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"Our Hidden Leaf Village may not appear heavily guarded on the surface," Sarutobi Asuma began, his voice calm yet firm, "but that's just a deception."
"In reality, every key entrance and exit is closely monitored by the Anbu. It's not just anyone who can walk in."
He glanced around at the group with a confident smirk. "I'm sure you're all familiar with the Anbu."
"Now think: who could possibly sneak past them?"
Asuma leaned in slightly, his expression growing more smug.
"What most of you don't know," he continued, chuckling, "is that the Hidden Leaf Village has long been protected by an invisible barrier."
"This barrier is transparent and undetectable to the naked eye. We don't notice it during day-to-day life. But as long as you're a resident of the village, it won't react to your presence."
"However," he added, his tone darkening, "if a foreigner attempts to enter… it triggers a silent alarm. The Hokage and the Anbu are alerted instantly—and they strike back without hesitation."
"How could an intruder possibly bypass that?"
He laughed again, this time with a touch of ridicule in his gaze as it fell on Uchiha Haru.
Finally caught you in a lie, kid.
Gekko clapped his hands with a smirk. "As expected of the Hokage's son. You really know your stuff."
"If it weren't for you, we'd all be fooled."
Might Guy, Uzuki Yugao, and Yuhi Kurenai looked uncertain, glancing toward Haru.
But Haru didn't waste time arguing.
Hinata was in danger.
If he stayed to explain, she might already be lost beyond Konoha's borders.
In a blur, he vanished with a Body Flicker Technique.
"Wait for me!" Might Guy yelled, immediately following.
For reasons he couldn't quite explain, he trusted Haru more than Asuma.
Uzuki Yugao and Yuhi Kurenai exchanged glances.
"We're going too," Kurenai said. "If it turns out to be nothing, fine. But if something's wrong, we're backup."
The two kunoichi took off after them.
Sarutobi Asuma and Hayate Gekkō had no choice but to give chase as well.
Beneath the pale moonlight, six figures raced through the trees.
At the front was Uchiha Haru, moving like a shadow.
Close behind him was Might Guy, with Kurenai, Yugao, Asuma, and Hayate further back.
At first, they all kept pace reasonably well.
But gradually, only Might Guy could still follow Haru's trail.
And even he was falling behind.
No matter how hard Guy pushed himself, the gap kept growing.
Eventually, Haru was gone from view.
Unbelievable.
Might Guy was no slouch—his taijutsu rivaled even Kakashi Hatake's.
And yet…
He'd been left in the dust.
Asuma and Hayate were equally stunned. They knew better than anyone how strong Guy was. And now they saw with their own eyes—
Uchiha Haru had surpassed that level.
Meanwhile, Haru used the Body Flicker at full capacity, rapidly gaining on the fleeing figure.
The intruder was masked and cloaked in black, cradling Hinata in his arms.
The moment he sensed pursuit, the enemy didn't hesitate.
"Lightning Release: Thunder Ball!"
A sphere crackling with electric energy roared through the air, speeding straight toward Haru.
Lightning is the fastest of the natural elements, difficult to see, impossible to dodge at close range.
BOOM!
The sphere struck Haru dead-on, erupting in a blinding explosion.
A crater formed at the impact site, smoke and dust billowing into the sky.
"Hmph. Fool."
The masked man sneered and turned to flee again. The blast had made quite a noise—someone would be coming.
He needed to get out fast.
Just as he was about to move, his body froze.
He couldn't move.
Every limb locked up.
He looked down, heart sinking.
Chains of chakra were wrapped around his body, binding him tightly to a nearby tree.
Before him stood Uchiha Haru, completely unscathed.
"Impossible…" the man gasped. "That attack hit you!"
His eyes widened in horror.
"It was a genjutsu… I've trapped him in it since the beginning!"
Haru's face was unreadable.
This wasn't a victory to celebrate. The enemy wasn't even worth the effort.
Based on Konoha's power scale, this intruder was only elite jonin-level.
Haru hadn't even needed to use a single trump card.
He calmly stepped forward and pulled off the intruder's mask.
The man's face was unfamiliar.
But the forehead protector told Haru everything he needed to know:
The symbol of the Hidden Cloud Village.
"You're a diplomat from the Hidden Cloud?" Haru asked coldly.
The man sneered back. "Now that you know, let me go."
"Do you want to start a war between our nations?"
Even in defeat, the Cloud envoy was arrogant and defiant.
Haru didn't answer.
But in his mind, memories stirred.
In the original timeline, there had been a similar incident.
Hinata was kidnapped by a Cloud diplomat. Hyuga Hiashi, her father, killed the abductor.
In retaliation, the Hidden Cloud demanded Hiashi's corpse—claiming the diplomat had been murdered unlawfully.
They wanted the Byakugan.
To avoid war, Konoha offered up Hyuga Hizashi, Hiashi's twin brother, as a scapegoat.
How pathetic.
The Third Hokage had bent over backwards to avoid conflict, even sacrificing one of their own.
The Cloud dared demand justice after attempting to kidnap a child?
Peace achieved through groveling is not peace at all.
Looking at the defiant envoy now, Haru felt only contempt.
The so-called "risk of war" didn't faze him in the slightest.
In fact… wouldn't killing him make things interesting?
The smile that spread across Haru's face sent a chill down the man's spine.
His confidence shattered.
The killing intent he felt wasn't a bluff—it was pure, cold, and real.
"You… you… don't! You can't kill me!" the envoy stammered, finally panicked. "I'm a diplomat! You'll bring war upon yourself!"
His eyes darted around desperately.
But Haru didn't hesitate.
Thunk.
A kunai flew from his hand like a whisper in the night.
Squelch.
It sank deep into the envoy's throat.
Blood sprayed from the wound.
He gagged and choked, blood foaming at his lips. His mouth moved, trying to speak—but no sound came out.
Moments later, his head slumped forward.
He was dead.
Haru calmly stepped forward, plucked Hinata from the ground, and carried her gently in his arms.
As the others closed in from the distance, he stood still beneath the moonlight, surrounded by silence, broken only by the rustle of leaves and the drip of blood.
The Hidden Cloud's game had ended before it even began.
And the cost would be steep.
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This Week Bonus Chapter - 200 Power stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 400 Power Stones
3rd Bonus Chapter - 600 Power Stones
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Love the story and can't wait to see what happens next?
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Thank you for reading, and I truly appreciate your support! 💖
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