The Uchiha Clan Massacre was supposed to eliminate a major internal threat to the higher-ups. No one expected it to have such severe consequences—so severe that some in power bled inwardly with regret. And yet, they couldn't afford to admit remorse.
Regret would mean admitting they were wrong. And that was something they couldn't allow. So, they had no choice but to charge forward into the dark.
Kumogakure frequently harassed the borders of the Land of Fire. Iwagakure lurked in the shadows, watching like a tiger eyeing prey. Kirigakure had fallen into civil strife and was too distracted to care about anything beyond its own walls. Konohagakure had handed over a small slice of interest to court favor from Sunagakure, if only to avoid being surrounded on all fronts.
Of course, this so-called alliance between Sunagakure and Konoha was superficial at best. If Konoha continued to show weakness, Sunagakure wouldn't hesitate to sink its fangs in.
The upper echelons were skilled at shaping public opinion. Life in the village still looked peaceful on the surface—songs, laughter, and celebration—but every now and then, someone could spot a person rushing by with a furrowed brow. Their friends or relatives had gone missing—no body, no word, nothing. And the village had yet to offer an explanation.
That kind of silence inevitably sparked rumors. The most talked-about issue was the disbanding of the Police Force. As hated as the Uchiha were, they'd done their job. Now that they were gone, who would handle daily law and order?
"The higher-ups are drowning in crises," said the shadowy figure, his voice low and cold. "They don't have time for trivial matters. Which makes this the perfect time to stir things up."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"Trivial? People going missing is a trivial matter? Some of them were chunin."
Before the shadow could reply, Sasuke's expression darkened as he answered his own question.
"They discarded the entire Uchiha Clan like trash—what's a chunin or two to them? Orochimaru and Danzo both ran human experiments. A few missing shinobi? They wouldn't even blink."
The shadow remained silent. In truth, Konoha wasn't quite that irresponsible. But lately, there had been far too many moving pieces. Other pawns chosen by the demon's true body were out in the world, sowing chaos across the ninja nations—pitting village against village, stirring up tension. All designed to pull everyone's attention away from the sea.
The ninja world was deep—unfathomably so. Who could say how much power the Sage of Six Paths had left? How far the Kara organization had developed in secret? Or what exactly that mysterious evil god really was?
The demon feared one thing above all: the Otsutsuki's ability to manipulate time. That was why he insisted on entering through the ocean. He was searching for the artifact capable of traversing time and space.
Different experiences shaped different mindsets. Some beings, born powerful, preferred to act openly—they had the strength and resources to do so. But demons who had clawed their way up from the abyss… they were creatures of shadow, bred in secrecy.
For the demon, honor meant nothing. Whether it was the righteous path or the path of deception, only one thing mattered: success. He didn't mind hiding in the gutters like a rat—being too flashy only invited catastrophe.
He still remembered those early days, back when he was nothing more than a fledgling. He'd stumbled into what looked like an ordinary world, expecting to dominate it easily. Instead, he got knocked out cold by a robotic cat named Doraemon and had to attend Giant's concert in his place. Again and again, Nobita, Suneo, and Shizuka knocked him out and forced him to go in their stead.
Even a random background character in that world could one-shot him. That kind of absurd, overwhelming power had left a mark. Since then, he'd engraved one rule deep into his soul:
Always play it safe.
Now, he only wanted to win by sheer overwhelming advantage. Blitz the enemy. Crush them before they could fight back. If there was a chance to ambush, he'd take it. If a fight wasn't one-sided, he'd avoid it altogether.
And if the enemy couldn't be crushed? Then run. Pride? Honor? Worthless. Live first. Revenge could wait.
...
But the demon's current pawn… was anything but low-profile.
On the border of the Land of Lightning, a man in a black coat and strange mask stood brazenly in the middle of a Kumogakure border outpost. If Danzo were here, he'd recognize him instantly—Aburame Torune.
Kumogakure's shinobi quickly surrounded him.
"Who are you? Why are you here?!"
Despite the interrogation, Kumogakure was already preparing to strike. The questions were just a formality—custom demanded a few words before the first blow.
Torune's gaze was sorrowful as he stared at them coldly, like a woman betrayed.
"This is my homeland. The Fourth Raikage is my closest kin. Why shouldn't I be here? What—does he not intend to acknowledge me? Are you afraid the truth will bring shame to Kumogakure?"
His voice rang out, loud enough for every shinobi present to hear. They froze.
"The truth? What truth?"
Torune suddenly turned bashful. "Actually, the Fourth Raikage and I… share a very intimate bond."
Shock rippled through the Kumogakure shinobi. Then… understanding. Could it be? This delicate-looking man—was he… that to the Raikage?
Come to think of it, the Fourth Raikage had never taken a wife. His closest relationship was with Killer B. And their bond was...
Chills. The implications were terrifying.
Many shinobi wiped sweat from their brows, filled with regret. They should have gagged this guy the moment he opened his mouth. Now everyone had heard… whatever scandal he was spewing. Things were spiraling fast.
"You're… one of the Raikage's relatives, right?" someone asked, frantically signaling for Torune to play along.
Torune ignored the hint entirely. He grit his teeth and said,
"Actually, I'm the Fourth Raikage's mother!"
The entire camp fell silent.
Eyes widened.
"Shameless! Utterly shameless!" someone shouted. "You're clearly a man! Besides, the Fourth Raikage's mother is documented—we have records!"
"How dare you assume my gender?!" Torune howled in outrage. "Kumogakure is so oppressive!"
He burst into tears, putting on a performance for the ages.
"Years ago, the Third Raikage's wife couldn't have children. So they asked me to be a surrogate. They promised me compensation, but that bitch tried to keep the child and silence me! Luckily, I faked my death and escaped!"
Everyone stared at him like he was the worst person alive.
How could anyone be so utterly shameless? Even speaking to this guy made them feel dirty.
They wanted to strike him down just to shut him up. But somehow, none of their attacks could land.
After finishing his outrageous story, Torune activated his Poison Dust Technique. A thick purple fog of nano-sized venomous insects spread instantly, wiping out most of the Kumogakure shinobi. But—crucially—he left a few alive on purpose.
Then, he moved on to the next Kumogakure outpost. "Accidentally" got captured. "Accidentally" revealed he was from the Aburame Clan. "Accidentally" admitted he was part of Konoha's Root division.
...
It was a crude, absurdly flawed attempt at framing.
And yet Kumogakure didn't care about the obvious holes in the story.
What mattered was simple:
This gave them an excuse to act against Konoha.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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