At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water, a Konoha detachment was stationed here.
Due to the camp's proximity to the sea, the rainfall here was much heavier than the drizzles within the Fire Country. Raindrops hammered the ground, sending up countless splashes, making it seem as if the sky itself was falling in sheets. Gusts of wind laden with the downpour howled, snapping the Konoha flagpole taut and causing the tent canvases to whip and snap violently.
Whoosh!
Inside one tent, a brazier burned warmly, banishing not only the night's darkness but also the damp chill in the air, replacing it with a thread of comforting warmth.
Two figures lay on cots near the brazier, eyes closed, resting peacefully in slumber. Two others sat by the window, keeping night watch.
Danzō had originally brought four squads of Root ninjas to this border camp. When he returned to Konoha, he'd taken two squads back with him, leaving only these two behind.
The two on watch lifted the heated sake from the brazier, pouring the liquor into bowls with a soft glug-glug. Steam rose, carrying the mellow scent of alcohol. Both ninjas' eyes crinkled slightly.
"Good sake," the female Root ninja remarked after a small sip.
"It's a specialty from the Land of Hot Water," the male Root ninja, who had a more easygoing personality, said with a chuckle. "If Lord Danzō hadn't sent word that we can return to the village tomorrow morning, I wouldn't be sharing it with you."
Technically, Konoha ninjas observed three prohibitions. The first was "prohibit extravagance," the second "prohibit indulgence in pleasure," and the third was "prohibit alcohol."
However, ninjas were human too, needing to release pressure. Most would skirt at least one of these prohibitions to some degree. If there were no demand, the entertainment district wouldn't have been built so close to Konoha. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi had been quite the playboy in his youth.
For Root ninjas, this was even more true. If they didn't vent the negative emotions pent up inside, their mental state would gradually fray.
Of course, even while sneaking a drink, neither neglected their vigilance. With tensions high between Kumo and Konoha, they weren't about to gamble with their lives.
"Don't drink too much," the woman said.
"It's fine. The sensing barrier is active," the man replied, sounding weary of the harsh border life. The news of returning to the village tomorrow had understandably loosened his restraint a little.
Hearing this, the woman didn't press further, but she did set down her own bowl.
Tap… tap…
A sound like rainwater dripping from an eave and shattering on the ground reached her ears.
The sound itself wasn't strange.
Yet, an inexplicable sense of unease washed over the woman. She frowned, peering intently outside the tent.
All she saw was the raging wind and rain, the view blurred by a curtain of mist. The sensing barrier hadn't triggered an alarm.
'What's wrong? Where is this feeling coming from?
Is something missing?
Or… is there something extra?'
"..."
After a moment of silence, the woman scanned the area outside the tent once more. She reached out and nudged her companion beside her. "Hoshi… something feels off."
But the moment she applied that slight pressure, she felt the resistance give way unnaturally.
Thud… thud-thud…
The woman instinctively turned her head.
She saw her companion's body slump to the side. His head, still wearing a faint, contented expression from moments before, slid from his shoulders. It hit the ground with a series of brittle sounds like a dropped ball, rolling away and leaving a trail of blood.
In that fleeting instant, the woman suddenly understood what was wrong.
'The breathing sounds… they're missing. They're too faint. There were four of us in this tent. Now, it's only me.
And there's a faint scent of blood… growing stronger with the wind. Not from outside… but from inside the tent.'
But realizing this now was already too late.
Squelch.
A sliver of cold light, reflecting the brazier's glow, arced through the air. Inside the dimly lit tent, several drops of blood splattered against the canvas wall.
Clad in a black cloak, Hyūga Kumokawa hung inverted from the ceiling above the two. He withdrew his index and middle fingers, held together like a blade, from the female ninja's skull. A thin layer of chakra coated his fingertips, sharp as a scalpel.
"Root ninjas really aren't as sharp as the ANBU," he remarked softly, his gaze flicking towards the two figures on the cots behind him. Their heads were similarly pierced, their lives extinguished.
The "raindrop" sound the woman had heard earlier was actually the sound of their blood dripping onto the floor.
If they hadn't placed such blind faith in the sensing barrier, they might have noticed the anomaly sooner.
But who would have imagined Hyūga Kumokawa could evade detection? Even Pein had to circumvent Konoha's barrier.
On the journey here, Kumokawa had spent another thousand points to further enhance the Shadow Robe's perception-blocking effect. In terms of infiltration ability, very few in the world could rival him now.
"A pity. One 'puppet' wasted."
He glanced regretfully at the headless corpse, sealing it into a storage scroll. Then, using his Mental Puppetry, he took control of the other three bodies.
This ability couldn't halt decay. If these corpses weren't converted into proper Human Puppets, they would rot before long.
Moreover, without Ōtsutsuki Toneri's Energy Vessel, his current capacity was far from controlling nearly a hundred puppets. His current upper limit was ten.
And Hyūga Hiashi was still alive. Controlling a living person occupied five "slots."
"But it's enough for now."
Hyūga Kumokawa glanced at the three puppets kneeling on one knee before him, issuing a command for them to mimic their former actions and await further orders.
Then, he silently recited in his mind once more: "Materialize – Ōtsutsuki Ruins."
[Please input coordinates.]
"Coordinates: One kilometer underground. Longitude 119°17'13.202" East, Latitude 54°12'12.115" North…" Kumokawa mentally recited the precise coordinates agreed upon between Kumo and Konoha.
[Please input layout details.]
"Layout: A five-tiered underground palace structure, impervious to sensory detection. Each level requires the absorption of chakra to open. The deeper the level, the more chakra required. At the entrance, place a stone carving of the Ten-Tails. Engrave the pedestal with an inscription left by 'Ōtsutsuki Yunshi.' The inscription's content…"
Kumokawa pondered, roughly sketching out the imagined underground palace ruins in his mind. After several rounds of additions and refinements, the system's voice finally stopped asking for minute details.
[Cost: 13,000 Fulfillment Points. Proceed with materialization?]
"..." The corner of Kumokawa's eye twitched. "How much did you say?"
This was his first time materializing such a massive "project."
[Cost: 13,000 Fulfillment Points. Proceed with materialization?]
"You're trying to bleed me dry, aren't you?" Kumokawa drew a sharp breath. After a moment of silence, he thought, 'What if we only materialize the overall structure and the entrance of the palace, along with the entrance details I mentioned? The part about requiring massive chakra absorption to open?'
[Cost: 3,000 Fulfillment Points. Proceed with materialization?]
Hearing this, Kumokawa's eyes flickered slightly.
He thought for a long time. Considering the Shadow Robe he possessed, while the system seemed mercilessly expensive each time, its offerings always exceeded expectations, perfectly fitting his needs and even adding some finishing touches…
'You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing some bait.'
Having made up his mind, Kumokawa's pupils contracted. "Materialize!" he said firmly.
[3,000 Fulfillment Points deducted. Remaining Points: 10,651]
The moment the notification chimed in his mind, Kumokawa felt a tremor beneath his feet.
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