"Is the barrier set up?"
The speaker was the one-eyed Cloud ninja from earlier today. He had removed his mask, revealing a hideous face covered in scars.
"Don't worry, Boss."
A skinny Cloud ninja withdrew his hand from the floor, sensing the flow of chakra around them. "The soundproof and sensory-blocking barriers are both in place. Even if the Yellow Flash himself came by, he wouldn't have a clue what we're talking about."
The one-eyed ninja nodded and sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, his single eye glowing with a cold light in the darkness.
"Is everyone clear on the mission?"
One-eye lowered his voice. "Lord Raikage's orders are clear. We aren't just testing Minato Namikaze's bottom line; we need to bring 'that thing' back."
"Understood."
The three Cloud ninjas around him responded in unison, their eyes flashing with greed.
"Konoha is nothing more than a toothless tiger right now."
The one-eyed ninja sneered, pulling a simple map of Konoha's defenses from his robe. "Danzo is dead, Root has been disbanded, and the Anbu is currently being restructured. That young Hokage might look tough, but he has no one left to use."
"Especially the Uchiha Clan."
His finger slid toward a corner of the map where the Police Force headquarters was located. "According to our intelligence, the friction between the Uchiha and the village still exists. It's impossible to bridge that gap in just a few days. That little show on the street today was just for our benefit. When night falls, those arrogant red-eyed freaks certainly won't put any heart into their patrols."
"This is our opportunity."
The one-eyed ninja's gaze finally settled on a location marked with a red circle.
The Hyuga Clan compound.
"Compared to the highly vigilant and potentially volatile Uchiha, those Hyuga fools who spend their days guarding their 'Caged Bird' are much easier targets."
"Furthermore, I have confirmed reports."
The one-eyed ninja licked his dry lips, revealing a row of white teeth. "Hiashi Hyuga, the head of the Hyuga Head House, recently had a daughter. A high-purity Byakugan that hasn't been branded with a curse mark yet... she's a gift from the heavens to the Hidden Cloud."
"Boss, what's the plan?"
The skinny sensory ninja rubbed his hands in excitement. "Should I go lure away the Anbu?"
"No."
The one-eyed ninja shook his head, his eyes cold. "We must secure that bloodline limit. You'll set a fire near the Konoha archives. Make it as loud and visible as possible to draw away Minato's Hokage Guard Platoon and the main Anbu forces."
He then pointed to a hulking ninja. "You're responsible for the backup outside the village. Once we have her, use the pre-prepared Reverse Summoning Scroll immediately to send her away."
Finally, his gaze fell on a Cloud ninja who had remained silent, carrying a short blade on his back.
This was the fastest elite in their squad, specialized in infiltration, codenamed 'Rai-Tanuki.'
"Rai-Tanuki, the little girl is your responsibility."
The one-eyed ninja said solemnly, "Remember, we only want the Head House heiress. If you're accidentally discovered... you know what to do."
Rai-Tanuki's figure flickered slightly in the darkness, as if he were merging into the shadows.
"Understood."
The one-eyed ninja stood up and walked to the window, peering through a slit in the curtains at the dark street outside.
"Move out."
...
Midnight.
The streets of Konoha were silent, save for the occasional night breeze rustling through fallen leaves.
A dark shadow flickered across the rooftops like a ghost. His movements were as light as a feather, his toes touching the tiles without making a single sound.
Rai-Tanuki.
He stayed low, almost sliding along the roof ridges, his eyes peering through the slits of his mask as he watched the street below.
'Heh, as expected.'
Looking at the empty streets below, Rai-Tanuki let out a disdainful scoff in his heart.
This was the so-called 'leader of the Five Great Nations'?
Their defenses were a joke.
According to Hidden Cloud intelligence, this was supposed to be a peak patrol period for the Uchiha Police Force.
But right now, let alone the Police Force, he didn't even see a single night watchman.
'It seems the boss was right. The Uchiha and the village have long since lost heart with one another.'
Rai-Tanuki thought to himself, 'With Danzo dead, these guys are probably popping champagne back at their compound. They don't have the energy to care about the village's safety.'
For him, this was a god-given opportunity.
Suddenly, a massive explosion echoed from the distance.
BOOM!
Flames soared into the sky, followed by the chaotic sounds of shouting and gongs.
"Fire! The archives are on fire!"
"Quick, put it out!"
"Anbu! Go notify the Anbu!"
Chaos erupted instantly.
