Though Fireworks Are Beautiful, They Vanish in an Instant

Chakra bloomed upon the edge of the ninja sword, radiating a blinding blue-white brilliance.

Lightning flickered in the air, the lingering power producing a faint chirping sound.

The high-speed movement of the Storm Release: Body Flicker Technique caught this group of Kumogakure moles by surprise.

By the time Byakuya finished off three of the Kumogakure moles.

Izumi Orange had also pierced the throats of two other Cloud Ninjas with her kunai.

Only one remained.

He grinned hideously: "All of you, come to the grave with me!!"

He tore open his outer garment, revealing a circle of Explosive Tags wrapped around his upper body.

"Izumi Orange! You actually betrayed Kumogakure! Die!"

Just as Byakuya prepared to swing his blade to execute him, Izumi Orange calmly grabbed his forearm: "It's fine."

The Explosive Tags detonated!

But they turned into fireworks.

The fireworks soared from the tags into mid-air, dazzling and colorful.

Byakuya asked: "These explosive... Firework Tags were provided by you?"

"Yes, to achieve a realistic effect, that lord specifically ordered these Firework Tags to be made. But I didn't expect to be exposed so easily; I thought I could continue to lurk until I found clues about the high-level Kumogakure spy hiding in Konoha."

Byakuya walked silently to the disbelieving Cloud Ninja mole and ended him with a single strike.

These Cloud Ninjas lacked skill; judging by the exchange, they were all Genin.

Thinking about it, it made sense; in a large-scale bombing attack within Konoha, these moles had no chance of survival, so it was better to send agile Genin to complete the task.

"Why did you suddenly stop talking?" Izumi Orange asked.

Wearing the Shuten-dōji Mask, Byakuya rasped: "A high-level Kumogakure spy in Konoha? You actually told me so bluntly."

"Since the higher-ups ordered you to find me, they must have wanted me to tell you this. Heh, even if I didn't say it voluntarily, you would have interrogated me, wouldn't you?"

Izumi Orange walked to his side, watching Byakuya's hand gripping the sword; no matter how precise a person's physical disguise is, the appearance of their hands will reveal who they truly are.

It just so happened that she was someone who paid close attention to other people's hands.

The masked man noticed her abnormality and reported it to Root, and Root ordered him to find her to complete the cleanup operation of the ninja academy's Cloud Ninja moles.

That lord was no longer as concerned about who the high-level Kumogakure spy was; there were other things that needed her to do.

"What is your codename?"

"Shuten-dōji."

"My codename is Falcon. You go; I will clean up the bodies. New staff have already been arranged, and no one will find any information about you, I guarantee it!"

Izumi Orange's tone had shifted into that of another person.

No longer charming or sweet, but cold, crisp, and even carrying a hint of detachment.

"Much appreciated."

Byakuya immediately performed the Storm Release: Body Flicker Technique and vanished abruptly in front of Izumi Orange.

"Such a high-speed Body Flicker Technique? Your talent for 'speed' is enviable," Izumi Orange whispered.

Looking at the Cloud Ninja mole dead at her feet, a cold sneer hung on her lips; she wished she could immediately use the power of Konoha to uproot the entire Kumogakure.

Izumi Orange would never forget what Kumogakure did to her to train her into a qualified spy.

Perhaps she hadn't gone insane yet only to take revenge on Kumogakure and the Raikage ten, a hundred, a thousand times over!

"As long as it can harm Kumogakure, Lord Danzo, I will do whatever you ask of me, without a single word of complaint."

Izumi Orange squatted down, dipped her finger into the Cloud Ninja's blood, and maniacally put it into her mouth to savor it slowly.

A village that serves only military operations—everyone from top to bottom is a damnable executioner!

Byakuya returned to the warehouse, took off his mask, and closed his eyes for a moment.

The first thing that is certain is that Teacher Izumi Orange knows who I am.

