Naruto: Naruto's Uchiha girlfriend is too tsundere

He gasped for breath, each word laced with the stench of blood, "Once we obtain the Byakugan...Kumakuya can master the power to detect chakra! Everything we've done... is for the greater good of the nation!"

His voice rose, almost hysterical. "Come on! Kill me! But remember—for every Cloud Village ninja you kill, the Raikage's rage will grow! You and those behind you will pay the price for what you've done today!"

In an instant, Zruid felt the fingers gripping his throat tighten slightly. Even more terrifying, the chakra emanating from beneath the mask suddenly turned chillingly cold, as if the surrounding air itself began to freeze.

"National righteousness..."

The black-robed man's voice was as deep and resonant as an echo from hell. "So this so-called righteousness—"

"So, it's kidnapping a three-year-old child?"

"Is it about forcing others to voluntarily die?"

"Is this world just a place where innocent people are being devoured alive?!"

Each question struck like a hammer blow. Suddenly, the man in black grabbed Zruid's hair, forcing him to look directly at his men being ravaged by the Nine-Faced Beast. The celestial maiden's ribbons were hoisting a rebel into the air, the Southern Dipper's scythe already pressed against his throat.

"Don't think... just because I've said a few high-sounding words..."

"That way, they can portray themselves as righteous!"

Zruid's body convulsed uncontrollably. He felt a sinister force corroding his body, and under the shadow of death, he suddenly recalled the terrifyingly calm smile of the branch family ninja as Hyuga Hizashi was being led onto the prison cart.

"but..."

The man in black robes suddenly calmed down, "Is my heart and actions as clear as a mirror, and all my deeds truly righteous?"

"I admire your awareness..."

“Goodbye.”

“Crack.”

The crisp sound of bones cracking echoed across the battlefield. The man in black robes deftly snapped Zruid's neck, tossing his body aside like a rag doll. Almost simultaneously, the Nine-Faced Beast's slaughter reached its climax—blood splattered in eerie arcs, screams and wails rising and falling.

As the last Cloud Village ninja collapsed to the ground, the man in black robes suddenly raised his hand: "Leave one alive."

The ribbon that the celestial maiden was about to stab suddenly stopped, hovering less than an inch in front of the young ninja's terrified, wide-open eyes.

The black-robed man's footsteps traversed the blood-stained plain. He arrived at the specially made prison cart at the end of the convoy, where the heavy iron door still bore the seal of the Hidden Clouds.

"boom--!"

A straight punch landed squarely on the door lock. The steel lock shattered like paper, and the iron door twisted and deformed under the force of the impact, bursting open with a crash.

Inside the prison van, Hyuga Hizashi remained kneeling, a black blindfold obscuring his vision, and rough ropes digging deep into the flesh of his wrists. The sudden sunlight stung his eyes, which had been deprived of light for so long; even through the fabric, he could feel the change in external light.

what happened?

The sounds of fighting and screams gradually subsided, replaced by an eerie silence. Hizashi's heart pounded uncontrollably—the convoy had clearly been attacked, but it couldn't possibly have been reinforcements sent by Konoha.

If Konoha is willing to help...

He thought bitterly, how could he have been forced to the point of voluntarily going to his death?

Could it be that other ninja villages had learned of the news and come to vie for the Byakugan? The thought had barely crossed his mind when Hizashi felt his wrist lighten—the ropes that had bound him for so long were cleanly severed. Immediately afterward, his collar tightened, and he was lifted up by an irresistible force, staggering as he was dragged off the prison cart.

As their feet touched the soft ground, a strong stench of blood assaulted their nostrils. Even without seeing, Hijiri could tell from the pungent smell that a massacre had just taken place here.

The surviving Cloud Village ninja collapsed to the ground, his short sword trembling uncontrollably. His gaze swept across the battlefield: the Grim Reaper's scythe dripped with the blood of his comrades, the Celestial Maiden's ribbons laid down twisted corpses, and the remaining summoned beasts trampled on shattered carcasses...

Why... did you leave me behind?

The answer was quickly revealed.

The man in black robes dragged Hyuga Hizashi slowly forward, surrounded by nine terrifying summoning beasts like guards. The surviving ninja looked up and met the gaze of the fox mask looking down at him.

"Eye roll..."

A deep voice came from beneath the mask.

"I'll accept it."

The man in black robes turned slightly to the side, allowing the trembling ninja to see the "spoils of war" in his hand.

"Go back and tell the Raikage... if he wants revenge and to reclaim the Byakugan... come find me in the Land of Fire. I'll be waiting for that brute."

