—Knock! Knock! Knock!
Might Guy's heavy fists banged on the door in a reserved yet forceful rhythm. His expression was grim, thinking about their earlier companion. Silver hair, silver eyes, and movements that were nearly impossible to keep track of.
Whenever Guy's gaze drifted away from the boy's figure, he would always feel a chill run down his spine. His instincts screamed for him to look back.
'That boy... The Ghost of the Land of Rivers.'
Shimura Danzo, Konohagakure's Fifth Hokage, had first introduced this identity to the village jounin. His information was purposely held back from being placed on the Bingo Book for a reason:
His intelligence was a strategic weapon.
Instead of being hunted down, it was more likely that the Ghost would be recruited instead.
'I don't like where this is going...'
For some reason, Guy felt a sense of dreadful foreboding.
* * *
Suguru looked through the familiar scenery. His gaze sifted through the many walls that populated the village as it had done many times before.
The only difference this time was the blatancy of his action.
'Indeed, with the Shinrakugan, I can avoid many annoying assumptions.'
Suguru's pupils dilated, granting him a varying field of vision through the Shinrakugan's scope. Each chakra signature flickered and danced. Konohagakure became clear for him to observe.
His eyes scanned for any suspicious amalgamations of chakra signatures and took note of synchronized movements occurring throughout the village.
Suguru's gaze then settled on the Hokage's office, and the barely concealed energy signature of the old man was somehow quite comforting. However, Hiruzen seemed burdened by the many tumultuous events lurking in the dark.
The Hokage's chakra seemed to churn with fatigue and instability. An illusion of dread.
Mission after mission after mission.
Although Hiruzen wasn't the one being sent out, organizing it all had taken its toll. The layered plans, the contingencies, and the unexpected variables each took an artery and a blood vessel in the old man's brain.
"…"
A pang of pity echoed through Suguru as he watched.
Hiruzen was burrowed deep in his never-ending cycles. The paperwork, his duties, and his iron-blooded pragmatism. Twice had he been relieved of his duties, yet thrice still, had he taken the seat of leadership.
Perhaps finding a legitimate andappropriatesuccessor would need to be discussed soon.
Thinking up to here, Suguru couldn't help but chuckle.
Currently, he stood at the village's peripheries, his eyes reflected an amused curiosity.
'So carefree,' he thought, observing the hustle of villagers as they went about their day, blissfully unaware of the slow, venomous infiltration in the dark.
A certain whirlpool of chaos was forming. Which fleet would find itself destroyed at a moment's notice?
"Tsk, tsk,"
After playfully clicking his tongue, Suguru continued to walk.
As he maneuvered through familiar streets, he blended into the backdrop, looking like an ordinary villager lost among extraordinary shinobi. There were certain eyes that darted toward him in intrigue, but quickly averted their gazes.
Clearly, they sensed something, however vague it had been.
After all…
Suguru would always be looking right back at them.
'Perhaps it's that,' he mused, a smirk creeping across his lips.
His focus sharpened as he approached an alley where a few high-pitched voices whispered about missing-nin sightings.
"..?" Suguru leaned in to peek.
Suddenly, a rustle caught his attention.
—Swish!
A trio of academy students laughed as they darted past him, perfectly carefree. They left behind a flurry of water balloons, along with the words:
"This is for the Hokage!"
Suguru blinked, staring at the black, spiky hair of a snot-nosed brat, moving as they ran.
'Isn't that… Konohamaru?'
As soon as Suguru realized this, the boy in question had already disappeared behind a corner.Konohamaru was swift, that was for sure.
And Suguru really found no reason to speak to such a troublemaker at the moment.
So, he continued his walk. He approached a nearby shop selling scrolls and equipment for shinobi.
The shopkeeper greeted him warmly,
"Ah! Hello, we've just recently received a new batch of specialized kunai — care to take a look?" he asked cheerily.
"No, but thank you."
Suguru replied smoothly, feigning casual interest while keenly observing the details available to his eyes.
The types of weapons displayed, each scroll neatly stacked, and even the subtle hints in the shopkeeper's demeanor that revealed his anxiety over dwindling customers.
"I'm just browsing." These were words said with a small smile. Thus, Suguru eventually turned away after making small talk and continued to look around the village.
As he resumed his path toward Hiruzen's office, he caught a glimpse of Team Akuta training in the distance, past several trees and through many walls. Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and… Hyuga Mitsuko.
"Huh…"
Suguru still couldn't get over the drastically differing vibe of the trio under Akuta.
'Naruto's absence is really quite the jarring reality.'
Suguru shook his head. All these deviated details were quite daunting to process. The butterfly effect had long run its course, and Konohagakure today was a different monster from the original.
The coalescence of power, especially…
Excitement colored Suguru's face at the mere thought of all hell breaking loose.
'I wonder if Danzo had even figured out a resurrection technique of his own,' Suguru thought, mulling over the possibility being more possible than he initially thought.
Unfortunately, there was more work to be done before he could explore such sentiments freely. There were many plans in need of work.
So, Suguru continued his stroll, melting into the daily village life.
***
While Suguru moved slowly through the village, someone had caught sight of his silver hair from a distant rooftop. A hiss of disdain escaped their lips.
Their gaze, perpetually narrowed, took note of Suguru's casual demeanor.
"This pup… Isn't he familiar?"
The figure muttered, a low, venomous purr. He swore he had heard of the boy somewhere.
"Intriguing…"
And yet… Suguru remained seemingly undisturbed by his presence. He actively ignored the rooftops, the coded messages flitting across windows, and the subtle manipulations of chakra threads weaving through the crowd.
Though he did take note of these little games and machinations.
He observed, he processed, he analyzed.
He felt them tangled in the very air, convoluted patterns of ambition, fear, and desperation. It didn't take long for him to figure something out.
Thus…
"Hehehehe,"
It was inevitable that Suguru would start laughing. His gaze suddenly met that of the person who had been watching him.
—Crack.
One does not simply gaze into the abyss without it gazing back.
'Is everyone targeting the Chuunin Exams nowadays?'
Suguru grinned.
'Kaisugan!'