Inside the Land of Water, Kakashi led his ANBU squad in rapid movement.
They were now fully disguised as Sunagakure ANBU — not through a simple Transformation Jutsu, but by physically changing into matching gear and uniforms.
A basic transformation could easily be exposed by a sensory ninja. And considering their destination was the entrance checkpoint to Kirigakure, assuming there wasn't a sensor stationed there would be foolish.
Kakashi, having worked under Hikaru for a long time, understood exactly how terrifying a capable sensory ninja could be.
He wasn't about to take chances.
Rather than rely on chakra-based disguises, they used actual equipment from ANBU storage — captured or archived Sunagakure gear intended precisely for infiltration missions like this.
They moved quickly. Even with the Land of Water's thick mist swirling endlessly around them, nothing slowed their advance.
At the center of the formation walked Pakura in silence.
Her role now was simple:
Witness.
Witness whether everything matched the intelligence Hikaru had shown her.
The emotional struggle inside her had mostly burned itself out. After her conversation with Kakashi upon landing, she had already accepted the reality of her situation.
More importantly—
There was no going back.
Rasa had decided her life was expendable for political leverage. Even if she returned and exposed the plot, the truth would only destabilize Sunagakure further — and Konoha, fully aware of the situation, would not hesitate to weaponize that chaos if she refused cooperation.
Worse still, defying the Kazekage's order meant defying the authority of the village itself.
And in the shinobi world, authority always protected itself.
At best, she'd be branded a traitor.
At worst, executed.
From the moment she accepted the mission, her fate as a "living" shinobi of Sunagakure had ended.
She was already dead.
That realization left a hollow ache in her chest.
"We're close," Kakashi murmured. "Ready?"
Pakura snapped back to the present. His tone was steady, professional.
"I know what I'm doing," she replied calmly. "I won't make mistakes."
Kakashi didn't respond immediately. He studied her expression, confirming her resolve, then nodded.
He handed her a sealed scroll.
"Open it. Wear what's inside."
Pakura raised an eyebrow. "That cautious? Afraid I'll actually die?"
"You'll have defensive measures," Kakashi said evenly. "But what matters is that they believe you're dead. Everything afterward is our responsibility."
"Another one of Nightingale's plans?" she asked.
Kakashi's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Yes."
Pakura broke the seal.
A standard Sunagakure uniform unfolded into her hands — subtly reinforced. Protective layering, concealed chakra threads. Enough to prevent fatal damage without ruining the illusion.
So they really were investing in her survival.
Or perhaps… her bloodline.
She slipped it on without another word.
Ahead, the mist thickened.
The entrance pass into Kirigakure territory came into view.
Time to confirm the truth.
Pakura accelerated, leaving Kakashi's squad behind.
The ANBU dispersed instantly, vanishing into concealed positions to support the operation.
Kakashi prepared the corpse-seal scroll — ready to switch her "body" the moment the deception succeeded.
Pakura slowed as she crossed deeper into the fog. The atmosphere grew heavier, as if the land itself held its breath.
"Who goes there?" she called.
A Kirigakure ninja emerged from the mist, smiling politely.
"Pakura of Sunagakure, correct?" he asked.
"That's me."
"Excellent. I've been sent to escort you."
Pakura exhaled as if relieved. "It's just a pass through a valley. I wouldn't get lost."
"Of course," the mist ninja chuckled awkwardly. Then his tone hardened — almost imperceptibly.
He stepped to her side.
"After you."
Pakura nodded and moved forward.
The next instant—
Cold steel drove upward beneath her ribs.
Precise.
Efficient.
Lethal.
Exactly how a shinobi execution should be.
Moonlight filtered through tangled branches.
In that fractured silver glow, Senju Hikaru moved alone through the forest.
This leg of the mission was his.
The four Senju operatives remained behind to guard the captured Kumogakure ANBU. With their chakra sealed, escape was impossible — Hikaru's sealing techniques, empowered by his system-derived foundation, left no room for resistance.
He'd grown increasingly fascinated by sealing arts.
Even at a basic level, they were absurdly practical — rule-binding techniques disguised as support skills. The true ceiling of the discipline remained terrifyingly high.
His attention shifted.
Ahead lay the cave.
His sensory field expanded outward, brushing through the cavern's interior.
Animals. Residual chakra. Blood.
A lot of blood.
But no living humans.
Hikaru entered carefully.
The stench hit immediately — thick, metallic, suffocating.
This wasn't the aftermath of a simple killing.
This was ritual slaughter.
Stone statues lined the walls — vaguely reminiscent of religious figures, yet twisted into grotesque expressions more fitting for demons than gods.
At the center of the cave floor lay a symbol drawn in dried blood:
A circle.
Inside it, a triangle.
Hikaru crouched, studying it.
Residual sealing principles lingered — not defensive, not explosive, but structural.
A rule-binding formation.
A ritual framework.
His memory clicked.
So the Kumogakure intel was accurate.
He'd found the place.
Just then—
His senses flared.
Two approaching signatures.
Hikaru stepped back toward the cave entrance.
A middle-aged man emerged first — chakra dense, unstable.
Beside him walked a silver-haired boy, eyes bright with unsettling fanaticism.
Recognition struck instantly.
Hidan.
Younger than expected… but unmistakable.
The older man's gaze sharpened.
"ANBU," he said flatly. "Konoha."
Hikaru stood relaxed.
"You weren't exactly subtle," he replied.
The man's smile thinned.
"So the great villages finally noticed us."
"Hard not to," Hikaru said. "Blood rituals tend to draw attention."
The man's expression darkened.
"And you came alone?"
Hikaru tilted his head slightly.
"For people like you?"
A quiet beat.
His voice dropped.
"I don't need anyone else."
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