Mysterious Masked Man: Does this brat want to frame me?

Chapter 48: Mysterious Masked Man: This brat wants to frame me?

Night.

Konohagakure was very quiet.

This was because the Anbu ninjas were guarding the peaceful village.

Konoha was the most prosperous and largest ninja village in the ninja world. Other villages inevitably harbored hostility towards Konoha, and even during peacetime, they wouldn't pass up opportunities to gather intelligence on Konoha.

A group of Anbu ninjas, clad in gray protective gear, continuously leaped and landed around Konoha's perimeter, patrolling for any lapses in its defenses.

Akihara Kagura had also become one of them.

However, this Anbu youth wasn't patrolling as diligently as the others. After checking one area rather casually, he stopped in place to rest.

"This brat is slacking off while on duty?"

The Pitcher Plant Monster had been hiding underground, monitoring Akihara Kagura. Its black half-face couldn't help but feel a slight decrease in its impression of the lazy Akihara Kagura.

The Pitcher Plant Monster's white half-face quietly offered a defense: "A child is just a child, perhaps they just like to play... Is it talking to itself?"

"Let's go eavesdrop..."

The Pitcher Plant Monster slowly crept closer to Akihara Kagura. At this distance, it could just about overhear Akihara Kagura's muttering.

"Who exactly is framing me?"

"If that person doesn't continue to kill people using Wood Release, will the one framing me ever be found? I have to find a way to kill some people with Wood Release and frame the person who framed me. At least that way, my suspicion can be cleared..."

"I have to make a bigger scene..."

"It's best if it makes the entire Konoha panic..."

"Just like that Nine-Tails' Rampage that alarmed the entire Konoha..."

"..."

This brat is crazy!

The Pitcher Plant Monster listened with a bit of trepidation.

How could such a bizarre person appear in the ninja world!

Instead of dealing with the situation discreetly when someone used Wood Release to frame him, he was thinking of helping the culprit kill people and even making a bigger scene out of this framing case!

The Pitcher Plant Monster considered the brat's personality too strange and secretly reported to the Mysterious Masked Man again, to avoid any trouble from a situation spiraling out of control.

"Framing the culprit?"

Upon hearing this intelligence, the Mysterious Masked Man couldn't help but scoff: "That brat doesn't even know who I am, how could they possibly frame me? I'd like to see how that brat plans to frame me!"

Yes.

Akihara Kagura didn't know his identity.

The entire ninja world likely didn't know about him. In fact, aside from a select few individuals, no one knew that there was a Mysterious Masked Man in the ninja world.

However...

Sometimes, framing someone doesn't require identity information.

Logically speaking, Akihara Kagura indeed didn't have information about the Mysterious Masked Man. But he knew who had personally seen the Mysterious Masked Man before.

The most ferocious tailed beast in the world.

The Nine-Tails.

The Mysterious Masked Man was responsible for Konoha Village's last Nine-Tails' Rampage. The Nine-Tails harbored deep hatred for anyone who had ever controlled it!

The Mysterious Masked Man placed great importance on the Nine-Tails.

If anything were to happen to the Nine-Tails, he would definitely show up.

If the Mysterious Masked Man refused to appear, Akihara Kagura had another plan. He only needed to disguise himself as the Mysterious Masked Man. This would most likely cause the Nine-Tails' chakra to riot, alerting many people to the Mysterious Masked Man's existence and compelling them to investigate the truth about him...

Now...

It was time to find Naruto Uzumaki.

Was it easy to find Naruto Uzumaki?

It was very easy.

He could be encountered anytime, anywhere.

Naruto Uzumaki, this little kid, had no parents since childhood and was never taught how to live. The allowance Konoha gave him was often insufficient for his daily needs.

This little kid, even in the middle of the night, would be out fishing by the Konoha river or picking mushrooms in the mountains behind the village because he was too hungry...

Tonight.

It just so happened that this little kid was hungry again.

