was getting increasingly uneasy.
Thinking it over, it wasn't really a big deal, as long as he explained clearly. Yet, before the moment even came, he was already so nervous.
Damn, better go wash my face and calm down, sort out my thoughts.
Hakushi thought and headed towards the bathroom.
The hallway was well-lit, so he could see everything clearly. Walking toward him was a maid carrying a tray of food.
"Um, dinner is ready. Would you like it now?"
The maid said.
"Just leave it in the dining room. Ruri will be back soon."
"Yes."
After saying that, the maid suddenly looked up, locking eyes with Hakushi. A sharp crimson gleam flashed in her eyes.
Within that crimson glow, three black magatama spun, unleashing powerful donjutsu.
After the illusion technique took hold, the maid reached beneath her tray and pulled out a short knife, viciously stabbing at Hakushi's heart without mercy.
Hakushi's expression stayed unchanged.
The short knife the maid held really did strike his body.
But in that instant, the scene abruptly changed.
A giant sphere of water enveloped the maid, filled with huge amounts of chakra. The crushing water pressure inside made the maid unable to move her limbs, powerless to struggle, spitting bubbles in agony.
"This is the end."
A cold voice came from directly behind Hakushi.
If he didn't evade, he'd be killed. The killing intent source was far more terrifying than the maid who'd ambushed him.
And the maid's current stiff state—her attempt to assassinate him—was clearly due to being controlled by an illusion technique.
Not only was she controlled, but an additional Sharingan illusion was set in her eyes.
This was a double-layered illusion technique.
Within the Uchiha Clan, only elite jonin-level ninja could pull that off.
"!?"
The attacker's eyes widened. Pitch-black shadows appeared out of nowhere in solid form—it was a barrage of strangely shaped Black Shadow Blades, each deadly, striking at him.
The attacker broke out in a cold sweat, leaping backward, putting distance between him and Hakushi.
What... what is that?
Shadows?
He touched the blood on his face. At some point, his cheek had been cut open.
If he'd been any slower, his head would probably already be separated from his body.
No sound, no mass—if not for his pain reflex kicking in and alerting him, he wouldn't even have known he was counter-attacked.