Miwa Masayo accepted the explanation, but one detail still bothered her. "Why do you say you'll only act when you can kill the Third Hokage with one hand, meow?"
"Because Hiruzen Sarutobi is the Third Hokage," Uchiha Yoru replied calmly. "But the Hokage isn't just a person—it's a system of power."
"The Hokage represents Konoha itself. Behind that title stands a large group of powerful figures—Danzo Shimura, the Legendary Sannin, Kushina Uzumaki, Minato Namikaze, more than a dozen veteran Kage-level shinobi, and over three hundred jonin."
"If I want the Hokage dead, the best time is when he's completely isolated. Then all I need to deal with is a single Kage-level opponent."
"When I say 'one hand,' I mean I need to be strong enough to overturn Konoha itself without effort. Only then can I ignore everything behind that position."
Miwa Masayo's eyes spun. "Too complicated, meow. I don't get it. Just tell me what I need to do."
"Foolish cat." He reached out and gently stroked her head. "I never expected you to understand."
"Your job is simple—cover for me. Make it look like I stayed here, finished my meal, and went home to sleep."
"That's easy. Leave it to me, meow. Nothing will go wrong."
"Good. Then the leftover noodles… and these tempura skewers…"
"…are yours to deal with."
"…Hic!"
She clamped her paws over her mouth, barely holding back the urge to throw up. "Yoru… I already ate three bowls tonight. I'm still stuffed…"
"Please."
The word had just left his mouth—
And he vanished.
Not the sudden blur of the Body Flicker Technique.
His figure slowly distorted, faded, and disappeared.
A clone.
Miwa Masayo froze.
She hadn't noticed anything. The one talking to her all along had been a clone.
A normal clone could speak, but either the original had to be nearby, or it had to repeat preset lines.
She raised a paw and touched her ears, then smoothed her whiskers, grounding herself in the sensation.
That was terrifying.
She was certain—
Right after he called her a "foolish cat," he had already slipped away.
What frightened her wasn't his strength.
It was everything after that.
Every word.
Every movement.
All of it had been arranged in advance, perfectly aligned without the slightest flaw.
It meant he understood her completely.
He could predict her thoughts, her words, even her reactions.
Miwa Masayo shivered.
"…I need to be more careful around him. If he ever decides to trick me… meow…"
"I'd be finished…"
Rubbing her round belly, she took a deep breath.
Then, with the determination of someone heading into battle, she started slurping the noodles.
The genjutsu Uchiha Yoru left behind wrapped around her. As she moved, the illusion mirrored her actions, making it appear as if he was still there, calmly eating.
No one noticed anything.
Even the two Root shinobi watching him failed to realize their target had already been replaced.
…
Uchiha Yoru suppressed his chakra and instead mobilized the natural energy circulating within his body, erasing all traces of his presence.
He sank into the earth.
Not a conventional Earth Style like Hiding Like a Mole.
This was something different.
A method driven by natural energy.
True Earth Style—
Was the act of moving through the earth itself.
But in the shinobi world, "Earth Style" had become just another category of chakra techniques.
After completing his tempering, Yoru had discovered something new.
When his fire-aspected natural energy reached a certain level, it would naturally draw in earth-aspected energy.
This time, there was no pain.
No overwhelming stimulation.
Just a steady, grounded sensation.
Heavy.
Full.
Comforting.
This was earth-aspected natural energy.
A natural progression.
Fire giving rise to earth.
If that was the case—
Then his Earth Style chakra was likely forming as well.
As a member of the Uchiha clan, Yoru knew many techniques, including methods of concealment.
But inside Konoha—
Using standard shinobi techniques was the easiest way to be discovered.
The village wasn't large.
Yet it housed thousands of shinobi.
Too many eyes.
Too many senses attuned to chakra.
Only the truly powerful could move unseen.
ANBU and Root believed they were hidden.
They weren't.
Most of the time, they were seen.
People simply chose not to acknowledge it.
Because those masks represented authority.
Either the Hokage's ANBU—
Or Danzo's Root.
No one wanted trouble.
Within Konoha, the greatest forms of concealment were two things—
Authority.
And the unknown.
Yoru had no authority.
So he chose the unknown.
Using a method no one understood, he moved beneath the earth, slipping past every gaze above.
His speed wasn't fast.
But his target wasn't moving quickly either.
Root operatives were cautious by nature.
Danzo's rules were strict.
If they were seen by another shinobi and reported, punishment followed.
If seen by civilians—
Execution wasn't impossible.
So they moved carefully.
From shadow to shadow.
Never rushing.
The Root shinobi slipped sideways through a narrow gap between buildings.
Just as he stepped out—
Hands burst from the ground.
Gripping his throat.
Uchiha Yoru rose silently from below, his three-tomoe Sharingan already spinning.
The Root shinobi was only a chunin.
And not a strong one.
The moment their eyes met—
His will collapsed.
Yoru didn't ask questions.
Didn't hesitate.
He twisted.
A clean snap.
The body went limp.
Then, just as quietly, he dragged the corpse back into the earth.
Once you chose to kill—
Hesitation was the only mistake you couldn't afford.
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