Lying in Wait

In the heart of the Hozuki Clan, in the brightly lit council hall, Hozuki Meigetsu, covered in mud, sat upright in the center of the hall.

He had arranged for all the patrolling guards to be stationed outside the hall. He warily scanned them one by one, his silent eyes saying nothing, yet still sending chills down the spines of the guards.

"Big brother?"

When did this happen?

Hozuki Seigetsu and Hozuki Yougetsu arrived in a hurry and were shocked to see Hozuki Meigetsu's disheveled appearance.

"Please sit down..."

Hozuki Meigetsu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as he squinted at the two men. No one knew his two brothers better than him; decades of living and working together meant that a face alone could conceal all the details.

"It was just an assassination attempt, nothing to be alarmed about..."

"At a time like this, it's not something shocking to happen..."

The two elders wanted to say something more, but Hozuki Meigetsu raised his hand and gently pressed down, and the two fell silent, waiting for Hozuki Meigetsu to speak.

"It's Konoha, Orochimaru!"

The thought that her beloved grandson was probably in grave danger brought forth a slow, lingering grief in Hozuki Meigetsu's heart.

The pain and hatred in his eyes seemed to aggravate his wounds, causing him to groan in pain.

"To be able to take down the guards, injure the eldest brother, and secretly infiltrate Mist Shinobi without alerting anyone else... the Cold- Orochimaru..."

"It lives up to its reputation..."

Hozuki Yougetsu frowned in thought, seemingly having thought of something, and remained silent for a long time.

A green light emanated from Hozuki Seigetsu's palm as he treated Hozuki Meigetsu's deepest wound on his side. He had smelled the blood as soon as he entered the room and already guessed that Hozuki Meigetsu was injured.

"There's a problem within the clan..."

When Hozuki Yougetsu spoke, the silent Hozuki Meigetsu instantly opened his eyes. He didn't need to explain the details to know the reason, but he still couldn't tell exactly which people had been 'disguised'.

Why?

Hozuki Seigetsu glanced at his two older brothers, his brows furrowed. He had always trusted them, but such things rarely happened to the Hozuki Clan.

"This matter should not be publicized for now. We will convene a clan meeting first thing tomorrow morning, and everything will be clear then."

Hozuki Meigetsu spoke without explaining anything, but Hozuki Yougetsu spoke again.

"There's just one thing I don't understand..."

"His purpose... is merely to assassinate my elder brother, it's probably not that simple..."

"What would happen if he succeeded today?"

Hozuki Yougetsu's words seemed to remind Hozuki Meigetsu, and the anger in his eyes gradually faded as he began to carefully consider the cause and effect of the matter.

"His purpose is probably to create chaos in the rear of Mist Shinobi. Now that he has arrived in Mist Shinobi, he probably already knows the village's troop movements."

"This man is not reckless. If he were to kill me today, I would certainly not survive."

He paused, then gently shook his head at his two younger brothers.

"Don't look at me like that. We know our own situation. I'm old and frail, and I'm no match for such renowned ninjas. But I've managed to escape unscathed."

"The only possibility is that Orochimaru, knowing the village's movements, has already left Mist Shinobi, and these people are merely a backup plan he left behind to stir up trouble in Mist Shinobi's rear..."

"So... what about Konoha at the front lines...?"

These clear words caused the two to nod slightly. Hozuki Yougetsu nodded slightly, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. He continued to think along with Hozuki Meigetsu's train of thought, speaking slowly as if explaining to Hozuki Seigetsu.

"It's just a paper tiger..."

"If Konoha's frontline forces were truly formidable, he would never have acted so hastily..."

"Immediately and secretly inform the other two major families and the fourth generation leader about today's events, and warn them to be wary of village spies who might take the opportunity to spread rumors and create chaos."

At the same time, a thorough investigation of the clan's members should be conducted, but this must not be made public. If word gets back to the clansmen at the front lines, they will surely be worried about the village.

If this allows Konoha to catch its breath, it will mean missing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity...

As if everything had been sorted out, a dazzling light burst forth in Hozuki Meigetsu's eyes, as if all the fatigue and pain in his body had been swept away. He looked out at the gloomy night, his voice deep and resonant, causing the two elders to squint as well.

