Disguise

"Stop!"

A sharp shout pierced the dense curtain of rain.

At the mouth of the narrow alley ahead, six Rain ninja in black raincoats and breathing masks blocked their way.

They were well equipped, and they had a hound with them. Their uniforms also bore the insignia of Hanzō's Elite Guard.

"We're done for."

Namikaze Minato's heart clenched. He instinctively reached for his Ninja Tool Pouch.

"Don't move."

Uchiha Fugaku quietly stopped him.

The usually arrogant young Uchiha showed excellent instincts in the moment.

The three of them looked like homeless orphans who had just crawled out of a garbage heap. They shivered all over, their eyes wide with fear.

"W-who are you?"

Uchiha Fugaku put on the look of someone scared out of his wits. His voice trembled, and his body even shook faintly.

If the Uchiha elders saw acting like that, their jaws would probably hit the floor.

Nishikawa Tetsu was surprised too. You're a pretty good actor, huh?

The Elite Guard captain leading the group pinched his nose in disgust. It was the instinctive revulsion that someone who had always lived in the upper district felt toward the lower-class residents.

"Have you seen three Konoha ninja? About this tall, carrying packs." The captain gestured with the kunai in his hand, his voice cold.

"N-no... I haven't."

Nishikawa Tetsu cowered behind Fugaku and spoke timidly, with a regional accent. "Sir, we're just trying to find something to eat. Please don't kill us."

"Get lost! All of you! You stink!"

The captain impatiently waved them away. Looking at the three filthy, scrawny refugees, he couldn't be bothered to spare them another glance.

That bone-deep humility and stench couldn't possibly be faked by proud Konoha ninja.

"Search over there!"

The captain kicked Nishikawa Tetsu out of the way and hurried past with his men, chasing after them in another direction.

Nishikawa Tetsu didn't get up or fight back after being kicked into the muddy water. Instead, he rolled along the ground and groaned as if in pain.

Only after their footsteps faded did he slowly raise his head. The fear in his eyes vanished in an instant.

"Go."

The three exchanged no words or even glances. Like startled mice, they lowered their heads and quickly slipped into another alley.

The hound let out an excited bark and raced back like a black bolt of lightning, following the scent that still lingered in the air.

At the other end of the rainy alley.

The Elite Guard captain, who had sprinted over a hundred meters, suddenly stopped.

"Captain? What's wrong? The hound can't seem to pick up the scent." One of the men held back the restless dog.

"Something's not right."

The captain spun around and looked toward the place where the three refugees had disappeared. His gaze turned sinister.

"What's wrong? They were just three refugees, weren't they?"

"The stench was right, the clothes were right, even their fearful voices sounded right."

The captain narrowed his eyes, replaying the scene in his mind. Then his pupils suddenly contracted.

"But... their feet."

"Their feet?"

"The roads here are all mud and moss. Ordinary people don't just shuffle as they walk; their footing is uneven, and their balance is poor."

The captain's voice turned icy.

"But those three acted as if they were stumbling, while each step they took on the mud was far too quiet. Only ninja who have spent a long time training to adhere their Chakra to surfaces have that instinct! They were unconsciously controlling the sound of their footsteps!"

"And the tallest one."

The captain stared into the depths of the rain. "When I waved them away just now, his head was lowered, but his back was straight. That instinctive arrogance isn't something an ordinary person would have."

"Damn it! We've been tricked! Those three were Konoha rats!"

"Pursue them! Take no prisoners!"

"Woof! Woof! Woof!"

At the captain's command, the hound, which had been sniffing around, immediately changed direction as if it had received an order.

Deep in the alley.

"They're coming back."

Nishikawa Tetsu, who had been hurrying along, suddenly stopped and pressed his ear to the slick wall.

"Their footsteps are hurried, and their bloodlust is strong. Looks like our disguise didn't fool them after all."

"I told you, pretending to be beggars wouldn't work."

Uchiha Fugaku scoffed and tore off the foul-smelling rags, revealing the well-defined lines of his muscles beneath. They were dirty, but still firm.

He rolled his neck, making it crack. The fear in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by the arrogance and coldness unique to the Uchiha Clan.

"If we can't keep it up, there's no point pretending. Besides, I didn't like the way that guy looked at me."

"There are six of them, all from Hanzō's Elite Guard. At least Special Jonin level."

Namikaze Minato cast off his disguise too. His blond hair fluttered in the rain as he spun his special kunai once and gripped it in reverse.

"It's a dead end ahead, and the pursuers are behind us."

Nishikawa Tetsu glanced at the terrain.

"Looks like we'll have to take them out here."

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Several sharp sounds cut through the air.

Six shadows landed in an instant on the rooftops and ground at both ends of the alley, bringing the stench of blood with them. They surrounded the three of them.

"Running away? Why'd you stop?"

The Elite Guard captain stood above them, looking down at the trio with undisguised murderous intent.

"Not bad acting, Konoha brats. You almost fooled even me."

"Too bad you can't wash that rat stink off you, no matter how hard you try."

"Rats?"

Uchiha Fugaku slowly raised his head. His once-black eyes turned scarlet, and three Tomoe spun slowly in the darkness.

"Are you talking about the Uchiha?"

The Elite Guard captain froze when he saw those eyes, then sneered. "So you're from the Uchiha Clan. No wonder you're so stubborn. Perfect. I'll take your eyes!"

"Kill them!"

At his command, all six Rain ninja formed Hand Seals at once.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"

"Lightning Style: Electromagnetic Murder!"

Ninjutsu and fangs interwove into a web of death, instantly enveloping the narrow alley.

"Minato, left! Tetsu, fall back!"

Uchiha Fugaku shouted. His hands flashed through Hand Seals, and his chest swelled.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Blue flames exploded in the rainy night and slammed into the incoming water dragon. Steam billowed everywhere.

If they couldn't escape, then they would fight!