Hinata had been deeply troubled lately. Ever since Naruto left, everything in her life seemed to change.
Even Konoha itself felt different to her.
Her father, Hyūga Hiashi, remained as strict as ever, but there was something off about him now. Especially whenever Danzō's name was mentioned—there would be a faint, almost fanatical light flickering in his eyes.
Hinata couldn't understand it. Why would her father, the proud head of the Hyūga Clan, suddenly support someone like Danzō? She could never bring herself to trust the man—his aura alone made her uneasy.
Among her old classmates, tragedy had struck as well. Shikamaru was dead. And ever since, Ino and Chōji had been training like their lives depended on it.
Thinking of Naruto again, a pang of pain shot through her chest. She blamed herself—if only she hadn't been so weak, maybe Naruto would've taken her with him.
Her Byakugan eyes—pure, unclouded, like lotus flowers blooming in untouched water—reflected the turmoil within her.
Then—
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion shattered the silence. Hinata's eyes widened, and she sprinted toward the source.
"Go back, Hinata!" Hiashi's voice cut through the air, sharp and commanding. "This is not something you should be involved in!"
"No! I want to see!" she protested, her heart pounding wildly. Somehow… she could feel it. Naruto-kun is back!
"Someone, take the young lady back to her room," Hiashi ordered coldly.
Two Hyūga branch family members appeared instantly, bowing slightly before stepping forward.
"Please, Lady Hinata, don't make this difficult for us."
"No! I want to go!" Hinata shouted, trying to push past them.
"Take her back!"
Hiashi's tone left no room for argument. The men gently but firmly restrained her and led her away, her voice echoing in the courtyard.
Only once she was gone did Hiashi's stern expression soften. "Hinata… this is for your own good. The situation is too dangerous."
Activating his Byakugan, Hiashi's vision pierced through the distance—his gaze landing on a swirling mass of chakra blazing like a miniature sun.
He knew immediately.
The Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki had returned.
A single leaf drifted down before him—then, in a flash, Hiashi vanished.
At the Nara Clan compound, two old comrades sat together, deep in thought.
"Inoichi, you still haven't told Ino about Shikamaru?" Shikaku asked quietly.
Inoichi sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I can't. My daughter's barely eating these days as it is… she's been training nonstop."
Their clans had been intertwined for generations—Ino, Shikamaru, and Chōji had grown up like siblings. Ino may have teased them endlessly, but she cared for them more than anyone realized.
When the news of Shikamaru's death reached them, both Ino and Chōji had thrown themselves into their training. Seeing that fire in their eyes, Shikaku and Inoichi decided to keep the truth hidden for now.
After all, in this generation's Ino–Shika–Chō, Shikamaru had been lazy, Ino vain, and Chōji a glutton. But this tragedy had changed them—and such motivation was rare. They'd tell them the truth later.
Suddenly, Inoichi's expression shifted. "Shikaku… have all the warnings been sent out?"
"Yes," Shikaku replied, eyes narrowing. "According to Naruto's message, it's almost time. I've ordered everyone to stay indoors, no matter what happens outside."
Inoichi frowned. "If Naruto and his group can't take down Danzō, we might have to prepare another plan of escape."
Shikaku nodded grimly. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that."
Then—
BOOM!!!
A tremendous shockwave rippled through the compound. Both men's eyes lit up.
"They're here."
Outside, chaos reigned.
Members of the Umbrella organization were locked in ferocious combat, their jutsu lighting up the battlefield.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"
Fwoosh!
A slicing gale ripped through the air—
BOOM!!!
The battle for Konoha had begun.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!"
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
One jutsu after another burst forth, engulfing the streets of Konoha in roaring explosions. Fire and smoke swallowed the rooftops, and waves of dust rose like a storm.
"Hahaha! How exhilarating!"
Kizawano roared with laughter, his voice filled with manic delight. Two Konoha shinobi lay defeated at his feet, their flak jackets scorched and torn. Once, he had been just another wandering rogue — a no-name shinobi who happened to stumble upon a strange chakra training method.
