The Intelligence Division Archives smelled like old paper and dying ink. Three floors below ground level in the Administrative Building, the air never quite moved right, thick and stale, like breathing through wet cloth. Most shinobi avoided the place unless they absolutely had to be there.
Masao Nara didn't mind it. The quiet helped him think.
He sat at a scarred wooden table in one of the smaller rooms, surrounded by enough documents to paper a small house. Patrol logs, communication transcripts, resource allocation reports, mission debriefs, everything he could get his hands on without raising too many eyebrows.
Across from him, two other members of the Nara clan worked through their own stacks of papers. The older one, maybe forty, had gray threading through his hair and the weary eyes of someone who'd read too many reports. Beside him, a younger man in his late twenties still looked irritatingly enthusiastic about all this analysis work.
"Just like Shikaro-sama suspected," the older man said, not looking up from a communication log. "This border patrol report says they spotted River Country forces on the fifteenth. But the intelligence briefing Danzo presented to the council was dated the thirteenth."
"Could be a transcription error?" the younger one offered, though he didn't sound convinced.
Masao shook his head. "Doubt it." He slid a mission debrief across the table. "Whoever filed these reports... they're meticulous. You don't get sloppy with something like this."
The older man leaned back in his chair. "So either our patrol figured out time travel, or someone went back and doctored these intelligence reports to fit whatever story they were selling."
"Oh, it gets worse." Masao's frustration was plain as he pulled out another thick stack of documents, already dog-eared, covered in his careful annotations. "You remember those wounded shinobi who gave us all those detailed testimonies about River Country's attack patterns? Well, I spent the last two days cross-referencing their field logs with their official statements. Take a look at what I found."
"Alright, let's see..." The older man accepted the documents, his eyes scanning the pages. After a moment, he let out a low whistle. "Well, that's definitely not good. In fact, I'd say we've got ourselves a real problem here." He sighed. "Individual discrepancies happen all the time, people make mistakes, memories get fuzzy, paperwork gets lost. But when you start seeing a pattern like this, when all the inconsistencies point the same way... that's not accidents anymore. Someone's been deliberately messing with our intelligence data."
Masao nodded grimly. "I've found at least twelve instances so far. Reports that were backdated, testimony that was fabricated, patrol logs that don't match official mission records. And every single one of them ties back to River Country somehow."
"So the question is, who has the kind of access and authority to manipulate this much information without anyone catching on?"
The three of them looked at each other.
"Maybe we should try approaching this from a different angle," the older man suggested after a long moment, his fingers drumming thoughtfully against the table's surface. "Let's focus on pattern recognition across multiple theaters of operation. If someone's going to all this trouble to manipulate intelligence reports about River Country, chances are pretty good they're not stopping there. Are we seeing the same kind of systematic discrepancies showing up in other regions?"
They spent the next hour digging through reports from other border regions. Cloud Country. Stone Country. The small nations that served as buffer zones between the major villages.
What they found was worse than what they'd expected.
"Here," the younger Nara said, spreading out a series of reconnaissance reports. "These are from missions near the Stone Country border over the past six months. Look at the resource allocation requests."
Masao studied the documents. "ANBU deployments for 'routine surveillance' that required three times the normal personnel complement. Supply requests for operations that don't appear in any official mission logs. And all of it authorized by..."
"Elder Danzo," the older man finished. "Every single one."
The younger Nara was already pulling out more files. "Look at these financial records. Budgets for 'classified research projects' that don't correspond to any known R&D initiatives. Payments to contractors whose names don't appear in our personnel database."
"And look at this pattern. These ANBU casualty reports from these shady operations, they list agents as killed in action or missing, but there are no body recoveries. No confirmation from medical teams."
Masao leaned over to examine the documents. "And here," he said, pointing to another set of papers. "The personnel numbers don't add up. We've officially lost twelve ANBU operatives in these 'surveillance missions,' but the payroll records show payments to twelve new 'contractors' starting right after each reported death."
The younger Nara's eyes widened. "You think he's faking their deaths? Making ANBU agents disappear from official records?"
"How long has this been going on?" the older man asked.
Masao did quick mental calculations. "Based on what we've found? At least two years. Maybe longer."
They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of what they'd discovered settling over them like a heavy blanket.
Masao said. "I need to report this to the clan head. You two keep digging, but be careful. If someone realizes we're onto them..."
