One Night (5)

And so, at that moment, the Anbu member's body trembled uncontrollably. Even his right hand, which held a kunai, shook slightly.

"So the Kurama Clan really intends to betray Konoha?" the Anbu member snorted, then said in a low voice.

Kurama Yewu had been planning to finish the Anbu member off, but he suddenly heard the man's words and stiffened. He hadn't expected the other party to already know it was the Kurama Clan. Could it be that the Konoha High Command was already prepared?

A glint of menace flashed through Kurama Yewu's eyes.

His voice turned icy as he said, "Hmph, betray Konoha? Your Konoha has gone too far! My Kurama Clan's genius has been detained, and our clansmen have been wiped out! You treat my Kurama Clan like this and still expect us to let you slaughter us at will? There's no point saying more. Now that you know my Kurama Clan has made its move, we certainly won't stop!"

The Anbu member's expression tightened. He could clearly sense that the man called Kurama Yewu possessed a presence no weaker than his own. On top of that, he was now seriously injured, and three other Kurama Clan members, each clearly possessing Chunin-level strength, stood nearby.

Even when he was in perfect condition, he might not have been a match for this Kurama Clan man. His opponent specialized in genjutsu, and he himself had a glaring weakness when it came to dealing with it.

The Anbu member wasn't afraid to die. As an Anbu, he was willing to sacrifice himself at any time for Konoha's interests and security. But the problem was that, although the Ninja Academy child seemed quite capable,

he had entrusted the boy with taking the target away. Even if he was a genius, carrying another person would inevitably slow him down. It had been only a few minutes since he left.

A bitter expression appeared on the Anbu member's face. He had already fought with all his might, and his body was close to giving out. Now all he could do was hold them off for as long as possible.

"Hmph." Seeing the Anbu member fall silent, Kurama Yewu knew what he was planning. He tossed back the black cloak on his head, revealing a face filled with murderous intent.

At this point, Kurama Yewu no longer intended to spare the Anbu member. The man already knew he was with the Kurama Clan. Konoha would certainly discover sooner or later that the Kurama Clan had acted, but every moment they could delay that was worth something.

What Kurama Yewu didn't know was that Konoha had already learned of the Kurama Clan's plans. The Third Hokage had a clear understanding of their actions and had set out with several Anbu members as soon as they made their move.

At the Third Hokage's speed, he would certainly arrive in less than half an hour. If the Kurama Clan's leader knew this, he wouldn't have ordered them to withdraw an hour later. He would have ordered an immediate retreat without hesitation.

Though the Third Hokage was old, he was still the Shinobi Hero who had once shaken the Ninja World—the Hokage of Konoha! They believed that even if the Kurama Clan betrayed Konoha, the Hokage wouldn't easily intervene in person.

What they didn't know was that Sarutobi Hiruzen had always hoped to resolve the Kurama Clan's situation peacefully. That was why, faced with this turn of events, he had come himself. He would not, and did not want to, give up even the slightest chance of a peaceful resolution.

But the Kurama Clan had ultimately chosen extreme means to solve the problem. This filled Sarutobi Hiruzen with anguish. Misunderstandings kept growing, and their hatred grew deeper.

Even now, Sarutobi Hiruzen had not given up on resolving the matter peacefully. That was why he had ordered people to conceal the Kurama Clan's actions. He knew that if the two advisors learned what the clan had done, they might think differently.

More importantly, if that person found out, Sarutobi Hiruzen was certain that he would wipe out the Kurama Clan. Sarutobi Hiruzen knew that old teammate of his far too well.

As long as it served Konoha's interests, he would eliminate any threat to its safety before it could take root.

There had been the Hyuga Clan incident, and the Uchiha Clan incident.

As he hurried onward, Sarutobi Hiruzen recalled all those past events, and his expression grew more resolute. Konoha belonged to everyone. Peace must never be abandoned lightly. The Kurama Clan's situation had not yet reached the point of no return.

Conflict would only bring casualties, and in the end, it would be Konoha's people who suffered. Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't want to see another clan completely wiped out in Konoha. Once had been enough. It must never happen a second time!

"Pick up the pace!" Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered quietly.

"Yes, sir!"

Several figures raced through Konoha Village, hurrying toward the woods in the western suburbs.

The lonely night was cold and still. The villagers of Konoha had no idea that, on this most ordinary of nights, the revered Hokage in their hearts was still using his aged body to preserve Konoha's peace.

Meanwhile, just as Kurama Yewu's murderous intent fully surfaced and he was about to kill the Anbu member,

the Anbu member suddenly felt a chill run through him and thought, This is bad.

He moved to form Hand Seals.

A figure appeared silently beside him. The Anbu member's body stiffened, and his hands froze midway through the seals. Then his body went limp, and he crumpled to the ground.

There was no sound.

The person who had appeared was the leader of the black-cloaked group, the current head of the Kurama Clan, Kurama Yeqiong!

Kurama Yewu went over to Kurama Yeqiong and asked, "Big brother, why didn't you kill him? He already knows we're with the Kurama Clan!"

Kurama Yeqiong shook his head. "Even if he knows, it would have come out sooner or later. I already told you, we mustn't provoke the Konoha High Command any further. That way, even if Konoha issues a wanted notice later, it won't go too far, and the Kurama Clan might have a slightly easier time of it."

"All right, enough about that. Where's Yun'er?" Kurama Yeqiong cut off Yewu, who was about to say more, and asked in a low voice.

Kurama Yewu had been somewhat unhappy about what happened with the Anbu member. But when he heard his brother ask about Kurama Yakumo, the most important part of the plan, he shuddered and cursed himself for nearly forgetting what mattered.

Kurama Yewu spoke up. "Big brother, some brat took Yun'er away earlier. He looked like no more than a Genin, dressed all in black, with a sword strapped to his back."

"Oh?" A strange glint flashed through Kurama Yeqiong's eyes. The handsome purple-haired boy came to mind.

"He can't have gotten far. I already told them to search separately, especially in the direction of Konoha Village. If that boy is smart, he'll take a detour instead of heading straight for Konoha Village. Yewu, take some men southeast. I'll take the others in a different direction!"

"Yes, big brother!"

"Remember, don't kill them unless there's no other choice. Seriously wounding them will do. The same goes for that boy! We only need to get Yun'er back!"

Kurama Yeqiong spoke in a faintly warning tone. He knew his cousin's temperament all too well. Without a warning, Yewu might really kill someone. If Kurama Yeqiong hadn't appeared just now, Yewu would already have killed the Anbu member.

Under Kurama Yeqiong's slightly intimidating gaze,

Kurama Yewu, despite his reluctance, could only grit his teeth and answer, "I understand, big brother!"

Only after hearing Kurama Yewu's reply did Kurama Yeqiong breathe a sigh of relief. He had truly feared his cousin might act on impulse and cause trouble.