Fog Demon

[Author's Note: Please @ me if you find any typos.]

[No conspiracy theories.]

[Since the timeline of the original Naruto series is somewhat chaotic, the author may modify some parts of the original timeline to ensure the plot develops smoothly.]

[This book adopts the timeline settings from the Book of Formations, meaning Part II (Shippuden) of Naruto begins in Konoha Year 66, and Naruto was born in Konoha Year 51.]

Land of Fire, Konoha.

As the most prosperous town in the Land of Fire outside the capital, the streets of Konoha are usually bustling with crowds even in the early morning. Yet today, the streets were deserted, with only a few scattered figures to be seen...

A thick fog blanketed the entire village, refusing to dissipate no matter how the sunlight beat down. Aside from the small vendors who had to go out to make a living, the streets were empty, leaving only the buildings on both sides to shimmer with a cold, metallic light.

In an alleyway rarely frequented by people, the fog was even thicker than elsewhere in the village, taking on a faint, grayish-black hue...

"No... don't kill me!"

Blood splattered, staining the walls of the alley. A wealthy merchant dressed in luxurious brocade robes, his appearance greasy and portly, felt his legs go weak. He collapsed beside a trash can, begging for mercy from the pair of blood-red eyes hidden within the thick fog.

--Click-clack...

The crisp sound of leather shoes hitting the ground was like a funeral knell, causing the merchant to break out in a cold sweat. Although he had the urge to fight for his life, seeing his attendants lying in pools of blood, reduced to "human fragments," his body could only tremble uncontrollably, devoid of any strength.

"It's time for the dissection~"

Emerging from the thick fog was a petite figure. Accompanied by a delicate, childish voice, the merchant felt a searing, viscous sensation in his chest. He looked down in disbelief, only to see a beating heart being extracted along with its vessels. His pupils dilated, and as everything turned black, he lost consciousness...

"Hey, hey... have you heard? Someone else was killed by that 'Fog Demon'!"

"I heard they had their heart ripped out and were hacked to pieces again! It's terrifying just thinking about it!"

It wasn't until the noon sun hung in the sky and the fog had completely dispersed that the villagers of Konoha dared to take to the streets, discussing the "sensational" Fog Demon that had been the talk of the village lately.

It had started about a month ago. From that day on, Konoha would be shrouded in thick fog every morning, and whenever the fog cleared, several corpses with their hearts removed and bodies torn to pieces would always appear in some corner of the village.

Shudder... just thinking about it is terrifying...

--Ah!

Suddenly, a high-pitched, sharp scream interrupted the afternoon, which had been as quiet as the dawn. Everyone simultaneously turned their gaze toward the woman who stood with a pointing finger, her face etched with terror.

"This... what is this?!"

What the woman was pointing at was, naturally, the wealthy merchant and his attendants who had been killed by the Fog Demon earlier, now reduced to bloody chunks.

The screaming and the commotion of people gathering immediately drew the attention of the Anbu. An Anbu ninja wearing a fox mask landed, immediately dispersing the crowd and setting up a cordon.

"This is the seventh incident this month..."

The Anbu squad leader counted the number of corpses this time and said heavily.

"Captain... identity confirmed... he is a wealthy merchant from the Land of Fire..."

An Anbu ninja handed over the blood-stained "proof of identity" with both hands. The squad leader took it, examined it, and asked again, "Is it the same as the previous times? Was the heart removed?"

"Yes..."

The Anbu ninja's response left him baffled. This so-called "Fog Demon" didn't seem to be after money or lust; it was as if the killing was just for fun.

It would be one thing to hack the bodies to pieces every time, but to also remove the hearts...

"I'm going to report this to the Hokage. You all seal off the scene and try to maintain order!"

Hokage Building, Hokage Office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, utilizing the Telescope Technique, had already learned of the Fog Demon's latest slaughter before the Anbu ninja arrived to report.

He looked grimly at the mountain of case files regarding the Fog Demon, not even noticing that the tobacco in his pipe had burned down to the bottom.

"The Fog Demon again..."

At first, no one paid any attention to the drunkard dismembered beside a trash can.

After all, judging by his identity, the man was a gambler and a lecher who owed unknown amounts of money; being killed by an enemy was a matter of course in the Ninja World.

However... later, when tourists, wealthy merchants, and even nobles visiting the Land of Fire met such tragic ends, Sarutobi Hiruzen had no choice but to take it seriously.

