Chapter 283: Curtain Rises—The Chain Explosions in Yunming City!
For most people living in the bustling city of Yunming, no one really cares if you're well-fed or warm enough. In the fleeting moments when strangers brush past each other on the streets, the most they'll do is exchange a glance before returning to their own lives.
Unless—your toilet explodes.
"——Boom!"
A sudden blast shattered the calm of the street, like a long-clogged toilet finally giving way after thirty years of pent-up pressure.
People on the street instinctively turned toward the source of the explosion.
It was the grilled fish restaurant that had only recently replaced an old grocery store. With its superb grilling skills, it had quickly gained popularity and even threatened to steal business from the neighboring eateries. It was becoming a sensation in the Land of Lightning.
And now—it had exploded!
Not just a minor fire or a small collapse, but a complete and utter destruction from the roof to the beams to the very foundation. A spectacular, satisfying obliteration.
Blue flames flickered in the wreckage, radiating an intense heat that could be felt from over a hundred paces away.
"Damn..."
"What the hell just happened?"
"That has to be a ninja technique. Looks like the guy running the grilled fish shop pissed off the wrong person."
"No kidding."
"I swear I saw someone wearing a straw hat walk in just before it blew up."
The crowd on the street gawked at the smoldering ruins, their chatter laced with a certain schadenfreude.
Meanwhile, in the shadows—
A squad of Kumo-nin, their headbands bearing the Hidden Cloud insignia, exchanged uneasy glances.
Ever since Orochimaru's Hidden Cloud Collapse Plan had enraged the Third Raikage, he had ordered a thorough investigation. Following Orochimaru's trail, they had uncovered this covert Konoha outpost hidden within the capital of the Land of Lightning.
But before they even had a chance to conduct proper surveillance...
It blew itself up?!
"The short guy who walked in—did anyone get a good look? Go investigate."
The squad leader, a Kumo Chūnin with a green mark on his nose bridge—Motoi—furrowed his brows as he examined the ruins. He had previously been stationed outside Hell Valley as a sensory specialist. Now, he turned to his subordinates and issued an order.
Soon, a subordinate returned with a report.
"That person came from the teahouse diagonally across the street."
"That teahouse hasn't been open to the public for a long time. But according to the locals, after the foreign envoys entered the city this morning, three people suddenly showed up there."
Motoi turned his gaze toward the teahouse's sign—Crow's Tea.
His mind replayed the chakra signatures he had sensed inside the grilled fish shop earlier—three distinct, incredibly powerful chakra waves that sent chills down his spine.
"Three people? Besides those damn immortal cultists, we have another unknown faction sneaking into Yunming City?"
"Keep an eye on that teahouse. Do not engage yet. I have a bad feeling about this."
"Wait for me."
Taking a deep breath, Motoi bit his thumb and quickly formed the hand seals for the Summoning Technique. Pressing his palm to the ground—
Poof!
A brown-feathered owl appeared at his feet.
This was Summoning: Brown Owl.
As a sensory ninja who specialized in support rather than direct combat, Motoi had been entrusted with critical missions due to his exceptional sensory skills and the ability of his summon—an owl capable of high-speed, silent flight, making it an invaluable messenger.
Stroking the bird's back, Motoi spoke gravely:
"Kyōemon, I need you to deliver this message to A and Killer Bee in the city."
"Tell them to bring reinforcements immediately—we have three unidentified intruders in Yunming City!"
---
Beneath the Ruins
Two individuals, who had inadvertently drawn Hidden Cloud's attention only to escape imminent danger due to sheer coincidence, now stared at each other in silence.
"...You're Kakashi?"
The purple-haired young man, sporting a beauty mark, narrowed his eyes in realization as the other pulled off his disguise. A mop of iconic silver hair, a black mask, and a Konoha forehead protector—
Hatake Kakashi!
No wonder this guy seemed familiar!
That outfit just now—it was exactly how Kakashi would later disguise himself when scamming kids as a fake reporter in the future! Except, the Kakashi in front of him was still a kid himself, lacking the iconic scar over his eye and thus needing no makeup to cover any injuries. That slight difference had thrown Uchiha Ci off for a moment.
"You…" Kakashi sighed, looking exasperated.
"Finding a Konoha contact after surviving your fall and regaining consciousness was the right call for the mission, but running in so recklessly like that—"
Kakashi sighed again, deeper this time.
"You do realize I was already under surveillance by Hidden Cloud, right?"
"What kind of ninja training did you even go through? You're just as reckless as Obito—what a fool!"
Uchiha Ci felt a little awkward at that.
Well... his ninja training was clan-based, but no one ever taught him about stuff like this.
To be fair, he had only come here because he was starving—contacting Konoha would've come after contacting his clan. How was he supposed to know this place was a Konoha outpost?!
Thinking about it, though, it actually made sense.
If Konoha had planted a spy in Yunming City, and that spy was Kakashi, then it wasn't strange for him to open a grilled fish shop.
Unlike Naruto, who had grown up on the village's welfare system, Kakashi's father—White Fang—had been disgraced rather than revered like the Fourth Hokage. No relatives came to support him, and his mother had disappeared. Left with no choice, Kakashi had learned to fend for himself from a young age, often relying on fishing to survive.
As a result, he had mastered the art of grilling fish.
Using that skill as a cover to blend in and gather intelligence was actually a pretty clever move for someone on his first infiltration mission.
At that moment, Kakashi pressed his ear against the underground wall, listening intently.
After a few moments of silence, he finally exhaled in relief.
"Good. The jutsu you used earlier had a different chakra signature than your usual one—Hidden Cloud didn't sense your presence."
"If they had, things would've been a lot worse."
"Mission?"
Uchiha Ci blinked, confused.
"What mission?"
Kakashi hesitated for a moment before realizing—Uchiha Ci had gone missing after falling off that cliff. He wouldn't be aware of Konoha's plan or any subsequent developments.
Looking up at him, Kakashi's gaze lingered on the young Uchiha's tightly shut eyes.
Recalling the intelligence reports detailing the severe injuries Uchiha Ci had suffered, he remained silent for a beat.
"…Surviving that fall and making it here in your condition is impressive enough."
For the first time, Kakashi's expression softened.
"I'll explain everything later."
"For now, come with me. There's another exit—we need to leave."
Grabbing Uchiha Ci's arm, Kakashi began leading him toward the dark passage ahead.
But as Uchiha Ci caught sight of Kakashi's suddenly gentle expression, an eerie chill ran down his spine.
What the hell?
Why was this white-haired brat looking at him like that?!
He immediately shook off Kakashi's hand, shuddering.
"My eyes work fine. Just lead the way."
Kakashi shot him a side glance, inwardly grumbling:
'So stubborn… Just like Obito. Damn Uchiha pride.'
Still, he didn't insist and instead started explaining as they moved:
"My mission was to infiltrate Yunming City with Sensei to gather intelligence."
"The most crucial objective—"
"—is to assess the Land of Lightning's Daimyō's stance."
But just as Kakashi reached the passage's exit—
BOOM!!!
A five-element chakra beam exploded, casting everything in a blinding white light!
And then—
A mushroom cloud rose into the sky!
From the city's heart, an urgent cry spread like wildfire—
"The Daimyō has been assassinated! Lock down the city!"
"The Daimyō has been assassinated! Lock down the city!"
"The Daimyō has been assassinated! Lock down the city!"
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