Power Stone Goals from now on: I always post a minimum of 5 chapters. Henceforth the following are the goals:
Every 150 powerstones, I upload an extra chapter.
If we hit top 30 in the 30-90 days power stone rankings, thats 1 more chapter
If we hit top 10 in the 30-90 days power stone rankings, thats 1 more chapter
If we are top 5...well lets get to that first. Happy readings!
Chapter 85: Infiltrating a Squad
After creating a shadow clone, I decided it was time for me to leave.
"Reverse Summoning Jutsu."
The technique worked exactly as intended. My original body was now back at the location I had marked before diverting to the Moonshadow Clan's territory. The atmosphere here was still, cold, and faintly metallic, a reminder of how close I was to the heart of the Land of Iron.
My purpose was straightforward: to locate and learn more about the elusive blacksmith that Yoru and Apolo had cryptically alluded to.
With Mine's Eye Kaguya active, my awareness expanded across several kilometers, penetrating layers of terrain and detecting minute shifts in chakra.
I remained cautious, keeping an eye out for any signs that members of the Akatsuki might be tracking my movements, though for now the surroundings showed no signs of pursuit.
Traveling with care, I minimized my chakra signature and used the natural environment as cover, moving steadily toward the Land of Iron's capital.
The city, constructed with both martial precision and centuries-old resilience, was presently operating under heightened security protocols in response to the recent assault on their primary mining facility.
Upon nearing the city's outer limits, it became increasingly evident that the authorities were on high alert.
Patrol units moved efficiently in overlapping formations, and their behavior made it clear that even the slightest irregularity would trigger an immediate and coordinated response.
These weren't guards maintaining order—they were professionals searching for threats.
Anticipating such conditions, I had previously established a civilian identity under the guise of a traveling monk and registered my stay at a modest inn.
At the time, it had seemed like a prudent precaution. Now, it felt like a liability.
When I discreetly returned to the inn under the cover of night, I examined the barrier seals installed around my room.
Just by glancing at them I could tell... It appeared that someone had entered in my absence.
My temporary identity had likely been compromised.
Given the thoroughness of the authorities' response, it stood to reason that they had begun methodically reviewing the records of every person who had been residing in the city during the time of the mine incident.
The fact that I had been entirely absent from town during such a critical event was enough to warrant suspicion.
I saw no reason to attempt salvaging the identity I had been using. From this point forward, remaining undetected would be more practical than trying to explain my absence.
Fortunately, my sensory techniques provided a detailed awareness of the surrounding districts, enabling me to avoid detection with relative ease.
My focus shifted toward the center of the capital, where the Shogun's Palace stood. A sprawling compound fortified by both traditional and modern means, it radiated layers of tightly controlled chakra.
Within its inner sanctum, I could detect numerous Kage-level signatures—strong, unmistakable presences that spoke of years of combat experience and refined chakra control.
The Shadow Summit, a gathering of the most powerful shinobi leaders, was imminent. According to the intelligence I had gathered, the event was scheduled to occur within the next few days, and the concentration of chakra within the palace confirmed this timeline.
Some of the signatures belonged to elite guards, while others bore the distinctive qualities of actual Kage.
My task was both clear and incredibly difficult: I needed to enter the palace grounds without detection.
This would not be a simple infiltration.
Nevertheless, if I hoped to reach the blacksmith and understand the significance of Yoru's cryptic warning, I had no choice but to proceed...why did she mention I wouldn't be able to get him if not now?
I adjusted my cloak against the evening cold, took a deep breath, and slipped silently into the nearest shadowed alleyway.
There was no turning back now.
It was not only the mounting tension surrounding the blacksmith that occupied my attention. Recently, I had been involved in a heated confrontation with the dominant guild controlling the Land of Iron—Dark Dream. I had issued them a stark ultimatum, giving them a finite window of time to evacuate their operations and relinquish any claims to this territory.
I was not bluffing. My intention was clear and absolute: I wanted the Land of Iron to become the primary base for one of guild's operations. From here, I intended to expand my influence across the entirety of the Elemental Nations.
This land, fortified and symbolically neutral, offered both strategic advantage and powerful infrastructure. For the foreseeable future, I would operate from within its borders.
It was only logical to send a strong and unmistakable message to the major factions—one that could not be misinterpreted.
The truth was simple: the Great Guilds were unaware of the existence and capabilities of my own organization.
They would inevitably underestimate us. Worse, they might think us unworthy of attention, soft targets ripe for exploitation.
I could not allow such an assumption to take root. A demonstration of strength was necessary.
Was Dark Dream specifically targeted? Not particularly. Had I needed to single out a guild for strategic elimination, I would have chosen the Berserkers.
Weakening them would provide significant support to Kaiser. However, the Berserkers, rarely operated in the Land of Iron. Dark Dream, on the other hand, maintained a constant presence here, which made them a far more convenient and visible opponent.
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—none of the top ten guilds, as far as my intelligence confirmed, had succeeded in infiltrating Konoha.
While their forces were present in the Land of Fire, they had not breached the village itself. This fact alone provided a sliver of relief where Yuki was concerned.
Because of the volatile nature of this unfolding situation, I came to a personal resolution: any member of Dark Dream I encountered and could positively identify would have to be eliminated. That was the price of public defiance.