Before the words were even finished, a sudden gust of wind arose from the ground! The survivor instinctively closed his eyes, and when he opened them again—

Only corpses remained on the desolate plain. The black-robed man, the summoned beast, the Hyuga captives... all had vanished without a trace, leaving only the stench of blood and deep drag marks on the ground. These testified to the reality of what had just happened.

The surviving ninja stood frozen for a long time, then suddenly went berserk and ran wildly toward the direction of Kumogakure, like a wild dog fleeing for its life.

Chapter 25 The Qualification to Be Saved

The Land of Hot Springs is located in the northeastern part of the Land of Fire. This small country, without any ninja villages, is shrouded in the misty vapors of hot springs year-round. Volcanic geothermal activity has created numerous hot springs, with rising steam perpetually swirling among the scattered inns. It serves as an ideal meeting place for spies from major powers and a favorite trading hub for black market merchants.

Dog's Bath Inn is located at the end of the town's busiest street. Legend has it that long ago, when this was just a poor little village, a dog suddenly appeared one day. It kept barking at a certain spot on the ground, and the villagers, unable to bear it any longer, eventually dug up that spot of land with the help of the village's young men.

"Plop!"

Suddenly, scalding hot spring water gushed forth, and billowing steam instantly enveloped the entire village. From then on, this village, which prospered because of the hot spring, gradually flourished and eventually developed into the hot spring town it is today. The villagers firmly believed that the dog was a messenger sent by the dog god, so they named the hot spring "Dog's Bath," and the inn built later also adopted this name.

Japanese-style room on the second floor of the hotel

The paper door was gently pulled open, and Hyuga Hizashi knelt by the window. His black eye patch had already been removed, but his pure white eyes were still slightly narrowed, as the long period of darkness made it difficult for him to adapt to the light.

They had been traveling for two full days since they were rescued. During that time, the man in black robes gave him no instructions other than to use a transformation spell to disguise himself as an ordinary traveler. There were no restraints, no torture, and not even any extra conversations; just a simple "keep up" was all it took to bring him across the border to this place.

This is...

Hizashi's fingertips unconsciously traced the rim of his teacup, a barrage of questions swirling within him. If the other party truly intended to seize the Byakugan, they could have bound him up like the Cloud Village had done. And if they were ninjas from other villages, they shouldn't have launched such a high-profile attack on the Cloud Village's convoy.

What puzzled him most was...

The man in black robes said "I'll accept your disdain" when he saved him, but so far, the man has never even touched his eyes.

Familiar footsteps sounded outside the paper door, and Hizashi immediately straightened his back. With a creak, the figure wearing a fox mask appeared in the doorway, still dressed in the same black robe. Fortunately, the faint sense of oppression emanating from him had probably disappeared since they were no longer fighting.

Hyuga Hizashi maintained a standard kneeling posture. Opposite him, the mysterious man also sat on the ground, the hem of his black robe spread out on the rush-woven tatami mat, and a fox mask completely concealed his face in shadow.

A silence fell over the room, broken only by the faint sound of the hot spring water flowing outside the window. As Hizashi pondered how to begin the conversation...

"You must have a lot of questions right now."

The masked man suddenly spoke, his voice coming through the mask.

“Regarding my identity, I cannot tell you in detail.” He raised his hand, his fingertips lightly tapping his mask. “This mask cannot be removed either. If you need a name… just call me ‘Mianma.’”

“Menma…sir.” Hizashi carefully chose the honorific title. After the other party had single-handedly annihilated the entire Cloud Village delegation, he instinctively maintained the highest level of courtesy.

He took a deep breath, his white eyes fixed on the eerie mask. "This question may be a bit presumptuous... but what is your purpose?"

Surprisingly, Menma didn't seem to mind the direct question. She remained casually seated on the tatami mat.

"It's alright, there's no need to beat around the bush. Strictly speaking, I don't belong to any particular ninja village. As for saving you..."

"It's not because I want to be looked at."

Hizashi's body stiffened visibly for a moment. The words "I'll accept your disdain" from the battlefield still echoed in his ears, yet now they were being dismissed so casually?

Seemingly sensing his confusion, Menma offered an explanation. "That statement, to be precise, was meant to make those guys in Kumogakure believe my intentions. I've taken an action tantamount to declaring war; they'll definitely portray me as some kind of vicious villain, right?"

A soft chuckle came from beneath the mask. "I don't want to be morally blackmailed. In their presence, I'll just play the role of someone they fear."

