Because of the deliberate "mistakes" left behind by kenshi and Midori, it didn't take long for the ANBU squad under Aaron's command to discover clear signs that shinobi from Konohagakure had infiltrated Kusagakure.
Right on schedule, the ANBU operative tasked with pretending to be a friend of the four missing Grass ninja was also sent out. His job was simple, slowly make contact with the supposed Konoha spies and subtly guide them toward the planted clues.
Everything was unfolding exactly as Aaron had planned.
Still, he wasn't the type to leave things to chance.
To be safe, he had already swapped out the real intelligence in the fake archive room.
Even if his attempt to redirect Kusagakure's resentment toward Root failed, it wouldn't affect the mission itself.
Aaron always knew how to prioritize.
The real objective was obtaining Kusagakure's ANBU intelligence.
Dragging Danzō Shimura into political trouble was merely a bonus.
As for Uzumaki Karin's mother, that had been an unexpected windfall.
Kusagakure Hospital
Meanwhile, Kakashi Hatake continued his quiet surveillance inside the village hospital.
Following Aaron's plan, his role was simple: step in at the final moment if necessary and ensure the safety of Uzumaki Karin's mother.
So for the past several days, he had remained hidden within the hospital grounds.
And during that time, he made an observation.
The difference between Kusagakure's hospital and Konoha's was enormous.
Not a single medic here seemed capable of advanced techniques like the Mystical Palm Technique.
Most of the so-called medical ninja barely knew the basics.
From Kakashi's perspective, if these people worked in Konoha, most of them would probably lose their jobs.
They call themselves medical ninja? he thought dryly. At this rate, even I could do their job.
Suddenly, Kakashi heard commotion coming from the next ward.
He quickly used the Transformation Technique to disguise himself as an ordinary civilian and stepped out to investigate.
Hospitals weren't just for ninja, plenty of civilians came for treatment as well.
He intentionally avoided transforming into a Grass ninja.
If Karin's mother saw him disguised as someone else she recognized, things could become awkward.
She might think I'm stalking her…
Though, admittedly, that was exactly what it looked like.
Peering inside the room, Kakashi saw it packed with people.
Many wore the headbands of Kusagakure.
But not all of them looked injured.
Most of the crowd surrounded a single hospital bed.
Someone important must have been wounded, Kakashi guessed.
Ordinary ninja wouldn't attract this kind of attention.
His expression darkened slightly.
This likely meant Karin's mother was about to suffer again.
Even though members of the Uzumaki clan possessed powerful life force and could recover from bite marks, constant use like this couldn't be healthy.
At this rate, Kakashi doubted she'd even live to middle age.
They might be biting her arm, but what they were really draining was her chakra and life energy.
Blending into the crowd, Kakashi slipped into the ward unnoticed.
The room was chaotic. No one paid attention to a random civilian.
A doctor grabbed Karin's mother by the arm and turned to the injured shinobi lying on the bed.
"Lord Aonuma," the doctor said respectfully, "bite her arm. Once you do, your injuries will heal quickly."
The man on the bed, Aonuma Shun looked confused.
He had just returned from an extended mission and hadn't heard about this unusual "treatment."
The doctor quickly explained.
"She joined the village while you were away. She's an Uzumaki survivor with a rare ability. Anyone who bites her can heal their injuries rapidly."
The doctor leaned closer and added casually:
"You might want to bite down hard. The stronger the bite, the better the effect."
The color drained from the woman's face.
"N-No… that's not"
"Quiet," the doctor snapped, cutting her off coldly.
"Don't forget who gave you a safe place to live in this war-torn world."
She fell silent.
A flicker of despair crossed her face.
If I ever have children, she thought bitterly, I won't let them carry the Uzumaki name.
That name only brings suffering in this world.
Kakashi took a slow breath, forcing himself to stay calm.
He turned away.
He didn't want to watch what was about to happen.
If he saw her being bitten again… he might lose control and intervene.
It wasn't fear for his own safety holding him back.
Kakashi had confidence in his abilities.
Even if things went wrong, escaping wouldn't be impossible.
What worried him was the mission.
If he caused the operation to fail, he would never forgive himself.
His teacher, Minato Namikaze had placed great expectations on him.
And Aaron had trusted him as well.
But in that moment of inner conflict, a faint trace of Kakashi's chakra leaked out.
It lasted only a split second.
Yet it was enough.
The injured shinobi on the bed sensed it immediately.
"Seal the room!" Aonuma Shun shouted. "There's a spy here!"
His sharp gaze swept across everyone in the ward.
Several ninja near the door immediately shut it and drew their kunai.
Kakashi felt his heart sink.
This is bad.
The injured ninja might actually be stronger than him.
Kakashi felt a flash of frustration.
Their mission in Kusagakure had gone so smoothly that he had grown careless.
He had underestimated the village and forgotten that even smaller villages had powerful ninja.
He stayed still.
There were plenty of civilians in the room besides him.
And his mastery of the Transformation Technique was excellent.
Unless someone used sensory techniques, his disguise should hold.
"Bind all civilians," Aonuma ordered immediately.
"And restrain every ninja who didn't come here with me."
Kakashi blinked.
Seriously?
He's going with the 'better safe than sorry' approach?
Right after issuing the command, Aonuma suddenly leaned forward and bit down toward the woman's arm.
He had already sensed that the intruder was strong.
He needed to heal quickly just in case.
Realizing that staying hidden was no longer an option, Kakashi acted instantly.
First, he used the Transformation Technique again, this time disguising himself as a shinobi from Iwagakure.
Then his chakra erupted.
He launched forward with explosive speed.
The sudden burst of movement created a gust of wind strong enough to nearly knock nearby civilians off their feet.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Several Grass ninja closest to him were blasted backward, crashing violently into the hospital's white walls.
Just as Aonuma's teeth were about to reach the woman's arm
Kakashi grabbed her shoulder.
In a flash, he pulled her several meters away.
"Iwagakure ninja?!" Aonuma growled.
He didn't hesitate.
"Wind Style: Wind Blade!"
He formed hand seals quickly, inhaled deeply, and unleashed three razor-sharp blades of compressed wind.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The wind blades cut through the air at terrifying speed, slicing toward Kakashi.
But Kakashi remained calm.
His hands formed a familiar seal at lightning speed.
Chidori.
Electricity erupted around his right hand.
CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
Brilliant blue lightning illuminated the room.
Facing the incoming wind blades, Kakashi swung his electrified hand forward.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A massive explosion shook the ward.
The clash of powerful jutsu tore through the room, blasting debris everywhere. Thick white dust filled the air, obscuring everyone's vision.
"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"
Aonuma immediately unleashed another wind technique, blasting the smoke away.
But when the dust cleared
Kakashi and the Uzumaki woman were gone.
In their place was a massive hole smashed through the hospital wall.
---
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