"Don't worry about us, we know how to keep our heads down," the older man said. "We're not going to go charging in like a couple of academy students."
The younger Nara's grin was almost mischievous. "Besides, as far as anyone else is concerned, we're just two incredibly dedicated shinobi investigating filing system inefficiencies. We're trying to streamline document organization procedures to improve retrieval times and reduce administrative overhead." He spread his hands innocently. "Trust me, that's boring enough that nobody's going to want to stick around and ask for details."
For the first time since this whole mess started, Masao felt the corner of his mouth twitch. "Right. Well, when you put it like that... I'll be back in a few hours."
He made his way through the corridors of the Administrative Building, his mind already organizing the information he'd need to present to Shikaro.
…
Twenty minutes later, Masao found himself kneeling on the familiar cushion in his clan head's study. Shikaro sat across from him, and while the shogi board sat between them as always, tonight the pieces remained untouched. That was never a good sign.
Masao laid out everything they'd discovered. The backdated reports, the fabricated testimony, the patrol logs that didn't match official records. Then the bigger stuff. The fake ANBU deaths, the ghost contractors, the budget lines for projects that didn't exist. He walked through each piece of evidence carefully, methodically, because that's what Naras did. They didn't rush. They didn't speculate. They just followed the data wherever it led, even when it led somewhere nobody wanted to go.
Shikaro listened without interrupting. His expression shifted as the full picture came into focus, moving from mild curiosity to something much heavier. By the time Masao finished, the room felt smaller somehow. Darker. Like the walls had decided to lean in and eavesdrop.
The clan head was quiet for a long moment, studying the shogi board like it held answers to questions Masao hadn't thought to ask yet. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm but serious.
"I'll bring this to the Hokage myself."
Masao nodded. There wasn't much else to say. This had officially moved above his pay grade.
"And Masao," Shikaro added, already reaching for a stack of documents on his desk. "I'm being called to the western front in two days. I won't be able to oversee this investigation for a while."
"How long will you be gone?"
"At least two weeks, possibly longer. So be careful while I'm away. Don't take any unnecessary risks, and if Danzo starts asking questions..." Shikaro's expression grew serious. "Lay low. This investigation can wait if it has to. Better to move slowly than to end up dead."
Masao swallowed hard. "Understood, sir."
…
{Shinji's POV}
We moved fast through the trees, jumping from one thick branch to the next as the forest rushed by below us. Mikoto stayed right beside me, her hair whipping around as we pushed toward the last location my clone had seen the Kumo-nin.
"What about those enemy genin going after the caravan?" she asked between jumps. "Shouldn't we be helping Miyabi's team deal with them?"
"Miyabi can handle whatever's left hanging around the caravan," I said, launching myself across the space between two huge oak trees. "She's got plenty of backup for any stragglers."
Mikoto gave me one of those looks. "You sure? People are gonna get hurt."
"Casualties happen. Those kids need to learn how to handle real fights and deal with losing people, even if everything goes to hell." I hit the next branch and pushed off immediately, but even as I was saying it, my hands were already moving through the familiar signs for Shadow Clone. A copy appeared next to me mid-jump and took off toward the caravan without me having to say anything.
"Thought you said they could handle it themselves," Mikoto said, and I could hear her trying not to laugh.
"It's just backup. You know, strategy and all that," I said, avoiding her gaze.
"You're such a softie."
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."
She actually laughed then. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you actually care about keeping your fellow genin alive."
We'd been traveling through the forest for maybe ten minutes when that familiar itch started crawling up my spine. You know the feeling, like someone's got their eyes on you, but you can't quite figure out where they're hiding. It's like having an annoying little brother, except the annoying little brother probably wants to kill you.
I raised my fist and we both dropped into a crouch on a thick branch about thirty feet up. Mikoto was already going for her kunai pouch before we'd even come to a complete stop. I had to admire her reflexes, most people would still be asking "what's wrong?" while she was already armed and ready.
"We've got company," I said quietly, letting my eyes drift across the surrounding trees. "At least three. Probably more."
The signs were subtle but they were there once you knew what to look for. A freshly broken twig, scratches on bark that were too clean to be from animals, branches that hung a little too low like they'd been used as stepping stones recently. Either we were being tracked by enemy ninja, or the local squirrel population had suddenly developed opposable thumbs and a taste for espionage.
"They've been on us for a while now, keeping pace but staying hidden." I shrugged. "Points for effort, I guess."
"How do you want to play this?"
