Chapter 76: Hyūga Muyue
The moon hung high in the sky, casting a dim and sparse glow. The autumn wind whispered softly, and the public cemetery of Konoha was shrouded in an eerie silence. Only the rustling of dry leaves scraping against the ground and the rhythmic sound of digging broke the stillness.
A lone figure labored tirelessly, shovel in hand, digging up a grave. Judging by the soil's freshness, it was a newly filled one.
The grave digger's movements were swift and efficient. Before long, a nearly pristine coffin emerged from the earth. Though panting heavily from exhaustion, the digger's hands did not falter. He set aside the shovel and picked up a hammer and a cloth-wrapped chisel, carefully prying out the coffin nails one by one.
Finally, after much effort, the six long nails were removed. With a deep breath, the digger mustered all his strength and yanked the coffin lid open. With a loud creak, the lid was pushed aside, revealing a male corpse covered with a white cloth. The digger pulled back the cloth to examine the body.
The corpse's face was pale, yet strikingly handsome. However, it was marred by the absence of a right eye, which was covered by a black eyepatch. On the forehead was a green "X" mark, and though the man appeared to be in his thirties, his hair was completely white—an eerie sight under the moonlight.
The grave digger studied the corpse for a while, his expression tinged with both sorrow and excitement.
"Gentle Fist: Heavenly Finger Strike!"
The grave digger muttered under his breath, pressing a single finger to the corpse's chest, directly on the Tanzhong acupoint. He then pinched the corpse's philtrum tightly.
After a moment, the corpse's single eye suddenly opened wide. With a violent cough, the man sat up straight in the coffin.
The digger gently patted the one-eyed man's back, whispering, "Keep it down, keep it down."
As the one-eyed man caught his breath, he glanced around coldly.