Chapter 86: The Little Chef

As the final watchtower still standing, the importance of the Second Tower needed no explanation. Even the younger son of the Hyuga clan leader, Hyuga Hizashi, had been sent here to ensure its safety.

Shiraki and the others, together with Might Guy, who was helping carry the crates, entered the top of the tower. The reconnaissance team was straining every nerve to keep watch over the movements of the Hidden Stone direction. With Minato Namikaze absent, if the Hidden Stone were to launch a surprise attack with a force of men, they would have a hard time holding them back.

“Report, sir. We recovered one crate of supplies, but the escort team... was wiped out,” Shiraki said with his head lowered. The commander looked vaguely familiar to him, though most of the Hyuga wore black hair and white robes, so he could not tell whether it was Hiashi or Hizashi.

But with a forehead protector covering his brow, it looked as though he were hiding the Caged Bird Seal. Hizashi was the likelier one, and besides, the main family would not be sent to such a dangerous battlefield.

“All of their sacrifices will have meaning. This crate is very important to us. It will let us hold out a little longer,” Hyuga Hizashi said, his Byakugan activated as he took in the contents of the crate at a glance. Inside were all the explosive-tag crossbow bolts they urgently needed—timely aid in the midst of snow and cold.

“How could it not be important?” Shiraki said, pained. This had been loot brought from his own home to deceive them.

“Take it to the storage room. Handle it with care,” Hizashi said to a nearby ninja in charge of logistics.

“Yes, Lord Hizashi!” the logistics ninja replied, inadvertently giving Shiraki the intelligence he had been hoping for.

So it really was Neji’s father! I wonder how strong he is.

“Hatake, anything else? If you’re tired, go rest for a bit,” Hizashi said, his gaze on Kakashi unusually gentle. After all, he was the most promising student of Minato Namikaze.

“I wanted to ask how things were going on sensei’s side,” Shiraki asked.

“I don’t know either. I’m waiting for news as well... I only hope he succeeds in the rescue,” Hyuga Hizashi said with a sigh. So many of his clansmen had been captured, and he felt deeply uneasy.

“I’d like to wait here for the news too,” Shiraki said, looking concerned.

“Minato went alone into the Hidden Stone’s main camp. It is indeed hard not to worry... Stay here and wait. There may even be a mission for you later,” Hizashi nodded.

“Can I play with this?” Afei, disguised as Obito, childishly reached out and touched the chakra crossbow cannon.

“Idiot, don’t mess with things here.” Shiraki grabbed Obito by the collar and dragged him into a corner, playing the part of their usual bickering perfectly.

“Should I leave?” Might Guy scratched his head, very uncomfortable with the strict atmosphere here.

“I have a bad feeling about this. There might be a mission, so let’s wait a little longer,” Shiraki said, keeping him there.

“Really? It feels like being cherished by a close friend!” Might Guy was still burning with enthusiasm.

The people on the tower bustled about. Hyuga clan members stood with veins bulging at their temples, surveying the outside. The rest either rested or repaired equipment. No one paid any attention to what the four of them were doing.

Obito was curious about everything, touching this and looking at that. At first Shiraki still tried to pull him back; later he could not be bothered to care anymore.

“Where is Minato Namikaze’s kunai... there should be a kunai here,” Shiraki’s eyes swept the place casually, but he found nothing in any obvious spot on the tower. The most likely place was still on Hyuga Hizashi’s person.

“Lord Hizashi... I have a question,” Shiraki asked, taking the initiative to approach him.

“Hm? What is it?” Hizashi withdrew his Byakugan and rubbed his sore eyes.

“If the captured Hyuga clansmen can’t be rescued... how would you deal with them?” Shiraki asked as he searched closely for where the Flying Thunder God kunai might be hidden on Hizashi.

“We would try our best to rescue them, or ransom them back with money. But... if it involved exposing the bloodline, the main family may... I’m sorry, there are some things I cannot say,” Hizashi said, shaking his head.

If the Hidden Stone were determined to use Hyuga captives to cultivate Byakugan users, then they would be forced to activate the Caged Bird Seal.

“I see. I only hope sensei... Watch out!”

Shiraki suddenly pulled at Hizashi’s clothes, making him turn slightly aside. A hand shot swiftly into his tool pouch.

As a veteran conjurer and trickster who had gained recognition twice over, the talent the Devil Jester brought him was an extraordinarily nimble phantom hand, capable of swapping objects without a soul noticing. That was the most basic requirement of sleight of hand.

Whoosh!

A crossbow bolt nearly struck Hyuga Hizashi.

“Idiot, idiot!” Shiraki angrily smacked “Obito” on the head. He had been fiddling with a chakra crossbow cannon under repair, and somehow it had gone off.

Hizashi was furious too, but seeing Kakashi mercilessly beat him down, he had no way to flare up. He could only sigh inwardly: Minato Namikaze had taken on three students, one astonishingly gifted, the other clumsy and constantly doing foolish things.

But Obito was usually only a bit dim; he had never done anything this outrageous before...

Hizashi suddenly felt that something was off.

“Kakashi...”

Just as Hizashi began to speak, Rin, who had hardly said anything until then, suddenly moved. She reached into her tool pouch, pulled out more than a dozen smoke bombs, and hurled them toward every corner.

Puff, puff, puff...

In an instant, thick smoke filled the entire watchtower.

“Damn it, a sneak attack!” Hizashi roared. “Start the ventilation system!”

Unfortunately for him, this was the third tower Shiraki had stolen from. He knew the layout of its mechanisms inside and out, and the switches had already been sabotaged by him.

“Guy! Go!” Shiraki shouted as he merged with Afei while imitating Kakashi’s voice.

“Come on, you sneaky cowards.” Might Guy leapt up without another word. A Leaf Whirlwind sliced through the smoke, and then he froze on the spot.

Who am I? Where am I? Who is the enemy? Isn’t this our own watchtower?

Hizashi could not care less. The four of them had come up together, so Might Guy was naturally treated as an accomplice too. Without another word, he jumped in and unleashed a flurry of palm strikes: Gentle Fist Technique, Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!

“Lord Hizashi... why... are you... hitting me...” Might Guy did not even get a chance to speak before he was launched into the air by the combo. His chakra points were sealed all over his body, and he crashed heavily into a pile of crates.

“Ho! Not bad—he solved one of my strong enemies for me right away,” Shiraki said, looking at Might Guy, who still could not get up after all that time, with delight. It was exactly the unexpected outcome he had predicted.

He wondered whether the Eight Gates could still be opened after all sixty-four major chakra points had been sealed.

“Who exactly are you? Don’t think a little smoke bomb can throw us off. You know nothing of the Byakugan,” Hizashi said, pressing the corner of his robe over his nose and glaring at Shiraki.

“Oh, really? You don’t feel even a little fiery enthusiasm?” Shiraki said. Wrapped tightly in his White Zetsu armor, he was completely cut off from the smoke outside.

“What is this...” Hizashi frowned, suddenly feeling a soreness in his eyes, as if he might actually cry.

“It’s onion. I put onions in the smoke bombs,” Shiraki said with a slight smile.

...

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