The murderer wasn't trying to cover their tracks—they were openly provoking the authorities.
Was this the act of a foreign spy?
Reports would be submitted to the village leaders, who would decide within the hour.
Itachi exchanged a glance with Shisui.
The latter gave a bitter smile, as if to say:
Itachi, now you understand more clearly the tensions between our clan and the village.
In the crowd, Naruto turned on his heel.
Despite all the analysis, no one suspected him.
Of course—who would ever think a child could do something like this?
It was a blind spot in the logic of seasoned shinobi.
— a flaw I exploited.
"First live test successful..." Naruto thought.
"Next time, it'll be against a real ninja."
…
The next morning.
The sun rose as usual.
After a late-night meeting, Konoha's top officials ordered increased ANBU patrols.
As for the Uchiha clan, they were tasked with tracking down suspicious individuals at daybreak.
Without a doubt, this strict crackdown would stir unrest among the citizens, sparking complaints and resentment.
It would only worsen the public's view of the Uchiha.
Konoha's leadership used the Uchiha as scapegoats, turning the villagers against the clan.
In the end, it would only deepen the animosity and isolate the Uchiha even further.
To Naruto, this heightened state of vigilance meant incidents like last night's would become rare.
But would it affect Hinata's upcoming abduction?
This, too, was an experiment.
After all, going up against the head of Kumo's ninja forces posed a serious risk.
That Kumo ninja commander was the equivalent of Konoha's jonin commander—
the very position held by Shikaku Nara, Shikamaru's father.
The difference?
Konoha had only one jonin commander, while Kumo had several.
Each one had at least jonin-level strength.
If Naruto could leverage the power of the village to stop Hinata's abduction, he would be glad to.
But he also knew not to put all his eggs in one basket.
Relying on luck was a mistake.
To avoid any surprises, he had to keep growing stronger.
The only problem…
After using the Tailed Beast Cloak mode the night before, that part of his body was once again painfully tense.
So then… who would he ask for help this time?