Don't be afraid, I'll finish this quickly.

Although the Third Shinobi World War had long since become a distant memory.

The end of the war did not mean the end of conflict.

As the most notoriously barbaric village in the shinobi world, the Cloud Hidden Village relied on nothing more than bulging muscles—and the fact that those muscles had grown into their brains.

With those two things, the Cloud Hidden Village had remained in a state of minor but persistent conflict with Konoha in the years following the Third Shinobi World War.

Years of continuous fighting had left both Konoha and the Cloud Hidden Village weary.

More importantly, the conflict had brought neither side any tangible benefit. Instead, it had trapped them like a swamp, making it difficult to pull free.

Finally, after a round of negotiations, the higher-ups of the two great shinobi villages reached a ceasefire agreement.

To celebrate finally escaping the mire of war, Sarutobi Hiruzen had even prepared a grand celebration.

After the envoy sent by the Cloud Hidden Village signed the ceasefire agreement at the Hokage Building, they would attend the celebration.

At almost the same time, another famous location in Konoha was also hosting a celebration.

However, the one being celebrated was entirely different.

Today was the third birthday banquet of Hinata, daughter of Hiashi Hyuga, head of the Hyuga Main House.

Every prominent family in the village had received Hiashi Hyuga's invitation.

Some clan heads had even skipped the celebration at the Hokage Building to attend Hinata's birthday banquet in person.

Two of Konoha's most famous locations were filled with song, dance, and joyful cheer at the same time.

Night.

No matter how lively the day had been, night would always bring it to an end.

Even the largest shinobi village in the shinobi world could not escape that rule.

The night was black as ink, and the entire village was silent.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several black shadows leaped rapidly across the rooftops under the cover of darkness.

Their route had clearly been carefully chosen, taking only the most concealed paths and avoiding the shinobi on night patrol.

There were ten of them, all wearing black masks. The leader carried a coarse burlap sack over his shoulder.

"Hahaha... I didn't expect it to be this easy. Konoha's defenses are far looser than we expected!"

"Exactly! Boss, now that we've brought back the eldest young lady of the Hyuga Clan, how do you think Lord Raikage will reward us?"

"Dairo, don't be so narrow-minded!"

The Cloud shinobi carrying the sack cast him a contemptuous glance.

"Maybe when we get back, Lord Raikage will be so pleased that he'll find you a beautiful wife."

A beautiful wife?!

The moment he heard those words, the Cloud shinobi named Dairo's eyes lit up.

He was already no longer young, but because of his height, he had never been able to find a wife.

If the Raikage truly decided to find him a beautiful wife after they returned, then this mission would have been more than worth it!

It was not just Dairo. The entire Cloud shinobi squad was in high spirits.

The Cloud Hidden Village had been plotting to obtain the bloodline limits of other villages for a long time, but they had never made any real progress.

This time, using the opportunity to come to Konoha and sign the ceasefire agreement, they had finally gotten their hands on the eldest daughter of the Hyuga Clan.

The process had gone far more smoothly than expected.

Perhaps because they had held a birthday banquet during the day, the Hyuga Clan's defenses had been surprisingly lax.

They had succeeded with almost no effort at all.

As the eldest legitimate daughter of the Hyuga Main House, Hinata's value was simply immeasurable. Her Byakugan was the purest—and she did not bear the Caged Bird!

The Cloud Hidden Village would use her to unravel the power of the Byakugan.

It was not impossible that, in the future, they might breed a whole generation of mixed-blood Byakugan users!

"Boss, there's someone up ahead!"

The cheerful atmosphere was shattered.

The Cloud shinobi at the front pointed toward the rooftop across from them.

A figure seemed to be standing atop the roof. Against the ink-black night, it had nearly blended into the darkness.

If not for his exceptional eyesight, and the fact that the figure happened to be directly along their path, he might not have noticed them so easily.

"Just some unlucky bastard?"

A cruel smile appeared in the lead Cloud shinobi's eyes.

Whether it was intentional or not, anyone who crossed their escape route would face only one outcome!

"DIE!!!"

A kunai tore through the silent night, shooting straight at the figure on the roof.

A cruel sneer curled across the lead Cloud ninja's lips.

He had put no restraint into that strike. Even if the other party was a chunin, there was no way he could dodge it so easily.

If anyone was to blame, it was only his bad luck!

The smile on his lips froze. The figure on the roof merely tilted his head slightly, effortlessly evading the kunai he had thrown.

"Just like a Cloud ninja brute. As guests, you don't even understand the slightest bit of courtesy."

The faintly mocking voice and teasing smirk both proved that his appearance here was no coincidence—he had been waiting to intercept them.

The cruelty in the lead Cloud ninja's eyes deepened as the tip of his tongue licked across his dry lips.

"Though I don't know how you found us, you're alone, while there are ten of us. What do you have to stop us?"

It was not arrogance, but absolute confidence in his team's strength.

The Cloud ninja leader looked at Uchiha Mirai as though he were already a corpse.

As the envoy group personally sent to Konoha by the Raikage, the weakest among their ten members was still a chunin.

Unless they were terribly unlucky enough to run into the Hokage or one of the very few exceptionally powerful Konoha ninja, there was simply no ninja capable of taking them on alone!

And the unfamiliar figure on the rooftop was clearly not one of those people.

"No matter when it is, the scent of confidence is always so wonderful and pleasing!"

Uchiha Mirai, standing on the roof, took a deep breath as if praising the confident aura they exuded, a faint smile on his face.

How long had it been since a ninja—or a group of ninja—had been so confident before him?

He did not know. Even his memories had begun to blur. It had been far, far too long...

Ever since the name Calamity Uchiha had resounded throughout the shinobi world, confidence had become one of the things he saw least often in his enemies.

The last time seemed to have been... last time?

It seemed that three years of silence had made quite a few shinobi forget his existence.

Then tonight... he would stretch a little.

Whoosh!

The Cloud ninja leader carrying the coarse sack suddenly blurred his vision. Uchiha Mirai, who had been on the roof, vanished.

A sudden, agonizing pain erupted in his abdomen, bending his entire body like a shrimp. Stomach acid and undigested food surged back into his mouth.

His entire body was sent flying by the overwhelming force before crashing heavily into the wall behind him.

Uchiha Mirai calmly extended his right arm and caught the sack falling from the air.

The surrounding Cloud ninja were instantly struck dumb with shock.

Fast!

Too fast!

They had not even had time to react. Their vision blurred, and their leader, who had been carrying the sack, had already been sent flying away.

If news of Minato Namikaze's death had not long since spread throughout the shinobi world, they might even have suspected that the Yellow Flash had recently dyed his hair black.

Uchiha Mirai set the sack on the ground and untied the knot. A pair of pure white eyes, holding a trace of fear and curiosity, secretly peeked out at him from inside.

"Be good. Don't be afraid. I'll finish this quickly."

Three-year-old Hinata curiously looked at Uchiha Mirai's face.

For some reason, seeing that somewhat cold smile gradually calmed her frightened and nervous heart.

When Uchiha Mirai turned around, his previously pitch-black eyes had already become a sea of scarlet.