"This is Konoha! Senpai! These buildings have quite an artistic flair! Mm!"
On a hill not far outside Konoha, three figures dressed in matching black robes and wearing conical hats that concealed their faces looked down at the bustling village below.
The younger-looking one spoke with curiosity and admiration. It was Deidara.
"Konoha..."
Shisui Uchiha, wearing a mask, murmured in a complicated tone. Through the eyeholes, he gazed at the homeland he had once protected, yet could no longer call home. He had never expected to return here again under such an identity.
Kakuzu's low, slightly hoarse voice rang out with a warning. "Deidara, don't forget the mission the leader gave us. Before the plan begins, we need to remain completely hidden. Watch your mouth. Don't let your loud behavior draw unnecessary attention."
Yet Kakuzu's own gaze was firmly drawn to Konoha's most conspicuous landmark, Kage Rock. His eyes locked onto the first stone face—the First, Hashirama Senju.
That man had completely changed the course of his life. He was the first, and only, person to make Kakuzu deeply understand just how insignificant and vulnerable his own strength was. That godlike existence... Complex emotions churned in Kakuzu's green eyes.
The mission Leader Menma had issued this time was very clear. Sunagakure and Otogakure intended to attack Konoha during the Chunin Exams and ignite a war.
Their task was to secretly infiltrate Konoha and lie low before the Chunin Exams concluded. If war truly broke out, the leader himself would arrive. Then they would join forces and use overwhelming power to completely suppress the flames of war.
Kakuzu had volunteered for this operation. As one of the organization's core combatants, being cooped up in the base every day handling tedious fund transfers and business negotiations was far removed from his real