Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Yugao Discovers the Truth of Last Night
The next morning, the sun was shining brightly.
Uzuki Yugao woke up sleepily, rubbed her eyes, and was still thinking about the "in-depth communication" with Moonlight Hayate last night. Despite Hayate's seemingly frail appearance, he was unusually strong in bed.
However, when she looked at the bedside, she was surprised to find that Hayate was gone.
Uzuki Yugao panicked, her thoughts racing: *Is Moonlight Hayate an irresponsible, ruthless, and ungrateful man?* This thought made her feel dizzy, as if her world was collapsing.
She hurriedly got dressed and prepared to find Hayate to demand an explanation.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
**Knock, knock, knock!** The sound was crisp and urgent.
Uzuki Yugao's heart tightened. *Is Hayate back?* She walked quickly to the door and opened it, only to see an Anbu member standing there.
"Uzuki Yugao, right? There's something I need to tell you about Moonlight Hayate," the Anbu member stated.
Uzuki Yugao was filled with doubt and uneasiness after hearing this. Her anxiety grew, and she couldn't wait to ask, "What happened to Hayate? Tell me!"
The Anbu member's eyes flickered as if unsure how to begin.
Uzuki Yugao's heartbeat quickened, her fists clenched tightly, and a trace of anxiety and fear flashed in her eyes. She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm, telling herself not to panic and to be strong in the face of potentially bad news.
Finally, the Anbu member broke the silence and delivered a heartbreaking truth in a low voice—Moonlight Hayate had passed away.
Uzuki Yugao's body trembled violently, as if her entire world was collapsing in an instant. She shook her head in disbelief, her eyes blurred by tears. "No... Impossible," she murmured, her voice trembling. "This must be a mistake! Hayate was with me last night, how could he be dead? You must be wrong!" Uzuki Yugao shouted hysterically.
The Anbu members watched her silently, their faces showing traces of helplessness. They understood Uzuki Yugao's pain, but the facts were undeniable and couldn't be changed.
Uzuki Yugao gradually calmed down, wiped the tears from her eyes, and looked at the Anbu members firmly. "Take me to see Hayate's body," she demanded.
The Anbu members hesitated but eventually nodded. They led Uzuki Yugao to the place where the body was kept.
Uzuki Yugao walked into the room slowly, the weight of the moment making it hard for her to breathe. She stared at Hayate lying on the cold bed, and tears welled up in her eyes again.
"Hayate..." Uzuki Yugao called his name softly, hoping to wake the man she had once loved deeply. But reality was cruel—Hayate had left this world forever.
"Who is it? Who killed Hayate?" Uzuki Yugao asked, her voice filled with grief.
Hearing Uzuki Yugao's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face showed a pained expression. In a low voice, he said, "According to our investigation, the murderer of Moonlight Hayate is very likely Maki, a senior ninja from the Sand Village. The wound on Hayate was likely caused by a Wind Release technique."
"Since you know the murderer, why haven't you caught him?" Uzuki Yugao suppressed the murderous intent rising within her and asked in a trembling voice. There was a determined light in her eyes, as if she wanted to bring the murderer to justice immediately.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed helplessly, a trace of bitterness in his eyes, and slowly said, "Do you think we don't want to catch him? But there's no evidence!"
"Evidence? Isn't the Wind Release wound evidence enough?" Uzuki Yugao asked urgently, her brow furrowed, and her fists clenched. She was clearly dissatisfied with this response. After all, someone capable of killing with Wind Release must be at least a Jonin. Isn't that proof enough?
But Sarutobi Hiruzen shook his head and sighed, "No, although the wound indicates Wind Release, as long as the suspect denies it, we can't take action against him. After all, our village and the Sand Village are still allies."
Uzuki Yugao's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen. She couldn't understand why they couldn't arrest the murderer despite having clues.
Hearing this reason, Uzuki Yugao felt it was unbelievable. *Are allies really so important that justice must be delayed?*
She then asked when exactly Hayate had died, and the answer given was simple—last night.
*Last night?! But wasn't I with Hayate last night?* Uzuki Yugao thought, her mind racing. *Could the Hayate who was killed have been an imposter? Or...*
When this possibility crossed her mind, Uzuki Yugao suddenly felt nauseous.
Seeing her reaction, Sarutobi Hiruzen assumed she was overwhelmed by the grief of Hayate's death. He tried to comfort her, saying, "The dead cannot be brought back to life. You still have a future ahead of you—don't fall into hatred."
This advice made her almost forget that even Sarutobi Hiruzen's own son had been killed. Could he easily give up on revenge?
"Yes, Lord Hokage," Uzuki Yugao replied absent-mindedly.
Her mind was filled with details of last night. Why had Hayate been so energetic when he was usually so weak? Why was he so skilled when he had never been in a relationship before? And why had he covered her eyes?
It all pointed to one conclusion—the man last night wasn't Hayate at all but an imposter disguised as him.
After realizing this, Uzuki Yugao went home in a daze. On her way home, the events of last night kept replaying in her mind. But the more she thought about it, the redder her face became. She couldn't help but scold herself for being shameless.
*Even though Hayate just passed away, I'm still thinking about what happened with another man. How shameless of me!* Uzuki Yugao thought, feeling conflicted. *But why was I targeted? I'm just an ordinary Konoha ninja...*
If Sasuke knew her thoughts, he would certainly have refuted them. *You have a boyfriend—exactly what I love most!* he would have said.
With such thoughts in her mind, Uzuki Yugao finally fell asleep. Unfortunately, she didn't know that a figure had been watching her from outside her window.
It was Sasuke. When he saw Uzuki Yugao's state, he immediately understood.
"It seems she's already heard the news of Moonlight Hayate's death. Next, it's my turn to make a move," Sasuke muttered before disappearing from the scene, leaving only scattered leaves falling in the air.
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