"Senior Kakashi, we have a new mission."
Kakashi's meal was interrupted by an Anbu operative.
He sighed, set down his half-finished bowl of ramen, gave Teuchi an apologetic nod, left some money, and walked away.
The Jonin moved incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, the two of them had disappeared.
"Tenzo, what's going on?"
"Senior Kakashi, the Lord Third has ordered us to protect the Hidden Cloud squad."
"I knew it..." Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I left on purpose because I didn't want to get involved in this, but I guess there's no escaping it."
He wanted nothing to do with anything political anymore. His father, Hatake Sakumo, had died because of political rumors, and that had always been a thorn in his heart. Even now, he couldn't come to terms with it.
Tenzo seemed to know about Kakashi's past, too. At a loss for words, he said, "Sorry, Senior Kakashi. The Lord Third assigned the mission, so I..."
"No need to explain."
Kakashi cut him off, pulled out his Anbu mask, and put it on. "Let's go. Where are the Cloud shinobi staying?"
"Beside the Hyuga Clan."
"Hm?" Kakashi stopped at once and asked in confusion, "Are there any inns near the Hyuga Clan? I thought every inn stayed away from there because of the Byakugan."
Tenzo explained, "I investigated the inn before coming here. It just opened last month, and the owner is a merchant from the Land of Iron."
"Strange. Why would the Cloud want to stay beside the Hyuga Clan? With the Byakugan, they can see everything just by activating it."
Kakashi thought it was odd that the Cloud had chosen that place to stay, but he didn't dwell on it.
Maybe the Cloud shinobi had chosen it on purpose to show that they meant no harm.
Konoha had been through many wars. Wounded all over, it had long yearned for peace and a chance to recover.
Meanwhile, the Cloud squad had gathered in a room to hatch their plot.
After sensing the area, Kasai said to the one-eyed man leading the group, "Lord Dodai, there's no one watching nearby. Konoha's Anbu have kept their distance."
"Good. The inn you arranged ahead of time has worked well."
Dodai nodded in approval, then turned to a man who had kept his hood up. "Mōshibi, stick to the plan. You have two days to scout the area and plan your route. Make your move the night after tomorrow. If you succeed, leave Konoha as quickly as you can. I'll hold off the pursuers. If you fail, your names will be carved into the village's monument to its heroes. I'll use the pretext of starting a war to carry out the second part of the plan."
Dodai's voice was low, and his one eye gleamed.
The Cloud shinobi called Mōshibi removed his hood. Lightning flickered across his dark brown face as he said solemnly, "Lord Dodai, I'll bring the Byakugan bloodline back to the village."
Dodai patted him on the shoulder and said approvingly, "You're every bit as outstanding as Blue B. The Cloud is proud of you both."
"Everything for the Cloud."
"That's right. Everything for the Cloud."
In Konoha, while the Cloud plotted to steal the Hyuga bloodline, Kazama Kaguya and Kimimaro were still wandering around.
The bustling shopping district was lined with shops owned by the various clans.
The crests of the Sarutobi, Hyuga, Uchiha, Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka Clans were displayed in the most prominent spots.
These shops supplied the thousands of shinobi in Konoha with the goods they needed, and each one held a monopoly in its industry.
Even the Yamanaka Clan, which kept the lowest profile, had a contract to handle Konoha's landscaping.
In the bustling crowd, Kazama Kaguya's sickly appearance made passersby instinctively step aside, afraid he might collapse and then blame them for it.
But Kazama Kaguya didn't care about their strange looks, and he had no interest in shopping.
He and Kimimaro were roaming the streets only to find the place where Orochimaru's intelligence said he had made contact with Danzo.
After passing several weapon shops, Kazama Kaguya suddenly spotted a store selling all kinds of Summoning Scrolls.
A large scroll hung at the entrance. Its engraved lines radiated downward, like the spreading roots of a great tree.
"The Root! This is the place."
"Kimimaro, wait outside."
Kazama Kaguya's eyes lit up, and he went inside without hesitation.
A short while later, Kazama Kaguya came out of the store and disappeared into the crowd with Kimimaro.
By then, the sun had set in the west, and the sunset clouds hung across the horizon. The orange-red clouds gradually took on a dark, blood-red hue.
Kazama Kaguya had already devised a plan to obtain the Byakugan, so he gave his instructions.