Hijiri was stunned. He realized that the meticulousness of the thinking displayed by the man who had so easily destroyed an elite force was far more astonishing than his physical prowess.

"So... what is your real purpose?"

Mianma did not answer immediately. He reached out and picked up the teapot on the table, slowly pouring tea into the cup.

"Besides rolling my eyes, I can't think of anything else about myself..."

He paused, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

"The qualifications to be rescued."

His numb fingers gently caressed the rim of the teacup. "Do you believe it?" His voice suddenly carried an indescribable emotion, like anger, yet also like pity.

Sometimes, saving someone doesn't need a special reason.

The teacup was placed heavily on the table, and a few drops of tea splashed out.

"I just can't stand it." Mianma's voice suddenly turned cold. "I can't stand those hypocritical bastards, using the banner of national righteousness to push an innocent person to their death."

That's all.

Hizashi's body suddenly stiffened.

......What?

His mind went blank. Just because... he couldn't stand it? This powerful figure, capable of easily annihilating the elite Cloud Hidden Army, risked making an enemy of a great nation, simply because...

Act bravely?

The absurd thought almost made him laugh out loud. A pawn abandoned by the village, a willing sacrifice, now being saved for such a fairytale-like reason?

Menma saw through his wavering, and tilted her mask slightly. "Of course, saving you wouldn't be without benefit for me. But the specific reasons... I'm afraid I can't say."

Silence spread through the room.

Suddenly, Hizashi slowly stood up. Under Menma's questioning gaze, he took a few steps back, and then...

"boom."

His forehead rested on the tatami mat, in the standard dogeza posture. Hizashi's voice was low and trembling. "This kindness..."

"I was prepared to die, I had been abandoned by my compatriots, and I never imagined that I could be reborn in this way."

When he raised his head, a complex light flickered in his white eyes. "Whatever your motives... this life you have now is truly a gift from you."

"If you need my assistance, Hyuga Hizashi... I would gladly die for you."

Naruto, wearing a fox mask, scratched his head in slight distress. He wasn't used to such formal etiquette. Although the life-saving grace certainly deserved a kneeling, being solemnly sworn allegiance to someone made him feel subtly awkward.

Fortunately, Rizashi quickly straightened up and sat upright again. His expression remained calm, but deep within his pure white eyes, complex emotions flickered.

“I really wanted to say that…really, thank you so much. But…I’m sorry. Even if you did that, I’m afraid my life…wouldn’t last much longer.”

Mianma didn't let him continue.

"I know."

A calm voice came from behind the mask.

"Is it a caged bird? If the Konoha higher-ups want to quell the Raikage's anger, the main branch of the Konoha family will definitely place a cursed seal on you—even if you've already been 'kidnapped,' they'll still use the cursed seal to ensure your 'death,' right?"

Risa paused for a moment, then gave a wry smile.

"...You really do know very well."

Menma stared at him silently for a moment before speaking. "But even so... even if you try to convince yourself that you've 'accepted death'... as expected, you still don't want to die."

These words struck a chord deep within Hizashi's heart, triggering a long-suppressed emotion.

I don't want to die... I was prepared, I was determined to die for the Hyuga clan and for the peace of Konoha... But the moment I stepped onto the prison cart, Neji's face appeared in my mind.

My child... is still so young...

Menma slowly stood up, the hem of his black robe falling silently. "In this world, as long as there are still things to care about, no one truly wants to die."

His voice carried an undeniable certainty. "Now that I've decided to save you, I won't give up halfway—I'll see this good deed through to the end."

Hizashi looked up, and Menma's figure was reflected in his white eyes. Menma walked up to him, reached out, and gently placed her hand on his shoulder.

"do not move."

The next second, a gentle yet profound chakra flowed from his palm, seeping into Hizashi's body like a trickle.

Chakra gradually outlined a complex mark. The patterns intertwined like chains, yet possessed a unique style.

"This is……?"

As Hizashi stared at the mark, he felt like he had seen a similar technique somewhere before.

Menma withdrew his hand, and the light of the mark gradually faded. "As long as I feel the Caged Bird Seal being activated, I will use chakra to activate this mark."

"I will sense it immediately. Although I cannot guarantee 100% success, I am at least 70% confident that I can save your life."

Hizashi's pupils contracted slightly. Stop the caged bird?! Does such a technique... really exist?

"After things settle down in Yunyin, I will arrange for you to meet your son under the illusion of being 'dead'."

"My...son?"

Hijiri's voice suddenly choked up.