"..."
By the faint moonlight slipping through the night sky, Yurui fixed his gaze on the dark figure ahead. His right hand was still numb from the earlier blow, and his once powerful body had gone tight. Every breath he took felt forced as he measured the threat in front of him.
"Konoha Ninja?" The thought flashed through his mind, but he rejected it at once. "No, the way this person is dressed does not match Konoha Ninja." The conclusion came quickly, driven by instinct and experience.
A long black robe swallowed the figure from head to toe, leaving no detail visible at all. The heavy malice rolling off that presence made Yurui feel as if his teeth were rotting inside his mouth. It was the kind of pressure that gnawed at the nerves without touching the skin.
If it were truly Konoha Ninja, there would be no need to hide like this. They could reveal themselves openly and signal an intrusion, trapping him with no way out. That alone told him this enemy followed different rules.
"Then that means… one of us?"
With that thought, Yurui narrowed his eyes, knowing this was his only chance. There was no time left to stall, because the figure clearly had no intention of letting him go. The only option was to kill the person in front of him, and to do it now.
No useless words were exchanged, and almost in the same instant, both moved. They rushed straight at each other, feet pounding the ground. Their movements overlapped so closely that it was impossible to tell who struck first.
Only the shrill howl of wind could be heard, as if everything caught in its path would be torn apart. Fallen leaves drifting between them were sliced in midair by flashing blades. In the next heartbeat, steel met steel.
Clang.
Blinding sparks burst between them, scattering through the dark forest. Kunai and Short Sword locked together, their edges biting hard. Yurui stared at the shadowed figure at arm's length, yet could not see a face at all, as if the darkness itself had swallowed every trace of light.
Where did this person come from, and how could they be waiting here in advance? Before he could sort out the answer, Ryuji Hyuga swept his Short Sword aside in a clean arc. Yurui reacted in kind, his Kunai sliding away as sparks sprayed from the clashing edges.
Clink, clink, clang.
Sharp edge met sharp edge again and again, metal ringing through the trees. Sparks bloomed like scattered stars and fell like rain, briefly lighting the night. The sight was almost beautiful, despite the deadly intent behind it.
Yurui could clearly tell that the person in front of him was not truly skilled with a blade. They were holding on only because their speed and strength were overwhelming. That realization gave him a sliver of confidence.
"If I just have a bit more time…"
Yet as their blades continued to clash, that thought slowly vanished. Yurui's expression darkened as he noticed something deeply wrong. The opponent's blade was becoming sharper with every exchange.
It was as if his own weapon was being used to hone the enemy's. The idea sent a chill down his spine.
"Is he using me to refine his swordsmanship?"
The thought had barely formed when it was already too late. There was a soft tearing sound. Warm blood slid down and soaked across his face.
A thin red line crept over his skin, splitting open bit by bit until it stopped at his cheekbone. The sharp pain made Yurui's pupils shake. In only a few minutes, the other man's technique had advanced from clumsy to precise enough to cut him.
"Enough."
The hoarse voice snapped him out of his shock. Ryuji Hyuga held the blade in one hand while raising the other to form seals, striking again at the same time. Their blades collided once more with a piercing shriek.
This time, no sparks flew. Instead, blue lightning burst out between them.
Lightning Release·Chidori Blade.
Crackling arcs of electricity filled the air. Lightning crawled along Ryuji Hyuga's Short Sword and surged straight into the connected Kunai. The current raced through the metal without mercy.
"Hngh!"
The pain of lightning flooding his body forced Yurui's mouth open, yet no sound came out. His body was numb and unresponsive, every muscle locked in place. Strength drained away, along with the calm he had relied on until now.
Fear of failure flooded in, followed by fear of dying without understanding why. No, no, not like this. He had been only one step away, just one final step.
Who was this man? Who exactly was standing before him?
Ryuji Hyuga did not give him time to sink further into terror. He slowly raised a palm, and mental power gathered there, forming a blue sphere of light. The glow cast faint reflections across the frozen scene.
Mental Puppet was the ability he awakened when his Kekkei Genkai reached 20.1 percent in its second stage. Through it, Toneri Otsutsuki could control another's will and read their thoughts. Now, that same power rested in Ryuji Hyuga's hand.
"Just sleep for a while."
He leaned closer, smiling faintly as he met Yurui's terrified gaze. "Your mission will be completed by me, using your body." The hunter had already become the hunted.
Thud.
As the words fell, Ryuji Hyuga pressed his palm into Yurui's chest. Ripples spread outward, as if his hand and the glowing sphere were sinking into thick mud. Moments later, he stepped back and withdrew his hand, and the Lightning Release Chakra around his blade faded away.
"..."
Yurui stood there without moving. His eyes slowly lost focus, the light inside them fading. He looked like a puppet with its strings cut.
"Interesting." Ryuji Hyuga's eyes flickered slightly. "So this is how it feels to use it for the first time." He could clearly sense a connection forming between himself and Yurui.
The sensation reminded him of the Yamanaka Clan's mind transfer technique. That technique focused the user's spirit into a single point and projected it outward to seize control of another body. It was only a C-rank support Ninjutsu, with strict limits on range, accuracy, and risk.
If the mental energy missed its target, it could not return quickly, leaving the user defenseless. Injury to the target could also rebound onto the caster, making it extremely dangerous. But the Mental Puppet once used by Toneri Otsutsuki on Hinata Hyuga, and now held by Ryuji Hyuga, was entirely different.
It was more like creating a shadow clone using a portion of Chakra and mental power to form an independent existence. There was no distance limit, and control was as natural as moving one's own arm. The puppet could even act with limited autonomy.
"If I get the chance, I should collect a few more puppets."
The thought passed through his mind, but his priority was still the Hyuga Clan. He tested his control, and the empty gaze in front of him sharpened again. In the next moment, Yurui dropped to one knee.
"Master."
"Go," Ryuji Hyuga said softly. "Go do what you are supposed to do."
"Yes, Master."
The figure called 'Yurui' bowed his head, then rose and vanished using Shunshin. After he left, Ryuji Hyuga remained standing in the layered shadows of the forest. The night was silent, broken only by faint water sounds and leaves stirring.
After a while, light footsteps approached from afar. Hizashi Hyuga stepped out from the shadows behind him. He already knew why he had been called here, and the face identical to his brother's was filled with complicated emotion.
In the darkness, Ryuji Hyuga raised his head. "The time has come," he said. "Are you ready?"