'Watching 'himself' carry off his daughter to be kidnapped, in full view of everyone… Heh. Now there's an experience you don't get every day.'
Using one-way glass as a mirror, the man posing as Hyuga Hiashi gave his transformed reflection a once-over, admiring how flawless the image had become after several rounds of fine-tuning. Satisfied, he gave a light nod and straightened the folds in his robes, trying to embody Hiashi's stern, uptight persona. Then, turning to the figure behind him—also concealed beneath a Transformation Jutsu—he smiled indulgently and spoke in a gentle, fatherly tone.
"Well? After fixing all those little details… Would you say my 'Hiashi' passes inspection now?"
"Looks convincing enough," Three replied, folding their arms as they gave the impersonation a critical once-over. "At least convincing enough to fool the girl. But the way you're looking at her with that expression…"
With no one else around, the usual cold, aloof edge in Three's demeanor softened, allowing a rare jab of teasing to slip through.
"If someone saw Hiashi giving that kind of look to a kid… people might start calling him a closet perv, you know? Lord Hiashi~"
"Haha, you've got a point," the fake Hiashi chuckled, unfazed by the jab.
Stepping forward, he draped an arm around Three's shoulders, pulling the smaller figure into a half-embrace and leaning in close with a smirk. His lips brushed against their cheek before his voice dropped to a whisper, playful and warm.
"But hey, if anyone's reputation gets ruined, it'll be his—not mine. And now that you've put the idea in my head… I wouldn't mind giving your suggestion a try~"
"Tch. Knock it off!" Three huffed, cheeks tinged pink. "Can't you behave for even five minutes when we're alone?"
Despite the protest, Three didn't pull away. Like a docile cat allowing itself to be fussed over, they closed their eyes briefly, letting the contact linger. Only when the fake Hiashi's breath brushed against their ear, sending a shiver down their spine, did Three tighten their arms around his waist, trying to steady themselves. Their voice stayed low, steady—but their brows twitched as they spoke.
"So? Should I pose as Lady Hiashi and accompany you?"
"Oho? The wife?" The smirk returned. "Now that's a tempting proposal. Does this mean you're finally agreeing to my earlier suggestion?"
"Wait, what? What proposal—h-hey?!"
Still distracted by the intimate air, Three hadn't fully thought through the implications of their own offer. When the fake Hiashi responded with a wicked grin and let his hand trail ever-so-suggestively lower, Three's words caught mid-sentence. Face now fully flushed, they slapped his hand away and flailed slightly in protest.
"Tch! D-Don't get the wrong idea, you idiot! I just thought… you might not be able to handle it alone, okay?! That's all!"
Yes, the two shared more than just professional ties.
Despite appearances, the man impersonating Hiashi—the Cloud infiltration team's captain—and the usually frosty, unreadable Three were, in fact, a couple. Not that anyone else would've guessed. Between the captain's easygoing, equal-treatment management style and Three's cold indifference toward everyone, even close comrades like Two had no clue.
This hidden relationship, beyond affection, was one of the driving forces behind the captain's decision to accept this suicide-level mission.
After all, Three's older brother had been part of the previous team tasked with kidnapping Hinata. When that failed, their mission pivoted to retrieving Hiashi's corpse—an easy job. And yet, mere miles outside the Land of Fire, the team vanished without a trace. Killed to a man. No bodies recovered. Nothing but disgrace.
Three's position plummeted in the village. Bitterness turned to hatred. And when the captain was offered this second chance—this chance to avenge that failure—Three didn't hesitate. They begged, coaxed, and even seduced the captain into accepting the mission, desperate to erase the stain on their family name.
Still, the reason their relationship remained a secret wasn't because they were particularly skilled at hiding it.
It was because… well…
Both of them were, biologically, men.
At least, in terms of gender.
Three's slim build and naturally androgynous features often led others to mistake them for a crossdressing woman. But the truth? Fully male.
Which meant, over time, after countless joint missions and close calls, the captain had been unknowingly bent by Three's innate charm. He didn't even realize it was happening—until one day, it was too late.
"Alright, alright, I get it," the captain said, still grinning. "You're just worried, huh? This whole thing was just a coincidence~"
"Ugh. That's not what I—! You self-absorbed idiot!"
The bickering resumed, lighthearted and playful, a coping mechanism before plunging into what they both knew was a high-risk operation.
Because no matter how perfect the Transformation Jutsu appeared—no matter how accurately the captain mimicked Hiashi—at the end of the day, they were deep in enemy territory with nothing but second-hand intel to go on.
They had never met Hiashi in person. Everything they knew came from reports. They had no way of knowing whether the disguise would fool Hinata—or whether they could escape before the real Hiashi returned and the village went into lockdown.
Their flirty exchange wasn't just for fun. It was a last-ditch ritual—like Ibiki preparing a final, desperate strike fueled by memories of his family. A moment of levity to brace for whatever hell awaited.
"You should go meet up with Two and be ready to cover my retreat," the captain said finally, pulling away and straightening his borrowed robes.
"And keep an eye on that little punk heir—make sure he doesn't mess this up."
"Yeah, yeah. You don't have to tell me."
Three's blush faded, replaced by steely calm. They nodded, eyes locked on the captain's.
"I'll be waiting for you to come back alive. And… good luck, Captain."
...
Using the intelligence provided to every member of the infiltration squad, both the captain and Three had studied Hiashi extensively. Now, after cross-checking every detail of the disguise with the dossier in their minds, Three couldn't find a single flaw.
With their nerves steadied and emotions locked down, the fake Hiashi stepped out from their hiding place and began striding confidently toward Hinata's position.
But…
What the infiltrators didn't know—
Was that from the moment they laid eyes on Hinata, they had already made their gravest mistake.
Because the one person they should be most afraid of wasn't Hiashi.
It wasn't the Third Hokage either.
It was a boy who looked like a harmless, forgettable kid.
A boy who, if angered, wouldn't just kill you—he'd break you in ways you didn't know were possible.
Uzumaki Naruto.
The Prince of Konoha.
The Fox who protected his own.
Hiashi, bound by clan responsibility, might hesitate.
The Third Hokage, a weary old dove, might negotiate.
But Naruto?
Naruto would simply smile, say "Whoops, lost control," and erase you from the map.
He had Nine-Tails inside him—and a Root unit of survivors answering to him in secret.
If you took Hinata right in front of him?
Well, let's just say… no one would be looking for your coffin.
Because there wouldn't be anything left to bury.
And if Hinata were hurt in the process?
Even gods wouldn't want to get in his way.
...
What neither the captain nor Three realized… was that their worst nightmare—Minato Namikaze himself—had just reentered the academy unnoticed, blending in with the crowd.
Driven not by logic, but by an ever-growing, uncontainable anxiety the moment he left Hinata's side, Naruto had decided he'd waited long enough.
And so, while the infiltrators whispered their plan and adjusted their disguises…
The bomb they hadn't seen ticking was already headed straight toward them.
And with it, their doom.
Because in this game of deception, all it takes—
Is one wrong move.
A single step astray… and the entire board collapses.