Thirty meters away on a rooftop, the Bingkui knelt on one knee, looking back.
Amidst the towering Kakkō, several dark figures could be vaguely seen rapidly approaching the burning house.
It's the Anbu.
She squinted, using the Kakkō to make out the outline of the leader.
Her short, silvery-white hair fluttered in the heat, a black mask covered half her face, and her left eye, which was exposed, gleamed coldly in the shadows.
Kakashi Hatake.
Their eyes met briefly across the blazing inferno.
Bingkui's fingertips tightened slightly; she could clearly feel the oppressive aura emanating from the other party.
It wasn't the cold killing intent of Uchiha Itachi, but a more composed and deadly sharpness, like a sword yet to be drawn.
Just by standing there, he intimidated people into not daring to make a move.
Kakashi Hatake did not act immediately, but instead slightly raised his hand, signaling the Anbu members behind him to disperse and surround the enemy.
Bingkui sneered, flicked his finger at his waist, and a specially made smoke bomb rolled to the ground.
Bang--
A purple, poisonous mist erupted instantly, engulfing more than a dozen nearby houses.
Her figure, concealed by the smoke, vanished silently into the night.
Kakashi stood still, not giving chase, his gaze piercing through the smoke towards the direction where the Bingkui had disappeared, muttering to himself.
"A spy... what a nuisance."
at the same time.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by the window, gazing at the distant Kakkō rising into the sky. The flickering Kakkō from his pipe illuminated his wrinkled face.
After a moment of silence, he asked without turning his head, "A spy from Sunagakure?"
Behind him, Uchiha Itachi, kneeling on one knee, reported, "The fly puppet is very small, Chakra fluctuations are extremely subtle; it can only be from Sunagakure."
Hiruzen Sarutobi a deep drag on his pipe and murmured, "Reconnaissance puppets openly sold by Sunagakure, along with audio-visual transmission goggles."
This would make it difficult to hold Sunagakure accountable.
After all, anyone can buy these reconnaissance puppets, Sunagakure could easily shift the blame onto someone else.
The Third sighed and said, "It seems they are very interested in the Uchiha Clan's movements."
It's no wonder, though. The fly puppet was extremely well hidden, and even sensory ninjas would have difficulty detecting it, yet Uchiha Itachi spotted it with his Sharingan.
Just then, the door to the Hokage's office was gently pushed open.
"The on-site investigation is complete. No useful evidence was found; there was only a mutilated corpse inside, and memories could not be extracted."
Kakashi Hatake walked in, reeking of smoke and dust, and reported.
"However, on my way to the scene, I encountered a suspicious person..."
He paused, then continued, " The Anbu didn't catch up, but judging from the extent of the poisonous fog and the direction she last disappeared in, she's definitely still in the village."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, then turned to Uchiha Itachi and said, "Itachi, the enemy is after the Uchiha Clan. Go back and check if there's anything suspicious."
"I understand!" Uchiha Itachi turned and left.
Once the office door was closed, Hiruzen Sarutobi continued, "To escape right under your nose and the Anbu's noses, you're no ordinary spy."
"Indeed." Kakashi Hatake took some fragments from his ninja tool pouch. "These are remnants of the smoke bomb she used, mixed with a special interferon that Pakkun couldn't detect the scent of."
Pakkun is one of Kakashi Hatake's Ninja Dog, and is relatively clever and lively.
Kakashi Hatake continued, "I also found some ice crystals in the direction the spy fled. There's a high chance she left them; I suspect she's Ice Release ninja!"
" Ice Release ninja?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi slightly and took a deep breath from his pipe.
The only known Ice Release ninja is from Kirigakure!
However, since the end of the Third Shinobi World War, the Land of Water has closed itself off from the world, prohibiting entry and exit, making it extremely difficult to find out about the situation in Kirigakure.
How did Ice Release ninja end up in Konoha?
After a moment's hesitation Kakashi Hatake said, "Could it be that Kirigakure received some intelligence, which is why they sent Ice Release ninja to Konoha?"
As for what kind of intelligence would warrant a Kekkei ninja coming, he wasn't quite sure.
After all, in his memory, nothing major had happened in Konoha recently; the only thing worth being wary of was the changes in the Uchiha Clan.
But this has happened before.
Unless... there's something I don't know about in this matter.
"Wrong!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head firmly and said, "It absolutely cannot be Kirigakure!"
The fact that the Land of Water is extremely difficult to ascertain does not mean there is absolutely no information about it.
At least that's what he knows.
In Kirigakure, the conflict between Kekkei ninjas and commoner ninjas has reached its peak, and only a civil war is left to break out.
Under such circumstances, how could Kekkei ninja possibly come from the Land of Water to Konoha and get involved with spies from the Sunagakure?
Eliminating this possibility, and continuing to speculate in this direction...
That leaves only the most unlikely possibility...
Ice Release Kekkei Genkai Sunagakure was even generously sent to Konoha.
After a moment's thought, Hiruzen Sarutobi said to Kakashi Hatake, "Bring Danzo to me."
"Yes!"
Kakashi Hatake vanished from the Hokage's office in a Body Flicker Technique.
at the same time.
After evading the pursuit of the Anbu, the Bingkui arrived at the edge of the Uchiha Clan Compound under the cover of Sunagakure spies.
Here stands a small, unpretentious house, inhabited only by a young girl.
The flickering candlelight inside illuminated a figure wiping ninja tools; it was Uchiha Izumi, who had just left the training grounds.
"Who?"
Uchiha Izumi suddenly looked up, Three-Tomoe Sharingan instantly activated.
Just now, she suddenly sensed an unfamiliar Chakra fluctuation, which made no attempt to conceal it.
It was like openly telling her that someone had arrived.
The Bingkui floated down from the treetop, and a patch of frost formed beneath its feet as it landed.
" Uchiha Izumi, I've been looking forward to meeting you for a long time. To have reached the Mitsudomoe at such a young age, you truly deserve your reputation as a genius."
Uchiha Izumi's gaze fell on the frost on the ground, and she said with certainty, "You are not from Konoha."
"Of course I'm not from Konoha, is that so hard to tell?" Bingkui laughed.
Upon seeing the other party admit it, Uchiha Izumi's expression darkened, and an Explosive Tag appeared in her hand.
"A spy dares to appear in front of me so blatantly? Has he never died before?"
As she spoke, her gaze remained fixed on the Bingkui.
If the other party makes the slightest unclear move, she will detonate the Explosive Tag, attracting nearby patrolling ninjas.
The Bingkui showed no reaction to Uchiha Izumi's wary behavior and continued with a smile, "I came to find you, and I also want you to do me a favor."
"Hmph, I have nothing to talk about with spies from other villages!" Uchiha Izumi said.
"Then why haven't you detonated the Explosive Tag yet?"
Bingkui gently raised his hand, making a reassuring gesture, "Because you didn't want to attract the Konoha Ninja either! After all... you were supporting the Uchiha, weren't you?"