Chapter 83
The blazing tree illuminated the surroundings as Haruto Saito had just left, rushing out of the area bathed in firelight and into the dense fog. From another direction, two high-ranking Hyuga clan shinobi sprinted toward the scene.
They arrived at the charred, bloodstained, headless corpse and instinctively slowed their steps.
Their gazes fell upon the severed head that had rolled aside. Though half of the face was burned beyond recognition, they could still tell who it was... their captain, a prominent figure among the younger generation of the Hyuga clan, the leader of the Konoha Intelligence Division's reconnaissance team, and the only son of the Hyuga clan's Second Elder—Hyuga Kyokyoku!
Hyuga Kyokyoku held many prestigious titles, each of which carried significant weight, marking his special status within the clan.
He had been a key figure in the Hyuga clan's future, a promising candidate to ascend to the rank of an elder like his father.
Yet now, he was dead.
"Kyokyoku-sama... Kyokyoku-sama..."
"This is... this is a disaster..."
The two Hyuga jonin murmured, teetering on the edge of despair, their eyes flashing with fear. Hyuga Kyokyoku's death was shocking, but that wasn't the worst part—the real terror lay in the fact that he was dead, while they were still alive.
In the rigid hierarchy and brutal traditions of the Hyuga clan, the death of someone as important as Hyuga Kyokyoku while on a mission meant consequences. Someone had to take responsibility. Someone had to pay for his death.
Meanwhile, Akakura and another Sunagakure jonin had also arrived nearby, crouching on a tree at a safe distance from the flames, observing the scene.