*Chapter 20: The Sorrowful Caged Bird, Hyuga Hizashi is Slain!*

The faces of the Three Swordsmen grew grim. They never expected the Konoha ninjas to arrive so quickly.

And not just that—the scale of their arrival was overwhelming!

Not only was one of the Sannin, Jiraiya, personally leading the charge, but those accompanying him were also elites.

"The Uchiha clan leader, Uchiha Fugaku, known for his deadly eyes, and Hyuga Hizashi, the younger brother of the Hyuga clan leader."

Fuguki gripped his Samehada tightly. As the head of Kirigakure’s intelligence department, he was well-versed in Konoha’s top shinobi, which made the cold sweat bead on his forehead: "There’s also Aburame Shibi, the Aburame clan leader; Yamanaka Inoichi, the Yamanaka clan leader; and Nara clan elites..."

"Are you insane? Bringing your main forces here like this—aren’t you afraid we’ll break through your frontlines while you’re distracted?"

"Water Style!"

"Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

Juzo Biwa was the first to form hand seals.

Thick mist spewed from his mouth, enveloping the surroundings and obscuring all visibility.

"Trying to use Hidden Mist to block the Sharingan’s vision, huh?"

As the mist spread, the Three Swordsmen disappeared into it, but the Konoha ninjas weren’t in a hurry.

The density of Juzo mist was incredibly high. Even the Three-Tomoe Sharingan couldn’t see through it—not even the infamous "Demon Eyes."

But Konoha had brought more than just the Sharingan!

"Juzo, the wielder of the Executioner’s Blade, is five meters to the left of Jiraiya-sama. Raiga Kurosuki is eighteen meters in front of Inoichi. Fuguki Suikazan... Fugaku-sama, be cautious of your left!"

Hyuga Hizashi’s Byakugan was active, veins bulging around his eyes as he easily pinpointed the enemies’ positions.

The Three Swordsmen gritted their teeth. With the Byakugan present, even retreat was impossible.

At the same time, the sound of wind whipping through the air echoed.

A heavy punch shot toward Fuguki.

There was a dull thud, but Fuguki managed to block with Samehada just in time. The bandages around Samehada unraveled as its spikes absorbed the chakra from Jiraiya’s punch, lessening the impact.

"Fire Style! Great Fireball Jutsu!"

"Water Style! Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Fire clashed with water, turning the dissipating mist back into steam. Juzo took this opportunity to dive back into the fog with his Executioner’s Blade, aiming it at Fugaku’s neck.

Fugaku’s Sharingan spun, predicting Juzo’s movements.

Clang!

A kunai blocked the Executioner’s Blade, and the two engaged in fierce combat within the mist.

"This won’t work. We have to take care of that Byakugan first, or we won’t even be able to escape," Raiga Kurosuki muttered grimly. His twin Thunder Swords crackled with lightning as he hurled an attack toward Hizashi.

"Secret Technique! Parasitic Insects!"

A swarm of insects intercepted the lightning, courtesy of Aburame Shibi.

Each of the Three Swordsmen found themselves locked in combat!

Seeing that his comrades had engaged the enemy, Hyuga Hizashi relaxed slightly. He continued using his Byakugan to track their enemies.

"If all seven of the swords were here, this battle would be tough. Fuguki’s Samehada could hold off Jiraiya, and the others are skilled in their own right."

"But now, with only three swordsmen and no one capable of stopping us, I, Suzaku, and Inoichi can act freely!"

Hizashi was filled with confidence.

The battle had been decided the moment they eliminated the Blood Mist Blade user with its tricky jutsu. Hizashi knew well how powerful the secret techniques of his clan could be on the battlefield.

This fight was already won!

"Inoichi, Suzaku, you... Inoichi?!"

Thud!

Yamanaka Inoichi had somehow collapsed, and Nara Suzaku now had a blade protruding from his chest.

His heart had been pierced!

"This... this can’t be real?!"

Hizashi was stunned as he looked at the familiar young face in front of him.

"What do you mean impossible? Are you talking about me being alive or about how I avoided your Byakugan?"

Yoru chuckled coldly, dropping Suzaku’s body as a system notification chimed in his ear.

The Konoha ambush had been fierce, and Yoru barely had time to use his Cicada Shell technique before being locked in place.

But at the last second, he had exchanged for a decoy body from the system’s store, saving his life.

That’s right.

The body consumed by the insect swarm wasn’t Yoru’s real body—it was his decoy!

It had cost him 10,000 points!

"And the reason I could escape your strike and avoid your Byakugan..."

With a burst of speed, Yoru appeared right in front of Hizashi. His blade swung upward, and Hizashi reflexively leaned back to dodge. However, the hit landed on his forehead protector, knocking it off.

Revealing the cursed seal of the caged bird.

"It wasn’t because my hiding technique was so advanced. It’s because of you, a branch member of the Hyuga."

"W-what?!"

Yoru sneered.

The Byakugan of the Hyuga branch members was cursed by the caged bird seal, creating a blind spot, a one-degree angle extending from the first thoracic vertebra.

Yoru had exploited this blind spot to evade the Byakugan’s detection.

Looking at Hizashi’s wild hair and the ugly curse mark, Yoru’s eyes filled with a hint of pity.

A caged bird like him—his only value was adding to Yoru’s system points!

Slash!

With a single stroke, Yoru’s blade cut deep into Hizashi’s face, slicing from his neck all the way up, splitting the caged bird mark in two.

Hizashi’s eyes widened in disbelief at his fate, and the commotion drew the attention of the others.

"Wind Style! Great Breakthrough!"

A strong wind infused with chakra blew the mist away.

Jiraiya and Fugaku looked just in time to see Yoru finishing off Hizashi.

Seeing Yamanaka Inoichi and Nara Suzaku’s lifeless bodies at Yoru’s feet, both Jiraiya and Fugaku’s expressions turned dark.

Even Aburame Shibi, known for his calm demeanor, showed signs of emotional turmoil.

"Well done, Yoru!"

Fuguki grinned widely, pulling away from Jiraiya.

Juzo and Raiga also looked pleased.

Without the Byakugan, their movements could no longer be tracked, allowing them to retreat freely.

And with the Yamanaka and Nara clan members down, their enemies’ tactics wouldn’t be interrupted.

In other words...

They might even be able to finish off the remaining Konoha ninjas right here!

(End of Chapter)