"It actually worked."
A spy caught in a ninja village is as good as dead more often than not. When the intelligence at stake was significant enough, sacrifice became an acceptable cost.
Unfortunately, the entire situation was nothing more than a hastily constructed plot. The so-called "intelligence" was completely fabricated. The spies' actions and sacrifices would ultimately gain them absolutely nothing.
Tonight was bound to be a bloodbath—not only a war between spies and Konoha's shinobi, but also among spies from different factions, turning them into enemies of one another. Who was the mantis? Who the sparrow behind it? And who the fisherman ready to reap the rewards? Those caught in the center of this turmoil couldn't possibly know what roles they were truly playing—except for Haseo.
He was the most intricate pawn, the most anxiously expectant spectator in this conflict.
A faint conversation drifted through the night air.
"There are too many people coming. Could it be that all the spies hiding in this village have been mobilized at once...? Could this be a trap?"
"Regardless of whether Konoha has ulterior motives, we've already reached the point where there's no turning back. Besides, even if Konoha had planned something tonight, the source of our information is confirmed to be authentic. Something definitely happened here today—the entire village's atmosphere has changed. There's order within the chaos... Konoha must have received confirmed intelligence regarding the Second Hokage."
"In that case, further discussion is pointless?"
"No further discussion needed!"
The low murmurs quickly faded away, followed by increasingly intense sounds of clashing weapons.
Those who just spoke had likely rushed toward the battlefield themselves.
Reclining sideways against the pillow on the hospital bed, Haseo half-lay as he attentively listened to the noises outside the window. The noise rose out of nowhere and faded just as quickly—it couldn't have lasted more than ten minutes. From this, one could easily imagine how fierce the battle had been.
"They're starting to clean things up," he thought. This was Konoha, after all. Silence meant their ninjas were already back in charge.
He hoped Konoha achieved its intended goals, because earlier rumors had already been leaked. The more thoroughly spies were eliminated tonight, the better it would be for Haseo.
Inside the darkened hospital room, his eyes were darker than the surrounding shadows. Moonlight from the window illuminated only a small corner—and precisely at that spot Haseo had been staring intently, finally someone appeared.
Dressed in tight-fitting black clothing, the figure wore a mask concealing their entire face. Their torso was soaked in blood, and as soon as they stepped into view, the metallic scent of blood spread throughout the room. Based solely on physical characteristics visible, it was impossible to determine whether this person was a Konoha ninja or an enemy. Yet Haseo knew immediately—they were an enemy.
Thus, he extended a single hand and waved slightly toward the intruder, greeting them with a smile.
"Good evening. You seem exhausted."
Haseo didn't feel nervous or frightened. Although an enemy had appeared before him, he knew that the weapon he had borrowed from Danzo and tightly gripped in his other hand would ultimately be unnecessary… At this point, the enemy could no longer pose any threat to him.
This was Konoha Village. Outside the window, countless Konoha ninja were engaged in battle. Would they really allow the last remnants of the enemy to wreak havoc?
Unless Konoha itself had intended to see Haseo dead, using this opportunity to eliminate him through proxy—but would Konoha really go to such unnecessary lengths?
Haseo felt he could just sit back and watch.
The enemy outside the window glared at Haseo filled with malice. He must have realized his mission had become impossible. Tonight's operation had been a trap set by Konoha, and trapped in this desperate situation, the enemy wouldn't mind taking someone down with him—but was he capable of doing so?
A single arrow crackling with lightning chakra suddenly flew in, instantly piercing through his neck. The flickering sparks, shaking arrow shaft, and spurting blood marked the bloody end of tonight's events.
Haseo slowly closed his eyes. He knew he would be able to enjoy a good night's sleep now—not only because tonight's troubles had ended, but also because Konoha posed no danger to him… This village seemed to have no intention of eliminating him, an outsider, under the pretext that "he knew too much."
...
Early morning.
While conflicts erupting within a ninja village weren't uncommon, neither were they particularly rare occurrences, so ordinary citizens of Konoha paid little attention to last night's battles. However, for Konoha at this time, eliminating spies carried considerable strategic importance—meaning the village had secured a significant advantage in intelligence safety for quite some time.
Signs of last night's conflict on the streets had already been cleared away. Besides a faint lingering smell of blood in the air, and traces left by weapons on walls and roads, there remained no further evidence to indicate that dozens of lives had ended violently here just last night.
Strategic or tactical matters were the least of Haseo's concerns right now. What did matter to him was the morning message he received—he could no longer remain inside the hospital. The village had made concrete arrangements for him and would send someone soon to escort him away.
Because he had some concerns about his physical condition, Haseo originally wanted to spend more time recovering in the hospital. However, the medical ninja seemed to consider his injuries and chakra corrosion problems trivial enough not to worry about, so he was "permitted" to leave the hospital.
He got out faster than he thought he would. The person came to pick him up just two hours after he received the notice.
"Haseo Yu, child, come with me," said the newcomer, a woman appearing to be around thirty years old. She possessed gentle features and a clean, approachable smile, exuding a naturally warm presence that invited trust.
She naturally knew Haseo Yu's name and identity.
"Yes, of course," Haseo Yu replied obediently, following behind her. This person definitely made a great first impression.
Haseo stood alone in the world. He had little to pack, so before long, the two of them left the hospital side by side.
Walking along Konoha's streets, the colorful pedestrians and slightly noisy sounds blended with the cool, pale midday sun and open sky, filling the air with a warm and soothing light.
"The weather is quite nice, isn't it?"
"Huh? Yeah... Right." Haseo hesitated briefly before realizing the woman had been speaking to him.
"I heard you were the one who brought news of the Second Hokage back to Konoha."
"Yes."
"What was he like in the end?" She seemed hesitant but finally let the question slip out.
Haseo recalled the scene—flames roaring as a lone figure stood within them. "In his final moments, the Hokage was just like... a ninja."
Tobirama Senju was a ninja himself, so describing him as being "like a ninja" didn't seem fitting—but this was truly the only way Haseo could describe it.
"Just like a ninja… Hmm. That's indeed an accurate description for him." She stopped walking and finally smiled.
Interestingly, she appeared genuinely satisfied with that evaluation.
As they continued walking, Haseo began to notice that the person he was following wasn't ordinary. Many along the way bowed repeatedly to her.
However, the conversation about the Second Hokage ended there—she seemed unwilling to dwell on the topic further. The entire village still mourned the loss of their leader, so Haseo didn't dwell on her reaction.
"The weather's getting chilly," she said softly, coughing slightly while covering her mouth with a clenched fist. Hard to say whether she was trying to change the subject or if the air had actually grown colder.
Still, Haseo played along. "Yeah, we're already into Kami-Nashi month."
"Looks like I'll need to get you a proper set of clothes then."
Rarely showing any sign of discomfort, Haseo now wore an expression of mild embarrassment. He was still wearing the hospital robe and slippers.
"Oh, you probably don't even know who I am yet," she added. "My name… I can't reveal it for now. I'm the director of Konoha's Relief Infirmary. You can just call me Miss Sansho." This was how she introduced herself.
Since she couldn't disclose her real name, "Sansho" must have been a codename. In other words, this woman must be a ninja too.
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