No wonder that old bastard Danzo trusted me so easily, gifting me Senju Tobirama's Water Release: Water Formation Wall, Water Release: Water Severing Wave, and the Flying Thunder God Technique; Izumi Orange had already conducted a background check and test on me.

If I had said one wrong word, the outcome probably wouldn't have been very good.

He took off his black trench coat.

A high-level spy sent by Kumogakure?

Byakuya recalled the original plot; when Konoha and Kumogakure shook hands and made peace years later, the negotiation team sent by Kumogakure kidnapped Hyuga Hinata.

The key point was that there seemed to be accurate intelligence informing them of Hinata's location.

Could it be that the high-level Kumogakure spy Izumi Orange spoke of lived until years later?

What is that old bastard Danzo even doing, failing to find a single person!

After such a busy afternoon, I hadn't even eaten, and the fight had drained a portion of my chakra.

I had originally planned to fill my stomach and use the afternoon to recover my chakra, then head deep into the forest at night to practice the time-limited mission issued by my Fate Grid.

So much for that.

As the sky began to darken.

Brilliant fireworks suddenly erupted from every corner of the Ninja Academy.

The fireworks burst in mid-air.

The cheers and laughter of the students were audible even to Byakuya, who was currently locking the warehouse door.

Pocketing the keys.

Byakuya tilted his head back to admire the fireworks.

They were truly beautiful.

It was a pity they were so fleeting.

"Student Byakuya?"

Izumi Orange stopped him outside the Ninja Academy gate, tilting her head with a smile. "Any interest in some barbecue? My treat, my bill."

"Really? I'll have to trouble you then, Teacher Izumi Orange."

The barrier between the two seemed to vanish in an instant.

They walked side by side.

"Did you see the fireworks, Student Byakuya?"

"I did. They were beautiful."

"Am I more beautiful, or are the fireworks?"

"The fireworks."

"Byakuya, you really don't know how to please a girl!"

"The beauty of fireworks lies in their transience, which is what makes them moving. Teacher Izumi Orange, your beauty lies in the long run; having seen it so often, I've simply grown accustomed to it."

Izumi Orange covered her mouth and laughed happily. "Since when did you become such a smooth talker, Student Byakuya?"

"Is it sweet?"

"Sweet, like candy."

Byakuya caught sight of Uzumaki Kushina again; she was anxiously asking a ninja about something.

As they drew closer.

They could vaguely hear Uzumaki Kushina inquiring about the safety of Namikaze Minato.

Izumi Orange whispered, "Captain Minato is truly amazing. He took down so many Cloud Ninja; he is the great hero in my heart! Do you know? Even the Eight-Tails jinchuriki of Kumogakure is no match for him."

"Is that so? I've been lacking news from the front lines."

"That's because you've been cooped up in the warehouse. Captain Minato's exploits have long been circulating throughout the village."

Izumi Orange paused, her tone turning cold. "I originally thought the jinchuriki Kumogakure sent to the battlefield was the Two-Tails. I never expected it to be the Eight-Tails jinchuriki. It's fortunate that we have Namikaze Minato, otherwise, the Konoha ninja would never have been able to withstand the Cloud Ninja's frenzied assault—unless... unless they deployed the Nine-Tails jinchuriki to the battlefield as well."

She and Byakuya both turned their gazes toward Uzumaki Kushina.

At that very moment.

Kushina sensed their stares, turned back, and smiled. "Junior Byakuya, and who is this? Is she your girl..."

"Senior Kushina, let me introduce you. This is Izumi Orange, a teacher at the Ninja Academy."

"Oh, I see. Nice to meet you, Teacher Izumi Orange." Kushina bowed.

"Are you asking after Captain Minato, Senior Kushina?" Byakuya asked.

Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she nodded. "I'm sorry to make you laugh; I just can't help but worry about him."

"We were planning to go get some barbecue. Would you like to join us, Senior Kushina?"

"No, thank you for the kind offer, Junior. I'm learning a new recipe and want to wait for Minato to come back so I can cook it for him. Goodbye."

"Take care, Senior."

Izumi Orange whispered, "What a loving couple."