Scrap Paper

A gale scattered the mist. Of the six Kumogakure shinobi, only five remained. Fugaku had killed one.

Viroi frowned at the dead Cloud shinobi. Six against five should have given them a clear advantage, yet one moment of carelessness had let Fugaku Uchiha kill one of them first.

"Stay sharp. Fugaku Uchiha is powerful, and his movements are hard to predict. Don't let him catch you off guard."

The remaining Cloud shinobi grew even more wary. Their opponent was formidable.

"You dared to kill people in the Land of Fire. Don't expect to leave. This is where you die."

Fugaku said quietly, "Naoki, focus on tying them down and buying time. Protect yourselves. Reinforcements will be here soon. I'll deal with Viroi."

Viroi snorted. "Konoha can barely keep itself alive. You need Kumogakure to send troops and intimidate the Sand and Stone Allied Forces just to cling on.

"Keep me here? I'd wager the Konoha leadership would rather pretend they never found us and none of this ever happened."

Fugaku sneered. "That sounds more like something Kumogakure would do. If you think you're leaving the Land of Fire safely, you're dreaming."

His Sharingan slowly spun, and Fugaku vanished from where he stood. Two kunai darted in and out of sight beneath the dim sky, appearing again and again at Viroi's side.

Viroi wielded his short sword with an airtight defense. Now and then, a flash of silver met the blades, throwing off sparks.

They fought speed with speed, clashing repeatedly, neither gaining the upper hand.

Viroi swept his short sword toward Fugaku's throat. His left hand stayed hidden behind his back until a kunai slipped into it. He thrust at Fugaku's heart.

Anything went in a fight. The intelligence the Great Ninja Villages had gathered on Viroi had missed that