Chapter 293 – Infiltration
The narrow side street of Kirigakure was quiet, cloaked in its usual damp mist.
Three masked figures—Uchiha Kei, Hyūga Ayaka, and Imai Kenta—moved through the shadows, their faces tense.
Security in the village had grown tighter by the day. Patrols doubled, checkpoints multiplied, and Kei knew exactly why.
Obito was tightening the net.
Soon, the Mist's security forces would be combing through not just the village, but the entire Land of Water.
For most infiltrators, that would be disastrous.
For Kei, however, it was an opportunity—an expertly constructed stage.
Their meeting the night before had proven worthwhile.
Obito, though still immature and far from his future ruthlessness, was now deeply swayed by Minato's opinion of him.
Ironically, that made him more like a Konoha shinobi than Kei himself.
Kei hadn't hidden anything from him.
Letting Obito gain confidence—especially under the illusion of redemption—was a useful manipulation.
He'd told him outright about the plan he'd agreed upon with the Fourth Hokage.
And Obito's reaction had been almost comical—pure joy mixed with crushing guilt.
Kei could practically see the boy's heart twisting when he remembered his past sins—the attack on Konoha, the near-murder of his teacher and Kushina.
But that guilt was exactly what Kei wanted.
Every man with a conscience carried a weakness.
And once that weakness was exposed—it could be controlled.
Kei had already used Rin as one lever.
Now, Minato's approval and Obito's guilt became another.
With both in hand, Obito was all but chained.
---
"Captain," Imai Kenta whispered, glancing around warily. "Are you sure this is the right way? It feels too… remote."
"It does seem odd," said Ayaka, her Byakugan flaring as she scanned the surroundings.
"This direction leads toward a secluded corner of the village. If the Kaguya clan is still active, why would they be placed here of all places?"
Kei smirked faintly. "Think about it. If you were the Mizukage, and you had a bloodline clan that was battle-hungry and volatile, what would you do?"
Ayaka blinked. "You'd isolate them… keep them away from the others."
"Exactly. And that," Kei said dryly, "is the Kaguya clan in a nutshell."
---
Kenta frowned. "Still, Captain, how do you even know where they are? We've avoided several hidden outposts on the way here—without any sensory scouting. Did you develop a detection technique?"
Kei tilted his head slightly, then shook it.
"Hardly. Sensory work's never been my specialty."
That much was true.
But he had something far better—inside information.
After their meeting, Obito had returned unexpectedly that same night.
Kei had barely begun to rest when the boy reappeared, carrying exactly what Kei had requested: maps, patrol routes, and guard rotations.
He'd been too stunned to react for a moment. Even for Obito, this level of cooperation was… excessive.
Still, Kei wasn't about to refuse such generosity.
In fact, seeing how forthcoming Obito was, he began to consider asking for more.
There were things Kei truly wanted—techniques and secrets that had belonged to Uchiha Madara himself.
After all, Black Zetsu had taught Obito more than just manipulation.
Under his twisted tutelage, Obito had mastered Yin–Yang Release, refined the control methods for tailed beasts, and learned how to wield the Sharingan to dominate even the Nine-Tails.
Kei wanted those techniques.
He needed them.
And Obito, eager to atone and still loyal to Minato's memory, had given him nearly everything he asked for—except one.
When Kei requested the method of controlling a tailed beast, Obito hesitated.
But after a long, thoughtful silence, he relented.
He told himself it was fine—Kei's genjutsu was powerful enough, and he already possessed Susanoo.
If anyone could subdue a bijuu alone, it was him.
To Kei, the information was less about immediate use and more about trust.
The fact that Obito handed it over so willingly told him everything he needed to know:
Obito was now fully under his thumb.
---
Following the directions on the map, Kei estimated that they were close to their destination—the territory of the Kaguya clan.
That, however, presented a new dilemma: how to speak with them.
He'd confidently claimed he could negotiate with bloodline clans.
In truth, the Kaguya were the last group he ever wanted to reason with.
