It was night. The moon hung high in the sky, with thin layers of clouds drifting through the air, casting a hazy, ethereal glow over the landscape.
Diarmuid sat on the veranda of the Hyuga estate, holding a tobacco pipe. He gazed out at the lawn in the courtyard, a small tray beside him holding a cup of warm tea.
Behind him was Hinata's room; by now, she was likely fast asleep.
Hiashi and the others were nowhere to be seen. It was as if everything were perfectly normal, as if nothing had changed within the Hyuga household, save for Diarmuid sitting there, enjoying the moon in solitude.
Meanwhile, in the Guest House not far from the Hokage Residence.
The Kumogakure shinobi all rose from their beds at the exact same moment. They gathered together in silence. After a quick exchange of glances, they vanished from the building, moving with practiced stealth toward the Hyuga estate.
Atop the Hokage Residence, Shinnosuke stood clad in his Anbu uniform, a mask concealing his face. He held a miniature camera, capturing every second of the scene.
"That person was right on the money. Kumogakure really was up to no good. But for the Yorozuya to obtain intelligence of this level... Tsk tsk. It seems their information network is even more formidable than we estimated," Shinnosuke remarked.
An Anbu member behind him asked, "Monkey, what's our next move?"
"Monkey" was Shinnosuke's codename for this mission.
Shinnosuke fell silent for a moment before replying, "Have our men track them closely. Secure all the evidence; we don't need to interfere beyond that. Also, leak some rumors to the public. Say that a dangerous S-Rank fugitive is lurking in Konoha and the Anbu is conducting a secret manhunt. Understood?"
"Understood," the Anbu member replied.
Under the faint moonlight, his features were just barely visible behind his mask. The shock of white hair, the sharp silhouette... there was no doubt. This Anbu member accompanying Shinnosuke was Kakashi.
After giving the orders, Shinnosuke checked his watch. Indeed, the technology of this world was a strange blend; they had cameras, and they had wristwatches.
"It's almost time. I have a meeting with the Hokage. I'll leave the rest to you," Shinnosuke said.
"Yes, sir," Kakashi responded.
In the next second, Shinnosuke turned and headed for the stairs to meet with Hiruzen. Kakashi took the miniature camera and began traversing the rooftops, tailing the Kumogakure group from a distance.
When Shinnosuke entered the Hokage's office, he found it already crowded. Shikajin, Danzō, Homura, and Koharu were all present.
As soon as Shinnosuke walked in, every eye turned toward him.
Hiruzen asked directly, "What's the status?"
"Kumogakure has made their move. They're currently en route to the Hyuga estate. Our Anbu units are tailing them from the shadows," Shinnosuke reported.
"Good. For the Kumogakure matter, we wait and see," Hiruzen nodded.
The others didn't seem to have further questions. Shinnosuke walked over to Shikajin and sat on the sofa. He pulled his mask off and let it hang sideways on his head, picking up a teacup from the table.
Silence returned to the room. It seemed they were all waiting for one more person to arrive.
At the same time, within the Uchiha Clan District, Shisui had also donned his Anbu uniform. Masked, he stepped out of his house. He scanned the surroundings to ensure no one was watching before gently pulling his door shut.
The moment the lock gave a soft click, Shisui's figure vanished into the night.
Meanwhile, outside the walls of the Hyuga estate, several Kumogakure shinobi came to a halt. They looked at each other. The one who appeared to be the captain made several hand signals. His final gesture was a tap against his own heart.
Implicitly, he was ordering them to sacrifice themselves if the situation demanded it.
The other Kumogakure shinobi offered no objection, nodding in grim understanding. They then vaulted over the wall, infiltrating the Hyuga grounds.
They were unaware that every move they made was being watched by the distant Anbu, and that some were even being photographed for evidence.
Once inside the estate, the Kumogakure shinobi moved with the ease of those who had pre-mapped their surroundings. They bypassed several buildings and avoided the night-shift servants with practiced ease. Soon, they arrived before a specific courtyard.
According to their investigation, this was the residence of the Hyuga clan's eldest daughter, Hinata. Their goal tonight was to kidnap her. Given her status as the heiress of the Main House, her Byakugan bloodline would be incredibly pure. Taking her back would provide the village with a powerful secret weapon.
However, as the shinobi entered the courtyard, they were slightly taken aback.
Sitting right there under the veranda, watching the moon, was a lone figure.
Is this guy crazy?
There was nothing special about the moon tonight. What was there to look at?
Because the night was thick and the moon was partially obscured by clouds, the light was dim. The Kumogakure shinobi couldn't quite make out the man's face.
But at this stage... there was no turning back!
