Afraid of losing someone

"Enough talk," Baki snarled, pulling the blade out of Furen's back. His eyes gleamed with malice as he gazed down at the fallen Furen and the protective Uzuki Yugao. "You Konoha rats... did you really think I hadn't noticed you?"

Baki let out a cruel grin. "None of you are leaving here alive." In the blink of an eye, numerous Suna shinobi appeared behind him, surrounding Yugao and Furen. It was clear they had walked into Baki's trap.

Uzuki Yugao, wearing her fox mask, closed her eyes briefly. When she reopened them, the grief from earlier had vanished, replaced by her usual cold, moon-like demeanor.

She positioned herself in front of Furen, shielding him, and drew her blade.

"Konoha-ryu Sword Technique: Dance of the Crescent Moon!"

Yugao's signature sword technique created three clones of herself, all charging at Baki simultaneously.

Baki, seeing her move, sneered. "So, you're from Konoha too. That technique... it's the same as the one used by that other Konoha ninja." Hearing this, Yugao's heart skipped a beat. There was no doubt Baki was referring to Moonlight Hayate.

Baki took advantage of her momentary distraction, smirking as his plan unfolded.

"Wind Blade!" Baki brought his index and middle fingers together and slashed forward, sending a sharp, chakra-infused gust of wind straight at Yugao.

Just as the wind blade and Yugao's sword technique were about to collide, a sudden chill enveloped the room, causing everyone present to shiver.

What was even more shocking was that both Baki's Wind Blade and Yugao's sword technique twisted and dissipated as if they were being dismantled by an unseen force.

"This is... Ice Release?" Yugao instinctively glanced back. To her surprise, Furen, who should have been lying injured, was nowhere to be seen.

Before the Suna shinobi could react, the entire room was sealed off by ice mirrors, enclosing all exits.

Baki, seasoned from years of battle, immediately sensed something was wrong. "Find that Konoha shinobi who used this technique!" he barked, and the Suna shinobi quickly began scanning their surroundings.

"No need to look. I'm right here," Furen's voice echoed from above. The Suna shinobi looked up to see Furen descending from the ceiling, throwing dozens of kunai as he fell.

"Ice Release: Explosive Tag Kunai Shadow Clone Technique!"

Furen's calm voice was followed by the eerie sound of the kunai multiplying mid-air, each carrying explosive tags.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The sound of ice piercing flesh filled the room. Before the impaled Suna shinobi could even scream, the ground beneath them rose, trapping them in ice. Blood-stained ice flowers bloomed all around the room.

"You... who are you?" Baki, despite being a seasoned elite jōnin, couldn't evade Furen's technique. In his final moments, all he could manage was this one question before succumbing to his injuries.

"Is that all of them?" Furen muttered softly.

Originally, Furen had planned to use Wood Release, enhanced by the First Hokage's cells, to deal with them. But then he reconsidered, thinking that using such a powerful technique on these opponents would be like using a sledgehammer to kill a fly. Besides, part of his chakra was still being reserved to replenish his Yin Seal.

"Good thing I didn't waste Wood Release on you lot... just a bunch of weaklings," Furen thought to himself before turning to pick up Yugao, carrying her away from the scene.

Once they reached a safe rooftop under the moonlight, Yugao's long purple hair swayed gently in the breeze, looking especially beautiful in the moon's soft glow.

After staring at the moon for a long time, Yugao turned to Furen, her eyes settling on the bloodstains on his clothing. With Moonlight Hayate—her mentor and friend—gone, Furen had become the most important person in her life.

Quietly, she embraced Furen, resting her head against his chest. "I don't want to lose someone important to me again..."

Uzuki Yugao's favorability towards you +25%.

Ding!

Congratulations, Uzuki Yugao's favorability has reached 70%. You have two remaining lottery draws available. Would you like to activate them?

Meanwhile, in the Hokage's office in Konoha...

There were only two days left before the third round of the Chūnin Exams.

An Anbu operative suddenly appeared in the office. The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, didn't say a word and simply extended his hand.

The Anbu member, wearing a fox mask, knelt and handed over a newly written scroll.

The Third Hokage, not smoking his usual pipe, took the scroll and read it carefully. A faint smile crossed his face, though it quickly faded as he lit his pipe once more.

According to the scroll, every single one of the Sound Village hideouts Furen had provided had been discovered without exception.

Waving the Anbu member away, Hiruzen turned his gaze to the peaceful night over Konoha. His eyes betrayed a deep sadness. "The alliance between Suna and Oto... My student... we've come to this point after all..."

"Jiraiya, I'll leave the tracking of Orochimaru to you," he murmured, summoning a small yellow toad and handing it a piece of paper to deliver.

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T/N:

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