But... according to the Anbu ninjas, the fog seemed to be toxic, and the deeper the color of the fog, the stronger the toxicity.

Some Anbu had tested it; the moment they touched the fog, their bodies would lose all strength, even their chakra became difficult to mobilize, and in the end, their very life force would be devoured by the mist.

"It seems this requires careful consideration..."

Sending Anbu ninjas to investigate or lie in wait would only be sending them to their deaths. One would need someone with great speed and strength to have any chance of dealing with the Fog Demon.

Sarutobi Hiruzen pondered for a moment and naturally thought of the man hailed as the "fastest in the Ninja World," Minato Namikaze.

It was just that, at the moment, Minato was out on a mission with his ninja squad, and it would likely take some time for him to return to the village...

"I should send someone to contact him first..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen casually beckoned to the shadows in the corner, and an Anbu ninja dropped down from the ceiling crawlspace, kneeling on one knee before him.

"I'm counting on you. Deliver this to Minato."

Taking the scroll with both hands, the Anbu ninja replied, "Yes!" before leaping out of the window, transforming into a ghostly shadow that vanished into the complex of buildings.

Beneath Konoha, the Anbu training department (commonly known as Root).

Leaning on a cane, his head and right eye wrapped in bandages, his face etched with cold malice and his gaze cunning—this was the man known as the "Darkness of the Ninja World," the "Source of All Evil," and the "First Hokage Pot Kage"—Shimura Danzō!

"Lord Danzō!"

"What is the situation?"

A Root ninja knelt before Shimura Danzō, reporting the news that Sarutobi Hiruzen intended to wait for Minato to return before making any decisions.

"Good... very good!"

"Hiruzen, oh Hiruzen, since this is your choice, then you cannot blame me!"

As the saying goes, "Good news stays at home, but bad news travels a thousand miles." Under Shimura Danzō's machinations, the news that the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, intended to "ignore the Fog Demon" was quickly embellished and spread throughout all of Konoha.

The enraged populace, believing that the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, did not care for the lives of commoners at all, gathered in front of the Hokage building to protest.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the Hokage's office was somewhat oppressive. Watching the surging crowds outside the window, Sarutobi Hiruzen clearly had not expected the news to spread so rapidly.

Furthermore... it seemed to be spiraling into pure rumor! (The charm of journalism at work.)

For instance, Sarutobi Hiruzen's original intention to wait for Minato to return to the village to formulate a plan to capture the "Fog Demon" had been twisted into "the Hokage is indifferent to the common people and is letting the Fog Demon commit atrocities."

"Hiruzen! The number of protesting citizens is growing!"

At this moment, the other two members of the Konoha F4, advisors Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, burst through the door in a panic, their expressions flustered as they asked Sarutobi Hiruzen if he had a way to handle the situation.

Although commoners held little status in the Ninja World, their sheer numbers made them difficult to deal with when they caused trouble. Armed suppression was out of the question; sending Anbu to suppress civilians? If that got out, there was no telling how other ninja villages would criticize them. Moreover, if it incited greater public outrage and led to civilians leaving Konoha, the village's finances would suffer a severe blow! After all, there were so many ninjas to support, and without the commoners' consumption and tax revenue, how would they manage?

"It seems I must step out and pacify them myself..."

"Homura, Koharu, I leave the contact with Minato to you..."

On the balcony of the Hokage building, seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen appear, the noisy crowd below instantly fell silent. Although they had come to demand answers, Sarutobi Hiruzen, as their Hokage, was the idol and the sun in the hearts of most, held in immense respect.

"Everyone... I am already aware of the reason you have come."

"Please do not be blinded by rumors. I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, swear in the name of the Hokage that I will never ignore the members of this village!"

"By tonight at the latest, I will personally lead a special squad to capture that Fog Demon and return to you a safe and peaceful morning!"

It must be said that prestige is a useful thing; Sarutobi Hiruzen managed to resolve the public anger with just a spirited speech, and many even began to speak well of him.

Comments like "I knew Lord Hokage wouldn't ignore us!", "Someone must be spreading rumors!", and "I suggest dragging the rumor-monger out for castration!" emerged one after another.

After the crowd dispersed, Sarutobi Hiruzen returned to his office. Upon receiving the news that Minato would return tonight, his brows finally relaxed, "Now, I just need to wait for Minato to return to the village, and then we can discuss the tactics..."