Just then, the moon-watcher seemed to sense them. He turned his gaze in their direction.
"You've finally arrived... little mice in the moonlight. I've been waiting quite a while. Heh heh heh..." Diarmuid set his teacup down and gently tapped his pipe against the wood, knocking the ash out.
The Kumogakure shinobi were stunned. What does he mean? He was waiting for us?
The Kumogakure captain remained silent for a moment before raising a hand and speaking in a low, cold voice. "Make it fast. Kill him. Two of you stay to cover the rear. Change in plans: execute Plan B – Forced Seizure!"
"Yes!" the shinobi replied in unison. They lunged forward into the courtyard, intent on killing Diarmuid.
Diarmuid didn't even stand up. His gaze didn't even seem focused on them.
In that moment, a figure slowly emerged from the grass in front of him: Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu didn't even glance at the Kumogakure ninja. He spoke directly: "Shisui has been confirmed entering the Hokage Residence. Is there anything else you need me to watch?"
"No need. Tell that 'Madara' fellow to get ready. The conflict will peak within three days at most," Diarmuid nodded before finally standing up.
At that exact instant, the fastest Kumogakure shinobi had already reached him.
Seeing his sharp kunai gleaming in the moonlight as it prepared to plunge into Diarmuid's body, the shinobi suddenly felt something binding his feet. His movement stuttered.
Then, he saw the target draw a long blade from his waist. The sword pulsed with an eerie, demonic aura, as if it were a sentient evil.
The moonlight reflected off the blade, illuminating the man's face for a fleeting second. But that second was enough for the shinobi to recognize him!
Rodriguez Diarmuid. The mysterious leader of the Yorozuya. The man who had murdered the Third Raikage!
"It's you!" the shinobi gasped.
Diarmuid had no intention of wasting words. With a flash of cold steel, blood sprayed into the night sky.
Black Zetsu turned to watch the scene.
The Kumogakure shinobi who had been so intent on killing Diarmuid a second ago, whether it happened the moment Diarmuid stood up or the moment he drew his sword, were now bound tight by thick wooden vines erupting from the ground. Their mouths were clamped shut by massive leaves, preventing even a whimper from escaping.
Without a doubt, this was Wood Release. From the moment they stepped onto the grass of this courtyard, they had entered a killing field.
They struggled in terror, but they couldn't make a sound, and escaping the grasp of the Wood Release was impossible.
Diarmuid walked past them one by one, wielding the cursed blade Kokorowatari.
With every step, his sword trailed a fresh arc of blood.
The vines would release the corpses as he passed. Just as the bodies were about to hit the grass, a patch of pitch-black shadow would appear, swallowing them whole.
By the time Diarmuid had finished off every last Kumogakure shinobi, the lawn was pristine. There were no bodies, and not a single drop of blood from the initial spray could be found.
As he reached the exit of the courtyard, Diarmuid performed a sharp chiburi, flicking the blood from his blade. The droplets flew into the air, but before they could hit the ground, the darkness of the night enveloped them, and they vanished.
Now, Kokorowatari was spotless, as gleaming as if it were new. Diarmuid smoothly sheathed the blade.
With a flick of his haori, a flash of lightning seemed to explode within the courtyard, or perhaps it was just an illusion.
But Diarmuid's figure was gone.
Even the Anbu members lying in wait nearby didn't notice his departure.
Only then did Black Zetsu click his tongue. "As expected. Ordinary shinobi, even Jonin, have no chance of resisting him at all..."
"Is that so?" Diarmuid's voice rang out from behind him.
Black Zetsu jumped, spinning around to see the man. "Didn't you just leave?"
"I did leave," Diarmuid smiled. He sat back down on the veranda, picked up his teacup, and drank the remaining warm tea.
Black Zetsu was stunned. But after observing closely, his shock turned to realization. "I see. You're a Wood Clone? You almost had me fooled."
"Hahaha, good eyes," Diarmuid laughed.
Indeed, the real Diarmuid had already departed; the one remaining here was a clone.
Black Zetsu let out a sigh of relief and sat down beside Diarmuid. After a moment of thought, he couldn't help but ask, "What did you go to do?"
"To snip a small threat in the bud," the Wood Clone replied calmly.
"A threat? Is there anyone in Konoha who can actually threaten you? That Uchiha Shisui you had me watching?" Black Zetsu asked, perplexed.
Even the famous Shisui of the Body Flicker wouldn't be a match for you, would he?
Diarmuid's Wood Clone simply smiled. "Never underestimate anyone..."
He offered no further explanation. Black Zetsu, sensing the finality in his tone, wisely stopped asking.
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