They were violent, prideful, and utterly unhinged.
Even now, they lived in isolation, far from the village center.
And if his memory of the future was correct, they were already planning rebellion—long before Obito's final purge wiped them out.
They were a mirror of the Uchiha: strong, proud, doomed.
But unlike the Uchiha, their destruction was entirely self-inflicted.
Kei couldn't help but sigh inwardly. "Idiots… all of them."
---
"I see a settlement ahead," Ayaka said quietly, her eyes narrowing. "What's the plan, Captain?"
Kenta's brow furrowed. "They've been pushed this far out. That says a lot about how despised they are. Can we really convince them?"
"Don't bother asking," Kei replied flatly. "We probably won't.
Prepare for both outcomes—if words fail, we fight.
But if their leader's worth anything, we talk."
Ayaka nodded reluctantly. "I'd rather not fight here. Still… do you really think we'll find someone with an active kekkei genkai?"
"Maybe," Kei said simply. "And that's all we need."
Her Byakugan could verify it quickly, and if not—well, Kei had a backup plan.
That plan had a name: Kaguya Kimimaro.
The last true heir of the Shikotsumyaku—Bone Release.
He was the only one worth Kei's attention.
---
"Daylight's fine," Kei said calmly. "We go in now.
If possible, we do this quietly. But make sure the clan head remembers our visit."
Ayaka and Kenta nodded.
The risk was enormous, but the potential impact made it worth it.
With Ayaka's Byakugan and Kenta's sealing techniques, stealth was their strong suit.
And though Kei's sensing wasn't great, his Sharingan more than compensated.
Besides, daylight had its advantages—no one expected an attack in broad view.
They slipped through the mist like phantoms, blending with the shifting light and fog.
Within minutes, they'd crossed into Kaguya territory.
Ayaka gestured sharply—three enemies ahead, two on the left, one on the right.
Kei nodded, splitting off silently with Kenta.
He chose the pair—because only he could eliminate multiple foes without killing them.
A faint shimmer of red flickered in the mist as his Sharingan spun to life.
The two Kaguya guards stiffened. Something was wrong.
One turned, eyes widening—then pain struck his neck, and his body went limp.
The second saw movement behind him—a masked shinobi, eyes glowing crimson like twin moons.
And then he saw nothing.
Kei's genjutsu shattered his will in an instant, and a simple nerve strike silenced him completely.
Crouching beside one unconscious guard, Kei pressed two fingers to the man's temple.
His Sharingan flared again.
A breath later, he was inside the man's mind.
What he found made his expression darken.
"...So it's true," he murmured. "They're already planning a coup."
Even rank-and-file members carried that same rebellious thought.
The clan wasn't considering rebellion—they were preparing for it.
Kei exhaled slowly.
So they're that far gone.
Strong unity, but suicidal pride—just like the Uchiha of old.
---
Reuniting with his teammates, he found Kenta had finished his part flawlessly.
Ayaka activated her Byakugan once more, scanning the path ahead.
Kei didn't explain what he'd seen. Not yet.
Instead, his mind turned over the possibilities.
The Kaguyas' downfall was inevitable—but usefulness before extinction was a principle he firmly believed in.
If they were going to destroy themselves, he might as well profit from it first.
---
They advanced deeper. Three more patrol groups fell silently, none raising an alarm.
The closer they drew to the clan leader's manor, the heavier the guard presence became—though their discipline was laughable.
Kei smirked behind his mask. "Their defenses are mostly for show."
It was almost disappointing.
If they'd been just a little more competent, even a genjutsu master would've had trouble breaching this deep.
But as it stood…
He inhaled quietly, forming hand seals in rapid succession.
"Ninjutsu — Temple of Nirvana Technique."
As his hands came together, soft white feathers began to drift down through the mist, beautiful and silent.
And as they touched the ground, one by one, the guards of the Kaguya clan began to fall—
slipping into an enchanted sleep.
The infiltration had begun in earnest.
The Temple of Nirvana Technique was not, by any measure, an extraordinary genjutsu.
