Chapter 11 – Kumogakure
As the path ahead split into three directions, the trio who had just finished devouring grilled meat exchanged a quick, "See you tomorrow," before heading off toward their respective homes.
But the moment Hatake Kyūjō turned around and walked away from his two childhood friends, a subtle shift crept into his expression. The warmth faded. His gaze turned cold and sharp.
He could sense the hushed murmurs of unfamiliar chakra signatures hiding behind a dim courtyard wall. A deep frown formed on his face as a thought echoed silently in his mind.
Butterfly effect, huh? Looks like the shinobi from Kumogakure have set their sights on me too…
Meanwhile, hidden in the shadows just beyond a quiet residential wall—approximately eighty meters from where the kids had split—six shinobi bearing Kumogakure's signature forehead protectors crouched low.
Of the six, only one possessed sensory abilities. Pressing his ear to the earth, he focused intently, tracking their targets' movements through the subtle tremors in the ground.
A few moments passed.
Once the trio had moved far enough, the sensor-nin lifted his head and turned toward the burly man beside him.
"Captain Sanki," he whispered, "Target Two, Hatake Kyūjō—based on what I'm sensing, he's being shadowed by only one Konoha ANBU. Likely Jōnin-level."
"Target One, Uzumaki Kushina—she has three ANBU watching her. One Jōnin, two Chūnin."
The large man, Sanki, gave a low grunt of approval. It wasn't surprising that Konoha had assigned elite ANBU to guard ninja from "special lineages."
After all, the concept wasn't unfamiliar to Kumogakure either. Most shinobi with Kekkei Genkai weren't given special protection within the village—unless they were the last of a dying bloodline. The Uzumaki clan certainly fit that description.
But Hatake Kyūjō… he was a different case.
Their intel, collected through embedded spies in Konoha, stated the following:
— "Hatake Kyūjō, age ten. Suspected possessor of an unidentified Kekkei Genkai. Ninjutsu aptitude ranks among the highest. Under direct observation by the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Estimated combat level: Elite Chūnin. If he cannot be extracted from Konoha, he must be eliminated."
— — —
What they didn't know… was that this "intel" hadn't come from their own spies.
The true source? None other than Shimura Danzō—Konoha's hidden dagger in the dark.
Danzō had deliberately leaked the information from within, feeding Kumogakure what they needed to act.
Why?
Simple.
To either control or eliminate Hatake Kyūjō.
He had been keeping tabs on the boy for a while now. But under the careful watch of Hiruzen Sarutobi—and with Hatake Sakumo's rising influence—Danzō couldn't act directly.
So he made a move through Kumogakure, using them like a blade he didn't have to dirty himself with.
Outside the village, his ROOT operatives lay in wait—ready to swoop in and claim the spoils once both sides clashed. A classic hawk's game: wait until the grasshoppers wore each other out, then feast.
The plan was to abduct Kyūjō, brand him with ROOT's exclusive Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal, and reprogram him from the inside out.
That way, Danzō would have full control of his future power.
Even if Kyūjō didn't have a Kekkei Genkai, his raw talent alone made him a high-value asset.
The boy could become a cornerstone in Danzō's planned coup—either by corrupting Sakumo's loyalty or by forcing his hand in future confrontations against Sarutobi.
And if Kumogakure failed to retrieve him?
Danzō had no problem with the boy dying.
What mattered was keeping him out of Sarutobi's hands.
In fact, if Kyūjō were killed, Danzō could spin the entire incident alongside Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado—those two senile fossils—under the banner of "peace and war prevention."
With the right pressure, even someone like Sakumo would be forced to swallow his anger.
Whether or not Sakumo stayed loyal to Konoha, his trust in Sarutobi would crack.
That alone would be enough.
Yes... that was Shimura Danzō's true objective.
And the shinobi of Kumogakure? Just pawns on his board.
Back in the damp halls of the ROOT compound, Danzō chuckled lowly to himself.
"Ke... ke ke..."
A spine-chilling laugh echoed through the darkness.
Around him, even the most loyal ROOT agents flinched slightly—an involuntary shudder responding to the malice radiating from their master.
— — —
It didn't take long for Sanki to lay out the assault plan.
"I'll engage the ANBU tailing Hatake Kyūjō. Sando, you handle the boy himself. Sangun, take three Chūnin and extract Uzumaki Kushina from the village."
"Do NOT let them reach the central district. Move out. Now."
At his command, the elite Kumogakure squad disappeared into the night like ghosts.
Back inside the quiet house they had used as cover, two bodies remained—an elderly couple, murdered by strangulation.
Their lifeless eyes stared blankly toward the ceiling, veins bursting red around their sclera… as though cursing the ninja who had defiled their home.
Oh, and one more thing worth noting—
Captain Sanki wasn't just any ordinary shinobi.
He was a Kumogakure ANBU Captain, ranked as an Elite Jōnin.
— — —
Under the dark skies of Konoha...
Kyūjō's senses picked up the flicker of someone rapidly approaching from behind—lightning crackling faintly around their body.
He turned his head slightly. So this is Lightning Release Chakra Mode, huh?
Stimulating muscle fibers using lightning chakra... interesting.
His gaze shifted fifty meters ahead.
There, concealed in the branches of a tall tree, was a Konoha ANBU silently assigned by Hiruzen to watch over him.
Kyūjō rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
If I want to study this technique without any interference…
The next moment, he vanished from his position—without a sound.
He reappeared directly above the ANBU's head.
Before the man could even register his presence, Kyūjō dropped his fist straight down—coated with a peculiar black shimmer.
This was the first time Colorless Armament Haki from the One Piece world had been unleashed in the Naruto universe.
Even with just a fraction of his power, it was more than enough.
The ANBU collapsed on the spot—instantly knocked out cold, like a baby lulled into sleep by a lullaby of iron.
The first move... belonged to Kyūjō.
And the real fight was just about to begin.
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