CHAPTER 24

At the Same Time, at the Ninja Academy

Uchiha Mina arrived at Hyūga Chiretsu's seat and quickly opened the note he had left behind. Her crimson Sharingan eyes flickered under the dim candlelight as she read its contents.

She now knew exactly where Hyūga Chiretsu was.

"Hyūga Chiretsu… just wait. I swear, I'll kill you."

Clutching the note tightly, her fingers trembling with rage, Uchiha Mina sprinted toward the location written on the paper, her expression twisted with fury.

---

By the Waterfall

The night deepened, the moon hanging low, veiled by wisps of drifting clouds. The faint rustling of the trees in the wind was the only sound accompanying the flowing waterfall.

Hyūga Chiretsu leaned against Uchiha Tunan's chest, her breath slow and steady. She appeared at peace, almost as if she had fallen asleep.

Uchiha Tunan glanced at the sky—it was almost time. His right hand gently patted Chiretsu's back.

Then, with calculated ease, he pushed her away slightly. His left arm remained around her waist, holding her close, while his eyes locked onto hers.

"Chiretsu."

"Mm?" she murmured softly, looking up at him, her pale lavender Byakugan eyes glistening under the moonlight.

"I admire you," Uchiha Tunan whispered, his face inching closer to hers.

She closed her eyes, anticipation and warmth spreading through her chest. She could feel his breath against her lips.

"But your vision is too small."

Chiretsu's eyes opened in shock.

"The truly strong do not cling to fleeting emotions like love," he continued, his voice eerily calm. "Here, let me give you a gift."

Before she could react, Uchiha Tunan's left arm tightened around her waist, pressing her frail body against him. His right hand, now free, wove through a series of hand seals in a slow, deliberate rhythm.

In the span of a heartbeat, their lips brushed against each other—just as the final seal was completed.

"The detonation tag… has been soaked."

A sudden realization struck Hyūga Chiretsu.

Her Byakugan flared instinctively as she tried to push him away, her delicate right hand glowing with chakra, ready to strike his heart—

But it was too late.

A crackling arc of lightning erupted from behind her head, piercing through her skull and emerging from her forehead. The faint scent of singed flesh filled the air.

Her chakra flickered and died. Her hand fell limply against Uchiha Tunan's chest.

Her body slumped, lifeless, into his arms.

Uchiha Tunan looked down at her with a solemn expression, the red glow of his three-tomoe Sharingan reflecting in the water below.

"If you truly loved me, you wouldn't wish for my death."

His voice was low, almost regretful.

"This isn't love… it's obsession."

---

A New Awakening

A sudden warmth coursed through Uchiha Tunan's body, sending a tingle up his spine.

"Chakra properties… water and earth?"

His eyes flickered with intrigue as he activated his Sharingan, observing the now-lifeless Chiretsu.

Then he saw it.

Through the heightened perception of his dōjutsu, he could see the intricate network of Hyūga chakra pathways—

But something was different.

The surrounding environment shifted into hues of crimson and deep shadows. His field of vision expanded—360 degrees, unobstructed.

His Sharingan had fused with the Byakugan.

A smirk played on Uchiha Tunan's lips.

"So… the integration is possible after all."

Hyūga Chiretsu, you were more useful than you ever realized.

With a flick of his wrist, he withdrew a kunai.

A swift motion.

A clean slice.

Hyūga Chiretsu's head tumbled onto the ground.

He picked it up, his expression calm. It wouldn't do to leave traces behind.

I can't risk the Yamanaka clan searching her mind.

A few hand seals. A deep breath.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu."

A massive fireball erupted, engulfing the severed head. The scent of burning flesh filled the night air as embers drifted into the wind.

As the flames died down, Uchiha Tunan adjusted the collar of his robe, smoothing out any wrinkles. His demeanor was composed, methodical—every step carefully calculated.

Then, he turned and disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

---

Elsewhere in the Forest

Over a dozen white pigeons perched on the treetops, their blood-red eyes glowing faintly.

Uchiha Tunan's gaze flickered as he tapped into his newfound power. His vision expanded once again, this time through the eyes of the pigeons.

He had tested it before—using the Sharingan to control these birds through Kotoamatsukami—but now, with the added ability of the Byakugan, their surveillance capabilities had increased tenfold.

A flicker of movement caught his attention.

Through the eyes of one pigeon, he saw her.

Uchiha Mina.

She was dashing through the trees, heading toward the waterfall.

Uchiha Tunan's expression darkened.

"So, she was meant to be a backup."

His steps slowed, his eyes narrowing.

His voice was low, almost amused.

"No wonder Chiretsu tried to stall for time. She wanted all three of us to be together."

A small chuckle escaped his lips, void of warmth.

"Too bad."

The shadows of the forest swallowed him whole.

---

By the Waterfall—Uchiha Mina's Arrival

Panting, Uchiha Mina arrived at the clearing. The air was thick with the scent of smoke and something charred.

She took a cautious step forward—

Something soft crunched underfoot.

She looked down and picked up a piece of fabric.

Chiretsu's clothes.

Her nose twitched as she sniffed the air.

"Why does it smell like… burnt flesh?"

She followed the scent, stepping forward hesitantly.

And then she saw it.

A naked, headless female corpse lay sprawled across the ground, its pale skin illuminated under the dim moonlight.

A few meters away, something blackened and unrecognizable.

A charred head.

For a moment, her mind went blank.

Then, realization struck.

Hyūga Chiretsu.

Her grip tightened around the fabric.

Even though she despised her, even though they were rivals…

This was different.

This was murder.

A kunoichi executed before she even had the chance to dress.

Cold sweat dripped down Mina's back.

The method was too clean. Too precise.

A shinobi.

Not just any shinobi.

A skilled assassin.

Her instincts screamed at her to run.

She turned on her heel, rushing toward Konoha, her heart pounding.

She had to report this.

But just as she bolted through the trees, something clicked in her mind.

Why had Chiretsu told her to check the classroom for a note first?

Why delay?

Her breath hitched.

Chiretsu hadn't been alone.

The real target…

Her stomach clenched as a sickening realization settled in.

She whispered the name under her breath.

"Tunan-kun…"