The next day.
Konohagakure, Land of Fire.
Having returned from Mount Myōboku, Kōsuke rushed through the night to Konoha, carrying a message entrusted to him by Minato. He found Hiruzen Sarutobi inside the Hokage Residence.
"Lord Third, this intelligence report is from Minato-sama," Kōsuke said, standing atop Hiruzen's desk as he presented the scroll.
Hiruzen was no stranger to Kōsuke—both Minato and Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin often used the toad to relay information.
"This must've been a hassle for you, Kōsuke," Hiruzen said with a soft nod before taking the scroll.
"I'm only doing what I should," the toad replied humbly.
Hiruzen nodded again, then unfurled the scroll and began reading Minato's report. His brows furrowed deeper with each line. By the time he finished, he exhaled a long breath and came to a decision.
"Summon Jiraiya."
"Yes, sir," came the immediate response from the ANBU hidden in the shadows, who then vanished to carry out the order.
Once the ANBU departed, Kōsuke turned to Hiruzen and said, "If there's nothing else, Lord Third, I'll take my leave."
"Very well. I appreciate your efforts once again," Hiruzen responded.
"I'll be off, then."
With that, Kōsuke gave a powerful leap, hopping off the desk and bounding out of the Hokage Residence.
Not long after Kōsuke departed, Jiraiya arrived—having learned the Hokage was looking for him.
His entrance, however, was rather unconventional.
"Hey, old man, you called for me?" he said, perched casually on the window ledge.
Hiruzen looked up from his thoughts and, upon seeing Jiraiya, nodded.
"Yes. Jiraiya, I need you to head to the Land of Wind…"
...
Meanwhile – Kumogakure, Land of Lightning.
In the office of the Third Raikage, a meeting of several elite Cloud shinobi was underway.
The Raikage was already ensnared in Danzo Shimura's manipulative scheme—a trap designed to provoke inter-village tension.
With a low, simmering growl, the Third Raikage ordered, "Find out what's behind Sunagakure's recent large-scale operations. Use any means necessary."
Had Danzo been present to hear that, he might have laughed in his sleep—this was precisely the chaos he sought.
Ideally, he wanted a full-blown conflict between the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Sand—a war that would further his dark agenda.
...
Three days later – Morning, Hachishi District, Land of Fire.
Hachishi was calm as ever.
After two days of covert surveillance, Veigar, Kakashi, and Shōgetsu had thoroughly mapped out the district's surface-level movements.
The trio now kept watch at the entrance, remaining vigilant in case any Sand shinobi appeared. They were also awaiting reinforcements from Konoha and the return of Minato Namikaze.
Around midday, the team stayed alert, attuned to even the faintest sound. Every breeze, every rustle could signal danger.
And then—just when it seemed this day might pass uneventfully like the last two—four figures appeared at the district's entrance.
Each wore a wide-brimmed straw hat and a brown cloak, their faces completely obscured.
"Shōgetsu," Veigar and Kakashi said simultaneously, tense.
"I see them," Shōgetsu replied, already activating his Sharingan even before they could elaborate.
While the Byakugan of the Hyūga surpassed the Sharingan in scope, when it came to penetrating disguises, the Sharingan was more than capable.
A second later, Shōgetsu's voice turned grim. "They're Sand shinobi…"
At that exact moment, one of the cloaked individuals—a jōnin named Kazuhira Shin—felt the sensation of being watched.
Unbeknownst to him, the trio had already begun quietly preparing for combat.
Compared to the tension in Veigar and Kakashi's expressions, Kazuhira remained eerily calm as he continued his approach.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Their rising heartbeats seemed to echo louder with each of Kazuhira's steps. The pressure was suffocating.
Then, without warning, Kazuhira vanished in a blur—Teleportation Jutsu.
"Damn! We've been discovered!" Veigar, Kakashi, and Shōgetsu all realized at once.
In a flash, Kazuhira reappeared atop a nearby rooftop, right next to Shōgetsu, kunai in hand, aiming straight for his head.
"Konoha rats."
"One down…"
But just as he struck, the blade pierced only a substitution log—Shōgetsu had already slipped away with a well-timed Substitution Jutsu.
Poof!
Kazuhira scowled. His ambush had failed.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Veigar had already finished weaving hand signs. With a breath, he unleashed a roaring gale directly at Kazuhira.
The force and intensity of Veigar's Wind Release were far beyond a standard Great Breakthrough—both in scale and power.
Kazuhira's eyes narrowed. This wasn't just another ninja; Veigar was on a different level.
Still, Kazuhira's reflexes were sharp. He leapt to the side, narrowly evading the gale.
Seizing the opening, Shōgetsu and Kakashi didn't stick around—they bolted.
Veigar, too, turned and fled without hesitation.
By the time Kazuhira's three teammates caught up, the battle was already over.
"After them!" Kazuhira barked. "They're Konoha shinobi—we can't let them escape!"
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