The Great Deceiver, Kite

"My name is... Kite."

When he'd been thinking up this scheme and designing this outfit, Izuna had used Obito Uchiha as his model.

Since that was the case, he might as well make things easier and use all the aliases Obito had used before.

More than twenty ninjas from the Shimura and Sarutobi Clans stood ready for battle.

Only after the dust had settled could they get a clear look at the other man.

Though it wasn't exactly his true face.

He wore a black cloak that covered his hair, and his face was hidden behind a bizarre, single-eyed, spiral-patterned mask.

Even his voice was clearly altered by concentrating Chakra in his throat, changing it in an irregular way.

"Kite..."

Furukawa Sarutobi murmured the name, then exchanged a glance with Keizou Shimura.

The two of them shook their heads, indicating that they'd never heard of anyone by that name.

But anyone capable of breaking through their proudly defended clan grounds alone and making it all the way here was no ordinary opponent!

"Ninjas aren't supposed to give out their surnames, are they?"

Izuna joked.

"Hmph!"

Keizou Shimura snorted and waved his hand. Eight ninjas from the Shimura Clan drew their blades and formed a circle around Izuna.

"Don't be in such a hurry, Clan Head Shimura. I've come in good faith to discuss cooperation with your alliance. It's true that I used a rather rough way to get into your residence, but it really was the only way."

Keizou Shimura remained just as wary, but Furukawa Sarutobi stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Kite... is that right? What do you want?"

"Furukawa Sarutobi, Clan Head of the Sarutobi Clan. It's a relief to find someone who's willing to talk."

Izuna spread his arms, feigning excitement. "I'm a member of the Northwest Four Clans. We've recently joined forces with the Hagoromo Clan, and I've come here in secret to represent the Four Clans and ask the Sarutobi and Shimura Clans to join forces with us."

The Northwest Four Clans?

There were plenty of small and medium-sized ninja clans in the wilderness of the northwest, but only four had joined forces with the Hagoromo Clan.

The Fūma, Saitō, Watanabe, and Onikawa Clans.

Was this man a member of one of them?

Their clan heads were said to be no stronger than elite jōnin. Where had this powerful ninja come from?

"Didn't you already ally with the Hagoromo Clan? Now you're saying you represent the Four Clans and want to work with us?"

Keizou Shimura didn't believe a word Izuna said.

"I said I represent the Four Clans because this is being done without Masashige Hagoromo's knowledge."

Izuna's altered voice took on a hint of resentment. "Masashige Hagoromo agreed with our Four Clans that after we took the land northwest of the Uchiha, his Hagoromo Clan would take half, and our Four Clans would split the rest."

"We couldn't accept those terms, so we proposed this instead."

Izuna's voice suddenly rose. "The Sarutobi and Shimura Clans should join forces with us to eliminate the Hagoromo Clan and divide the resources of the Hagoromo and Uchiha Clans."

Furukawa Sarutobi's eyes widened in surprise, but Keizou Shimura was still suspicious. "Even if I give you the benefit of the doubt—no, even if I give you every possible benefit of the doubt—you could've gone to the Senju. They'd be eager to start a war with the Uchiha."

At Keizou Shimura's words, the ninjas around them immediately caught on and became wary of "Kite."

"You're right, Clan Head Shimura. Unfortunately, I already went to the Senju Clan grounds. Clan Head Senju Takeuma was very interested, but Vice Clan Leader Hashirama Senju strongly opposed it and nearly tried to capture me. I had no other choice, so I came to you."

Izuna waved a hand and hung his head in dismay.

"The Senju turned you down? How is that possible?!"

Everyone in the hall was astonished.

Until now, they'd all believed the Senju were merely waiting for the right moment. There was no way they'd sit out this war.

Was the masked man lying?

"It's hard to believe, isn't it? But that's the kind of person the new Vice Clan Leader, Hashirama Senju, is."

Izuna continued, "The Uchiha are nearing their end, and the Hagoromo have no guard up against our Four Clans. Our chances of success are excellent. I hope the two clan heads will join us and accomplish something great together."

"I can't stay away for long, or Masashige Hagoromo will become suspicious. If I get another chance, I'll come pay my respects to you both in person."

As Izuna spoke, he prepared to leave.

"Wind Release: Vacuum Cannon Wave!"

A visible blast of compressed air, as big as a hot-air balloon, came hurtling toward him.

The Shimura Clan was the best at Wind Release in the Warring States era. Keizou Shimura's A-rank Wind Release was nearly as powerful as Izuna's killer technique, Wind Release: Rasengan.

However, the masked man vanished from where he stood in an instant.

After the Vacuum Cannon Wave smashed half the hall to pieces, he suddenly reappeared in the same spot.

Keizou Shimura stared in shock and murmured, "The Body Flicker Technique? No, he didn't even form a hand seal, and I couldn't sense any Chakra fluctuations. What was that...?"

Furukawa Sarutobi narrowed his eyes. "Was that... space-time movement?"

"You've got quite a temper, Clan Head Shimura. I told you, even if you're a great clan, treating an envoy this way is going too far, isn't it?"

As he finished speaking, the masked man's shadow vanished once more, leaving only a final remark behind. "If you don't believe me, just wait. The Senju definitely won't attack."

Once everything had settled down, Keizou Shimura asked in a low voice, "Furukawa, what do you think?"

"At least he was right about that last part. We can tell whether what he said was true by watching to see if the Senju take action."

Every ninja clan in the Warring States era believed the Senju would never let this opportunity slip by. They were sure the Senju would tear up the Truce Agreement and declare war on the Uchiha.

But if, as "Kite" had claimed, the Senju didn't start a war, then his story about going to the Senju Clan to seek an alliance was probably true.

Keizou Shimura pondered for a moment, then asked, "If what he said is true, Furukawa, do you think we can make a move?"

Furukawa Sarutobi pressed his dry lips together. He knew his old comrade was tempted.

About five miles from the Sarutobi and Shimura Clan grounds.

A kunai had been embedded in a locust tree.

A blur appeared. Izuna retrieved the kunai and removed his mask.

"Asura's descendants really are perfect targets to take advantage of."

He had no intention of going to the Senju Clan grounds as "Kite."

Not only was the place full of powerful ninjas, but with just the Flying Thunder God Technique, he couldn't possibly come and go as freely as he had this time.

He couldn't risk letting anyone from the Senju see this technique.

That was right. Izuna wasn't planning to use this move on the front lines. He'd only use it while pretending to be "Kite."

At that moment, even Izuna himself had no idea that this decision would unleash a massive storm he wouldn't be able to stop.