The sealed-off street remained in a state of cleanup. In truth, for Konoha, this wasn't a particularly significant incident. As such, there weren't too many onlookers, and the village's high-ranking figures wouldn't personally come to inspect the situation. They would merely listen to reports.
Tsunade and her companions were only present because they had nothing better to do.
"Damn it! That little brat! Damn it!" Mikoto Uchiha was on the verge of an explosion, clenching her small fists as she paced back and forth on the street.
The surrounding Uchiha clan members also wore grim expressions.
To infuriate the usually gentle, kind, and virtuous Lady Mikoto to this degree—Haruto Saito was truly courting death.
Whoosh!
With a burst of smoke, Fugaku Uchiha materialized beside Mikoto, having used a teleportation jutsu.
"Young Master!"
"What's the situation?"
"That bastard..." Mikoto seethed, her frustration spilling over. However, Fugaku noticed her emotional state and cut her off. He then turned to a nearby elite jonin and commanded, "Report!"
"Yes, Young Master. Just now..."
The elite jonin gave a concise summary of the situation—there were no civilian casualties, the fugitive had been slain by Haruto Saito, and Haruto had even voluntarily paid a hefty sum in compensation. His actions in stopping the fugitive were commendable. As for the damage to the street and the injuries sustained by some individuals, money could resolve those issues.
Thus, letting Haruto go home was not a problem.
However, if the Konoha Police Force insisted on taking him in for questioning, that wouldn't be wrong either.
Arresting him or not—both were viable options.
Fugaku finished listening to the report just as Haruto descended from a nearby five-story building, scaling down the wall. He caught sight of Fugaku but paid him no mind. Instead, he shot Mikoto a cryptic look before walking away.
Mikoto stomped her foot in frustration.
Fugaku watched Haruto's retreating figure, pondered for a moment, then waved his hand. "Take him in!"
Several Uchiha jonin immediately sprang into action, flashing forward to encircle Haruto. Their partially drawn blades gleamed in the fading light.
Haruto stopped, shook his head slightly, and turned to Fugaku. "What's the meaning of this?"
"We harbor suspicions regarding certain details of your killing of the fugitive, as well as your possible ulterior motives in using ninjutsu so publicly. We request your cooperation in our investigation," Fugaku stated formally, his reasoning carefully calculated.
"Hmm... fine, I'll cooperate." Haruto curled his lips in mild annoyance.
"You're finished, brat! You're done for!" Mikoto snarled, stomping over aggressively while swinging a pair of shackles, intent on binding Haruto.
"Mikoto, enough!" Fugaku reprimanded.
Mikoto reluctantly backed down, but not before shoving Haruto's shoulder roughly. "Move it! Quit dawdling."
Haruto internally cursed every female member of Mikoto's family but kept a smile on his face as he was "escorted" by a large contingent of police force members.
Hokage's Office, Hokage Tower.
"Lord Hokage, it's absolutely true! Haruto Saito successfully used the Mystical Palm Technique to save a critically injured man's life. What's more peculiar is that his usage of the technique was extremely stable, sustaining it for several minutes. It appears that he has not only learned the jutsu, but has also reached a fairly high level of mastery!"
Shin, the Anbu agent, stood respectfully before the desk, providing a detailed report. Preventing a fugitive's escape wasn't the key issue here. Nor was the collateral damage caused by Haruto's large-scale ninjutsu. Compared to the fact that he had allegedly learned the Mystical Palm Technique in a single day, all else paled in significance!
Shin seemed visibly unsettled, finding this development too bizarre to comprehend.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, however, remained utterly impassive. His face betrayed no emotion, and his eyes, shadowed by his hat, were devoid of any reaction. It was as if this news did not surprise him in the slightest, his composure far exceeding Shin's expectations.
After a long pause, Hiruzen finally spoke.
"Understood. Report this to White Fang and have him come see me."
"Yes!" Shin responded dutifully before swiftly exiting the office.
As the door closed behind him, the corner of the office suddenly wavered, as though space itself had rippled. Emerging from the distortion, a masked figure stepped forward—Danzo Shimura.
"You heard everything," Hiruzen said, tapping his desk.
"It's impossible for him to have learned the Mystical Palm Technique in a single day. No such genius exists!" Danzo's voice was hoarse, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous light beneath his mask. "Even the First Hokage himself did not possess such a talent!"
"Nor is it possible that he had already mastered it beforehand," Hiruzen mused. "If he truly had the talent to master the technique at such a young age, Hanzo of the Salamander would have recognized his worth. He wouldn't have been just another minor ninja of Amegakure."
"Two possibilities!" Danzo stepped toward the window, looking out over the village, his back to Hiruzen. "First, this is a long-term scheme orchestrated by Hanzo. Haruto is a key piece in his plan, which would explain his unnatural abilities. Second, he is an experimental subject. The ability he displayed with the Mystical Palm Technique… may not have been acquired through conventional training."
"Hmm..." Hiruzen pondered further.
"But regardless of which case—or even an unknown third or fourth possibility—one thing is certain: there is something wrong with that boy. I refuse to believe such a prodigy exists!" Danzo's voice dropped lower, carrying an ominous weight. "Not that it matters. I've already arranged for him to be tested. We'll have answers soon enough."
Whoosh!
A shadowy figure materialized in front of the Hokage's desk, dropping to one knee. The mysterious ninja wasted no time delivering his report.
"Lord Hokage, Haruto Saito has been taken into custody by the Police Force under the pretense of assisting in their investigation."
Hyuga Clan Estate, Deep Within the Ancestral Hall.
Inside a vast and immaculate training hall, a young man moved with precision across the polished wooden floor, his every motion exuding both grace and lethal intent. His fists struck like lightning, his kicks cutting through the air like blades.
"Brother!" A respectful voice called from the doorway.
The young martial artist halted, taking a towel from a servant and wiping his brow before responding in an authoritative tone. "Come in. Speak."
Creak.
Another young man entered. The two were identical in height, build, and facial features—the only difference was that the one who had entered wore a forehead protector, while the one who had been training did not.
These were none other than Hyuga Hiashi, the heir of the Hyuga Main Branch, and Hyuga Hizashi, the heir of the Branch Family.
They were twin brothers. Yet, due to Hiashi being born mere seconds earlier, he had been designated the Main Branch successor, while Hizashi, despite being his equal in every way, had been relegated to servitude. Though blood-bound siblings, Hizashi was required to maintain absolute deference to Hiashi.
"What brings you here in person?" Hiashi asked, his tone strict.
"Brother!" Hizashi stepped closer, his expression grim. "Just now, in the central district—Haruto Saito…"
He proceeded to relay the events of the day, particularly emphasizing the shocking claim: that Haruto Saito had, in a single day, mastered the Mystical Palm Technique!
The entire village was abuzz with the news.
A single day to master an A-rank medical ninjutsu? A feat worthy of legend.
For the Hyuga Clan, this revelation was troubling. Haruto was already a thorn in their side. Many eyes—especially those of their longtime rivals, the Uchiha—were watching closely, waiting to see when the Hyuga would make their move.
And now, if Konoha's leadership decided that Haruto was worth protecting… eliminating him would become exceedingly difficult.
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