Rai-Tanuki saw several dark figures—clearly Anbu—urgently Body Flickering toward the flames. The already thin defensive presence was instantly hollowed out.
"Fools."
The corner of Rai-Tanuki's mouth curled into a mocking arc.
He no longer hesitated, his body turning into a black lightning bolt as he sprinted toward the Hyuga Clan compound.
The most conspicuous part of the Hyuga estate was a large, traditional mansion complex.
The high walls and solemn gates all spoke of the heritage of this ancient noble family.
But in Rai-Tanuki's eyes, these were merely decorations.
He nimbly flipped over the wall, landing without a sound.
It was too quiet.
The entire Hyuga mansion seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep; there wasn't even the sound of an insect.
Instead of making Rai-Tanuki cautious, this only reinforced his judgment—those Byakugan users must have had their attention drawn by the fire, or perhaps the rumors were true: they had been comfortable for too long and had lost their shinobi edge.
"The Head House... is in the center."
Rai-Tanuki identified the direction and moved quickly along the shadows of the corridor like a gecko.
Close.
The Head House courtyard was right in front of him.
A dim paper lantern hung under the eaves, illuminating a tightly closed paper door.
According to his intelligence, the newborn Hyuga heiress was sleeping inside.
Rai-Tanuki held his breath, his short blade sliding silently into his palm.
At this moment, his heart accelerated slightly with excitement.
As long as he caught that infant, the mission was halfway to success.
The Hidden Cloud would possess a pair of perfect, unrestricted Byakugan. They might even be able to unlock the secrets of the 'Caged Bird' by studying the bloodline.
When that happened, the Land of Lightning's military power would overwhelm Konoha!
He reached out, his fingertips gently touching the wooden frame of the paper door.
Wait...
Where was the barrier?
Where were the traps?
Rai-Tanuki's brow furrowed slightly.
This was going too smoothly—so smoothly it was almost... unsettling.
But there was no turning back now.
He took a deep breath, condensed chakra in his fingertips, and softly unlatched the door bolt.
"Squeak..."
The paper door slid open.
The room was pitch black.
Rai-Tanuki squinted his eyes, trying to find the infant's cradle in the darkness.
However, the instant one of his feet stepped into the room.
Hum.
Several waves of suffocating pressure surged from all directions without warning.
Suddenly exposed to countless gazes, he felt as if he had been stripped naked and scrutinized to his very core.
Every hair on Rai-Tanuki's body stood on end. His elite instincts took over, and without a second thought, he lunged backward in an attempt to exit the room.
"Since you're already here, why be in such a hurry to leave?"
A playful voice suddenly rang out in the courtyard.
The originally pitch-black courtyard was suddenly illuminated by numerous eerie lights.
No! Those weren't lights!
They were eyes!
Rai-Tanuki landed in the center of the yard and looked up in horror.
The surrounding walls, rooftops, and corridors were packed with people.
On the left was a group of ninjas wearing deep blue, high-collared robes.
They stood with their arms crossed, their expressions cold and arrogant. In their crimson eyes, black tomoe were slowly spinning, radiating a chilling chakra that made his heart tremble.
Sharingan!
On the right was a group of ninjas in white training uniforms.
They had assumed Gentle Fist stances, the veins around their eyes bulging. Those pure white eyes shimmered with a ghostly light under the moon, as if they could see through every meridian in the human body.
Byakugan!
And on the rooftop directly in front of him.
Two figures stood side by side, looking down at the intruder from above.
The man on the left had a serious face with deep nasolabial folds. His hands were behind his back, and his presence was as steady as a mountain.
Fugaku Uchiha.
The man on the right had long hair draped over his shoulders and authoritative white eyes. His Head House robes fluttered even without the wind.
Hiashi Hyuga.
And standing between the two was actually one of the Sannin, Jiraiya. A purple toad was even perched on his head.
The toad had a piece of foxtail grass in its mouth, and its golden horizontal pupils were filled with a playful look, as if it were watching an idiot.
"This..."
Rai-Tanuki's brain completely stalled.
Didn't the intelligence say the Uchiha and the Hyuga were on bad terms?
Didn't it say Konoha was riddled with internal conflict?
Could someone tell him why the heads of the two greatest ocular jutsu clans in Konoha were standing together like brothers?
And these numbers...
There had to be hundreds of them!
The entire Police Force and the elites of the Hyuga Branch House were all here?!
All this for just one man?
Is this how you catch a spy? This is a configuration meant for capturing a Tailed Beast!
