Just a few minutes later, Kitsuchi—Kurotsuchi's father—arrived, accompanied by several Jonin from Iwagakure. They were clearly dispatched with one mission in mind: ensure Kurotsuchi's safety. The tension in the air was immediate, though not hostile. Kitsuchi's eyes locked onto Inoiki, recognition flashing across his face.
"It's been a long time since we last crossed paths," Kitsuchi said, his voice steady but laced with fatigue.
Inoiki gave a small nod. "You already know why I'm here," he replied, skipping any pleasantries and going straight to the point.
Kitsuchi nodded solemnly. "I know. I have only one request—bring my daughter back alive. That's all I ask."
"You can count on it," Inoiki answered. "That's the reason I came."
The moment of mutual understanding was interrupted by one of the Iwa Jonin standing behind Kitsuchi. A tall, broad-shouldered man with a rough edge to his voice stepped forward, eyeing Inoiki skeptically.
"This kid's the one supposed to save Kurotsuchi? He doesn't look like he can handle a real fight," he scoffed, arms crossed.
Kitsuchi opened his mouth to shut the man down, but Inoiki was quicker. He turned to the Jonin, expression unreadable but tone sharp as steel.
"You clearly don't know who I am," Inoiki said coolly. "If you did, you wouldn't question me like that. And more importantly, I'm not here of my own accord. I was specifically requested by the highest level of your own village's leadership. Your Tsuchikage personally asked Konoha to send help—me, in particular—to retrieve his granddaughter. So if you're doubting me, you're also doubting your own Tsuchikage's judgment. Are you ready to stand by that?"
The Iwa Jonin's bravado faltered for a moment, his mouth tightening, but he said nothing. The silence that followed was heavier than before.
Before the skeptical Jonin could respond, Inoiki's head snapped to the side, his sharp gaze locking onto another Iwa ninja standing slightly apart from the group.
"What are you doing?" Inoiki asked, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.
The ninja jolted as if struck, his body tensing. "N-Nothing... I wasn't doing anything," he stammered, clearly caught off guard.
Inoiki's eyes narrowed. "What's in your hand?" He took a step forward, then added, "And... what's that behind you?"
As he spoke, a small creature began to rise into the air—an earth mole, lifted by an unseen force. It hovered in plain sight, suspended by Inoiki's psychokinesis.
The ninja's face went pale. Beads of sweat formed on his brow, and he looked like he was about to bolt, though he stayed frozen in place. He didn't offer an explanation—just stood there, silent, hoping maybe it would all blow over.
Kitsuchi, now visibly on edge, turned to the man with narrowed eyes. "Show me your hand," he demanded. "Whatever you're hiding—reveal it. Now."
The ninja swallowed hard and shook his head. "There's... there's nothing in my hand, sir."
His denial was weak, unconvincing. The growing suspicion in the air was now unmistakable. All eyes were on him.
Before the ninja could protest again, his right arm jerked forward as if yanked by an unseen force. Inoiki had taken control with his psychokinesis. The ninja gritted his teeth, struggling against the invisible grip, but his resistance was useless. Slowly, inevitably, his hand was forced open.
Revealed in his palm was a folded slip of paper.
Without a word, Kitsuchi stepped forward and snatched the note from the man's hand. He didn't wait for an explanation. With practiced precision, he unfolded it and scanned the contents. The writing was encoded in a cipher unique to Iwagakure's internal channels—meant to be hidden in plain sight, but not hidden from someone like Kitsuchi.
His eyes flicked across the message, and then he read it aloud for all to hear:
"Yamanaka Inoiki, 'The Silent Reaper' of Konoha, has arrived."
The words hung heavy in the air.
Whispers rippled through the surrounding Iwa ninja. The tone had shifted—skepticism giving way to something else: realization.
In that moment, two realizations struck everyone present with equal weight.
The first: the ninja whom Inoiki had confronted was a spy. There was no doubt left. His evasiveness, the hidden message, and his reaction under pressure confirmed it beyond question.
The second: the blond young man who had calmly exposed him—who had bent his will with nothing but his mind—was not just any shinobi. He was Yamanaka Inoiki. The Silent Reaper of Konoha.
A chill ran through the gathered Iwa ninja. For many of them, this name came with strict instructions etched into mission briefings: If you encounter Yamanaka Inoiki, retreat immediately. Do not engage. Abandon the mission if necessary. Run on sight.
Now they understood why.
The burly Jonin who had earlier questioned Inoiki's strength felt the realization hit hardest. The words Inoiki had spoken earlier—"If you knew me, you wouldn't talk to me like that"—now rang with a chilling truth. And as he looked again, really looked, the signs were all there.
Blond hair like sunlit steel. Piercing sky-blue eyes. A handsome face. Clad in sleek, all-black gear that gave away no weakness.
It matched every detail of the classified description shared in Iwagakure's high-level intelligence files.
He was unmistakable. Yamanaka Inoiki. The Silent Reaper.
And now, he was standing right in front of them.
Inoiki turned toward Kitsuchi, who had already taken charge of the situation. The Iwagakure commander was shouting orders to his fellow ninja, his voice steady and commanding.
"Take this traitor into custody," Kitsuchi said. "Interrogate him thoroughly. See if there's any intel we can extract—names, locations, objectives, anything useful."
The captured ninja didn't resist. He hung his head in silent resignation, knowing any attempt to fight back would be pointless—especially with Inoiki still standing there.
"I should get moving," Inoiki said, turning slightly as if already preparing to leave. "Is there anything specific I need to keep in mind before I head in?"
Kitsuchi gave a firm nod and stepped closer. "Yes. There are approximately five hundred enemy shinobi occupying the village. They've fortified several key positions—residential zones, administrative buildings, and the outer perimeter. They're not ordinary ninjas either. Most are mid-to-high-level combatants, likely reinforced by rogue-nin and mercenaries. The whole area is locked down, and they're expecting resistance."
He continued laying out the tactical situation with sharp precision, giving Inoiki everything he had: known movements, command structure, defensive patterns, and areas of increased enemy activity.
Inoiki listened silently, absorbing it all.
When Kitsuchi finally finished, Inoiki gave a slight nod. "That's exactly what I came for. Now that I have it, it's time I move."
----
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