Tap… tap…
The chilling rain of late autumn enveloped the entire forest. Canopies of deep green layered into a vaulted ceiling, while mist drifted among the branches, creating a somber, oppressive atmosphere.
Several dark figures flickered across tree trunks and limbs. Rainwater streamed down the folds of their deep black raincoats, tracing winding paths across the waterproof fabric.
Hyūga Kumokawa, also clad in a black raincoat, was positioned in the middle of the group. From the corner of his eye, he carefully observed the few individuals accompanying him on this escort mission.
Out of the fifteen in the party, twelve were ANBU—three squads of four. This level of attention was significant; as the Third Hokage's personal guard, ANBU weren't lightly dispatched for external missions.
As for the remaining three, aside from Kumokawa himself, who was half under protection, there were two Konoha Jōnin: one from the Akimichi clan and one from the Aburame clan. The others all wore masks of varying designs, exuding an aura of cold, disciplined lethality.
It was safe to say this escort team possessed formidable combat strength. Safety concerns were almost nonexistent.
However…
'Danger might not come from the outside.'
Kumokawa's gaze swept over the Aburame clan Jōnin, keenly detecting that familiar, chilling aura emanating from him.
'A "Root" ninja.'
Shimura Danzō truly hadn't given up. But that was fine. Their objectives aligned.
"Halt."
Kumokawa's sudden command made everyone instinctively stop and turn their eyes towards him.
"Two o'clock direction, one kilometer out. Thirteen ninjas gathered. Their chakra feels chaotic. Likely rogue ninjas." As he spoke, Kumokawa removed his goggles to wipe them, revealing the skin beneath his eyes, pale and waterlogged.
"Let's detour around." The Akimichi Jōnin's voice was distorted by the rain.
Rogue ninjas, as the name implied, were mostly wanderers without orthodox training, belonging to no village, drifting between nations, stealing techniques from various lands. They usually grasped only the surface, achieving form without substance, so most were of low caliber. Of course, a dozen rogues gathered together likely meant they'd been brought under the wing of some village's missing-nin.
Their mission was just escort duty. The sooner they delivered the body to Kumo, the better. It was unwise to invite trouble on the road.
"How much further to the Land of Hot Water?"
The Aburame Jōnin—Aburame Ryōma—suddenly spoke up.
Kumokawa glanced at the map. "About a hundred and fifty kilometers."
The Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning didn't share a border. Between them lay two smaller nations: the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Frost. Their destination was within the Land of Hot Water.
At a ninja's standard pace, without using the Body Flicker Technique, it took three days and nights from Konoha to Sunagakure. The journey from Konoha to the Land of Hot Water was slightly shorter, but still a full day and night.
"Senior Chōza," Ryōma turned to the Akimichi Jōnin. "We're still a long way from our destination. Why not take a break here? With the Byakugan on the team, there's no need to worry about surprises."
"..."
Akimichi Chōza's eyes were narrowed to slits by his plump cheeks. He glanced back slightly at Hyūga Kumokawa, inwardly approving of the boy's performance so far on the journey. He was a veteran Jōnin who had fought in the Third Great Ninja War and had once even served in a squad led by the Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.
Initially, he'd thought having the boy in the team on the Third Hokage's orders would be a burden. Unexpectedly, the kid had kept up with their pace effortlessly. Thanks to the Byakugan, they'd avoided all trouble along the way.
That level of insight, that level of stamina, and the composure he displayed…
'Rumors truly are unreliable,' Chōza thought to himself. He didn't refuse Ryōma's suggestion. "Very well. Let's rest here briefly."
With that, he glanced at the eight ANBU from the Fourth and Fifth Squads. They gave subtle nods of understanding and vanished with the Body Flicker Technique.
Since they were taking a break, they might as well clear out those rogue ninjas. They were within the Land of Fire, after all, and rogues were often like tumors.
The remaining members found places to rest, the only sound the soft shush of deep black raincoats, like a group of soaked owls preening their feathers.
Chōza summoned an eagle with a hand seal, attached a written scroll to it, and sent it back to the Third Hokage. Maintaining communication with the village was mandatory. If contact was lost, the village would immediately dispatch someone to investigate.
Hyūga Kumokawa also found a spot to sit. With others taking over watch, he deactivated his Byakugan to focus on replenishing his chakra.
However, as he lifted his canteen to drink, his eyes flickered slightly.
An insect had flown into his sleeve.
It was tiny and ordinary. Anyone else, even Chōza, likely wouldn't have noticed.
But Kumokawa's sensory abilities weren't limited to the Byakugan.
'A Disruption Insect from the Aburame clan?'
His expression unchanged, Kumokawa lowered the canteen as if he hadn't noticed the insect's presence. Disruption Insects were scout types used for intelligence gathering, not as dangerous as Parasitic Destruction Insects or Nano-Poison Insects.
Still, it could interfere with his next move.
As he pondered how to deal with it, his eyes suddenly moved again, glancing downwards.
"Below us, watch out—"
He spoke without hesitation, but before the warning could leave his lips, the muddy ground beneath his feet cracked open.
Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu.
THUD!
Two hands shot up from the earth without warning, kunai flashing as they aimed to sever the tendons at Kumokawa's ankles. The intent was clear: cripple him, blind the team's "eyes."
It wasn't just under Kumokawa. Similar hands emerged from the ground beneath Chōza and Ryōma as well.
But the former merely formed a hand seal, his muscular legs tensing as he stomped down with immense force. The latter was already enveloped in a swarm of insects.
CRACK! SQUELCH!
A puddle of red and white, blood mixed with rainwater, spread on the ground. Dense swarms of insects surged into the hole, emitting the horrifying sound of frenzied devouring.
The two Jōnin had instantly dealt with their own assailants. Instinctively, they turned to look towards Hyūga Kumokawa.
What they saw was Kumokawa dodging the initial strike, then seizing the two hands protruding from the ground and violently wrenching the figure beneath out of the earth.
A single palm strike followed. Tremendous penetrating force created a gaping, transparent hole in the man's abdomen. Blood mingled with fragments of organs gushed forth uncontrollably.
"Missing-nin from Iwagakure," Kumokawa said, glancing at the corpse's forehead protector. "Likely scouts from that group ahead noticed us…"
As he spoke, he looked up at Chōza and the others, only to meet several pairs of astonished eyes.
It was no wonder they stared. This brutally direct method of killing didn't fit their stereotypical image of the Hyūga clan. That these missing-nin were at most Chūnin level meant Kumokawa killing them wasn't overly surprising.
But which Hyūga clansman simply smashes someone's abdomen into pulp with a palm strike? Wasn't this method a bit too savage and crude?
At the same time, Aburame Ryōma's brow furrowed slightly. He felt his Disruption Insects die. His gaze instinctively shifted to Kumokawa's sleeve, but saw only a smear of bloody froth.
'Must have been accidentally crushed by him during the fight,' he thought. He silently released several more Disruption Insects.
But now, no matter how many he sent, it was useless.
Hyūga Kumokawa's true body had already donned the Shadow Robe and slipped away unnoticed. The Kumokawa remaining here, still wearing a faint smile, was merely a Shadow Clone.
He needed to get ahead to set the stage.
For his "puppet."
Within the dense shadows of the forest, Hyūga Kumokawa, clad in the Shadow Robe, became almost one with the darkness as he moved. While advancing, he silently recited in his mind: "Materialize – Ōtsutsuki Ruins…"
This time, the target of his deception would not be just one person, or a select few.
It would be everyone in the shinobi world—including Kumogakure and Konoha.
Hyūga Kumokawa was about to tell a lie of monumental proportions.