When one speaks of the Hidden Leaf Village, first among the Five Great Shinobi Nations, what comes to most minds is not its overwhelming offensive prowess—but the sheer impenetrability of its defenses.
Take the Hokage Rock, for instance—its iconic cliff face bearing the faces of the village's leaders. Beyond being a monument of pride, the mountain served another, far more practical purpose. From the moment Konoha was founded, the massive rock wall guarding its rear flank was declared the village's first and most formidable natural barrier.
And once Konoha's population and territory reached capacity, it shifted focus toward solidifying its fortifications. Massive walls were built outward from the mountain, sealing the village in with towering ramparts—creating what the world now recognizes as Konoha's impenetrable ring of steel. Secret outposts, layered seals, and deadly traps were hidden throughout the area, leaving only the front gate as a safe and regulated point of entry.
Of course, that assumption only holds true if you're a civilian. For powerful shinobi? The traps and seals may be annoying, but the walls? At best, a minor inconvenience.
…
Let us now rewind time—back to the moment when a certain reserve guard captain disobeyed orders and left his post. While he slipped off to relieve himself in the forest…
…a small group of cloaked figures arrived in the overgrown, little-patrolled thickets brushing the outer wall.
They had deliberately avoided the village's main gate, circling wide to reach this overgrown and poorly-guarded patch of forest. Each of them wore thick, dark cloaks that concealed their forms, making their identities impossible to discern.
Upon arriving at the towering wall, their steps halted—but the oppressive tension that had followed them on their march now subtly lifted. Strangely, the sight of Konoha's infamous outer wall seemed to relieve them.
"So this is the great 'impenetrable wall' of the Leaf?"
A distorted voice rang out—neither distinctly male nor female. It oozed with mockery.
"If I hadn't seen it myself, I wouldn't have believed it. Pathetic. Cowards, the lot of them—like frightened sheep huddled behind their fences, praying the wolves won't come."
They turned to the figure at the head of the group, presumably the captain, and cackled.
"Well, it suits them, doesn't it? This is the same village that sold out the head of one of its own noble clans—just to avoid war with us. Their strength must've died with the Third Shinobi World War. Don't you agree, Captain?"
A pause. Then a low chuckle.
"Hah… not entirely wrong," the leader replied, unbothered. "But at least they had the sense to avoid a fight. Unlike that bunch of weaklings we wiped out last time."
"Wiped out?" The voice cackled again. "Come now, let's not pat ourselves on the back too hard. Sure, we got a corpse, but it wasn't even the one we wanted. We were supposed to get Hyuga Hiashi. Instead, we got his brother's body—and even that was stolen from us en route."
The moment those two critical phrases—"sold out the clan head" and "refused war"—were spoken aloud, the identity of the intruders became unmistakable.
They were from the Hidden Cloud Village.
The same village that, over a year ago, had attempted to kidnap Hyuga Hinata.
The same village that, after failing, demanded Hiashi's life in exchange for peace—
…only to be outmaneuvered by Konoha in a ruse that saved him.
"Still," another voice chimed in, "we've got the Raikage. We've got Killer B. Two unstoppable forces, brothers in arms. And what does Konoha have now? No more Yellow Flash. No more fully trained Jinchūriki. Just a brat with whiskers who's probably still wetting the bed."
[Minato Namikaze: "…Unstoppable? Let's pretend I didn't hear that. 😑"]
The leader smirked behind his hood but said nothing. He was gathering his thoughts.
"In other words," he concluded, "Konoha's glittering surface is just a shell. Their strength is gone. Their walls—merely ornamental. They no longer have what it takes to oppose us."
"Tch. All that for nothing," muttered the earlier speaker. "We sacrificed men to get Hiashi's corpse, only to lose it. And that report… that ridiculous report claiming they were intercepted by the Yellow Flash? He's been dead for years. Lies, the lot of it."
This time, the captain's mood shifted.
"That's enough," he said sharply. "They died for the village. Their honor is not yours to mock."
"What? But I'm not wrong! They were failures—"
"I said shut up!" the captain snapped.
The team member reeled back in disbelief. "Y-You dare shout at me? Do you know who my father is?!"
The captain's eyes narrowed behind the cloak. Of course I do, you spoiled little freak. If not for that elder's orders and those so-called 'benefits,' I would've left your ass behind.
He glanced nervously to the side—at a silent, kneeling operative performing a long ritual on the forest floor. Only once he confirmed the operative was undisturbed did he relax slightly.
He turned back and barked at the brat. "If you don't like how I lead, go home. Walk back to the village yourself. Now."
"You—! How dare—! I'll have my father—!"
But then he followed the captain's glance… and saw the kneeling figure. The one known only as Three.
And just like that, the brat fell silent. He clamped his mouth shut, eyes wide with fear. He understood.
Three was not to be crossed.
After all, there were… stories. People who disrespected Three rarely returned from missions. And when they did, it was often in pieces.
Good, the captain thought. Maybe now he'll shut up for a while…
He turned. "Three. Are we clear?"
Three stood slowly. "All traps and seals along this vector have been disabled. Just like the intel from Akatsuki said."
"Then we move."
Three's ritual had been a large-scale sensory technique—one that took time to prepare, but offered precise data over a wide range. Infiltration missions like this were exactly where it shined. Even the brat—loud and arrogant as he was—knew better than to challenge Three. Not when Three could feed him false intel and walk away clean.
"U-Uh… so the wall's… not really an issue then?" the brat mumbled.
"…No," Three replied simply.
"O-Oh. Great…"
The captain smirked but said nothing. He wouldn't defend the brat—nor would he punish Three. Balance, after all, had to be kept. Especially when your own life depended on both of them.
"Enough chatter," he finally said. "We're on the same rope now. Save the drama for after we succeed."
He turned to the squad, his tone shifting to a crisp, commanding cadence.
"Our mission is to retrieve Hyuga Hinata, youngest heir of the Hyuga Clan's Main Branch. Based on intelligence, today is the Leaf's entrance exam day—their guard rotations will be lax. The Hyuga, being arrogant isolationists, have little rapport with other clans. If something happens, help will be delayed—if it arrives at all."
"In short, avoid Hiashi. Secure Hinata. Bring her back to the Hidden Cloud. From her, we will unlock the secrets of the Byakugan."
"…Wait. Unlock the bloodline? How do you plan to do that?"
The brat's eyes sparkled with sick excitement. "Easy. She's a girl, right?"
He rubbed his hands together lewdly. "All we need is to keep her breeding. Doesn't matter if the father's an outsider—if she pops out enough kids, some will inherit the Byakugan. Much better than stealing one pair of eyes."
The captain didn't even bother hiding his own vile grin. "Exactly. With careful conditioning, she'll be ours. And soon… we won't need the Leaf's Hyuga at all. We'll have our own."
But what they couldn't possibly know was…
Hinata wasn't alone today. She was being cradled—literally—in the arms of someone stronger than even Hiashi. Someone possessive. Dangerous.
Someone who wouldn't just destroy them…
He'd make an example out of them.