---
The sun hung low, casting long, jagged shadows across Konoha's streets. From the outside, the village seemed calm — children laughing in the market, merchants shouting over the price of fresh produce — but beneath that thin veil of normalcy, something was wrong.
I felt it the moment I stepped through the village gates. A tension in the air. An itch at the back of my neck. The kind of feeling a shinobi doesn't ignore.
"Did something happen while I was gone?" I asked the gate guard, trying to sound casual.
He shifted uncomfortably. "You should speak with the Hokage… immediately."
That was all I needed to hear.
The Hokage's tower loomed over the village like a silent sentinel. I climbed the steps two at a time, my heartbeat keeping pace with my footsteps. The doors to Hiruzen Sarutobi's office were half-closed — unusual. Inside, the old man was standing by the window, pipe smoke curling lazily into the dim light.
"You've returned sooner than expected," he said without turning.
"I got the feeling I was needed here," I replied. "What's going on?"
He finally faced me, and the look in his eyes was enough to drain the warmth from the room.
"There have been… sightings," he said slowly. "Unmarked shinobi — moving through the outskirts at night. They're skilled enough to avoid patrols, but not perfect. One of ours caught a glimpse of their headbands before he was… silenced."
I stepped closer. "What village?"
The Hokage exhaled. "None. Blank metal. No symbol."
That wasn't just unusual — it was dangerous. A shinobi with no village allegiance was either a missing-nin or something far worse.
"Have they attacked anyone?" I asked.
"Not directly," Hiruzen said. "But last night, two of our supply caravans never made it back. We found the wagons this morning — emptied. No bodies."
That detail made my stomach twist. No bodies meant either captives… or something that didn't want to leave evidence behind.
"I want to investigate tonight," I said.
"You'll have to," the Hokage replied. "And you won't be alone."
Before I could ask, the door opened and a tall figure stepped in — masked, with the faint glint of an ANBU tattoo under his sleeve.
"Codename Taka," the Hokage said. "He knows the terrain."
Taka's voice was quiet but sharp. "We move at dusk."
---
The night fell fast. By the time we reached the edge of the village, the moon was just a silver sliver above the treeline. Taka moved like a ghost, barely disturbing the leaves. I followed, senses stretched to their limit.
We found the remnants of the first caravan near the old trade road — shattered crates, the wheel of a wagon half-sunk in the mud. There was a faint metallic tang in the air, but not blood.
"Oil," Taka murmured. "They burned something."
A faint crack of a twig snapped the silence. My hand went to my kunai instantly.
Taka signaled for me to stay low. We slid into the underbrush just as two figures appeared in the clearing, both wearing blank headbands. They moved with purpose, scanning the wreckage.
"Do we follow?" I whispered.
"Not yet," Taka replied. His hand gripped my shoulder. "There's more."
And he was right. Another figure emerged — this one carrying a sealed scroll nearly as long as his arm. The way he held it… it wasn't just a simple storage scroll.
The leader of the group glanced around the clearing, and for a split second, I caught a glimpse of his face under the mask — sharp eyes, a scar along the jawline. He barked a single word I didn't recognize, and the three of them vanished into the treeline.
"Where are they going?" I asked.
"North," Taka said grimly. "Toward the old border fort."
I frowned. That fort had been abandoned since the Third Shinobi War. Why would anyone go there?
"Orders?" I asked.
"We follow," Taka replied. "But keep your distance."
---
The forest thickened as we moved. Every step felt heavier, like the air itself was resisting us. Then I saw it — faint lights ahead, too steady to be campfires. We crept closer until the shape of the old fort emerged from the darkness.
It was no longer abandoned.
Figures moved along the walls, carrying crates inside. From here, I could see at least a dozen shinobi with blank headbands, working in complete silence.
"What is this place now?" I whispered.
Taka didn't answer. His eyes were fixed on one spot — a shadowed corner of the fort where two masked figures were dragging something inside.
Not something. Someone.
Even from this distance, I could see the bindings and the limpness of the captive's body. Whoever they were, they were still alive.
"We need to get closer," I said.
Taka shook his head. "Not without backup. There's too many."
I gritted my teeth. The shinobi disappeared into the fort, the heavy gates closing behind them with a low, final thud.
As we began to retreat, the sound of a distant howl cut through the night. It wasn't an animal.
It was a signal.
And whatever it was calling… was already moving.
---
Thank you for reading Chapter 21! I've kept the story flowing exactly as it was, but I've been weaving in subtle hints and setups for the next arc. Pay close attention—some things that seem small now will matter a lot later. Suspense is building, and we're getting close to a major turning point that will shake Konoha to its core. Your guesses and theories in the comments keep me motivated, so don't hold back. Let's see who can spot the clues before the reveal! Give power stone add to Library it gives motivation to keep writing