West Side of the Lake – The Woods Behind the Cabin
In the dense forest behind the wooden cabin, on the west side of the lake—
A masked ANBU ninja sat on a thick tree branch, legs dangling.
His name was Reiji.
He narrowed his eyes, gazing at the calm lake.
Haruto had been underwater for a long time.
Too long.
Reiji was about to go check—
But just then, ripples appeared on the surface.
Haruto emerged, gasping for air.
A Drained Body
Reiji saw nothing unusual.
It was nighttime—
The moonlight helped, but visibility was still limited.
In the center of the lake, Haruto breathed heavily, his chest rising and falling violently.
Even after a while, his breathing wasn't steady.
His body felt weak.
His chakra was completely drained.
Understanding Chakra Depletion
Chakra is formed from:
Physical energy (from the body).
Spiritual energy (from the mind).
The stronger the mind, the more chakra a ninja can extract from their body.
When a ninja "runs out of chakra," what really happens is:
Their physical energy is depleted.
Their mental energy can no longer convert physical energy into chakra.
That's why—
Haruto felt tired and weak.
A Wound Still Bleeding
His shoulder wound was still bleeding.
It had dyed the water red.
But no one noticed.
The darkness of night concealed it.
The lake's surface reflected the moonlight, obscuring any red stains.
"Damn bastard! Son of a bitch!"
Haruto muttered under his breath.
He glanced at his bleeding shoulder—
Then, he considered using the healing card he had obtained earlier.
The "Basic Healing Card" was supposed to instantly restore injuries when consumed.
It would definitely heal this wound.
But—
Haruto hesitated.
Then, he shook his head.
A Precious Lifeline
"I can survive without it."
He only had one healing card.
It was his lifeline—
Something to use only in life-or-death situations.
So, he decided to endure the pain.
Leaning back, he let his body float—
Arms stretched wide, half-submerged, gazing at the night sky.
For a moment—
He lay there motionless, like a corpse floating on the surface.
After a short rest, Haruto took a deep breath—
Then, he dove underwater again.
Retrieving the Corpse
Swimming quickly to the bottom, he soon found Hyuga Renji's body.
Above it, six glowing cards hovered.
Haruto grabbed them all—
Without even checking what they were—
And stored them in his inventory.
Then, he grabbed the corpse by the ankle and kicked upward, swimming toward the surface.
As he neared the water's edge, an idea flashed through his mind.
His eyes darkened.
Hiding the Truth
Reaching down—
Haruto felt along Renji's body, searching through his torn uniform.
Then, he found it—
A kunai strapped under the ribs.
Gripping the kunai in reverse, he stabbed down violently—
Over and over!
PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!
PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT! PFFT!
He butchered the corpse's torso.
Blood spilled in thick clouds, turning the water a deep red.
Haruto didn't stop stabbing—
Until the original wounds from his Kekkei Genkai attack were completely unrecognizable.
A Hidden Bloodline
Haruto wasn't stupid.
If Konoha found out he had Shikotsumyaku…
It would bring trouble.
A lot of it.
This was his trump card.
As long as no one knew, he could use it as a secret weapon in critical moments.
Returning to Shore
Dragging the corpse onto land, Haruto threw it aside.
Then, he placed his hands on his hips and shouted:
"Somebody come here!"
The ANBU guards had already noticed.
They had seen him pulling a corpse from the lake.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Four dark shadows flashed—
The ANBU surrounded him in an instant.
Recognition
Reiji stood directly in front of Haruto.
His pupils shrank at the sight of the bloodied corpse.
Then, his eyes darkened further.
Hyuga Renji.
Reiji knew that man.
A Dangerous Assassin
Renji was the Hyuga Clan's secret enforcer.
A well-known assassin—
Who had murdered several Konoha ninjas over the years.
The ANBU had been aware of his crimes—
But there had never been enough evidence to arrest him.
If it were any other clan, the ANBU would've arrested him long ago.
But the Hyuga Clan was too powerful.
No one dared touch him.
And now—
He was dead.
At the hands of—
A twelve-year-old boy?!
Interrogation
Reiji's gaze snapped up, locking onto Haruto.
"You killed him?"
Haruto twirled the kunai in his fingers.
"He tried to kill me first."
"I defended myself."
Reiji crouched beside the corpse—
And examined the wounds.
All the stabs were on the torso.
The entire chest was destroyed.
The majority of the wounds were inflicted post-mortem.
This wasn't just self-defense.
This was—
Ruthless.
Reiji's mind clicked.
He recalled the moment Haruto surfaced for air earlier.
Cross-referencing the body's time of death—
He realized something.
Haruto had already killed Renji by the time he resurfaced.
Yet—
Instead of panicking or calling for help—
He had calmly floated on the lake, resting, before going back to retrieve the body.
Reiji's eyes narrowed.
"How did you kill him?"
Haruto shrugged.
"He wasn't as good a swimmer as me."
"We struggled underwater—he panicked, choked, and drowned."
Bullshit.
Reiji didn't believe it.
A Hyuga elite Chunin—
Drowning?
To a mere Genin?!
Impossible.
But—
He had no evidence.
"Notify the captain."
Reiji turned to an ANBU ninja.
"Tell White Fang to come handle this."
"Yes, sir!"
WHOOSH!
The ninja disappeared instantly.
A Request for Healing
Haruto sighed.
"Reiji-san…"
"Could you at least check my shoulder first?"
He gestured to his wound.
"I'm still bleeding here."
Without a word—
Reiji formed hand seals.
A soft green glow enveloped his hands.
He pressed his palm against Haruto's wound.
A cooling sensation spread—
And within moments, the injury was gone.
"Thanks, Reiji-san."
Haruto rolled his shoulder, testing the movement.
Fully healed.
As the ANBU inspected Renji's corpse—
Haruto returned to his cabin.
Sitting down—
He pulled out six glowing cards.
The rewards from killing Hyuga Renji.
His eyes widened.
One card was black.
Just like the one that gave him Shikotsumyaku.
He flipped it over—
And read the text.
"Kekkei Genkai – Byakugan!"