I grinned, feeling that familiar rush of adrenaline that came right before a good fight. "Tell you what. You take whichever one looks the least scary. I'll handle the rest."
"Gee, thanks."
Before she could give me any more grief about it, I was already running through the hand seals. Three shadow clones popped into existence around us, each one immediately bounding off to different positions in the trees. The jutsu hit my chakra reserves like a freight train driven by someone who'd clearly failed their driving test.
For a few seconds I felt completely drained, but then almost before I could really start feeling sorry for myself, my chakra started flowing back. Not the slow, gradual recovery that Hiruzen and Grandma Mito had described as typical for most shinobi, but something much faster, like having a direct hotline to some kind of cosmic energy drink dispenser.
That's when the Kumo chunin decided they were done being subtle. The first one dropped from the tree like he'd been planning this moment his entire ninja career, silent descent, sword raised high, legs positioned just so. I had to give him points for technique. This wasn't some sloppy ambush thrown together over breakfast. Someone had definitely practiced this in front of a mirror.
He shouted mid-air too, maybe to psych me out, maybe just to hear himself sound cool. "YAA, "
I sidestepped. Casually. Like I was dodging a leaf.
His blade missed by inches, which would've been impressive if I weren't already grabbing his wrist and flipping his air-time acrobatics against him. Momentum's a cruel mistress. I barely had to help.
He went from ninja to concussed woodpecker in half a second, face-first into the nearest tree. The impact cracked like a firework going off in a sack of soup bones. Bark sprayed, a tooth bounced off my foot, and the tree now had a suspiciously forehead-shaped dent.
To his credit, he didn't scream. But that might've just been the brain damage.
The second one came from below, literally. He burst up through the forest floor in a spray of dirt and roots, already mid-throw, five shuriken slicing through the air in a tight, arcing fan. Good elevation, excellent timing. His angle was clean, and for a split second, I almost respected the commitment.
Unfortunately for him, I was me.
I flicked three shuriken from my sleeve and let physics handle the rest. See, the thing about deflecting projectiles is that most people treat it like blocking. Stopping force with force. Which, sure, works. If you're an idiot. What you actually want to do is redirect. Steal the energy. Make it work for you instead of against you.
The first shuriken I hit at an angle, edge to edge. His blade went ting, spun off course, and kept going, except now it was carrying my spin instead of his. Boomerang with extra steps.
The second I caught flat, like swatting a fly with the broad side of my blade. His rotation flipped, momentum reversed, and suddenly his own shuriken was heading back home with interest.
The third was just me being petty. I threw mine point-first directly into his, tip to tip, full velocity collision. Both blades stopped dead for a fraction of a second before his rebounded straight back at him like a rubber ball off a wall.
All three hit him almost at once. Shoulder. Thigh. Gut. The sound was deeply unpleasant, like someone tenderizing meat with a staple gun. He screamed, lost whatever balance he had mid-air, and spun out, crashing into the dirt hard enough to snap a branch on the way down.
"Newton sends his regards," I said, flicking one last shuriken toward his forehead. "Should've paid attention in class."
Crack. His skull split like a dropped gourd. The gasping stopped.
The third chunin's Lightning Release cracked through the air, jagged arcs chasing me as I ducked behind a tree. Bark exploded where I'd just been, but I was already moving.
My clone appeared behind him, tanto drawn low, aiming for the ribs. The chunin sensed it and twisted on the ball of his foot, ducking just in time. His leg shot out in a tight spin-kick that caught the clone in the side, sending him tumbling through the air to crash against a nearby tree trunk.
Okay. Not a scrub.
I clicked my tongue, already palming another three shuriken. I threw the first one cleanly, then immediately hurled the second to intercept it mid-flight. When the second hit the first at a perfect forty-five-degree angle, it didn't just nudge it, it flung it sideways like a pinball with a grudge, redirecting it toward his exposed left side.
At the same time, I launched the third shuriken high and fast, adding a vicious backspin. Gyroscopic stabilization curved its path, and just as it left my fingers, I formed a quick seal.
The air shimmered. That single spinning blade split into ten, arcing like a flock of birds diving on prey. Nine illusions, one real. No time to guess which.
He tried. I'll give him that. Lightning still crackled at his fingertips as he twisted into a defensive stance, sword flickering with arcs of blue, cutting down two, three, four, five of the fake blades in a burst of speed and flair. But you can't cover both sides when the attack doesn't play fair.
