The Kumo ninjas proved just how true it was that "where there's a will, there's a way." Perhaps the moment Haseo led them into Konoha, this group had already figured out how to slip past Anbu surveillance.
As outsiders, they naturally understood Konoha would monitor them closely—this much was clear. Yet the village's neither overly welcoming nor strictly restrictive attitude gave them hope of slipping away… Being led through alleyways and streets created precisely the right opportunity.
In fact, if someone other than Haseo had guided them into Konoha at that time—or even if Haseo himself hadn't startled them with his dramatic theatrics—the group might have begun trying to break free from surveillance and carry out abduction missions the moment they entered the village.
Meanwhile, Konoha once again demonstrated the difficulty of maintaining constant vigilance against thieves... And not even after a thousand days—two days were more than enough to prove failure.
Haseo leaped down from the third-floor window, and the Anbu Squad Leader along with his nearby observation squad quickly rushed to him.
"Haseo-sama, the Kumo Shinobi…"
"They've all escaped—vanished under our very watch. Send word to the Third Hokage while I rally my men and head immediately to Hot Spring Town for backup," Haseo said.
By now he had already confirmed that all the Kumo ninjas left behind here were Shadow Clones, which meant the enemy was ready to gamble everything... At this moment, Haseo felt he had been slightly careless—he really should have taken them all out the moment he first saw them.
"Haseo-sama, how can you be certain where the enemies are heading?"
The Anbu Squad Leader naturally understood the urgency of the situation, but precisely because of that, he needed to avoid rushing in blindly without proper judgment.
Haseo merely glanced at him without answering, speaking coldly instead, "Carry out your orders."
Then faint blue electric arcs surged across his body as he dashed toward a specific direction—the exact direction of Hot Spring Town.
Which also happened to be the direction of the Uzumaki District.
The Anbu Squad Leader furrowed his brows in confusion. It was strange—he admitted Haseo held authority as leader of the Kagenami, yet he himself was the Anbu Squad Leader. Though there was a hierarchy between their ranks, there was no formal subordination. The Anbu were directly under the Hokage's authority and had always followed only his orders. By what right did the Kagenami command the Anbu?
"Captain?"
The Anbu Squad Leader exhaled deeply, as if releasing all frustration built up inside his chest. Then, decisively, he spoke...
"Follow Haseo-sama's orders. You notify the Third Hokage while I gather the rest of my men and move toward Hot Spring Town."
Thus, after gathering over forty elite Anbu ninja, they launched into action, following closely behind Haseo.
Despite being Konoha's most elite force, they'd been played like fools by Kumo—in short, Konoha's so-called "elite" had made complete fools of themselves.
At this moment, Haseo was fast—but even so, he could never outrun those Kumo ninja who had arrived earlier and already begun their operation.
Because Haseo had given prior warning, the security level around Uzumaki District had been extremely high these past two days.
All Uzumaki shinobi, including those from Kagenami, would voluntarily stand guard over the district when not on duty shifts.
Thanks to certain Uzumaki shinobi's innate chakra sensing abilities, they immediately detected the invasion upon its occurrence. The Uzumaki Clan's extreme vigilance was something Cloud hadn't anticipated—an unexpected complication in their plan.
Chronologically speaking, the Cloud shinobi originally intended to act around 2 a.m., during the darkest hour of night. So in this regard, Haseo's alertness had come just in time.
Selected for this mission of near-certain death, the Kumo shinobi naturally possessed unquestionable skills. However, even so, comparing overall strength, there was no way they could surpass the Uzumaki who gathered here.
The thing is, Cloud's team wasn't here for open battle—they were operating like rats, sneaking around.
Quickly and flexibly locating targets while doing their utmost to avoid battle became their current tactical choice.
Unfortunately, most elite Uzumaki forces—including Shisanxiang—had been transferred to protect Mito Uzumaki. Otherwise, the situation here would have been much improved.
Experienced Uzumaki combat shinobi began surrounding and intercepting the intruders, trying to eliminate them before they could cause more damage. Yet the enemies proved surprisingly elusive... Meanwhile, Haseo was still on his way.
"Captain, things seem kind of chaotic."
Cloud shinobi gathered around Kurin, expecting him to provide solutions. Their sudden exposure, Uzumaki's thorough security, and increasing disorder had unsettled some members of their team.
"Stay calm. In our exposed state, chaos is actually advantageous. The more chaotic, the better our chances. Listen carefully—we'll now split into four teams. Everyone has memorized the map. Each team will head toward a separate target. After succeeding, don't concern yourselves with others—just retreat and escape through Konoha.
