It was another night following Kakashi's ambush.
A high-ranking official from the Land of Fire had visited Konoha Village. To demonstrate his connection to the common people, he permitted a grand festival to be held.
Thus, the entire village of Konoha was adorned with lanterns and decorations, buzzing with joy and celebration.
However, the clan compounds, which were usually bustling with activity, were eerily quiet. Most of the Chunin and higher-ranked ninjas were assigned to maintain order throughout the village.
Indeed, it wasn't just the Hyuga Clan; all the clans were affected.
This was the brilliance of Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, the two advisors.
They had orchestrated this by inviting the Land of Fire official for an inspection. As a subordinate entity of the Land of Fire, Konoha could not refuse such a visit.
Additionally, leveraging their authority, the advisors had coordinated with Ryoma Aburame to infiltrate the village with his operatives. Their plan was to exploit the festival's distractions and the Hyuga Clan's reduced defenses to abduct Hinata Hyuga.
If they could quietly capture Hinata before the festival ended, they could strip Tsunade's faction of its strongest asset, paving the way for their forthcoming coup.
But was there truly no one who could see through their seemingly flawless plan?
Shikaku Nara, Konoha's sharpest mind, had long suspected the advisors of harboring ulterior motives.
The timing of their invitation to the Land of Fire official—under the pretense of showcasing Konoha's recovery—was far too convenient. Shikaku did not buy their excuses.
He was almost certain that the advisors were plotting something, and from the clues he had pieced together, their target appeared to be Hinata.
Under such circumstances, a simple countermeasure could easily thwart their plans.
Yet, Shikaku chose to let the advisors proceed, playing along with their scheme.
By letting them reveal their true intentions, he could gather undeniable evidence to justify their expulsion from Konoha, aligning with his broader strategy regarding Sasuke. Though, deep down, he hoped his judgment was wrong.
Yesterday, Shikaku had shared his suspicions with Tsunade. Naturally, she was concerned: "What if we do nothing and they succeed?"
Shikaku had merely smiled faintly. "They won't. Besides Hinata's own strength, I believe Naruto, foreseeing this possibility, wouldn't stand idly by. He must have sent someone to ensure her safety."
Surprised, Tsunade asked, "But we haven't received any word from Naruto."
Shikaku's gaze turned contemplative. "The enemy operates in the shadows. We don't know their full plans or whether they've compromised any of us. That's why Naruto might have kept even us in the dark."
He tapped the half-burnt cigarette in his hand and added, "It's a bit harsh to say, but perhaps, in Naruto's heart, Hinata's safety matters more than the village."
Tsunade reserved her opinion on that statement but pressed further. "Do you have any concrete evidence that Naruto has already sent someone?"
Shikaku paused briefly before replying, "No. But recently, there have been reports of strange noises and foul odors coming from the village's sewage system. I don't believe it's a coincidence."
Tsunade fell into deep thought. She had heard of the peculiar man in Obito's ranks, the so-called "Pursuer of Stench."
Shikaku mused silently: If the one sent is that White Zetsu known as Tobi, it would signify Naruto's trust in Obito. But given the stakes, Tobi wouldn't act alone—there must be others accompanying him.
Extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray, Shikaku concluded, "In any case, let's turn a blind eye to Naruto's actions for now."
Tsunade sighed. "We don't have much choice. Let's hope this all turns out to be a false alarm."
Thus, due to gaps in intelligence and differing strategies, this covert confrontation began to unfold, with all three sides executing their respective plans.
At the Hyuga Clan's compound, the streets were desolate under the night sky. The lights in the surrounding houses were all extinguished.
Hinata, carrying a water jar in her arms, ventured into a secluded alleyway.
From within the jar, Akamaru's descendant, Akamaru Jr., emerged, shaking off droplets of water.
"Do you think anyone will really come?" Hinata asked anxiously.
Akamaru Jr. scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Keke~ Let's wait and see. For now, let's wander around until Tobi arrives."
And so, Hinata and Akamaru Jr. strolled through the streets.
Having been confined indoors for so long, Hinata felt a rare sense of freedom. For a moment, she set aside her worries.
Perhaps Naruto-kun is just being overly cautious. No one is after me, she thought.
As they wandered, Hinata suddenly asked, "Akamaru Jr., why are your eyes Sharingan?"
Akamaru Jr. chuckled. "Keke~ Uncle Tobi gave them to me. But unfortunately, they're not Mangekyo Sharingan."
Hinata's expression turned somber. "Mangekyo Sharingan… you need to lose someone close to you to awaken it."
"Is that so?" Akamaru Jr.'s large eyes darted mischievously. "Keke~ Mom, let's play a role-playing game!"
Hinata perked up, curious. "What kind of role-playing?"
Akamaru Jr. pointed to a nearby utility pole. "You walk over there, pretend to get crushed by the pole, and I'll mourn for you."
"Eh??" Hinata was utterly baffled.
"Keke~ Of course, you won't actually get crushed. Just pretend!" Akamaru Jr. explained enthusiastically.
This is so strange… Hinata thought to herself but decided to humor Akamaru Jr. She had truly come to see him as her and Naruto's child.
Hinata lay down and asked, "L-Like this?"
"Make it look more tragic!" Akamaru Jr. instructed. "Like the pole is crushing your stomach, and you can't breathe!"
"Ugh…" Hinata rolled her eyes upward and stuck out her tongue.
"Keke~"
At that moment, Akamaru Jr. pulled out a mirror and used its reflection to cast a genjutsu on himself with his Sharingan.
Crack! The mirror shattered, and Akamaru Jr. dropped to his knees, crawling to Hinata while wailing, "Mom! How could you die? You died so tragically!"
Completely immersed in the act, he even began banging his head against the ground.
"Keke~ Mom's dead! Akamaru Jr. will turn evil and create a world without utility poles!!!"
"Akamaru Jr., I'm not dead! It's just role-playing!" Hinata panicked, quickly sitting up to comfort him.
But when Akamaru Jr. raised his head again, his face was streaked with white tears and snot. His right eye now bore a distinctive pattern.
Grinning widely, he declared, "Keke~ I've awakened it."
Hinata was utterly stunned. "T-That's possible?"
Slurp! Akamaru Jr. sucked the tears and snot back into his nose.
Standing up, he said, "Keke~ Now I can protect Mom even better."
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Suddenly, a noise echoed from a nearby manhole cover.
Hinata tensed immediately, rising to her feet in anticipation.
Boom!
In the background, fireworks lit up the sky.
The festival had begun.
Boom!
As fireworks exploded across the horizon, the manhole cover before Hinata and Akamaru Jr. was blown skyward with a loud bang.
"Oooohhh~~~!"
A figure emerged amidst a spray of golden liquid, descending in a grotesquely colorful display.
Akamaru Jr. laughed. "Keke~ Poop Kid, you've finally arrived~!"
The figure, none other than Tobi, declared, "Don't misunderstand me. I'm not interested in excrement. What fascinates me is the act of defecation itself—the sentiment known as bowel movement."
Gurgle! Gurgle!
The scattered golden liquid began to coalesce, forming a massive, writhing creature.
It was a colossal slime, having absorbed all the waste from Konoha's underground sewers—an evolved Poop Slime!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Under the cover of the festival's fireworks, shadows leapt over the high walls of the Hyuga compound, one after another.
The dark hands of Root were reaching for Hinata Hyuga!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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