Being a spy is a miserable job!
Midnight.
Yamanaka Shinno repeated this thought once more in his mind before casting a genjutsu, knocking out Musai, who had been endlessly discussing the 'great cattle-raising enterprise' with him.
Using the Transformation Jutsu, he took on the appearance of a standard Kumogakure ANBU.
With the Flying Thunder God Technique, he teleported directly to the cemetery corner he had visited earlier that morning.
Cautiously, he used sensory ninjutsu to scan the surrounding area. Seeing that no one was around, Shinno stood up and casually erased the Flying Thunder God mark from the edge of a gravestone.
Clapping his hands together, a puff of chakra-infused smoke rose around him, and eight shadow clones materialized at his side.
As soon as they appeared, they immediately executed the assassination plan drafted earlier that morning, vanishing from the cemetery in an instant using the Body Flicker Technique.
Meanwhile, Shinno himself flashed to the southwestern side of the cemetery, near the training ground's water basin.
Using the Hydrification Technique, he slowly merged himself into the water pipes, slipping through the winding pathways of the plumbing system toward his assassination target—the one person who needed to believe the assassination had failed.
That target was a Kekkei Genkai user from the Tsuchidai clan.
Dodai!
A Kumogakure jōnin, wielder of the Lava Release Kekkei Genkai, and one of Third Raikage A's closest aides.
Within Kumogakure, his status was nearly equivalent to that of Nara Shikaku during Tsunade's tenure as Hokage—a key figure overseeing all jōnin affairs.
A staunch supporter of the plan to attack Konoha.
This time, however, Shinno was playing the role of a Konoha ninja sent to assassinate him.
The mission required it to look like Konoha had carried out the assassination, yet upon closer scrutiny, it should appear to be the work of Kirigakure. On top of that, he had to make it seem like the attempt had failed before successfully escaping.
If a Root ninja had been assigned such a task, they likely would have left some insignificant little mark on their body, and after failing the assassination, they would have committed suicide in a standard Kirigakure fashion.
But Shinno hadn't been brainwashed, so there was no way he was going to do something that idiotic.
Thus, this troublesome task required him to handle it personally.
...
After weaving through the pipes, nearing Dodai's residence, Shinno sensed the presence of an extensive perception barrier and an alert barrier encompassing the entire house.
Clearly, last night's assassination attempt had put Kumogakure's high command on edge.
Even an elite jōnin like Dodai was now on high alert.
But that worked just fine—he wouldn't have to go out of his way to subtly hint at Kirigakure's involvement.
Dodging the surface-level barriers, Shinno infiltrated the house through the plumbing system.
Maximizing the effects of his [Silent Walker] trait, he noiselessly emerged from the kitchen sink.
Glancing toward the still-lit study, he cautiously approached the door, peering through the slight gap to observe the interior.
Dodai, whose left eye had long been blind, sat at his desk, his remaining eye covered by a small wooden plaque inscribed with the kanji for 'thunder.' He was furiously scribbling on a scroll, deeply focused.
His breathing and chakra signature were indistinguishable from the real Dodai. His appearance was flawless.
But the system interface showed no reaction.
"Lava Release Clone? Figures—any ninja who makes a name for themselves isn't easy to deal with."
Shinno muttered under his breath, choosing not to reveal himself or immediately search for the real Dodai.
Sometimes, playing along with the opponent's performance made the act more convincing.
...
Dong—dang—!
At 1 a.m. sharp, the old-fashioned wall clock chimed from the study.
The Dodai at the desk shook his slightly drowsy head, glanced at the pile of documents still remaining, and rubbed his face in an attempt to wake himself up.
The moment he closed his eyes—
Shinno formed a one-handed seal, activating his full sensory perception, while his other hand swiftly drew a kunai from his waist.
Using the kunai as a sword, he executed a half-mastered Konoha-style sword technique.
His movements became an illusion, leaving behind multiple afterimages as he closed in on Dodai in the blink of an eye.
Though he wasn't particularly skilled in swordsmanship, the [Zero Frame Startup] trait gave him perfect control over his body, and the [Sage's Physique] enhanced his physical abilities, making him look like a master swordsman.
—Slash!
The kunai sliced cleanly through Dodai's neck, decapitating him in an instant.
But as soon as the head separated from the body, the 'corpse' dissolved into a flow of rubber, surging toward Shinno in an attempt to engulf him.
Flashing away with Body Flicker, he quickly formed hand seals.
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
—Boom!
The surging rubber was violently blasted away by the gust, the explosion echoing throughout the residence. The alert barriers immediately triggered, releasing sharp warning sounds.
The study, which had appeared to be made of wood, now revealed its true nature under the wind's force—it was entirely composed of rubber!
"The famous ninjas of this world are never simple."
With his sensory abilities fully active, Shinno locked onto Dodai's real location—hidden in the attic's crawl space.
As the surrounding rubber began constricting, growing thicker and denser, he formed another set of hand seals.
Wind Release: Multi-Wind Cutter!
Razor-sharp wind blades slashed through the rubber, carving open an escape route.
—Shrkkk!
Shinno darted through the gap, only to be met mid-air by Dodai, who was descending with a kunai aimed straight at his face.
Clang!
Shinno's own kunai blocked the attack as he twisted his body to deflect the force, then lashed out with a kick to Dodai's lower half.
—Clang!
Dodai bent forward, catching Shinno's foot with his left hand, using the force to vault himself upward and mitigate the damage while simultaneously gripping onto Shinno's ninja sandal.
His face contorted in pain, but with gritted teeth, he reversed his kunai and slashed toward Shinno's Achilles tendon.
Even the strongest ninja would be severely crippled if their Achilles tendon was cut.
—Bam!
Shinno's other foot shot up, kicking Dodai's wrist and sending the kunai flying. Using the momentum, he flipped backward, breaking free of the grip.
—Damn!
This guy is ruthless!
He'd rather go full 'Exploding Boy' mode just to take out Shinno's foot!
...
At that moment, less than a kilometer away, two figures wreathed in crackling lightning armor were streaking toward the scene like living thunderbolts.
The Third Raikage and his son!
Shinno smirked.
Time to make his exit.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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