Waiting for Kumogakure and Konoha to "Dig" Me Out

Buzz! Buzz!

The windows of the tent began to tremble faintly and glow. Ripples spread across the water in the wineglass on the table.

The tremor seemed to be coming from a very, very distant place, but it still startled the ninjas in the other tents of the Konoha camp. They emerged from their tents with weapons in hand, frowning warily.

"What's going on?"

"Was that an earthquake?"

Hearing the footsteps outside the tent, Hyuga Yunchuan had the three Human Puppets pick up their weapons and go out as well. He had one Shadow Clone change into the dead ninja's clothes and follow the three of them outside.

As for himself, he remained inside the tent.

A moment later, the tremors gradually subsided, and Hyuga Yunchuan felt as though an invisible connection had appeared in his mind.

A three-dimensional blueprint of a five-level Underground Palace surfaced in his mind. It felt quite spacious, yet its interior was still empty.

However, as long as he wished it, he could directly enter the Underground Palace from anywhere within a thousand meters of it.

This Underground Palace should be able to withstand a direct assault, right? Hyuga Yunchuan mused. Otherwise, even if it gave me a bargain-bin version of Space-Time Ninjutsu, spending three thousand points on it would still be a loss.

He was planning to use the Underground Palace ruins as bait. He could not let others break into it so easily.

But Hyuga Yunchuan could not test it right now. He could only trust in the system's conscience.

Just then, his eyes shifted slightly. He looked outside the tent and sensed that eight Root ninjas in the camp, including his Shadow Clone and the three Human Puppets, were gathering in the same direction.

"Looks like Aburame has arrived. Just as I thought, he's gathering the Root ninjas," Hyuga Yunchuan realized.

That settled it. All that remained was to wait for the show to begin.

Hyuga Yunchuan turned into a black shadow and slipped into the darkness of the rainy night, stealthily making his way toward the Land of Hot Water.

He was going to wait inside the Underground Palace in advance.

Wait for Kumogakure and Konoha to "dig" him out.

And then...

Hyuga Yunchuan raised his head slightly and looked at the full moon obscured by dark clouds.

"Since Otsutsuki Toneri can control that Giant Tenseigan, I should be able to borrow it too, right?"

His delighted chuckle drifted away amid the wind and rain.

Meanwhile, at a port in the Land of Hot Water, more than a dozen Kumogakure ninjas stood silently in the rain.

Behind them, the hot spring inn serving as their contact point was lit by yellow lamps. Strong winds rushed in through every crack, swaying the bulbs from side to side and making their black shadows dance uncertainly across the ground.

The leader had short purple hair and wore a black skintight combat suit beneath a white Kumogakure flak jacket. A yellow scarf was wrapped around his neck.

"Lord Toroi." A Kumogakure ninja appeared behind him in a Shunshin. "We didn't find anything unusual. It was probably just an ordinary earthquake."

Boom!

A thunderbolt struck overhead, branching lightning spreading pale white across the night sky.

"An ordinary earthquake..."

Toroi murmured as he looked up. Heavy raindrops were hurled at him by the wind. Thick storm clouds loomed overhead, blocking out the moonlight, while only serpentine flashes of lightning illuminated the gaps between them.

For some reason, his chest felt tight and uneasy, as though it foreshadowed some impending disaster. It was as if the clouds above were pressing down on them.

He had always trusted his instincts. Already distrustful of Konoha, he became even more vigilant.

Still, with the appointed time drawing nearer, a faint restlessness inevitably rose within him.

Just as Toroi's thoughts began to wander, the Kumogakure ninja beside him suddenly looked up and said in a low voice, "They're here!"

In the distance, more than a dozen figures dressed in black raincoats raced across the surface of the water toward them.

Toroi put his hand to his mouth and let out a sharp whistle. When he heard the same sound from afar, he immediately confirmed their identities.

