Late at night, the moon was dim.
Utilizing the winding shadows beneath the dense buildings, a figure completely wrapped in black cloth, with no discernible features, rapidly leaped along the edge of the street, step by step avoiding the Ninja patrolling the rooftops, and sped straight toward the Hokage Building in the center of Konoha.
Samui kept her mind calm, maintaining constant awareness while quickly moving through the blind spots of the patrolling Ninja, her steps as light as a cat's.
As a Ninja, having an exaggerated figure or outstanding looks is actually a solid disadvantage; even in a direct confrontation, her strength is not particularly remarkable.
However, the reason she was able to become a Jonin so early, at the age of twenty-something, was precisely because of her exceptional skills in stealth, assassination, and sensing techniques.
It was precisely for this reason that she was selected for this important mission.
And reality proved this to be true.
Although she was operating covertly within an enemy Village, Samui proceeded smoothly, arriving unimpeded on a rooftop at the edge of the Hokage Building.
She kept her body as close as possible to the deep shadows of the eaves, her cold eyes silently observing the Anbu surrounding the Hokage Building."
...Six, seven, eight.
"At least two squads."
"According to standard configuration, there should also be a few hidden sentries."
To the average person, this level of protection would be considered impenetrable; even if one managed to force their way in, the ensuing alarm would drown them like a tide.
However, for a stealth master like Samui, it was only slightly difficult.
She first approached silently to the maximum distance, her entire body seemingly melting into the shadows, separated by only a dozen meters from the Anbu Ninja in front of her, who appeared semi-transparent.
Immediately after, she suddenly performed a hand sign.
"Genjutsu: Technique of the Concealing Curtain."
In just an instant, a curtain wall blocking the view suddenly appeared before the vigilant Anbu Ninja.
Samui's figure, utilizing the brief concealment provided by the Genjutsu, suddenly darted out like a leopard, hugging the blind spots of several Anbu, and burrowed directly into the wall using Earth Release.
This brief concealment lasted less than a second, as fast as a blink. The entire process was silent; even the sounds of her footsteps and the wind caused by her movement were perfectly integrated into the white noise of the external environment.
The several Anbu waiting outside remained unaware, focusing entirely on monitoring their surroundings.
They were completely oblivious that the Hokage Building behind them had been infiltrated.
Clearly.
No matter the Ninja Village, every official Jonin must have at least one impressive signature skill.
After burrowing into the Hokage Building, Samui's figure froze in the deep shadows like a wooden sculpture.
Only after confirming that the Konoha Anbu outside had not noticed anything did a mocking smile appear on her beautiful face.
"As expected."
"Even Konoha is only this level."
Samui thought this to herself, then quickened her pace, rushing toward the Third Research Laboratory she recalled.
However, the Kumogakure female Ninja who had infiltrated the Hokage Building at this moment did not know.
From the moment she appeared near the Hokage Building, several pairs of eyes had already been fixed on her back.
"Lord Aizen."
Yakushi Kabuto stood respectfully beside the desk and said, "As you predicted, the enemy has appeared."
.
"Should we make a move now?"
Inside the brightly lit research room, Aizen Yūsuke was sitting in front of the desk, holding a teapot.
Hearing Yakushi Kabuto's voice, he did not stop what he was doing. After pouring a cup for himself, he also poured one for Kabuto-kun beside him, and spoke gently, "Kumogakure seems to be more impatient than I imagined."
"Since the enemy has arrived, let's have a cup of black tea first."
"Kabuto-kun."
Seeing Lord Aizen's unhurried manner, Yakushi Kabuto was not too surprised. He lifted the teacup with both hands and took a sip.
Often, even he found it hard to explain exactly what attracted him to this man.
Besides his immense power and transcendent wisdom, perhaps... it was also this confidence that never took anyone or any opponent seriously?
What was more reassuring was that the supremely confident Lord Aizen had never failed.
Yakushi Kabuto thought this, and a complex smile involuntarily appeared on his face.
On the large screen in front of the two of them, Samui's figure had nowhere to hide from the start, clearly displayed in the center of the image.
