As night fell, inside the Yunyin post house, Sancun and Kuze sat across from each other.
"Sancun, are you ready?"
"Ready. I can leave now."
"Sancun, be careful."
Kuze looked solemnly at Sancun.
Mimura nodded firmly. "I will."
The night deepened. A figure slipped silently out of the post house, vanishing down the deserted street.
In a tree overlooking the street, Kakashi lay casually on a branch, his single visible eye narrowing.
"He's finally moving. Is this the beginning?"
With a brief hand seal, he activated the Shadow Clone Technique.
A copy appeared beside him. They nodded silently and then split—one heading back to the post house, the other tailing Sancun.
Kakashi's shadow clone stealthily infiltrated the post house.
Inside, Kuze paced with a tense expression.
Suddenly, the window slid open, and a figure emerged silently into the room.
"Who—!?"
Kuze's cry was cut short as his vision blurred. He'd locked eyes with scarlet Sharingan.
"Genjutsu: Sharingan." Kakashi muttered softly.
Removing his mask, Kakashi leaned close and whispered, "What's your true objective in Konoha?"
Under the influence of the Sharingan, Kuze unconsciously spilled everything about their covert mission.
Kakashi frowned deeply. "So the Fourth Raikage really intends to push this... I hope Pakkun has time."
Finding a spot to place a Flying Thunder God kunai, Kakashi ended the genjutsu and released the clone.
As he vanished, Kuze stirred.
"What… just happened?"
His face was filled with confusion. What he thought had happened… maybe hadn't. It was a strange sensation, as if he'd dreamed the encounter.
"Maybe I'm just overtired…"
He had no idea that someone had slipped in and extracted the truth without leaving a trace.
"It's almost time… I need to bring witnesses for the 'incident' with Hyuga Hiashi."
He whispered coldly, then stepped out.
"Guards! Lord Sancun has gone missing. Come with me to search!"
Meanwhile, at the Hyuga estate, most had gone to bed, save for a few guards posted at key points.
In her room, young Hinata Hyuga slept soundly.
She had no idea that danger was quietly approaching her bedside.
Sancun appeared in the room, his silhouette dark and quiet.
"What a sweet child. Forgive me—this is how the world works."
To keep her from waking, Mimura fanned a sedative gas toward her.
"There. Now… Konoha's defenses are tighter than I expected. There's no way I can escape carrying her. In that case…"
His eyes turned toward the clan head's quarters.
With grim resolve, he pulled a mask over his face.
"For the sake of Yunyin… this sacrifice must be made."
Cradling the unconscious Hinata, Sancun slipped out of the room.
Hyuga Hiashi hadn't retired yet. He sat reading from a scroll of ancient clan doctrine when a wave of unease washed over him.
"Why am I suddenly so anxious…?"
Unable to ignore the feeling, he rose and exited his room.
Outside, the estate was unusually still.
"How strange… it's too quiet."
Just then, a dark shadow darted across his field of vision.
"Who's there!?"
Hiashi shouted, instantly on alert. Someone had breached the Hyuga compound.
His eyes widened with rage when he saw the child in the intruder's arms.
"Hinata!!"
With a burst of chakra, Hiashi launched forward, a blur of motion closing the distance.
Sancun was fast—but Hiashi was faster.
In a flash, the Hyuga patriarch landed in front of the intruder.
"Who are you!? How dare you come to Konoha and kidnap a child!"
Mimura didn't reply. With Hinata in one arm, he drew a kunai in the other and lunged.
Hiashi snorted coldly. "Foolish."
Sidestepping with ease, he struck back with precise aim at Mimura's vital point—a Hyuga Gentle Fist technique designed to disable instantly.
Yet as the fatal strike neared, Mimura showed no fear. Instead, he looked almost… relieved.
"Lord Raikage… I've succeeded. The rest is up to you…"
He closed his eyes, waiting for death.
Hiashi frowned. Why wasn't this man resisting? Why was he welcoming death?
But it was too late to pull the strike back.
Suddenly, another figure appeared.
In one swift move, the newcomer snatched Hinata away and struck Mimura in the neck, knocking him unconscious.
Hiashi recoiled in shock. His full-force blow had been casually intercepted!
The intruder wore the dark uniform and mask of the ANBU.
It was Kakashi.
Kakashi couldn't act earlier—he needed to know Sancun's true aim first.
Now that the plan was clear, it was time to intervene.
But Sancun couldn't be allowed to die—not in Konoha, and not by a Konoha ninja.
If he died here, Yunyin would have the perfect excuse to cry foul, and war could follow.
"Lord Hiashi," Kakashi said coldly, "this man is the head of the Thunder Country delegation. If you kill him, the consequences will be serious."
Hiashi broke into a cold sweat.
The leader of the Yunyin mission? If I had killed him just now…
He quickly understood the gravity of the situation.
"They were after the Byakugan… weren't they?"
Though phrased as a question, Hiashi's voice was filled with certainty.
"Regardless of what they're after, we must ensure he doesn't die here."
Hiashi nodded slowly. "Thank you."
From outside came the sound of shouting.
"Lord Sancun! Where are you?!"
Hiashi clenched his fists, fury boiling within. It was all a setup. If I'd struck the final blow…
Kakashi stepped forward. "Hiashi-sama, you must deny seeing him. Leave the rest to me."
With that, Kakashi vanished.
Hiashi stared at the empty air.
"That technique… is that the Fourth Hokage's Flying Thunder God?"
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE 30+ CHAPTERS
patreon.com/Prince209