A moment later, the Kumogakure group standing on the harbor shore saw Akamichi Chodo and the Konoha group behind him under the warm yellow light spilling from the inn.

"Sorry, the weather's bad, so we were late..."

Akamichi Chodo glanced over the Kumogakure group and scratched his head sheepishly in apology.

"Come inside and make the exchange."

Before he could finish, Toroi cut him off, stuffing all his remaining words back down his throat.

With that, Toroi and the Kumogakure ninjas turned and entered the hot spring inn behind them.

"So impatient?"

Akamichi Chodo said this aloud, then gave Hyuga Yunchuan behind him a meaningful look before leading the others quickly after them into the inn.

This inn was funded by Kumogakure. Its lobby was large enough to accommodate more than thirty people from Kumogakure and Konoha.

The Konoha group discreetly glanced toward Hyuga Yunchuan among them. Only after seeing him nod imperceptibly did they finally relax.

"The weather tonight is terrible."

Toroi suddenly stopped and turned to look at Akamichi Chodo, his tone cold.

"..." Understanding what he meant, Akamichi Chodo decisively took a step back and shrugged. "All right, all right. Let's get this over with quickly."

Barking dogs seldom bite.

Since the other side had displayed such a hardline attitude from the moment they arrived, there would be plenty of time to draw weapons if they truly came to blows later.

The moment he saw Toroi's face, he had already recognized him.

Toroi, a Jonin of Kumogakure skilled in using the Kekkei Genkai Magnet Release.

The Fourth Raikage had actually sent him. Had he noticed something unusual?

If a fight breaks out, I wonder whether I can protect that kid from the Hyuga Clan. Akamichi Chodo sighed inwardly. The Third Hokage really gave me a troublesome assignment.

"Where's the item?" Toroi asked bluntly.

Akamichi Chodo tilted his head slightly. Hyuga Yunchuan stepped forward from behind him, gave Toroi a cold look, then pulled a scroll from his robes.

Bang!

A dark brown coffin appeared before them. Under the warm yellow chandelier, it exuded an air of deathly stillness, making the already oppressive atmosphere even more chilling.

"So it was like this."

Toroi frowned tightly at the sight, but said nothing.

On the way here, he had received word from the village that the Daimyo had passed along incorrect information. Konoha had caught the flaw in his words, so it was not surprising that they had handed over a "corpse."

However, as long as the corpse was Hyuga Hiashi's, it still held great value.

"Step back," Toroi said coldly. "We need to 'inspect the goods.'"

Referring to the "corpse" as "goods" seemed to strike a nerve with Hyuga Yunchuan. A trace of Wrath appeared in his eyes as he looked at Toroi.

But just as he was about to say something, Akamichi Chodo raised a hand to stop him and voluntarily stepped back, leaving space for Toroi.

Toroi walked over to the coffin. A strangely shaped Shuriken slid out from his sleeve and cut into the coffin lid's seal.

Crack.

The instant the coffin opened, the black night sky was abruptly dyed a blazing white by lightning. The dazzling flash cast everyone's shadows onto the floor of the lobby, stretching them long and ghostlike.

"..."

Behind Akamichi Chodo, Aburame stared fixedly at Toroi's expression, only to see an unexpected look appear on his face.

Wrath, shock, and fear mingled across his features.

Why was he reacting like that?

Doubt suddenly arose in Aburame's heart. Then Toroi abruptly raised his head, his face twisted in fury and alarm as he opened his mouth.

Boom!

The thunder that followed the lightning arrived immediately after.

"Retreat!" Toroi's furious shout was drowned out.

Akamichi Chodo, who stood closest, heard the all-too-familiar sizzling sound of something being lit. His pupils shrank sharply in an instant.

Exploding Tags?

How was that possible?!

Before anyone could react, a terrifying explosion far louder than thunder engulfed heaven and earth!

A blazing white light erupted before their eyes, rushing straight at them and swallowing everyone whole!

BOOM!!