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Raikou turned away, his form dissolving into the shadows as he invoked his clan's hidden jutsu — Yurei no Kage (Phantom Shadow). This technique manipulated the tiniest fluctuations in environmental chakra and personal presence, making him undetectable to most standard ninjutsu and dōjutsu alike. He needed three kilometers of buffer to activate it. Any closer to the Hyuga estate and their elites might pick up on his disruption.
He moved quickly but carefully, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, weaving through alleys with calculated steps. The moonlight flickered behind clouds, the air sharp with anticipation. Each step was measured. Every breath was controlled.
By the time he was within half a kilometer of the Hyuga compound, his pulse had slowed to a methodical rhythm. His jutsu held strong, but he could feel the early tremors of exhaustion at the edges of his limbs. The technique drained stamina at a steady rate, and soon the margin for error would vanish.
He slipped into the perimeter, bypassing a patrolling Hyuga with a quick vault over the tiled wall. For a few minutes, he was surrounded by nothing but silent homes — elegant wooden halls lit with minimal lanterns. Paper screens muffled conversations within.
Raikou paused at a junction within the compound, crouched behind a stacked woodpile. Two Hyuga chunin passed by, chatting softly. One of them, a younger male, spoke with a hint of admiration.
"Tomorrow's the heiress's third birthday. You work in the inner estate, right? Have you seen her recently?"
"Yeah," the other replied, his voice quiet. "She seemed kind of sad today."
Raikou's ears perked up. 'Inner estate,' he thought. 'Then I'm close.'
He followed their direction discreetly, sticking to shadows, slipping between walls, and adjusting his path to avoid light. Sure enough, as he advanced, the guards became more frequent and concentrated. He recognized this as the hub of the main family's residence.
Fatigue gnawed at his core. His jutsu flickered for a moment before he re-stabilized it with sheer willpower. 'Only a few minutes left,' he reminded himself. 'The target must be close.'
Earlier reconnaissance had been slow and clumsy — the compound's symmetry made navigation difficult for outsiders. But a minor breakthrough changed everything. As Raikou explored the outer estate, he found an old scroll tucked among diplomatic materials back at their quarters — a spy's sketch of the Hyuga family tree and a rough diagram of key room placements.
The scroll listed where the heiress might sleep, based on guard movement and ceremonial expectations, but not the exact location. That room was close now — he could feel it.
Raikou darted across a narrow hallway and stepped into a modest, lantern-lit courtyard. There were two guards posted at the main doors. He watched, calculating, then crept along the outer wall. Through a small window, he caught a glimpse of a small futon laid out near a hearth.
This was it.
He entered silently, his breathing shallow, his senses narrowed to a sharp point. There she was — a tiny form curled up on the futon, her breathing light and slow. Her dark indigo hair framed her face, and even in sleep, her expression seemed troubled.
Raikou crept closer, drawing a special capture scroll with one hand. It glowed faintly with binding chakra. Just a moment more...
Then it hit him — a ripple in chakra. Subtle. Almost imperceptible. But real.
He froze.
"Hinata-sama?" a Hyuga guard called softly. "Are you alright?"
The jutsu began to unravel.
Panic surged in his chest.
'I must act now!'
He surged forward, scroll glowing.
But the moment his hand touched the air near Hinata, a burst of defensive chakra exploded outward — a Hyuga barrier seal he hadn't detected.
Thrown against the wall with a crash, the jutsu collapsed.
Alarms screamed into the night. Footsteps echoed everywhere.
Raikou, bleeding and gasping, looked up into the eyes of the sleeping heiress as her lids fluttered open.
She looked into his eyes with confusion… and something else.
'No time,' he thought.
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