Given my particular skill set and the fact that some of my identity-based techniques had been damaged or were temporarily inaccessible, creating a new persona wouldn't be overly difficult. I had the tools necessary to orchestrate a convincing transformation—something akin to what Orochimaru would use.
While he invaded bodies to house his soul, I could simply replicate the face of another individual. However, there were constraints.
The person I chose would have to possess a body size roughly similar to my own, a constraint I could not circumvent. More importantly, they would need to have a chakra level near enough to mine that I would not feel restrained in combat.
Taking the guise of a chunin, for instance, would significantly limit my ability to use advanced techniques, rendering me vulnerable in a high-stakes environment.
With these parameters in mind, I positioned myself at a distant vantage point, close enough to observe the palace yet far enough to remain undetectable.
Activating Mine's Eye once again, I allowed my senses to stretch outward, carefully tracking every visible and invisible detail of the palace's perimeter.
It did not take long to begin mapping the guards' movements.
I spent approximately five hours observing them in complete silence. Over time, patterns began to emerge. The guards worked in tightly organized groups, sweeping across the capital with precision and speed.
It was something similar to what Naido sensei and I had done all the way back during my first mission...
Whenever they encountered anything even remotely suspicious, they would immediately fragment into smaller squads and perform an exhaustive search of the surrounding area.
They seemed to kill people for the smallest of reasons...not taking any chances and showing the cruelty of this world...something I could take advantage of for sure.
Under the current state of alert, nearly anything could trigger such a reaction, making the guards highly reactive and unpredictable.
Nevertheless, my patience paid off. I soon identified a target whose physical attributes and chakra signature aligned closely enough with mine.
He was part of a rotating guard unit, one of the few whose route placed him at the outskirts of the palace compound. From my vantage point, I began to calculate the timing of his patrols and the likely blind spots I could exploit.
It would require precision.
But now, at last, I had a plan.
As I remained nestled within the shadows of a crumbling rooftop ledge, my eyes stayed locked on the guard and his squad as they performed their assigned rotations around the palace perimeter.
The city below was quiet, but not still. Lanterns flickered behind curtained windows, civilians shuffled through alleys unaware of the deadly plans being laid in the darkness above them. My patience didn't waver.
Then it happened.
The guard I had been watching for hours finally broke away from the main formation. His pace was measured, as he moved towards something he thought suspicious...something I had planned beforehand.
This was the 3rd time I did something, and finally he moved instead of his allies.
I tracked his movements quietly from above, traversing over rooftops and ducking beneath laundry lines as he turned a corner and approached one of the higher-set apartment blocks that dotted the inner district. He entered the building without hesitation.
A Jonin-ranked shinobi...
Unfortunately, I couldn't discern his elemental affinity even after all this time. He hadn't used any chakra-based technique or signature elemental movement to give it away. Still, his strength level was confirmed. A Jonin was never to be underestimated.
I descended from the rooftops quietly and made my way to an adjacent building, setting myself up in the shadows of a narrow walkway between alley walls.
There, I formed a single seal and focused. Chakra shifted, and from a collected pool of water I had discreetly stored earlier in a rooftop gutter, a shape emerged.
The Water Clone stood beside me.
Without a word, I passed it one of the pre-inscribed sealing tags I had written during the five hours of surveillance earlier that night. A standard storage seal reinforced with chakra anchors to prevent early detection.
The clone nodded.
In a split second, the clone vanished from my side, Body Flickering across a short rooftop span, then reappearing silently in the narrow gap behind the apartment block where the Jonin had entered.
I activated [ Earth Style- Echo Sense], casting a web of subtle pulses through the walls, mapping the structure in seconds. The Jonin was on the third floor, seated near a window. No one else inside. That made this easier.
From below, I guided the clone's approach. It scaled the wall silently and entered the apartment through a narrow horizontal gap in a sliding panel that had not been locked fully... thats why I used a water-clone...they were fluid.
Once inside, the clone moved with calculated slowness.
[ Wood Style- Binding Bark Coffin.]
Thick, chakra-infused wooden roots erupted silently from the floor, wrapping around the Jonin's torso, throat, and limbs before he could fully turn his head. His eyes went wide, his mouth trying to form a sound.
Too late.
Another tendril from the floor spiraled out, aimed at the back of his skull. [ Wood Style- Silent Canopy Execution.]
It punctured deep, quick, and clean.
The Jonin slumped in place, still bound, now lifeless.
Within five seconds of immobilization, he was dead.
From my vantage point, I sensed the moment the life force faded.
The clone moved quickly. It pulled out the sealing tag, placed it carefully over the Jonin's chest, and activated it.
The chakra seal shimmered with a soft blue glow, pulling the entire body into its center and folding the corpse into a sealed scroll in under three seconds.
Obviously I looted the entire corpse and promptly changed my appearance before that.
The apartment looked untouched.
The clone checked the perimeter, confirmed no one was approaching, then Body Flickered once again, returning to me and pressing the scroll into my palm.
I nodded to the clone before dispelling it.
Not a trace had been left behind.
Just one less Jonin in the way.
I tucked the sealed scroll away into a chakra-insulated pouch beneath my cloak and melted back into the darkness of the alley.
The next phase was already waiting.
But for now, the city slept on, none the wiser that one of its elite defenders had just vanished without so much as a whisper.
…
Authors note:
You can read some chapters ahead if you want to on my p#treon.com/Fat_Cultivator