"Konoha... has been powerful for far too long..."

"If we don't seize this opportunity to overthrow them, when will it be our turn, Mist Shinobi, and the Hozuki Clan's turn?"

"The fastest path to the summit is always born in the chaos of blood and fire!"

Having made up his mind, Hozuki Meigetsu immediately prepared to act, writing furiously and handing two secret letters to the two elders.

"You may go now, do not worry about me..."

"Konoha's front lines are probably already preoccupied with their own problems. This tactic can only be used once. Once the village is on guard, this underhanded trick will no longer work. Orochimaru wouldn't be that foolish..."

"It would be good to send more tribesmen to patrol at night..."

The two elders, their brows furrowed, pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly, accepted the secret letter, and hurriedly departed under the cover of night.

Only Hozuki Meigetsu remained, sitting quietly in the empty council hall, his eyes slightly closed, still deep in thought.

The Moon Shadow cast a pale silver glow, piercing through the dense treetops and pouring freely onto the earth. Where the night wind blew, the branches swayed gently, and a bright red fruit suddenly fell to the ground.

A pair of sturdy leather boots appeared outside the Hozuki Clan's encampment, in a quiet, shadowy corner unnoticed by anyone. With a light step, the bright red juice of the vibrant fruit, as red as blood, instantly splattered all around.

His eyes gleamed with a blue light, but his face held a mocking expression as he gazed at the still brightly lit council chamber of the Hozuki Clan.

"Well... Orochimaru- sensei, I'm going to trouble you again..."

The night was deep, and the courtyard, far from the heart of the Mist Shinobi, was eerily quiet. Akihamaru sat cross-legged on the steps by the door, silently lighting a cigarette. Thick steam mingled with the smoke and dissipated into the dark night sky.

He was probably enjoying this rare moment, but he still frowned from time to time, his eyes gazing out of the courtyard, as if waiting for something.

Before the cigarette had even burned out, a figure slowly emerged from the darkness. Akihamaru took a light sniff, and a faint smell of blood entered his nostrils, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"Pretty fast..."

"How long do you think it would take me to kill an old man who is frail and has declined to the Chunin, Chakra is excessively depleted and who can no longer even release Ninjutsu?"

Seemingly in a good mood, Kato Osamu became more talkative, and Akihamaru smiled, slowly sheathing the long sword behind him.

"Everything's packed... Let's go..."

Where to?

"I have a safe house up north, with enough supplies to last us at least a month..."

Seeing Akihamaru's solemn expression, Kato Osamu's lips curled into a slight smile.

"I'll stay right here, I'm not going anywhere..."

"Why?"

Kato Osamu didn't speak again, only smiled silently, and after a long while, he slowly spoke.

Listen...

In the night sky, only a gentle breeze carried a hint of dampness, dimming the stars. Akihamaru watched Kato Osamu's contentedly resting with his eyes closed, his brow furrowed, for he heard nothing.

"That's the sound of snakes hunting in autumn..."

Kato Osamu chuckled twice and disappeared into the second-floor attic, leaving only Akihamaru with a furrowed brow and eyes that seemed to pierce through the mist, trying to see what had happened that night.

For a long time, the courtyard shrouded in stars and moon was completely silent. In the late autumn weather, the withered yellow leaves struggled stubbornly, but could no longer withstand the thick moisture. The cold wind rustled past, and the leaves drifted and scattered all over the ground.

But at this moment, a clump of green plant, defying nature, slowly "emerged" from the withered branches. The green plant slowly opened its mouth, and a pair of bright eyes reflected the starlight, gazing at the pavilion in the distance that was still faintly lit.

"Wow, looks like we've discovered a huge secret..."

"Lord Madara eye is truly admirable, as always..."

As if it had thought of something, the pitcher plant's leaves seemed to flutter, and a strange laugh slowly rang out.

"Hehe, if that's the case, Obito Uchiha would be very happy..."

The eerie sound faded into the night, and the moment the last glimmer of light in the attic completely disappeared, the entire world seemed to fall silent.

Everything was as usual; the sun still rose.