Facing a titan like Konoha had always filled him with dread. He still remembered the day a Leaf ninja nearly killed him for simply bumping into someone in a crowded market.
And now... he was fighting against Konoha's elite.
All thanks to the Chakra Armor he wore.
Once a mere genin, he now possessed the strength of a chūnin. With the latest model of Chakra Armor, he could even overpower an elite chūnin head-on.
And he wasn't the only one. Across the battlefield, countless members of Umbrella wore similar suits, their movements fluid and deadly.
Those trained in taijutsu struck with monstrous power — every punch could shatter bone and tear tendon. Once they closed the distance, Konoha's defensive ninjutsu were nothing more than paper walls.
"Ah! What—Aoshi! Wake up!"
A Konoha ninja shouted, staring in horror at his comrade Sarutobi Aoshi, who had collapsed without warning, blood trickling from a wound no one had seen inflicted.
"Sniper!" he realized too late. "There's an enemy using hidden weapons from afar! Everyone, be careful!"
But the chaos was everywhere — fire, debris, screams — his voice barely carried beyond the few nearest to him.
"Fujino-sensei! Are you alright?"
A young shinobi ran to aid a wounded jonin — Shimura Fujino.
"I'm fine," Fujino growled, scanning the smoke-filled horizon. "But stay alert. These enemies use strange methods... and those devices on their bodies amplify their strength!"
As his words fell, a chill ran down his spine again. He moved instinctively — another unseen projectile sliced through the air where he had just been standing.
High above, perched on a massive oak overlooking Konoha, a Hyūga ninja sighed quietly.
"Missed again. Looks like I'm still not quite ready to take down a jonin…"
His name was Hyūga Shin, a branch family member and a modest chūnin by rank — but within Umbrella, he was known by another title: The Eagle Eye of the Byakugan.
Once, he'd been a forgettable shinobi, mocked for relying too much on accuracy rather than traditional Hyūga techniques. Precision kunai throws? Useless, they said — when an Earth-Style Wall could block them all.
For years, he lingered at the bottom, destined to remain an ordinary chūnin forever.
Until Naruto found him.
Naruto gave him purpose, freedom... and the impossible — the removal of his Caged Bird Seal.
From that day onward, Shin's loyalty had been absolute.
Now, his talent had evolved beyond simple kunai. The weapon in his hands wasn't a crossbow or a firearm of the old world — it was a chakra rifle, an invention of Umbrella, fusing shinobi chakra with lethal precision.
He steadied his breathing.
"Let's see, Fujino… can a jonin dodge this?"
Fujino crouched low, scanning the treeline. His instincts screamed danger. That killing intent — sharp, unwavering — was aimed straight at him.
He darted forward, weaving between shattered walls. Another invisible strike grazed past him, slicing a lock of his hair.
"That direction…" Fujino's eyes narrowed. "Found you."
He charged toward the sniper's perch.
"Oh? Coming my way, are you?" Shin muttered, smirking. "Let's see who hits first."
He exhaled slowly. His Byakugan flared, veins bulging around his eyes. Every heartbeat, every flicker of movement in Fujino's body — visible to him.
He squeezed the trigger.
Bang!
Fujino twisted midair, narrowly dodging. A shallow cut opened across his cheek.
"Damn it!" he spat, wiping away the blood. Rage surged within him.
Shin exhaled again — long, slow, steady. His mind was calm, his breathing shallow. His gaze sharpened like an eagle's as he aligned his next shot.
This is it.
Bang!
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!" Fujino's hands blurred, slamming against the ground. A massive slab of earth rose before him.
He smirked from behind it. "A mere chūnin dares challenge me?"
"Don't underestimate me," Shin murmured.
Bang!!!
The bullet curved — bending mid-flight with chakra control — and pierced straight through the Earth Wall.
A dull thud.
Fujino's eyes went wide as blood blossomed from his chest.
"Impossible…" he gasped, collapsing to his knees. "An Earth Wall can't… stop it…"
Shin lowered his rifle, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
That was a curved bullet — a technique he'd developed himself, never taught by Naruto.
A testament to his skill.
A sign that even those once caged could soar freely.
...
TN:
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