Only she herself remained unaware.
This must be the place.
Looking at the brightly lit research room at the end of the corridor ahead, Samui's heart rate quickened slightly.
The situation was better than expected. It seemed that, just as the intelligence suggested, Aizen Yūsuke was a very dedicated researcher who often worked alone late into the night.
However, probably as a necessary precaution due to the arrival of their delegation, two Anbu Ninja were currently standing guard at the door of the Third Research Laboratory.
They must be Aizen's protectors.
Given such a confined space and short distance, it would be difficult even for her to directly take Aizen away without anyone noticing.
In that case, she would have to force her way in.
Samui thought this to herself, and her pair of emerald eyes suddenly grew cold.
The moment her figure stepped out from the deep shadows, the hand sign was already formed in her hands.
"Genjutsu: Temple of Nirvana Technique."
In just an instant, countless feathers suddenly drifted down inside this enclosed Hokage Building.
The fully alert Anbu Ninja were startled the moment they saw the phantom feathers, and immediately their consciousness became hazy, plunging them into the deepest sleep.
Only one of them reacted swiftly the instant he noticed the Genjutsu appear, immediately refining Chakra and attempting to break the illusion.
However, Samui had anticipated this as well.
The moment he began mobilizing Chakra for internal resistance, attempting to break the Genjutsu, her figure shot out. Using the force of drawing her sword, she struck the hilt upward, driving it directly into the Anbu's jaw, producing a slight muffled sound.
That single blow immediately caused the opponent to roll their eyes and collapse heavily onto the ground.
However, these slight movements had already alerted the people inside the research room to the anomaly.
The moment the sound of the body falling ceased, someone inside the room asked, "What was that sound?"
The voice coming from the room was young and magnetic, exactly the tone of Aizen Yūsuke that Samui remembered.
Hearing this, Samui's lips curled up slightly. Without waiting, she pushed the door open and entered directly.
"I've got you, Aizen!"
However, this thought had just risen in her mind, and she hadn't even had time to utter it.
She saw a powerful hand suddenly reach out the moment the door was pushed open.
"Bang—!"
The swift and precise Gentle Fist Art almost grazed the intruder's cheek, tearing through the air with a sharp, dense rush of wind.
Samui was startled. Her entire upper body suddenly bent backward, avoiding the palm strike at an angle almost parallel to the ground, then she immediately rolled down and retreated into the corridor shadows.
However, the newcomer seemed completely oblivious to the shifting scenes between light and shadow. He showed no hesitation due to her movement; instead, he stepped forward and immediately followed up with another palm strike behind her.
Utilizing this momentary overlap, Samui drew her short sword, knocking the hilt horizontally against the center of the incoming palm, subconsciously attempting to slash at his arm.
But the instant the hilt collided with the palm, she felt an utterly irresistible force slam into the hilt, nearly shoving the blade she was drawing back into the sheath.
Faintly, a dense, whistling heat of Chakra emanated from the center of the palm.
"Gentle Fist Art? Byakugan!"
In that single moment of contact, Samui realized her opponent's identity. With no hope left, she pushed back sharply, trying to increase the distance between them.
Although the Hyuga Clan's reputation in the Ninja World seems entirely supported by their eyes that can see through everything, most people rarely mention their Gentle Fist Art, which is categorized separately from the Strong Fist system.
Even though Kumogakure relies entirely on Taijutsu for its foundation and survival, in the eyes of most Kumogakure Ninja, fighting the Hyuga Clan up close with Taijutsu is an utterly idiotic move.
Unfortunately, Samui still underestimated the strength of the newcomer.
The moment he noticed her retreat, the newcomer had already seen through her intention to escape.
His already lightning-fast speed suddenly increased another notch. His entire figure became somewhat blurred in Samui's vision.
The dark figure traversed several meters along the ground, crouching low, twisting at the waist. The arm that was already about to touch her body was forcibly extended forward by the distance of a fist.
"Snap!"
The two fingers, held together like a sword, gently poked her lower abdomen.