"Kimimaro, find an inn, somewhere close to the Hyuga Clan. The show's about to begin."
"Yes, Lord Kazama."
"Oh, and don't stay with me. Keep your distance, and take this fishbowl. If the light in my room goes out, crush the little shark inside immediately."
Kimimaro stopped and asked worriedly, "Lord Kazama, isn't that too risky? Your body..."
"This is the best solution, Kimimaro."
Kazama Kaguya looked at the blood-red sunset, a trace of madness in his eyes. "Have you forgotten what I can do? I have the power to bring all things to an end. Even if a fight breaks out, I can hold out until Teacher Kisame comes to rescue me."
"Besides, I'm sure that person won't refuse my plan."
"You're just the backup, in case anything goes wrong."
As the two walked away, night rose from the east like a black curtain, gradually covering everything from the First's stone face to the Fourth Generation's.
In the darkness, Kimimaro stayed at an inn four or five hundred meters from Kazama Kaguya's lodgings.
He didn't turn on the lights. He just stood behind the window, staring intently at the light in Kazama Kaguya's room in the distance. He held the fishbowl with the little shark inside, a row of bone spikes poised to crush it at a moment's notice.
"Lord Kazama, you'll be all right," he prayed silently.
The moon had climbed high into the sky when three shadows rushed toward the inn where Kazama Kaguya was staying.
"Ninjutsu: Art of the Nirvana Reclining House." Someone quietly formed Hand Seals and cast a large-scale Genjutsu.
As phantom-like white feathers drifted down from the sky, everyone in the inn except Kazama Kaguya silently fell asleep.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Three figures used Body Flicker to enter the room.
Kazama Kaguya sat on his knees behind a low table. He hadn't turned on the electric light, choosing instead to light an oil lamp within easy reach.
The tiny flame flickered. A slight push or even a puff of air would put it out.
In the dim light, Kazama Kaguya looked at the three intruders, then bowed to the man in the middle, whose head and right eye were wrapped in bandages. His manner was humble and respectful.
"Lord Danzo, I'm here on behalf of Lord Orochimaru."
It was a lie, but the lie was the foundation of his Secret Ninjutsu: Talk no Jutsu: Fox Borrowing the Tiger's Might.
From this moment on, Kazama Kaguya was Orochimaru's spokesperson. Everything he did and said would be taken as Orochimaru's orders.
He needed to borrow the tiger's name to walk alongside it.
Danzo looked down at the sickly-looking boy with his narrow left eye. After a long moment, he sneered coldly, "Orochimaru's fallen so low. Has he been unable to find a single decent subordinate since leaving Konoha?"
Kazama Kaguya looked up and replied in a tone that suggested he was ready to die, "Lord Orochimaru will always be the strongest. I'm on the verge of death, and I only want to spend what little life I have left serving him. My only task is to deliver his message to you and take the item we're trading back to him. Then I'll destroy myself."
Kazama Kaguya was trying to lessen Danzo's desire to kill him.
But Danzo was too suspicious. He trusted no living person. He believed that only the dead could keep a secret.
Sure enough, as soon as Kazama Kaguya finished speaking, he heard Danzo give a disdainful laugh.
"Hmph. Destroy yourself? Orochimaru certainly knows how to save me the trouble. Tell me, what does he want to trade?"
"Lord Danzo." Kazama Kaguya bowed again. "Lord Orochimaru's Eternal Life experiments have reached a critical stage. He needs the Byakugan of the Hyuga Main Family."
"The Byakugan of the Main Family?"
Killing intent surged in Danzo's eyes. He said ominously, "What does he think this place is? The Byakugan of the Main Family? He's got some nerve!"
After that, Danzo had no patience left.
He rose to leave and gave one of the Root members beside him a look. "Kill him!"
The next moment, a chilling killing intent swept over them. Tiny black insects flew from the sleeve of a Root member, buzzing as they swarmed out.
"Kikaichū? The Aburame Clan?"
Kazama Kaguya's eyelid twitched. He hurriedly said, "Lord Danzo, Lord Orochimaru said he can help you control the Hyuga Clan and, in turn, claim the Hokage Position."
Clack!
At those words, Danzo stopped mid-step, as if a Genjutsu had frozen him in place.
He whirled around, his eyes blazing. "Control the Hyuga Clan? Become Hokage? What method does Orochimaru have? Explain."
Before you continue