"Ge-ge-ge."
A strange, raspy laugh came from the purple toad's mouth.
Gamakon spat out the foxtail grass and grinned, revealing a truly villainous smile.
"Is it a surprise?"
"Unexpected, isn't it?"
Gamakon extended a claw, pointing at Rai-Tanuki, whose legs were already shaking, and then gestured to the sea of red and white eyes surrounding them.
"I heard you Cloud ninjas wanted to take some local souvenirs home?"
"Go ahead, don't be shy."
"Red or white, take your pick."
"As long as you're alive to take them."
Rai-Tanuki's hand holding the blade trembled.
He looked at the hundreds of eyes staring at him and felt like a small rabbit that had wandered into a pack of wolves... no, a pack of dinosaurs.
Run?
Where could he run?
On the left was a genjutsu combo platter, and on the right was a premium massage package.
He had been set up!
'Damn that one-eye! Damn the intelligence department!'
Rai-Tanuki let out a desperate roar in his heart.
'Where is the defense lax?'
'They've truly screwed me over!'
On the roof.
Fugaku Uchiha glanced at Hiashi Hyuga beside him, the corner of his mouth curling up in a rare moment of banter.
"Patriarch Hiashi, it seems your Hyuga family is more attractive than our Uchiha. These thieves don't even bother with us; they're only eyeing your young mistress."
Hiashi Hyuga snorted, his Byakugan filled with killing intent.
"That's because some people look so fierce they scare the thieves away."
The two looked at each other. Although they were poking fun, the unspoken chemistry of fighting side by side could not be hidden.
This was Minato Namikaze's first major move after taking office.
It wasn't just about catching a thief.
It was a performance.
A show of muscle to demonstrate Konoha's internal unity and intimidate foreign enemies.
"Do it,"
Gamakon yawned and waved a claw dismissively. "Don't keep this kid waiting. Remember to leave him with a breath of life. Minato needs to use him to talk to that Raikage brute about 'mental distress compensation.'"
"Damn it, since when do you give the orders?" Jiraiya muttered, then added, "Everyone, finish this quickly so we can get some rest."
In the next second.
Countless figures pounced like hungry tigers toward the poor Cloud ninja.
Screams?
No.
In front of ocular jutsu masters, he didn't even have the chance to commit suicide.
...
Meanwhile.
At the fire scene near the Konoha archives.
The Cloud ninja who set the fire was hiding in the shadows, gloating as he watched the busy crowd fighting the fire.
'It seems the plan is going smoothly.'
He rejoiced inwardly. 'These idiot Anbu are being played like fiddles.'
Just then, a hand gently rested on his shoulder.
"Hey buddy, got a light?"
A lazy voice rang out in his ear.
The Cloud ninja froze, turning his head mechanically.
He saw a masked Anbu with silver, gravity-defying hair looking at him.
That white hair—it was Kakashi Hatake!
Behind Kakashi, dozens of Anbu members had already surrounded the area in a fan formation, each holding a glinting kunai.
Kakashi had thought a lot since his conversation with Minato.
He vaguely felt that something was wrong about the night of the incident and needed to find an opportunity to verify it.
Under the guidance of a certain desire for answers, he had returned to his usual uninterested demeanor, but there was something else in it.
He seemed more alive.
"I wanted to play with you a bit longer."
Kakashi sighed as lightning began to flicker in his hand, making a piercing sound like the chirping of a thousand birds.
"But Sensei said we need to finish work early tonight."
"After all..."
Kakashi's gaze instantly turned ice-cold.
"The guy who dared to target our village has probably been turned into paste by now. If you're late, you won't even get to see him one last time."
Lightning flashed.
The night returned to silence.
This night.
The Cloud delegation was destined to spend an unforgettable night in Konoha's prison.
At the top of the Hokage Building.
Minato Namikaze stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, watching as the two disturbances subsided one after another. A gentle smile appeared on his face.
"Now, the bargaining chips are sufficient."
He whispered to himself, turning to look at the unfinished 'Hidden Cloud Claims List' on his desk.
"Mr. Gamakon was right."
"Since they're here, it wouldn't be polite to let them leave without leaving something behind, would it?"
Minato picked up his pen and added another zero to the 'mental distress compensation' column.
"Ge-ge-ge."
At the Hyuga compound, Gamakon's laughter made even the Uchiha and Hyuga ninjas feel extremely uncomfortable. But seeing that it was Jiraiya's summon, they could only let it be.