Mission In Progress

The night was dim!

Naraku walked alone on a wilderness road!

Dressed in white with long hair flowing, Naraku looked like a drifting specter against the moonlit, star‑sparse night!

But there were no souls around, so no ordinary person would be frightened by him!

At this moment Naraku was no longer in Konohagakure; he was in the Grass Country!

After more than half a month of continuous treatment, Yatsukumo's frail body finally regained a normal human physique!

I have to admit, Kaidō is truly formidable; the long healing time is only because Naraku only mastered intermediate Kaidō. If he upgraded to advanced or even perfect level, broken limbs would be reattached on the spot—so long as you're not dead, you'd be saved in minutes!

Kaidō from the Shinigami world far surpasses the medical ninjutsu of the Naruto world, though by how many ranks is unknown!

No wonder—Shinigami are practically deities, and their power system outstrips that of ordinary ninjas, which is only natural!

When the Third Hokage learned that Naraku had healed Yatsukumo, he finally set his plans in motion!

A flood of A‑rank and S‑rank missions rained down on Naraku!

What? Naraku refuses? Don't joke—ninja code isn't a decoration. As a ninja you must obey the Hokage's orders, unless you're openly declaring rebellion!

But Naraku clearly wouldn't do that; after all, the Hyūga clan has always been staunch supporters of the Third Hokage!

And just a few days ago, the Third gave him a new assignment!

The mission: infiltrate the Grass Country and assassinate a target!

That's already an S‑rank job, but Naraku has been busy lately!

Normally ninjas deploy in squads, but Naraku told the Third he didn't need teammates!

After all, his strength is evident; weak allies would be a burden, and overly strong ones would just waste high‑level combat resources!

The Third initially rejected the request, fearing Naraku would have no backup at a crucial moment, but eventually relented after Naraku's persistence!

So Naraku set out to complete the mission alone!

"Ah… a little sleepy!"

He performed a quick hand seal and glanced around!

"Hmm, according to the map, once we cross that mountain ahead we'll be at the target's house!"

"Fine, speed it up. Finish the job early and find a place to sleep!"

Naraku activated his Flash Step, sprinting across the open field so fast that a white after‑image streaked through the night!

After a while, having crested the hill, Naraku halted, perching on a large tree branch and eyeing a courtyard below!

"Intelligence indicates the target is inside this manor!"

"Kill him and the mission's done!"

"Then! Move out!"

As he set off, Naraku tucked away his usual laziness; his expression turned razor‑sharp!

Though he's laid‑back and sometimes cynical, he never drops the ball when it counts!

After all, this is the Naruto world, a living reality—not just a manga from a past life. A moment's carelessness can cost lives!

If you enjoy the story, add it to your shelf so you can find it next time.

Naraku certainly doesn't want to die in such a miserable way!

Under the cover of night, Naraku used Flash Step to circle the manor swiftly, and with his Byakugan he pinpointed the locations of the guard ninjas perfectly!

"Here's the weakest point. Let's slip in from this side!"

After the sweep, he identified the soft spot and slipped inside!

Once inside, Naraku didn't linger on the first floor; he headed straight for the second level!

Intel indicated the bedroom at the center of the second floor is where the target sleeps nightly. Naraku wasted no time, climbing up and moving toward the door.

"Hm? A trap?"

As he reached for the handle, he spotted a hidden mechanism trap on the door!

"This trap is set pretty well, but unfortunately, in front of the Byakugan, everything
is
illusory!"

Spiritual pressure transforms
into a thin thread that pierces through, instantly destroying the mechanism!

SWISH

A faint creak of the door echoed, a slit opening in the bedroom, and Naraku slipped inside!

He moved quietly to the bed and glanced at the figure lying there!

"Hmm, looks about right. Must be him!" Naraku pulled out the target's photo and compared it to the sleeper!

"Fine, wake him up and confirm."

Naraku drew his Zanpakutō and pressed the blade against the person's throat!

The icy blade pressed to the throat made the sleeping figure feel a bit
uncomfortable!

He groggily reached out and pressed his hand to his neck!

"Ugh… what is this?"

The other person's hand touched the blade of the Zanpakutō, and the razor‑sharp edge sliced through his skin without any resistance!

Still half‑dazed, he snapped awake in an instant, and the next moment he tried to scream!

"Shh!"

Nael placed the sword horizontally before the man, stopping his shout!

"I ask, you answer, understand?"

Nael said coldly!

"Umm… umm…" the man nodded fearfully!

"What's your name?"

"I… my name is Nichikawa Steelplate… please don't kill me"

"Are you the underground emperor of the Land of Grass?"

"Yes, yes, sir. As long as you don't kill me, I'm willing to pay a hefty sum for my life!"

"Fine, that'll do!"

Nael didn't ask any more questions. Just when the other thought Nael might spare him, Nael swung his long sword, and Nichikawa Steelplate's head rolled onto the floor!

"Nichikawa Steelplate—underground crime lord of the Land of Grass, who rallied a group of rogue ninjas, caused chaos throughout the country, and even attempted to overthrow its government. Acting on the Land of Grass's request, we came to execute him. Mission complete!"

Nael flicked the Zanpakutō and sheathed it!

"It's bad, Lord Nichikawa's heart has stopped beating!"

"What's going on?"

"I don't know. Just a moment ago, Lord Nichikawa's heart was pounding wildly. I was about to inform you when it suddenly stopped, and the binding technique between me and Lord Nichikawa broke. That means something's happened to him!"

"Everyone, surround the manor. Don't let a single fly get out!"

At that moment, a clamor erupted outside. Nael activated his Byakugan and looked out, only to see the enemy's forces surrounding the room—there must have been hundreds of them!

"Uh… have we been exposed?"

Nael pulled open the clothing over Nichikawa Steelplate's chest and found a binding technique etched onto his heart!

"Damn, this is troublesome. They placed a technique on his heart—if his heartbeat changes, the caster can sense it, huh!"

Nael hadn't expected to be discovered in the end, but the mission was already complete. All that remained was to break out and escape!

He sealed Nichikawa Steelplate's corpse inside the mission scroll, then pushed off the ground and burst through the roof!

In the dim night, Nael stood on the roof, wind blowing against him, while hundreds of rogue ninjas formed a circle beneath his feet!