Chapter 17: The Heist and the Betrayal
In the stifling darkness, Kamikawa Hiraoka's frown deepened. His heart hammered against his ribs, the sound loud in his own ears. One wrong move, one careless breath, and they were finished.
"You're seeing things," one guard muttered to the other, his voice laced with impatience. "There's nobody there."
"Yeah... you're probably right," the first guard conceded, shaking his head. "Must be my eyes playing tricks on me after this long shift."
Hiraoka allowed himself a silent, relieved exhale. That was too close.
"Let's move," he whispered, his voice a ghost of a sound. "Now."
They navigated the labyrinthine corridors with painstaking slowness, Hiraoka using his heightened perception to anticipate patrols and guide them through shadows. They were a hair's breadth from discovery multiple times, but his foresight kept them safe.
Finally, they reached a heavy, reinforced door. Intricate seals were etched into the metal, glowing with a faint, dangerous light. This was it. The vault.
Before Hiraoka could even begin to analyze the locking mechanism, Uzumaki Naruto, driven by impulsive excitement, reached out and shoved the door.
CLUNK.
The sound was deafening in the silent hall. A shrill, psychic alarm immediately began to wail in their minds, a genjutsu-based security system.
"Intruders in the secure vault! All units, converge! Seal the exits!" a voice boomed, magically amplified through the corridors.
Hiraoka's face paled. You idiot! he screamed internally, his composure shattering. Bringing Naruto had been a catastrophic miscalculation.
There was no time for recriminations. "Split up! Find the scroll, now!" Hiraoka hissed, his voice tight with fury and urgency.
Naruto, realizing his colossal mistake, nodded frantically and scrambled off in one direction. Hiraoka went the other, his Sharingan now active, its crimson glow cutting through the gloom as he scanned the room with supernatural speed.
His eyes caught a slight inconsistency—a shelf that seemed just a fraction too far from the wall. He shoved it aside, revealing a hidden alcove. There, resting on a simple pedestal, was a massive, ornate scroll.
The Scroll of Seals.
He could hear the pounding of footsteps drawing nearer. He had seconds. Unfurling the scroll, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun wildly, photographing the dense, complex formulae of forbidden techniques at an impossible rate. He focused on two: the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique and the Flying Thunder God Technique. His mind burned as the information was seared into his memory.
"Hiraoka! You found it!" Naruto's voice came from behind him, filled with relief.
"No time! Run!" Hiraoka snapped, thrusting the physical scroll into Naruto's hands. "Don't stop for anything!"
They burst out of the vault and into the main corridor, now swarming with angry Anbu. Hiraoka led the way, using his preternatural awareness to dodge thrown kunai and slip past grasping hands. They were like two foxes fleeing a hound pack, weaving through the complex and finally exploding out into the cool night air, sprinting for the cover of the training forests.
After what felt like an eternity, the sounds of pursuit faded behind them. Gasping for air, they slowed to a stop in a moonlit clearing.
Naruto, barely winded, immediately tore open the scroll. "Whoa! The Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu! This is it! With this, I can't fail!" he exclaimed, his earlier fear forgotten in a wave of excitement. "Here, Hiraoka, you should learn it too!"
Hiraoka nodded, playing his part. "It's powerful. We should practice it carefully."
A twig snapped. From the shadows of the trees, Mizuki emerged, a benevolent smile plastered on his face that didn't reach his cold eyes.
"Well done, Naruto," Mizuki said, his voice smooth as silk. "You've done exactly as I asked. The scroll is safe."
Naruto beamed. "Yeah! We got it, Mizuki-sensei!"
Hiraoka watched, his own expression neutral. He could see the greedy glint in Mizuki's gaze, the subtle tension in his posture. The trap was about to be sprung.
Mizuki stepped closer, his hand outstretched. "Excellent. Now, hand it over to me. I'll ensure it's returned safely."
"Of course," Hiraoka said, his voice deceptively calm, cutting off Naruto's eager reply. He met Mizuki's eyes, and in that brief moment, a silent understanding passed between them—the hunter and the prey, both aware of the game, but only one knowing all the rules. Hiraoka slowly reached for the scroll on Naruto's back, his mind already racing through the confrontation he knew was coming.
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How shit must the defense have been if not even a genin Naruto was able to get the scroll.
Lend me your stones. I promise to give it back....