"Can we really trust Uchiha Ran, Danzō-sama?"
"Uchiha?" Danzō let out a low laugh. "I wouldn't trust one even if a dog vouched for him."
Danzō glanced coldly at Crow, the Root operative who had spoken, lips curling with undisguised disdain.
Yes—Uchiha Ran behaved normally.
Yes—he was willing to pass along information.
He was even the sort of Uchiha that the Second Hokage might have praised if he were still alive.
But who was Danzō Shimura?
He was the darkness of the shinobi world.
The man who had truly carried on the Second Hokage's distrust of the Uchiha—and pushed it even further.
Every Uchiha, without exception, would one day be brought to justice in his hands.
"Crow," Danzō said flatly, "I don't trust any Uchiha. But for now, Uchiha Ran still has value. He can pass on information from within the clan. When he does, you'll verify it personally."
"Yes, Danzō-sama."
Shimura Danzō fancied himself Senju Tobirama's true successor. In his eyes, all Uchiha were born tainted by darkness—even one as harmless-seeming as Ran.
As Konoha's advisor, all he needed to do was quietly arrange a few increasingly difficult missions for Ran. Once Ran began to feel how hard it was to grow stronger, Danzō would offer him greater rewards.
And rewards always came with a price.
Fate had already set that price.
Once Ran leaned on him, once he tasted the benefits—Danzō was confident he could awaken the darkness in the boy's heart and turn him into a loyal hound.
…
"Danzō," Ran thought calmly, far away from the Root base,
"the seed's already been planted. You've fallen into Life Is But a Dream—something even more domineering than Kyōka Suigetsu. I'm actually looking forward to your clumsy performance from here on out."
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
At Kurenai's invitation, Ran spent two of those days with her—sometimes eating together, sometimes going on short outings. Life was light, relaxed, and pleasantly uneventful.
On the fourth day, Team Shinku was summoned to the Hokage's office.
An A-rank mission was issued.
Ninja from the Land of Lightning had begun making covert moves along the border, with multiple units already slipping into the outskirts of the Land of Rice Fields. Minato Namikaze had already led a jōnin team to conduct reconnaissance in the area.
Originally, additional jōnin squads were meant to reinforce Minato.
However, the Land of Wind had also begun stirring. Sunagakure was unusually active along its border, seemingly searching for something. Several jōnin teams had already been diverted there, leaving Konoha short-handed.
"Don't worry, Shinku," the Third Hokage said calmly. "Minato will be the core force this time. Your team's role is primarily reconnaissance."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The Land of Rice Fields sat between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning. For a small nation, this was its greatest tragedy.
Whenever two great powers clashed, the first to suffer was always the land caught in between.
And this time, the Land of Lightning had come with a clear objective.
The Seven-Tails Jinchūriki of the Land of Waterfall was about to be replaced.
Kumogakure had dispatched an elite group—led by the Third Raikage's son, A.
Alongside him were:
Killer B, the Eight-Tails' JinchūrikiDodai, master of the Lightning Release: Lariat's tactical supportToroi, a Magnet Release bloodline wielderAtsui, user of Black Lightning and Storm Release
This was no ordinary operation.
If the Cloud succeeded in seizing the Seven-Tails, the Land of Lightning would possess three tailed beasts—enough to openly challenge Konoha for dominance and covet the Fire Country's vast, fertile lands.
"So… the one leading them is the so-called Yellow Flash, Minato Namikaze?" a towering, dark-skinned, blond man asked.
"Yes, Lord A," Dodai replied. "Konoha has indeed sent the Yellow Flash. The Third Raikage warned us before departing—his speed is extraordinary."
"I know," A said confidently. "Speed, huh? I won't lose to him."
Though A was the figurehead, the true commander of this operation was Dodai.
The Third Raikage trusted his judgment far more than A's reliance on brute strength.
The plan was simple.
A and Killer B would openly probe Konoha's forces in the Land of Rice Fields, acting as bait. Meanwhile, the two bloodline ninja would split off and secretly infiltrate the Land of Waterfall.
Once Minato was shaken off, everyone would regroup and move on the hidden base near Takigakure.
—
Upon receiving the Hokage's orders, Yuhi Shinku immediately adjusted Team Shinku's route, heading toward Minato's command position.
Before setting out, Shinku explained the urgency to Ran and the others—movement had to be swift, with only minimal rest.
Though still within Fire Country borders, the dense forests and treacherous mountains demanded constant vigilance. At a time like this, no one knew where enemy traps might be waiting.
They didn't take long to reach Minato.
Seeing Shinku among the reinforcements, Minato felt a genuine sense of relief. His team lacked an experienced genjutsu specialist—Shinku's arrival filled that gap perfectly.
And Shinku's ninja squad was equally valuable. Long-range surveillance and patrols required manpower, and ninja were ideal for such tasks.
"Shinku-senpai," Minato said warmly, "the Hokage sending you is a huge help."
As they spoke, Nara Shikaku began assigning tasks to the ninja.
"An Uchiha, an Inuzuka, and a civilian ninja," Minato noted inwardly as he watched the three being led away. That's a well-rounded team.
But there was no time to dwell on it.
Just yesterday, he had already confronted A and Killer B directly. The next step was to apply pressure—to force Cloud Village to reveal its true objective.
They wouldn't still be eyeing Kushina's Nine-Tails… would they?
Minato quickly pulled Shinku aside to finalize their operation plan.
The structure was clear:
ninja teams would conduct wide-area patrols and reconnaissanceJōnin squads would uproot newly established Cloud outpostsThe elite jōnin would confront Kumogakure directly and demand an explanation for their border activities
"Ran, Tsubaki, Masano," Shikaku said calmly. "You arrived at the perfect time. Manpower is stretched thin. You'll split up to scout newly established Cloud positions, then return and report. Once we have confirmed locations, the jōnin will eliminate them."
"We absolutely cannot allow the Land of Lightning to gain a foothold in the Land of Rice Fields."
He paused, then added,
"For now, don't rush off. Kumogakure won't act recklessly yet. Once Minato and Shinku complete their coordination, we'll regroup."
"Yes, Shikaku-sama."
The calm before the storm had begun.
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