'Damn it! Amegakure again!'
The Anbu operatives of Iwagakure arrived at the scene not long after Mao's squad had been wiped out.
The leader, his face hidden behind a mask, surveyed the four lifeless forms sprawled on the rocky ground, his expression hardening into grim stone.
This was the seventh squad to be hunted down in recent weeks.
Judging by the environmental clues and the ninjutsu signatures, there was no doubt.
"Those Amegakure bastards are behind this," he growled, the words tasting like ash.
"Let's move," he ordered, his voice flat. "Secure the bodies for transport. Report to the Tsuchikage-sama. Those Rain-nin… they will answer for this."
Nearby, one of the subordinate Anbu shifted, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes. He opened his mouth, a protest dying on his lips before it could form.
He wanted to say it.
The method was too neat. Too… deliberate. Every single squad, all taken out by Water Release?
On the surface, it fit. But that was precisely the problem. They'd clashed with Amegakure ninja plenty of times. Rain-nin weren't just Water Release specialists; they were masters of poison and kenjutsu, too.
Yet, none of the Iwa-nin corpses showed a single sword wound or any sign of toxic exposure.
The frame-up was almost insultingly obvious.
And besides… no matter how arrogant Amegakure had become, how audacious, would they really be this brazen? Did they think having Hanzo, the so-called "Demigod," made them untouchable?
But seeing his superior's rigid, angry posture, the subordinate swallowed his words. Now was not the time.
——
"Another squad, wiped out."
Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, sat perched on the edge of his heavy desk, his short legs dangling. A cold, calculating light gleamed in his dark eyes.
"Standard procedure. Issue the death benefits to the families. If there are no direct survivors, allocate them to the next of kin."
He gave the simple order, then fell silent, the quiet in the office broken only by the faint rustle of scrolls.
Ōnoki saw through the ruse instantly. Even a junior Anbu could spot the flaws.
Of course, part of him wanted to find the real culprit, to unmask the puppeteer. But a better opportunity had presented itself.
The annihilation of the seventh squad was the final spark. It would be enough to fully ignite the smoldering hatred of every shinobi in Iwagakure.
After all, Iwa squads had recently been raiding Rain Country merchant caravans, inflicting heavy losses on Amegakure. What better motive for retaliatory assassinations?
All he had to do was ride the wave of public fury. With this perfect, righteous casus belli, he could make Amegakure bleed. Even if they denied it, even if it escalated to open war, he would not be the aggressor in the eyes of the world.
His next move was clear: retaliate against Amegakure's "unprovoked aggression."
But… the question remained. Who was the third party pulling the strings?
If Iwa and Ame tore each other apart, who stood to gain the most?
Konoha. Sunagakure.
The answer was obvious. Yet, Ōnoki knew Suna was currently preoccupied, having plundered the Uzumaki clan's sealing arts.
'They'd be busy figuring out how to perfectly seal the One-Tail. They were an unlikely suspect.'
That left Konoha.
'Hiruzen Sarutobi…' The man didn't strike Ōnoki as the type for such a convoluted, dirty scheme.
But Danzo… Ah, Danzo. That one was more than capable.
Ōnoki let out a silent, contemptuous snort. He'd been planning to clash with Amegakure anyway, but he'd be damned if he let Konoha's plan succeed.
If Konoha wanted to play the instigator, he could play that game too.
'You slaughter my promising genin? I'll hunt down your precious prodigies in return. Eye for an eye.'
Ōnoki slowly lowered his gaze to the intelligence report in his hands, sent by his deep-cover agents in Konoha.
His list wasn't as exhaustive as Danzo's. But in matters like this, quality trumped quantity.
Kill enough of their future pillars, and make Konoha's heart ache. That was the goal.
'Tsunade. Orochimaru. Jiraiya. Sarutobi Osamu. Kurama Meyuri.'
'And this one… Shimura Yuta.'
Ōnoki's eyes narrowed to slits as they lingered on the name.
Sixteen years old. Student of Danzo Shimura. Ninjutsu: Unknown. Suspected of killing the Third Mizukage during the Uzumaki extraction.
That last bit was propaganda Konoha itself had released. 'If it weren't for that scheming Danzo building up his own disciple, this Yuta boy would be the most dazzling new star in the Leaf.'
If he could eliminate this one… the blow to Konoha's morale, and to Danzo's pride, would be exquisite.
"Tsuchikage-sama."
Ōnoki looked up at the Anbu captain waiting dutifully by the door.
"Proceed as planned," Ōnoki said, his voice dropping to a cold, metallic timbre. "Since Amegakure dared to touch our shinobi, they must learn the price. Begin assassination operations against Amegakure targets. Sow chaos within the Land of Rain."
He leaned forward, the weight of his authority filling the room despite his stature. "Go. Do not disappoint me."
"Yes, sir!"
The Anbu captain's eyes flashed with a mix of excitement and pent-up cruelty. The recent losses had bred a deep-seated rage. This time, Amegakure would pay in blood.
Ōnoki stood, his height bringing him barely level with the desk. The Anbu showed no hint of amusement, only unwavering respect. The Tsuchikage paid the man's deference no mind. He simply walked to the window, clasping his hands behind his back.
If the rumors about Shimura Yuta were true—if that boy had really slain a Kage—then he was undoubtedly Danzo's chosen instrument for this very mission.
Which meant Shimura Yuta was likely in the Land of Earth right now. Possibly even lurking near Iwagakure itself.
The moment his location was confirmed, Ōnoki would not hesitate. He would lead a suppression team personally.
'A sixteen-year-old capable of killing the Mizukage? Allowed to grow, he would become a catastrophic threat to Iwagakure's future.'
'To eliminate that future problem… this old man would crush him himself.'
He would personally kill the hunter who was so relentlessly culling Iwa's talent.
'Konoha. Danzo. Yuta.' A grim, anticipatory smile touched Ōnoki's lips.
"Who is the hunter, and who is the hunted? We shall see."
'The Konoha Genius Hunting Plan… He rather liked the sound of that.'
___
__
Show your support with Power Stones guys!
For every 30 Power Stones I'll drop 1 Bonus Chapter
[email protected]/Raven_scroll