Under the cover of night, Hyuga Gakuya silently unraveled the sealing jutsu protecting Mount Katsuragi, manipulating four rogue clones to slip unnoticed into the courtyard at the mountaintop.
Only three people lived here—Utakata, Hotaru, and an old servant named Tonbei.
Gakuya split the four clones into three groups, each assigned to investigate one of the three rooms.
Due to years of being hunted, Utakata had developed an acute sense of vigilance. Even after settling here for some time, he kept traps meticulously laid out around his room.
Under Gakuya's control, the leader of the rogues deliberately triggered one of the hallway traps.
In an instant, a hail of kunai shot out from all directions—easily blocked by the clone.
Utakata jolted awake, grabbing the blowpipe beside his pillow and launching a barrage of soap bubbles into the air. They drifted through the courtyard before erupting all at once, a mist of steam exploding outward.
The rogue leader darted backward through the haze, retreating as the attack failed to do him any real harm.
But just as he was about to exit the courtyard, he felt his body grow heavy. The bubbles had been laced with a special sticky substance, slowing him down.
At the same time, Utakata vanished into the shadows using a concealment jutsu. Silently, he crept toward the rogue leader, preparing to strike a fatal blow.
Sensing the threat, Gakuya focused his chakra, maneuvering the rogue leader left and right to dodge a sudden flurry of kunai before leaping onto the rooftop.
The rogue narrowed his eyes. "A shinobi? Didn't expect to find one here."
Utakata didn't pursue. Instead, he stood below, glaring at the figure above.
"Who are you? Since when did Kirigakure's ANBU start dressing like that?"
The rogue leader sneered. "We're not here for you. Stay out of our way and you won't get hurt. Interfere, and we'll have to kill you too—all for Obito-sama's mission."
Gakuya, as always, shifted the blame to Obito.
"Uchiha Obito?" Utakata silently repeated the name. Of course he knew it—Obito, the Konoha defector who controlled the Mizukage, was infamous across the shinobi world.
If they weren't here for him, then their target had to be Hotaru. It clearly wasn't the old servant, Tonbei.
Just then, faint sounds of battle echoed from the distance—brief but enough to confirm Utakata's suspicion.
Though cold by nature, his instincts told him to avoid unnecessary trouble. He considered taking the rogue's advice and leaving. He blew a giant bubble, climbed inside, and prepared to drift away.
But before he could leave, the other three rogue clones appeared on the rooftop. Two of them carried someone over their shoulders—Hotaru and Tonbei.
"Nothing to do with you anymore. Scram." The leader waved Utakata off dismissively.
Yet Utakata froze at the sight.
His mind told him these men were dangerous and he should leave immediately. But for some reason... he couldn't make himself turn away.
"Expose their backs."
The rogue leader ignored Utakata and gave his next order. The two rogues carrying the captives pulled open the clothing on their backs.
On Hotaru's back was a mess of scars—and embedded deep within the wounds was a jet-black gemstone.
The leader's face lit up with glee. "Hahaha! That's it! The Fury—an ancient secret jutsu said to annihilate everything within a hundred-mile radius! Obito-sama's ultimate weapon!"
The words were clearly meant for Utakata. "Weapon"—a word that every Jinchūriki knows all too well. Every village saw them that way.
It was a calculated move to provoke Utakata's sympathy.
Utakata's grip on his blowpipe tightened. For reasons he couldn't explain, rage was rising within him.
He had grown fond of the girl during their time together—though his naturally cold personality blinded him to it until now.
One of the rogues licked his lips as he looked at Hotaru.
"This beauty's for Obito-sama, but... can't we have a little fun first?"
"Hahaha! As long as you don't break her, go ahead. I don't believe in wasting resources. Just form a line behind me when I'm done," the leader laughed crudely.
"Thanks, Boss!" the other three replied eagerly.
Tonbei, the old servant, was tossed carelessly to the ground. Barely conscious, he opened his eyes and croaked out a plea to Utakata: "Please... take Hotaru... find the shinobi of Konohagakure..."
The Tsuchigumo clan was an ally of Konoha, and protecting its members was part of Konoha's shinobi code.
No man could endure this without exploding. Utakata could no longer suppress his fury.
With a flash of movement, he appeared before the rogue holding Hotaru and drove a vicious kick into his gut.
The man was caught completely off guard, sent flying. Utakata caught the unconscious Hotaru mid-air and placed her gently into the bubble he had prepared earlier, sealing her safely behind him.
The other two rogues lunged at him with taijutsu attacks.
Utakata weaved through their strikes and retaliated with a torrent of soap bubbles from his blowpipe. Upon contact, they exploded with concussive force, pushing the enemies back.
The three rogues were about to charge again, but the leader held up a hand to stop them. He licked his lips. "Getting desperate, huh? That girl... she must be your girlfriend. She is pretty. I think I'll make you watch while we take her."
"Yeah, let him watch," the others jeered with more disgusting comments.
Utakata's rage reached new heights.
Gakuya, still controlling the four, continued provoking Utakata deliberately. He needed Utakata to lose control—to enter his Tailed Beast state.
In the original history, Utakata had already begun to harness some of the beast's power, capable of entering the Tailed Beast Cloak state.
Gakuya intended to push him further—to stir chaos and draw in the key players.
Utakata's eyes were cold, deadly. Even he didn't understand why he was this angry.
He took a deep breath, and chakra surged within his body.
"So you've chosen death," the rogue leader snapped.
The three rogues charged.
Utakata dodged with lightning-fast reflexes, countering with explosive bubbles that burst like cannonballs against the enemy.
But the rogues shrugged off the attacks easily. They had been strengthened by Hero Water—the standard tricks wouldn't work.
At Gakuya's command, the four formed a formation and launched a combined ninjutsu—Lightning Flash Formation.
A sudden burst of electricity lit up the night, surrounding Utakata in a web of blinding light. Lightning tore through every inch of his body.
"AAAAHHH!" Utakata howled in agony. Without drawing on his Tailed Beast's power, he stood no chance against these elite jonin-level opponents.
Meanwhile, still sealed inside the protective bubble, Hotaru stirred from her unconsciousness. She beat her fists against the bubble's walls, shouting,
"Let me out! Let me help him!"
A pair of desperate lovers—separated in the face of overwhelming danger.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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