Its original purpose had nothing to do with combat.
Developed for medical use, it was meant to ease the agony of the severely injured—lulling them into a painless sleep while medics worked to save their lives.
But on the battlefield, the same technique could become terrifyingly effective.
Kabuto Yakushi had once demonstrated its true potential: a simple, graceful jutsu that could drop entire squads into slumber before they even realized they were under attack.
Of course, the technique had its limitations.
Those with immense chakra or unwavering vigilance could easily resist it.
Unfortunately for the Kaguya clan's sentries, none of them fit that description.
Their bodies were strong, but their minds—arrogant, overconfident, unfocused—were wide open.
As the sky filled with softly drifting white feathers, one by one the guards began to yawn.
Within moments, the entire perimeter was sound asleep.
---
Deep within the compound, Kaguya Shigemitsu, current head of the Kaguya clan, sat cross-legged in his chamber, unaware that his defenses had already collapsed.
He had ruled the clan for many years now, though his rise to power had been anything but honorable.
When the previous heir—chosen and groomed for leadership—stood in his way, Shigemitsu killed him with his own hands.
That ruthless act granted him one undeniable qualification: strength.
And in the Kaguya clan, that was all that mattered.
The Mizukage and the elders had disapproved, of course.
They saw him as ambitious, unstable, and dangerous.
But none of them intervened.
Perhaps it was because of the chaos that plagued the Land of Water at the time—perhaps because Uchiha Madara's influence had already reached deep into its government.
Either way, no one stopped him.
And that silence gave birth to a monster.
Shigemitsu ruled his clan through fear and force.
Among a people who worshipped battle, he was both idol and tyrant.
And soon, his ambitions began to grow beyond the clan itself.
If he could seize power within the Kaguya through might…
then why not seize Kirigakure the same way?
Why not the entire Land of Water?
The thought festered in him for years.
When the Third Mizukage died, his restraint finally broke.
He began to gather followers, whispering promises of glory and dominance.
He believed the Kaguya were the strongest in the Mist.
They feared no death.
They fought until nothing was left.
And to him, that made them worthy of ruling.
Their exile from the village's center—their isolation—he saw not as shame, but proof of their superiority.
If the Mizukage's office in the heart of the village symbolized power…
then he would simply take it.
---
His plans had been in motion for months.
He had spent that time preparing the logistics of rebellion—supplies, weapons, recruitment.
Weapons were the most troublesome.
A large-scale purchase would draw suspicion.
Even he wasn't foolish enough to alert the Mizukage's forces before striking.
So he relied on black market contacts, searching for smugglers bold enough to arm a clan preparing for war.
Progress was slow, but not discouraging.
In fact, it thrilled him.
If the Land of Water's military power was so feared, then once he controlled it, that fear would belong to him.
---
That morning, Shigemitsu sat in his study, reviewing sketches of weapon schematics—mostly stolen from Kirigakure's own arsenal.
His clan was wealthy, not from trade, but from the brutal simplicity of their way of life.
They rarely bought anything.
If they wanted it, they took it.
He smirked to himself, lost in thought.
Until—
A chill ran down his spine.
His instincts screamed danger.
Slowly, he lifted his head.
And froze.
Before him stood three figures, each draped in black cloaks, faces hidden behind smooth, expressionless masks.
They hadn't made a sound.
Not even the whisper of a footstep.
The mist outside had thickened, silent as death.
Every guard in his compound lay slumped where they stood—peacefully asleep.
And now, in the center of his sanctum, stood intruders whose presence felt heavier than the air itself.
Shigemitsu's muscles tensed, his chakra flaring like a drawn blade.
"Who dares—"
But before he could finish, the figure in front—the one with crimson eyes glowing faintly through the mask—took a slow step forward.
"We're here to talk."
The calm, cold voice carried no threat—yet it silenced the room all the same.
The feathers outside continued to fall.
The entire Kaguya compound slumbered on, wrapped in an illusion of peace.
Only their leader remained awake—
face to face with the storm that had come for him.