Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, and Akamaru returned to Konoha in the early morning. The journey back had been silent, marked by their frustration at not having captured Akiko.
Kakashi was waiting for them at the Hokage's office, accompanied by Shikamaru and Ino. Naruto knocked on the table, laying down the fragments of scrolls and clues recovered near the Tenbaku River.
—She escaped us, but we found this, Naruto said, his tone serious.
Ino took the pieces of parchment and activated her sensory perception technique to try to detect any chakra residue.
— Hmm… this chakra is unstable, probably related to rituals or traps. I'll examine it further.
Kakashi spoke up, his eyes showing a mix of tiredness and thoughtfulness.
— You did a good job coming back with information. But this Akiko is clearly a serious threat. She knows the vulnerabilities in our systems well.
Shikamaru crossed his arms.
— She wasn't working alone. If she managed to set traps in this area, that means there's a base nearby. We'll have to come up with a strategy to keep digging.
---
Hikari (Kaguya) intervenes discreetly
In Naruto's apartment, Hikari silently reappeared. She stood in the corner of the room, watching Naruto who seemed lost in thought.
"You're still frustrated," she said in a calm but sharp tone.
Naruto, sitting on his bed, straightened up.
—Of course I am. We couldn't stop him.
She approached, her face impassive, but her eyes slightly amused.
— These kinds of emotions make you vulnerable. You should learn to control your anger, or you will become predictable.
Naruto growled, but Kaguya continued.
—That said… this woman, Akiko. She's not fighting for herself. She's being manipulated by greater forces.
—How could you know that? Naruto asked, looking at her suspiciously.
—Because humans are easy to read, she replied coldly.
Kurama, observing from Naruto's mind, intervened.
— Don't let her distract you, Naruto. She's still playing her own game.
Naruto ignored Kurama, focusing on Hikari.
— Either way, we have to stop him. And if you know something, you better speak up.
Kaguya smiled slightly, but didn't answer.
Meanwhile, Akiko had returned to a hideout of the Akumu Shin'en. The leader of the gang, sitting at one of the chairs around the round table, looked at her with a mixture of calm and authority.
— Raiken is still alive. That's not what I ordered, he said coldly.
Akiko looked down.
— He was too well protected. Naruto Uzumaki is more powerful than expected.
The leader stood up, imposing.
—If we can't eliminate Raiken directly, then we must speed up our plans. The next step requires more stealth and precision.
He handed Akiko a scroll.
— Here is your new mission. This time, you must not fail.
She nodded, her sadistic smile returning.
— I will not disappoint you.
Naruto, Hinata, Kiba, and Shikamaru met at a local restaurant to discuss next steps. Hikari remained in the shadows, watching the scene from a dark corner of the room.
"These guys are organized," Kiba said, biting into a piece of meat. "They're not going to be caught easily."
Hinata, sitting next to Naruto, added softly:
—If Akiko returns to their base, that means they might be planning something bigger.
Shikamaru, still thoughtful, replied:
— Exactly. They can't leave any traces. If we want to stop them, we'll have to strike before they're ready.
Naruto nodded, but his mind was wandering. Hikari/Kaguya, still silent, was analyzing the interactions with curiosity.
That night, while Naruto was sleeping, Hikari manifested in his mind.
— You seem worried, she said.
"Of course I am," Naruto replied, crossing his arms. "Those guys are dangerous, and I can't let Konoha be in danger."
Kaguya approached, her expression softer than usual.
—You have this sense of duty... but it blinds you sometimes. If you want to defeat them, you'll have to think like them.
Naruto frowned.
—And what does that mean?
She turned away slightly, her gaze distant.
—That means you must understand their motivations. Their hatred is not without reason. Just like you, they have been shaped by this cruel world.
Naruto remained silent, thinking about his words.
Kurama, who was listening to the conversation, growled.
— Don't let her words sway you. She's always playing her own game.
Kaguya smiled slightly, but didn't answer.
At the same time, Akiko was infiltrating Konoha again, using a new genjutsu to avoid the ANBU patrols. She was heading straight for the prison where Raiken was being held, her fan ready to strike.
