Blood Of Ōtsutuki

The aftermath of the attack left an uneasy silence in the forest. The scent of scorched earth lingered in the air, and the wounded groaned softly as medics hurried to stabilize them. The once-pristine training ground was now marked with battle scars—shattered trees, deep craters, and the lingering sensation of disrupted chakra.

Ryūsei stood still, his Byakugan slowly dimming as he deactivated it. His mind raced. The rogue ninja had been trained to counter the Byakugan. That wasn't a coincidence.

Jiraiya let out a low whistle. "Well, that was something. Guess this survival trial was a bit too real, huh?"

Tsunade crossed her arms, her expression tight with frustration. "This wasn't just some random attack." She turned to Ryūsei. "You felt it too, didn't you?"

Ryūsei nodded. "They weren't just trying to kill us. They had a specific goal."

Orochimaru's golden eyes glowed with intrigue. "Yes, and if we assume the Sand Village was behind this, then their intent was more than simple sabotage."

Jiraiya frowned. "Sabotage was the obvious goal, though. If they eliminate Konoha's rising talent before they fully mature, they gain an advantage in the upcoming war."

Ryūsei exhaled, his gaze still locked on the fading chakra traces of the vanished enemy. "That's too simple. If they wanted to just kill us, they would've attacked with overwhelming force. But they only sent a handful of assassins."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "So what were they really after?"

Ryūsei turned to the wounded student he had saved from the explosion. He was unconscious, but stable. His injuries weren't random—his tenketsu had been targeted.

His fingers clenched.

"They were gathering information."

Jiraiya raised a brow. "Information? On what?"

Orochimaru's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "Not 'what.' 'Who.'"

Ryūsei nodded. "They were testing us. Measuring our abilities." He exhaled slowly. "And me specifically."

Silence followed.

Tsunade's expression darkened. "They knew about your Byakugan."

Orochimaru chuckled. "Not just that. They fought him as if they were trained for it."

Jiraiya let out a slow breath. "If the Sand Village is training ninja to counter the Byakugan… then they're preparing for something much bigger."

Ryūsei felt a weight settle in his chest. His heritage had always been a secret to the outside world. To Konoha, he was simply a prodigy with a powerful Byakugan.

But if the Sand already had counter-strategies against him…

Then someone had leaked information.

Tsunade glanced at the injured. "We need to report this."

Ryūsei nodded. "Not just to sensei. The Hokage needs to know."

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed. "Oh, I doubt sensei will be surprised. He's likely already aware of the Sand's intentions."

Jiraiya ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, but this is getting messy. If they're targeting individuals now, it means they think they know something worth exploiting."

Ryūsei frowned. "Or they're still looking for a weakness."

Tsunade's gaze hardened. "Then we'll make sure they don't find one."

She turned toward the remaining instructors overseeing the exam. Their faces were tense, their eyes scanning the area for any further threats. One of them—a senior Chūnin—approached with urgency.

"We're pulling everyone out. The trial is over."

Jiraiya scoffed. "Guess that means we passed, huh?"

The Chūnin wasn't amused. "This isn't a joke. This was a direct attack during a controlled exam. We need to regroup and figure out what happened."

Ryūsei nodded. "Agreed."

As they left the battlefield, Ryūsei's mind refused to settle.

The Sand had taken the first step.

Now, it was Konoha's turn to respond.