Fell for It

During the Second Shinobi World War, Heat-Haze Village in the Land of Mountains had been hostile to Konoha. Heat-Haze Village had therefore sent its trap specialist, Gen'o, to infiltrate Konoha. He had buried millions of Explosive Tags within nearly every key facility throughout Konoha, including the Hokage Tower, Hokage Rock, Ninja Hospital, and the territories of several ninja clans.

Once that many Explosive Tags detonated, their power would be enough to reduce all of Konoha to ruins.

Heat-Haze Village's objective had been crystal clear: while the main force of its ninja village stormed into Konoha, Gen'o would detonate those Explosive Tags from within, striking inside and out to utterly destroy Konoha.

However, before the plan could be carried out, Heat-Haze Village had been wiped out in a surprise attack by neighboring Takigakure. Gen'o had also been unexpectedly captured by hostile forces and had remained missing ever since. As a result, the million Explosive Tags embedded throughout Konoha's important facilities had lain dormant for nearly thirty years.

Until today, when Ning Qi, who knew the plot and could use the Byakugan to track the entire Explosive Tag network, had put them to use.

As Ning Qi toyed with the second remote control, every Konoha ninja wore an extremely grim expression.

There had been three explosions. The first had struck the Hokage Tower, the second the Inuzuka Clan territory, and the third the Ninja Hospital. Each blast had been larger than the last.

The number of Explosive Tags Ning Qi had activated was surely beyond imagination. This was not something Ning Qi could have accomplished alone. Setting a trap on such a scale required both money and time; another force on the level of a ninja village had to be backing him.

But no matter what, no one dared doubt that the remote in Ning Qi's hand was a bluff anymore.

The price of questioning him had been far too painful.

The first two explosions had been bad enough, though casualties would not have been too high. But the third explosion, at the Ninja Hospital, was utterly heartbreaking.

After today's battle against the Uchiha and the Nine-Tails, how many wounded Konoha ninja had been receiving treatment inside?

When the explosion came, those with minor injuries could still run. The severely wounded could only lie in their beds and wait to die!

Of the enormous Ninja Hospital, perhaps not even one survivor in ten remained!

They had all been heroes who had bled and sweated to protect Konoha today!!

No one around them dared make a sound. They were furious, but they did not dare speak.

This Ning Qi Hyuga was a true madman, without a shred of mercy in his heart. The three explosions had targeted places dominated by ninja, but even if they had struck streets crowded with ordinary civilians, he probably would have pressed the detonation button without hesitation.

From Shikaku to Kakashi, both men could clearly sense the strange looks from their companions.

There was no doubt that Ning Qi had stated his rules time and again. It was just that most of these Konoha ninja liked to think themselves clever and wanted only to exploit loopholes. Shikaku and Kakashi had clearly been the examples Ning Qi had singled out to demonstrate the weight of the cards in his hand.

Ning Qi and Konoha were not equals. Only pain could make Konoha truly face Ning Qi, which was why the three buttons on the first remote had been destined to be pressed. The only difference was what excuse Ning Qi would use.

Seeing the grief-stricken, anguished expressions of the Inuzuka Clan ninja nearby, Ning Qi smiled faintly.

Stirring up some internal conflict was merely a convenient bonus.

Sarutobi looked thoroughly enraged. His reddened eyes glared at Ning Qi as if he would rush forward and tear him apart the next second.

However, when he saw Ning Qi warily holding a finger over the remote's button, Sarutobi forcibly suppressed his emotions. After taking a breath, he asked, "What do you want?"

That was the proper attitude for negotiation.

Ning Qi grinned.

"Nothing. I just want to fulfill something the Hyuga clan head entrusted to me."

After hearing Ning Qi's demand, Sarutobi was visibly surprised. That was all?

It was that simple?

The other Konoha ninja also looked uncertain and bewildered.

If that was all he wanted, then Konoha's three previous explosions had been far too undeserved.

"Yes, but I want to go to Konoha personally and take her away." Ning Qi added a small condition.

