Chapter 11: The Battle Is About to Begin
In the Hokage's Tower Office
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Professor of Ninjutsu,
Sat on his Hokage seat, leisurely skimming through reports as usual.
"You may enter."
Before long, an ANBU entered through the window.
He knelt on one knee.
And spoke in a neutral, respectful tone.
"Hokage-sama, there is urgent news regarding Uchiha Kenzo."
Upon hearing that name,
The Hokage's previously relaxed demeanor vanished.
It was immediately replaced by a sharp, focused look.
"Speak," Hiruzen commanded.
The ANBU nodded and began.
"This morning, we observed him taking most of his belongings and supplies from his home. After that, he heavily resupplied at a ninja shop."
"Following the resupply, he went to the mission hall."
Upon hearing this, Hiruzen's brows furrowed deeply. A heavy frown and clear puzzlement appeared on his face.
He couldn't understand this behavior at all.
Why would he take a mission from the mission hall?
Didn't he notice the surveillance on him?
Hiruzen fell into deep thought. After a moment, he took out his trusty old pipe and lit the tobacco.
Taking a long puff, he allowed the smoke to slowly fill the stale room.
He sank into even deeper contemplation.
With his intelligence, shouldn't he know that once he left the village, he would certainly be hunted down?
Even if he somehow survived the ambush by a miracle,
He would immediately become a target for all Five Great Shinobi Nations because of his bloodline alone.
From that point onward, he would have to live in constant hiding.
How would he grow stronger under such pressure?
Didn't he realize this?
Had he misjudged this child?
Hiruzen's brows tightened further.
He took another slow puff.
His thoughts drifted back to that boy's deep, abyss-like eyes.
No.
Hiruzen extinguished that thought immediately.
With eyes like those, he refused to believe the boy was foolish.
There had to be a deeper reason.
A reason they were unaware of.
And that made the situation even more dangerous.
A trace of caution and concern flashed through Hiruzen's aged eyes.
"You are dismissed."
With a simple wave of his hand, the ANBU vanished silently from the Hokage's office.
Hiruzen inhaled deeply before speaking in a steady, low voice.
"Tell him to make absolutely certain the mission is completed."
"Send more than one squad."
In a dark corner, a shadow shifted.
Danzo might not fully grasp the danger of that child.
But Hiruzen did.
He had to ensure the boy died.
Because if that child awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and was given time to mature—
Who knew how much chaos he could bring?
Hiruzen turned his gaze toward the window of the Hokage Tower.
An inexplicable unease weighed on his chest.
He released a long, weary sigh.
"Hopefully this does not create unforeseen variables for the village…"
He murmured quietly, fatigue evident in his voice.
⸻
Meanwhile…
In the mission hall,
Kenzo was already searching for a suitable mission.
After some time, he selected a standard border patrol mission.
He accepted it without hesitation.
In truth, it did not matter which mission he chose.
He intended to defect regardless.
He handed the request to the clerk casually.
The clerk recited the usual procedural lines and, with practiced efficiency, provided the full mission details.
Kenzo gave the document a brief, indifferent glance—
Then dismissed it entirely.
He did not even bother pretending to read it carefully.
Moments later, he vanished in a Body Flicker.
After some walking, he arrived at the village gates.
The gate guards—
Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane—
Did not question him.
They already knew who he was from before.
Without interruption,
Kenzo stepped beyond the gates of the village.
He paused briefly, inhaling the scent of the outside world once more.
Then he slowly made his way toward the forest.
By now, he could clearly sense how many silhouettes were following him in secret.
A wide, unrestrained grin spread across his face.
He did not care whether anyone noticed.
Let the battle begin, Kenzo thought, a flicker of excitement rising within him.
He continued walking deeper into the forest, his pace steady and unhurried. To any other observer, he looked like a normal shinobi carrying out his mission.
The trees gradually thickened. The village had long since faded behind him.
It seemed as if only he remained in the silent forest.
But it was too silent.
Kenzo's eyes shifted slightly, scanning the area without moving his head.
Three were behind him. Two to the right.
And one up ahead.
Their chakra signatures were carefully masked. No ordinary shinobi would ever notice them.
But he did.
He stepped into a small clearing and finally came to a halt.
For a single moment, nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
The earth beneath him shattered.
Jagged stone spikes burst upward in a violent surge, aiming to split him apart from below.
Kenzo vanished instantly with a Body Flicker.
His reaction speed was incredibly impressive.
He reappeared several meters away, landing lightly atop a tree branch. Glancing briefly at the stone spikes below, he realized that if his reaction had been even slightly slower — if his guard had been down — he would surely be dead by now.
Before he could even take a full breath, a masked figure emerged behind him mid-air, blade descending toward his neck in absolute silence.
Kenzo tilted his head at the very last possible second.
The blade sliced through several strands of his black hair.
That was far too close for his liking.
He twisted his body and drove his elbow backward toward the attacker's chest.
The impact landed solidly against the masked figure's ribs, forcing him to disengage temporarily.
But Kenzo couldn't take even a short pause.
A sharp whistle cut through the air at lightning speed.
"Wind Release: Vacuum Blade."
A compressed blade of air tore through the branch and rushed straight toward him.
Kenzo dropped instantly, flipping mid-air before landing smoothly on the forest floor.
The moment his feet touched the ground, two more masked figures rushed him from opposite directions.
Both in perfect synchronization.
One aimed low for his legs.
The other thrust his blade toward his throat.
In a single instant, his Sharingan spun to life.
The world slowed.
He stepped aside from the low strike and, with breakneck speed, caught the wrist of the attacker aiming for his throat. With terrifying force, he redirected the blade toward the man's own teammate.
Before the attacker could properly react—
Kenzo shifted his gaze and looked directly into his eyes.
The three tomoe spun coldly.
In less than a fraction of a second, the shinobi was caught in a genjutsu.
His perception distorted.
With a sickening motion, his own blade completed its redirected path.
His head was severed by his teammate's weapon.
Silence fell for half a heartbeat.
Then Kenzo disappeared again.
He reappeared atop another tree branch, gaze calm and calculating.
He could now properly judge their level.
One Jōnin.
Three elite Chūnin.
And the battle had only just begun.