But this time, an unknown figure was waiting for him in the shadows…
Chapter 12.2: Shadow on the Battlefield
On the site where the last battle of the Fourth Great Ninja War had taken place, the wind blew gently, still bearing the imprint of the powerful chakras that had shaped the fate of the world. This sacred place was heavily guarded by ninjas from the Five Great Nations, who had taken turns to guard this battlefield where the chakra residues of the Juubi and the Bijuus still persisted, despite the years that had passed.
In the shadows of the night, a group of masked figures advanced stealthily, infiltrating the outposts placed around the site.
"Don't let anyone alert the reinforcements," their leader whispered icily.
The Akumu Shin'en group had a careful plan in place. Akiko wasn't there this time, but four core members accompanied their leader. They carried large jars with intricate, precisely engraved seals. These containers had been designed to absorb the chakra residue left behind by the powerful Bijuus and the Juubi.
The first outpost was taken quickly. The guards did not expect an attack of this magnitude. A powerful explosion of lightning deactivated the protective barriers, while genjutsu techniques paralyzed the shinobis on guard.
One of the Akumu members, a massive man named Kozan, used a specific sealing technique. By placing his hands on the ground, a network of seals spread out around the area.
—Start deploying the ganders, he ordered.
The jars were arranged in a circle around the center of the battlefield. As soon as they activated the seals, a strange green aura began to rise, absorbing the remaining chakra residue. The scattered bursts of power from the Juubi, combined with those of the other Bijuus who had participated in the war, were drawn into the containers.
"It's incredible," one of the members murmured. "Even after all this time, these chakra residues are so powerful."
The leader of the Akumu Shin'en, dressed in a long black coat decorated with mysterious symbols, watched with satisfaction.
—This is our first step towards restoring our true strength. Continue.
However, not everything went smoothly. The main outpost detected the anomaly through a sensor ninja, which triggered an alarm. Reinforcement teams were dispatched.
A small group of elite ninja from Iwa and Kumo arrived on the scene to counter the intrusion. Among them, a Jōnin named Takeru, an expert in earth techniques, took the lead.
— Stop them before they finish sealing! he shouted.
A fierce battle broke out. The ninjas of the Five Great Nations fought fiercely, but the Akumu Shin'en had the advantage of surprise and advanced sealing techniques. Kozan, with his brute strength and mastery of sealing, repelled Takeru's attacks.
Meanwhile, another member of the Akumu, a woman named Mizuha, used water techniques to overwhelm the allied ninja, creating geysers that scattered them.
The leader stood back with his arms crossed. He watched the process of the ganders being absorbed with cold intensity.
—We are close to our goal. Don't let anyone interrupt this process, he said calmly.
He activated a seal on his arm, sending out a shockwave to neutralize a group of ninjas who got too close.
Despite their efforts, the allied ninja were pushed back. The jars had absorbed a significant amount of chakra, and the leader ordered a retreat.
"We have what we need for now. Let's go back to base," he said authoritatively.
In an instant, the Akumu Shin'en disappeared, leaving behind a scene of chaos. The allied ninjas, injured and tired, could only take in the extent of the damage.
A few hours later, news of the attack reached Konoha. In Kakashi's office, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Ino were listening to the report of a messenger ninja from Iwa.
— They managed to absorb the chakra residues of the Juubi and the Bijuus. We don't know yet what they plan to do with it, but it doesn't bode well, concluded the messenger.
Naruto clenched his fists.
— Those guys again… They're becoming a real threat.
Shikamaru thought for a moment, his face dark.
—If they're collecting this kind of chakra, they must have a specific plan. And that plan won't be to our advantage.
Kakashi looked at Naruto with a serious face.
—We must act quickly. I will call a meeting of the Five Kage. In the meantime, Naruto, I want you to assemble a team to investigate further.
Hikari, who was silently watching from Naruto's mind, seemed intrigued by this news.
—So, they even use the chakra residue left by the Juubi… This is getting interesting, she muttered to herself.
To be continued…