After failing to oppose him, Sarutobi discussed matters with Shikaku and the others for a moment. To prevent Ning Qi from causing trouble in Konoha while taking advantage of the situation, they decided to arrange for Konoha ninja to stay by his side and monitor him.

"Leave immediately once you've picked her up. And even if you don't find her, you can only stay in Konoha for ten minutes at most."

Ning Qi could only nod "reluctantly."

That only made Sarutobi more convinced that Ning Qi had other wicked plans, so he instructed the ninja following Ning Qi to keep a close eye on him.

Along the way, aside from the few ninja assigned to watch Ning Qi at close range, everyone else kept far away from him. Sarutobi also took the opportunity to send people to evacuate large Konoha locations such as the Ninja Academy and the library, since there was a strong chance Explosive Tags had been planted there. Remaining inside would be extremely dangerous.

Shikaku frowned as he watched Ning Qi's back ahead of him.

"...Could it be a Shadow Clone?"

Or was there some other scheme?

No matter what, after exterminating the Hyuga Clan, Ning Qi was now hypocritically claiming he had returned to fulfill some clan head's request. Shikaku did not believe a single word of it.

He quietly made arrangements.

Two more explosions occurred in Konoha one after another. The already ruined Hokage Tower was shaken until dust filled the air, and Iruka had to work desperately to dig Kaori out from beneath the rubble.

As he looked at the girl's pale corpse, tears streamed down his face.

"I'm sorry, Kaori..."

"I'm sorry... I got you killed..."

Iruka was overwhelmed by guilt and confusion.

This explosion was different from today's Uchiha Rebellion.

He did not know why the explosions were happening. He did not know why Lord Hokage had not returned. He did not know where he should go. It seemed there was nowhere safe in all of Konoha. Many people wandered the streets in confusion, wailing and weeping, anxious and terrified.

Konoha had never prepared for anything like this. In this chaos, orders from the higher-ups often conflicted with one another. Some had arranged for civilians to head to the old shelters, while others believed the shelters were unsafe and wanted them sent directly to Konoha's outskirts.

In short, no one dared stay home, and no one knew what they were supposed to do. The crowds were in disarray, noisy and clamorous, arguing without end.

Iruka cried for a while before suddenly hearing a light set of footsteps. Then a shadow fell over him.

It was a young man with a pair of beautiful Byakugan. Iruka knew him. His name seemed to be... Ning Qi Hyuga.

Protected by two Konoha Jonin, the young man clicked his tongue.

"Good riddance."

Iruka suspected he had heard wrong. He froze for a moment.

"What?"

The young man gave him an indifferent glance and said,

"What a shame. Those explosions only killed a few people. Such a waste of so many Explosive Tags."

Then he left.

One Jonin patted Iruka's shoulder and offered a few words of comfort before following after him, leaving Iruka standing there in a daze.

The air seemed to congeal, burning like fire. From far away, the departing youth's voice carried over.

"Where else are you going?" The Jonin's voice was tinged with anger.

"Of course I'm going to the Ninja Hospital to see what my tens of thousands of Explosive Tags accomplished." The youth sounded as though he were going to admire his own work.

Fragments of stone dug into his palm.

It was as though an arrow had found its target.

Iruka stiffly turned his neck and stared in the direction the Byakugan youth had left, as though he had suddenly understood.

So that was it.

He suddenly snatched up a kunai from the roadside.

"Don't fall for it!!" A shadow stretching out from the darkness rendered Iruka unable to move.

The Nara Clan... The thought flashed through his mind, making the whole thing seem even more absurd!

"Fall for what..." Iruka desperately wanted to remain calm.

The surroundings fell quiet for a moment.

His muscles trembled as if all the blood and strength in his body had gathered together, straining bit by bit to break free from the shadow's restraint.

Blood burst from his arm.

The person in the darkness did not answer.

Blood sprayed from his throat as Iruka roared,

"Fall for what!!"

"The murderer is strutting around here, boasting about it!!"

"I'm going to kill him!"

"I'm going to avenge Kaori!"

"What are you doing!!"

"You're stopping me??"

"Who the hell is falling for it??!"

"Huh?!"