Chapter 63: Shikkotsu Forest, Hyuga Corpses

Yuto walked out of the room. As he was about to leave, two members of the medical team couldn't suppress their curiosity and asked:

"Yuto-sama, did the surgery succeed? Is the patient... okay?"

Hearing this, Yuto almost wanted to laugh.

The surgery was indeed successful — for Yuto.

The patient was also indeed okay — at least for now, she was still breathing.

Having studied medical ninjutsu under Tsunade for over seven months, Yuto's progress was swift. His clean and efficient eye-gouging technique was the best proof of that.

Naturally, he couldn't let the Hyuga die directly, but she wouldn't live through the night either.

A talented medic can manipulate blood vessels and nerves with such precision that it's hard to detect any tampering. After nearly eight months of medical ninjutsu training, Yuto knew exactly how to kill someone discreetly.

By embedding chakra mixed with a volatile special drug into the bloodstream, it could flow through the heart, arteries, and into the brain's capillaries, forming a cone-shaped thrombus. When accumulated enough, it could cause a stroke-like effect, damaging the entire brain. Even if the brain was examined, no useful information would be found.

Explaining this intricate process and complex mechanism would take Yuto half an hour just to describe.

"The surgery went well, and there's no immediate danger," Yuto smiled, wiping the imaginary sweat off his forehead. "Take good care of the patient."

"Yes, Yuto-sama!"

Yuto nodded slightly and didn't leave immediately. To avoid suspicion about his "treatment," he lingered around the medical unit for a while, genuinely helping out and saving lives.

Gradually, Yuto's heart calmed down.

Tonight's operation was risky. If anyone saw him kill a fellow clan shinobi, he would have to silence them, increasing the chances of exposure.

Moreover, Takuya's strategy of having his subordinates scatter was an excellent choice, causing Yuto considerable trouble. After using Lion's Fang Bite to kill several branch family warriors, it took him a while to find and eliminate the rest.

As for Rurina, who initially returned to report, intercepting her midway was out of the question. But knowing her destination solved the problem.

Whether Rurina would leak information en route, think in reverse to avoid Konoha's vanguard camp, or be captured by Kumo shinobi, creating a bigger risk, were all uncontrollable variables.

Although Yuto tried to prevent these potential mishaps, he couldn't eliminate them entirely.

Yet he remained committed to his plan.

Betraying the clan and the village was a head-risking endeavor. If one didn't dare to gamble their life, they might as well kneel and be someone else's dog.

As the night grew deeper, Yuto used Mystical Palm Jutsu to treat the injured, stretched, and left the medical unit.

Being Tsunade's disciple gave him a high status in Konoha's medical system, allowing him to come and go freely. Even if the Hyuga clan investigated Rurina's sudden night time death, they wouldn't find anything. The medical team wouldn't talk.

The medical system, controlled by the Senju and the Hokage faction, was beyond the Hyuga clan's reach.

Yuto headed directly to the center of the vanguard camp.

Minato had returned.

Despite the prolonged battle, the Yellow Flash's eyes still shone brightly. Clearly, Kumo's "A and B Combo" didn't pose a life-threatening pressure. Today's battle solidified Konoha's foothold at the border, opening a route for the main forces.

"Yuto-kun," Minato greeted warmly, "welcome back, Konoha's lion."

"Please don't tease me, Commander," Yuto replied, scratching his head.

"Don't be so formal when we're in private, Yuto-kun. Call me Minato-senpai instead. And I'm serious. During the fight, Killer Bee, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, mentioned that next time he meets you, he'll put his sword in your mouth."

"Jinchuriki..." Yuto smiled wryly. "I fought him today and barely escaped. He's incredibly strong."

"You possess exceptional shinobi talent, Yuto-kun," Minato praised sincerely, his blue eyes full of admiration.

Being praised by the Yellow Flash was a delight, and even Yuto felt pleased.

After a few more words with Minato, Yuto reported his work and left the vanguard's base.

He was still a "Freelancer," returning to support during direct combat, then circling back behind enemy lines. No one could find fault with his movements.

Far from Konoha's reach, Yuto bit his finger and performed the Reverse Summoning Jutsu.

Amidst the dissipating smoke, he stood in an endless swamp, surrounded by towering trees. Besides plants, slugs, and himself, there was no other living thing.

But today, there was something different.

Six Hyuga corpses were casually hung on tree branches, their blood turned dark red, dripping into the swamp. The central young corpse had twisted bones, hollow eyes, lacking any former vigor from activating the Caged Bird Seal.

Yuto looked at his blood-stained shoes, thinking about carefully cleaning his clothes later to leave no trace.

"Thank you, Katsuyu-sama," he whispered, though no response came. He knew the deeply hidden Slug Sage must have heard him.

Regarding corpse disposal, Katsuyu was an expert.

Its unique structure could swallow corpses and debris, dissolving them with its slime. As a creature close to nature, Katsuyu's secretion evaporated quickly, leaving no trace.

In the past, if Yuto had Katsuyu dispose of clan shinobi bodies, it would inform Tsunade. But now, the Katsuyu Sage had granted Yuto the highest "summoning authority," allowing him to use it freely.

As for "whether Tsunade would happen to see the bodies in Shikkotsu Forest," Yuto never worried about that.

The Slug Sage, having lived for so long, would never make such a mistake.

Yuto looked at his masterpiece on the trees, shrugged, and muttered, "There are plenty of prime spots left in Shikkotsu Forest," before starting to move the bodies.

The special environment of Shikkotsu Forest, under Katsuyu's power, allowed for the temporary storage of "spoils of war" that were not suitable for others to know about.

(End of Chapter)