If a team fails to secure their objective, create destruction in the district to deepen the chaos and support our overall operation. We're profiting from others' danger—now show me your resolve!"
While continuing to move at high speed, Kurin issued orders.
"Scatter!"
At his command, the Kumo squad split into four teams and vanished into the night from all directions.
Splitting up wasn't the best move, but in this situation, breaking into smaller teams was necessary to get the job done. In truth, this preemptively activated their decoy strategy—four teams serving as mutual bait. As long as one unit accomplished its objective and escaped Konoha, the mission could be considered successful.
Sacrificing the rest would be a price worth paying.
As for how effective captured Uzumaki clan members would prove under Eight-Tails' control, such judgment awaited post-operation evaluation. Only achieving success offered any chance; without success, all hope vanished. At this moment, Cloud's team could only advance without retreat.
At a spot near the center of the east-west street in the Uzumaki District sat Kushina Uzumaki's home. At a time like this, she should've listened to her parents and stayed out of sight. Yet after returning to her room, she saw the black cat squatting on her bed.
"Black Cat…"
Black Cat was strictly following her master's orders. For these past couple days, she had remained closely by Kushina's side, serving as her bodyguard.
"Kushina, you can't stay here," said the cat. "According to the meow… that is, the information from my master, enemy forces from Kumo have infiltrated the village. And you, as a ninja, are likely one of their targets. If they discover your identity, staying at home would be unsafe. Also… you wouldn't want enemies going anywhere near your parents either, right?"
Her parents weren't ninja—they were just ordinary people. How could they possibly withstand an attack from ninja of Kumo?
"Black Cat, then what should I do?"
"Take initiative. Relocate yourself. Don't worry, my master will arrive soon, and until then, I'll protect you."
Though she wasn't even sure about her own strength…
The black cat could speak human language but kept those thoughts to herself. Seemingly reliable though she appeared, she was actually somewhat unreliable—a true reflection of being Haseo's cat.
"I understand, Black Cat."
Kushina didn't think much further. After all, she had been raised by this black cat, and what it said made sense upon first hearing, so she simply followed its suggestion.
So with a flip, she skillfully jumped out the window of her room and reached the roof within a few quick movements. At that point, she saw parts of the street already burning.
Surprise, sorrow, and then anger—her emotions fluctuated violently. Though she might appear like a well-behaved child before Haseo and Lady Mito, don't forget, she was also "The Red-Hot Habanero."
Then she flipped off the rooftop and landed in the narrow alley between the houses.
"Kushina, enemies are approaching."
The black cat's ears rotated quickly as she swiftly warned Kushina.
Kushina gritted her teeth and softly said, "Black Cat, I want to fight too. Master Haseo once said, a ninja can only truly rely on herself...
I'm going to concentrate chakra and perform hand seals now—Black Cat, please help me."
"What ninjutsu are you planning to use?"
"The techniques Lady Mito taught me, and also those my master Haseo taught you, Black Cat..."
"Got it, meow."
Standing in front of Kushina, the black cat watched as intense chakra began radiating from Kushina's body.
Let's face it: Kushina was still a total beginner who had never fought a real enemy before. Her greatest accomplishment up to this point had merely been breaking several classmates' noses—one after another.
Moreover, her revered Black Cat was also essentially a rookie who'd never even left Konoha... When it came to actual ninja combat, the black cat knew little more than Kushina did.
So why did Kumo invade the Uzumaki District?
The chakra radiating from Kushina's body was sure to draw every enemy straight to her!
"Team Leader, this way!"
The squad of enemies Black Cat noticed had indeed spotted the situation inside the narrow alley, and one ninja rushed in first.
Then he saw Kushina—red hair, short stature, young age—and paid even more attention to the unusual chakra radiating from her.
"Leader..."
He wore a pleased expression. His next words were likely going to be something like "We've struck gold," however...
A furious roar suddenly filled his ears. Shadowy figures blocked his view of the Uzumaki girl, and a pair of huge glowing eyes locked onto him...
The very next second, he flew backward like a baseball smashed perfectly at the center of the bat by a powerful swing.
His body crashed into the opposite wall, and the impact blew the entire building apart in an instant.
When he finally staggered out of the debris pile moments later, he looked down and found three deep gashes running straight through his left side, embedded into his chest cavity.
So he could only collapse there, bleeding out—and never rise again.
...
Black Cat has the ability to speak—but never uses it in front of Haseo.
Just as it truly can transform—yet never does so in Haseo's presence.
P.S.:
Sent right at midnight—red envelopes are here!
Wishing you all a joyful Chinese New Year!
In the new year, wishing you all good health,
Stay safe, and steer clear of wild game.
May goodness always find its reward.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>