The ricocheted shuriken punched into his left shoulder with a wet chunk, making him stagger and knocking his guard open.
Then the spinning shuriken found its mark, or almost did.
His reflexes kicked in just enough to keep him alive, barely. One hand snapped up in blind panic, and the blade buried itself in his palm with a noise like someone trying to dice meat using a ceiling fan.
Blood sprayed. Not elegantly.
He screamed, then bit it back, probably for pride. But it didn't help as his knees wobbled like ramen noodles.
And then came my kicked clone, the one he'd punted earlier like a sack of potatoes. It had crawled back around like an ex-wife with a grudge. Blade low, tucked just beneath the ribs, then a good, clean gutting.
The chunin froze, lungs hitching, because the blade was now playing the xylophone on his organs. His mouth opened, probably to scream, maybe to curse, but only blood came out, bubbling up like a smoothie gone wrong.
He turned his head, slow and jerky, just enough to see the clone's face.
Same grin as mine.
"The clone didn't pop?" he wheezed.
I walked over to the wet symphony of his dying, all ragged gasps and bubbling fluid, and casually started picking up my shuriken while whistling JoJo's Pillar Men theme.
After wiping them clean with a scrap of cloth, I glanced around to check on my clones.
One of them stood beside a female kunoichi crumpled on the forest floor, her neck twisted sideways at an angle that necks really shouldn't go. The clone looked mildly impressed with himself. Another clone stood next to a man clutching his throat, eyes wide and glassy, windpipe thoroughly collapsed. That clone was scratching his head like he'd just remembered something he forgot to buy.
Meanwhile, Mikoto was still in the middle of a fight. Her kunai clashed with a Kumo nin's, sparks flying as steel screeched on steel. She had good form, good timing, but so did he. For a second, it looked even.
Then one of my clones casually lobbed his tanto over like he was passing a kitchen knife. She snatched it, spun, and slashed at him.
The Kumo nin managed to block, good instincts, fast hands, but then froze as my clone slammed a fist into his spine like he was trying to convince a vending machine to give up that last can of soda.
The guy jerked, mouth opening in a soundless scream. Mikoto added a clean, brutal follow-up, carved him open from collarbone to hip, making him crumple like wet laundry someone had given up on folding.
My clone stepped over and offered her a clean handkerchief. "Blood spatter's a real pain to get out of your hair," he said helpfully.
"Thanks." Mikoto wiped the blood from her cheek. "Guy was getting on my nerves."
I walked over to check the bodies, making sure we hadn't missed anyone. Four enemy chunin, dead in under three minutes. Not bad for a warm-up.
"Think that's all of them?" she asked, scanning the surrounding trees.
"Should be. My clone would have—"
That's when every nerve in my body lit up like a fire alarm. I dove sideways hard enough to scrape my knees raw on the dirt. A tanto blade whistled past where my head had been, close enough that I felt the steel part my hair.
Some bastard in black gear stepped out of nowhere, literally nowhere, like he'd been invisible, and the killing intent dropped on me like a lead blanket. Jonin. Shit.
The tanto whipped back around in a nasty reverse cut aimed at opening my throat. I jerked back but the fucker was fast. The blade caught my forearm as I threw it up to protect my neck, slicing through skin and muscle like I was made of paper. Hot blood immediately soaked through my sleeve and started dripping onto the ground.
"Jonin!" I barked, already rolling away from the follow-up strike.
Two of my clones dropped in before I'd even finished the word, one high, one low.
The first caught the jonin's blade mid-swing, tanto grinding against tanto with a screech of metal that sent vibrations up both arms. The second clone slid beside him, turning with sharp footwork and cutting low toward the ribs.
The jonin reacted fast, too fast. He spun on his heel, let the strike pass close enough to brush his flak vest, and came around with a tight reverse grip, parrying the second blade with a sharp clang.
The third clone landed beside me a second later, hands already glowing green. "Hold still," he muttered, locking his fingers against the gash. Warmth surged through the torn muscle, tingling and crawling like static under my skin. My nerves twitched with the flood of chakra, but I kept still.
I spat out a mouthful of blood, grit and iron on my tongue, probably from when I kissed the dirt dodging that last swing. My jaw throbbed. My ribs ached. My patience was on life support.
"This is exactly why we need a goddamn sensor on this team," I muttered, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. "Preferably one who blinks before people try to assassinate us."