Naruto Uzumaki was happily picking wild mushrooms, completely unaware that Akihara Kagura was standing on a large tree, secretly observing his movements.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

The Pitcher Plant Monster, which had been lurking in this large tree, was also observing Akihara Kagura. It had also noticed that little kid, Naruto Uzumaki.

Akihara Kagura's hand condensed with wood spikes, seemingly unaware that someone was eavesdropping. He nonchalantly pondered his plan: "The Nine-Tails must be very important, right? Is there anything that would throw Konoha into greater panic than the mastermind killing the Nine-Tails?"

"……"

Huh?

Huh!

What is this brat saying!

The Pitcher Plant Monster's two brains were about to explode!

Why was this brat saying such a terrifying thing? How could he casually mention killing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki? Was this brat even a Konoha ninja!

The most troublesome part was that the Nine-Tails was inside Naruto Uzumaki. The lives of the Tailed Beast and the Jinchuriki were intertwined. Naruto Uzumaki, this Jinchuriki, was very weak. If Akihara Kagura, this brat, killed Naruto Uzumaki, could he really kill the Nine-Tails!

This would cause great chaos in Konoha!

No!

It might even cause unrest throughout the entire ninja world!

"This brat is too extreme…"

"We must stop this from happening first, right?"

The Pitcher Plant Monster's two brains immediately reached an agreement. It could only notify the Mysterious Masked Man to rush over immediately, as it had no combat capabilities!

"……"

The Mysterious Masked Man hurriedly arrived using space-time ninjutsu.

This dark figure, who had always hidden behind the ninja world, who thought he could manipulate everyone in the ninja world at his fingertips, felt for the first time that things were beyond his control.

Although he didn't know what impact Akihara Kagura killing the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would have on him, this matter was clearly beyond his control!

Especially…

That guy even wanted him to take the blame!

What's more…

That child, Naruto Uzumaki…

During the last Nine-Tails' Rampage, the Mysterious Masked Man, by killing his teacher, had completely resolved to change his life, transforming from a ninja who aspired to become Hokage into a mastermind attempting to subvert the ninja world.

Perhaps there was still a tiny shred of conscience left. Perhaps the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Naruto Uzumaki, could still restrain the Nine-Tails, so there was no need to let this child, Naruto Uzumaki, die so soon!

Behind Konoha Mountain.

Akihara Kagura seemed to have coincidentally patrolled to this area and saw Naruto Uzumaki, greeting him: "Hey, Naruto Uzumaki, what are you doing here?"

"Kagura!"

Naruto Uzumaki waved excitedly at Akihara Kagura, holding up the colorful mushrooms in his hand: "I just picked these mushrooms, want to have some soup together?"

"……"

Green mushrooms…

Red mushrooms…

These should all be poisonous mushrooms, right?

Akihara Kagura frowned, his expression changing: "After eating these with you, we'll probably meet your parents…"

"Huh? Really?"

Naruto Uzumaki seemed a little happy.

This little guy didn't quite understand Akihara Kagura's meaning yet. He held up the mushrooms in his hand and rushed towards Akihara Kagura, even happy to meet someone who didn't dislike him.

"Don't go near him!"

A voice suddenly appeared!

A space-time vortex slowly appeared between Akihara Kagura and Naruto Uzumaki. The Mysterious Masked Man quickly flashed out of the space-time vortex!

When the Mysterious Masked Man arrived, his mind couldn't even think of another plan. He could only hastily appear before the two. After all, even if he revealed any flaws, he could use his Sharingan to hypnotize them and erase their memories!

Splash!

Blood splattered!

A wood spike pierced flesh!

The moment the Mysterious Masked Man hastily appeared using space-time ninjutsu, a wood spike had already suddenly struck his body, as if it had been waiting for his appearance, leaving him no time to dodge!

"Good evening, intruder…"

A playful glint flashed in Akihara Kagura's eyes.

It was quite unexpected that a mastermind of the ninja world would fall for such a simple trap…

Second update!

The position of mastermind is something the Hara family is generally good