A pitch-black night shrouded the stars, leaving only faint glimmers of light. Beneath this dim glow, two shadowy figures could be seen crouching beneath a large tree.
It was none other than Anya and Genzo.
Anya handed a map to Genzo and said, "This is the location I scouted earlier today. The Scroll of Seals is at the spot marked with a red dot, guarded by two Anbu members."
Genzo hesitated slightly as he asked, "You mean we take out these two Anbu?"
Anya smirked and replied, "Do I look that bloodthirsty?"
Understanding immediately, Genzo responded, "Then should I distract them or will you?"
Smart people catch on with just a hint. Anya said, "I'll go. But I expect only one Anbu will chase me while the other remains on guard. Both of them are my problem—you just focus on stealing the book."
Genzo said skeptically, "From what I know, Anbu members aren't pushovers. Aren't you afraid of being exposed if you handle both alone?"
Anya replied, completely unfazed, "Precisely because they're not pushovers, they'll realize soon enough that I'm just trying to lure them away. They won't pursue endlessly with full force—You won't have much time."
Genzo replied confidently, "That's enough."
"Alright then, let's go."
Anya vanished instantly using the Shunshin technique.
When he reappeared, his entire body was covered in black cloth. He formed hand seals and created a Shadow Clone, making his way near the Third Hokage's room and deliberately letting out a slight sound.
"Who?" As expected, a hidden Anbu member wearing a cat mask rushed over immediately and slashed at him without hesitation.
Anya's clone didn't even turn around, simply fleeing immediately.
Another figure of Anya stepped out from the shadows, forming hand seals before unleashing [Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu] directly toward the house in front of him.
[Water Release: Water Encampment Wall Jutsu]
The fire met water, creating a thick cloud of steam. The commotion quickly spread, drawing many patrolling ninjas rushing to the scene.
Anya immediately turned and fled.
"Hmph, daring to set fire to the Hokage's room in Konoha? What guts! Let me see who you really are," the remaining Anbu shouted furiously as he charged straight at Anya.
Right at this moment, the lurking Genzo silently infiltrated inside. Everything went according to plan smoothly. Thanks to Anya's distraction, swiping the Scroll of Seals was a breeze.
The entire operation lasted less than five seconds. The chasing Anbu realized they got played the moment they found out their targets were nothing but Shadow Clones. Rushing back immediately, one of the Anbu entered the Hokage's room for a thorough inspection and said puzzledly, "Strange, it doesn't seem like anyone has entered here. Then what exactly caused that disturbance earlier?"
The other Anbu responded, "Let's report this to Lady Shinku Yuhi first and see what she says."
Mission accomplished, Genzo made his way to the location Anya gave him and reached a small house in no time. Inside, he saw the little girl they had encountered earlier fast asleep. Anya sat calmly watching him—an air of composure and confidence that forced Genzo to admire this child's poise and mental fortitude.
Genzo dared not look at the Scroll of Seals as he handed it over to Anya.
Anya wasted no time, immediately pulling out a prepared scroll and starting to copy. He knew there was no way out of Konoha with the Scroll of Seals—the village must already be locked down. The constant whizzing sounds outside were proof enough.
Genzo averted his gaze from the Scroll of Seals and instead looked at the sleeping little girl. His tone was complex as he asked, "Did you plan to use his daughter's identity to hide here the moment you found out that Shinku Yuhi was leading operations in Konoha?"
Focused on transcribing the Kinjutsu from the Scroll, Anya didn't even look up. "Why do you ask that?"
"Because Red is now the highest authority in the village," Genzo explained. "Ninjas would instinctively overlook anything suspicious happening under his roof. They call it the darkness right under the lamp—even light can't illuminate itself. It seems you understand human psychology very well."
Anya let out a bitter chuckle. "Do I really come off that scary? Or are you just overthinking things?"
"No," Genzo firmly shook his head. "If it were another child, it might be a coincidence. But not with you. Definitely not with you. Konoha forged a monstrous genius like you—I really can't tell whether it's a blessing or a curse."
"It sounds like you're genuinely worried about Konoha."
Genzo sighed. "Not really, just a passing thought."
Anya remained intensely focused. In a short time, he had already copied nearly half the Scroll. Of course, he didn't copy everything—time wouldn't allow it. He skipped various messy Kinjutsu that seemed practically useless.
"Not much time left for thinking," Anya said, finishing the last stroke, exhaling in relief, then handing the Scroll of Seals back to Genzo.
Taking it, Genzo muttered, "Alright, stop testing me. If I couldn't handle this, I wouldn't have survived in Konoha for so long. Even if captured, I won't betray you. I just hope you'll keep your word."
"No," Anya replied seriously. "If you do get captured, there's no need to stubbornly protect me. Betraying me is fine—it's just stealing a book after all. Remember what you once said about me? Being detached doesn't mean being cruel. Your survival matters to me."
After hearing this, Genzo hesitated mid-step—whether or not he truly believed Anya's words was unclear—but he gave a 'V' sign behind his back and vanished into the night.
Soon after, a violent explosion erupted near Konoha's outer wall, startling Kurenai Yuhi awake from her deep slumber.
When she woke up, Kurenai saw Anya by her bedside and reached for him without thinking.
Gazing pensively toward the explosion, Anya naturally pulled her into his arms, gently patting her head as he murmured, "It's okay, go back to sleep. I'll always be here."
Kurenai's initial fear melted into warmth. Finding a cozy position within Anya's embrace, she soon fell asleep again.
On the Konoha city wall, Shinku Yuhi stood together with several Anbu. In her hands was clearly the Scroll of Seals—the forbidden artifact containing ancient seals that had been stolen earlier. Below them on the wall were clear signs of explosion tags: severe damage, scraps of clothing, and bloodstains.
One of the Anbu remarked, "Thankfully Red was careful enough to spot signs of the intruder's approach, which allowed us to intercept him at the last moment."
Shinku Yuhi gazed down at the damaged area with a tone of regret. "Too bad he used [Self-Destruction]. Otherwise we might have uncovered more clues—how he infiltrated the village, whether he had accomplices, or how he found out where the Scroll of Seals was hidden."
After expressing her disappointment, she continued. "Quickly identify the identity he used while hiding inside our village. Investigate every place he visited to see if there are any remaining clues."
"Yes."
Without another word, the Anbu disappeared into thin air.
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