That single touch caused Samui's body to involuntarily pause, and she lost all sensation in her entire lower right abdomen, as if paralyzed.
In that momentary pause, successive fingers jabbed into her chest.
"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixteen Palms."
After a few muffled thuds, Samui collapsed heavily onto the ground, unable to move again.
Point-striking.
For most Ninja who rely on refining their own Chakra for combat, this is an extremely fatal and highly targeted attack.
Even when she was completely incapacitated, Samui was bewildered.
"Why would a Hyuga Ninja appear in a place like this?"
"Is this a special arrangement by Hiruzen Sarutobi, or does Aizen Sōsuke inherently possess some internal power that the intelligence department failed to gather?"
Samui was lifted by her captor and carried toward the research room. Her mind was racing, and she simultaneously tried to mobilize Chakra to break free from the point-striking technique's restraint.
However, the strength of the opponent's point-striking was clearly much greater than that of an ordinary Hyuga Ninja.
Samui felt as if all the meridians in her body were blocked by the infiltrating Chakra, making it impossible to move.
Soon, she was brought to the center of the research room.
Contrary to what she had imagined.
The entire research room did not appear busy with ongoing research work.
Aside from the few people in front of the desk, the large research room seemed somewhat empty. Only a few culture tanks were gurgling with bubbles, likely running automatically.
The figure seated in front of the desk was the very man she had seen at the main gate earlier today.
Aizen Yūsuke.
However, something seemed different.
As a seasoned intelligence officer, Samui noticed this with extreme acuity.
If, when greeting the delegation at the gate, Aizen Yūsuke had displayed a personality that leaned toward sunny, cheerful, and shallow-minded—the look of a researcher who couldn't keep secrets.
Then now, the man sitting behind the desk, holding a teacup and looking down upon her, was somewhat inscrutable.
Although his appearance and attire were identical, the look in his eyes often revealed a person's true inner self.
What was more surprising was that besides the Hyuga Ninja dressed in Anbu attire who had captured her in just a few moves.
The young man standing on the other side of Aizen Yūsuke was also in her intelligence records.
Uchiha Itachi.
The current Clan Leader of the Uchiha Clan, Captain of the Konoha Military Police Force, and one of the youngest Jonin on record.
How could such a person be subservient to Aizen?
What exactly is going on?
The intelligence failure, the overwhelming strength, the disparity in image... all these things made Samui increasingly uneasy.
Was all this a Konoha conspiracy, or... this man's own scheme?
Samui looked ahead, her gaze unintentionally carrying a hint of wariness.
Finally, the man sitting behind the desk spoke softly, his tone gentle: "A distinguished guest visiting late at night."
"Please forgive my lack of hospitality."
"However, before this conversation begins, allow me to ask a question."
"Jonin Samui."
"May I ask what exactly Kumogakure intends to find here?"
"
"
Samui remained silent for a moment before speaking calmly, "Since I've been captured, there's nothing left to say."
"For the time being, I demand the treatment accorded to a Ninja prisoner of the Five Great Nations. In exchange, I will provide you with the relevant mission intelligence you desire."
This behavior seemed unremarkable, as years of warfare and experience meant that the interrogation techniques of various countries had reached a level far beyond ordinary imagination.
Even Ninja could not withstand the torture of the various Ninja Villages, nor could they conceal any information.
Especially in a Village like Konoha, which possesses the Yamanaka Clan's mind-reading techniques.
This was the procedure Samui and her colleagues had agreed upon from the start.
The goal was simple.
Delay.
Konoha, under the leadership of Hiruzen Sarutobi, would not dare to start a war with Kumogakure.
Naturally, they wouldn't take any risks.
As long as she kept stalling, once the delegation realized she hadn't returned, the subsequent procedures would be easy to execute.
However, to Samui's surprise, the man in front of her seemed indifferent to the intelligence she could provide. He merely sat at the desk, looking at her with gentle interest.
"Please don't be nervous, Jonin Samui."
"Compared to the information you can offer, I am more interested in proposing a small transaction with Kumogakure."
"May I ask for your thoughts on this?"