A squad of Cloud ninja approached the child.
The boy stared at them with wide, innocent eyes.
"Are you okay?" they asked, concerned.
Little Bean sniffled.
"I'm fine! Mr. Cloud Ninja, can I become a ninja too?"
This time, he'd accomplished something great.
Those high-flying ninja were the envy of many children.
One of the female Cloud ninja couldn't resist ruffling Little Bean's hair.
"If you work hard, of course you can."
The Cloud Village wasn't as strict as Konoha. Though they also trained children from a young age, their standards were lower.
But in this world where bloodlines ruled, it was incredibly difficult for an ordinary child to rise among the ninja elite.
"Don't pat my head! I won't grow tall!"
Little Bean swatted her hand away and glared, hands on his hips.
"I'm gonna be a big, strong ninja!"
He sniffled again, puffing out his chest.
The surrounding ninja burst into laughter.
The kunoichi's expression suddenly turned serious. "You were brave, but don't do something like this again."
Enemy ninja wouldn't spare a child—these two were exceptions.
Before the squad arrived, they'd seen the pair had a clear chance to kill Little Bean but chose not to.
Next time, he might not be so lucky.
"But I helped the Land of Lightning too!" Little Bean's face flushed red.
It was because of him that they'd been discovered!
The kunoichi frowned.
"Disobedient children can't become ninja."
Little Bean's shoulders slumped. He sniffled hard.
"O-okay… I'll listen."
"Good boy."
She reached to pat his head again—
Whack!
"I said I won't grow tall!"
The kunoichi laughed outright this time.
"Alright, go play."
They couldn't afford to dawdle any longer. The squad quickly regrouped and pursued the main force.
Little Bean watched as the Cloud ninja leaped onto rooftops, eyes shining with envy.
Meanwhile, the Cloud ninja spotted two figures darting through the streets.
"There they are!"
A lookout atop a building pinpointed the duo slipping into an alley.
The shout sent the entire squad into motion. Rooftops bristled with figures as Cloud ninja converged on the targets' last known location.
The two fugitives wove through the city, using buildings as cover. Their goal was clear: the city's exit.
Multi-story structures provided temporary concealment—balconies, laundry lines, and eaves became tools to shake their pursuers. Civilians scrambled out of the way; ninja battles were no place for bystanders.
The chaos worked in the duo's favor. Multiple times, the Cloud ninja lost sight of them.
"Found them!" A shout rang out from a distant rooftop.
The chase resumed, more ninja joining from surrounding areas.
Originally, the pair had a set route.
But as Cloud ninja emerged from all sides, they were forced to divert repeatedly—each detour taking them farther from the exit.
This was Cloud territory. They didn't know these streets.
The noose tightened. More ninja arrived, forming a net.
The duo knew it but had no way to break free.
Their sole advantage?
The Cloud ninja weren't attacking outright. Instead, they herded the pair toward a prearranged trap.
With this much time, the trap would be ready.
After all, ninja who infiltrated the Land of Lightning were no pushovers.
Caution minimized casualties.
Amid the chaos, two tall, dark-skinned men stood among the spectators, watching the pursuit.
"They're fast," remarked one, his voice identical to Uchiha Kin's.
The other, needless to say, was the White Fang.
Disguised as locals, they blended into the crowd.
The figures being chased?
Just shadow clones.
But even clones weren't easy prey for average ninja. They'd bought considerable time.
The real duo scanned the area. Not all Cloud ninja had joined the chase—some observed from the sidelines.
Clones were a common trick.
"Let's go," White Fang murmured, turning away.
Kin followed.
They moved unhurriedly toward the city's exit.
The watching ninja barely glanced at them. Without the Byakugan's insight, their disguises held.
Their appearances fit the Land of Lightning's demographics, drawing no suspicion.
But the exit was now guarded. Every passerby faced scrutiny.
"Since when are Cloud ninja this meticulous? Doesn't suit their 'charge-first' reputation," Kin mused.
White Fang shook his head. "There are no true brutes among seasoned ninja."
The harsh realities of war had weeded out the reckless.
Kin pressed his lips together.
Actually, I know one.
Might Dai wasn't cunning like other ninja.
Then again, most enemies died before they could scheme—kicked into the afterlife first.
When you're strong enough, being a brute works fine.
They queued up, inching forward.
When their turn came—
"Residence permit," a Cloud ninja demanded, eyes sharp for tells.
"Here."
Kin met his gaze.
The ninja's pupils dilated as three tomoe spun crimson.
"Move along."
The guard waved them through, none the wiser.
Once safely beyond the city, the duo relaxed.
They reached a hidden cave without pursuit.
Then—both froze.
Memories flooded back as their clones dispersed.
"Interrogation, huh?" Kin rubbed his temples.
The clones had been captured in the end.
Outnumbered, holding out this long was impressive.
A trap finally snared them.
The clones had dispelled just before torture could begin—sparing their makers the agony.
"Now, we extract intel from these two," White Fang said, eyeing the unconscious Cloud ninja bound on the floor.
Still under genjutsu.
"Almost there."
Kin studied the memory-probing technique he'd deduced.
Tricky to master.
But not as bad as the Heavenly Demon Art.
...
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(End of Chapter)