Root. Otherwise known as the "Anbu Training Department."
Its founding purpose was to cultivate the most ideal ninjas for Konoha—those capable of walking through the darkest depths of the shinobi world.
Setting aside the fact that it would eventually become Shimura Danzo's "private army" due to his own ambitions, the department was currently fulfilling its original duty.
Those born of Root who were capable of executing field missions usually had to meet six fundamental requirements: to be colorless, formless, traceless, soundless, breathless, and odorless.
These "Six Nothings" were the foundation for every Root ninja—and indeed, for all traditional shinobi. They had to be practiced until they became instinctive, carved into the very soul. Only then could one maximize the success rate of missions during harsh and complex solo or squad operations.
The night was deep, and moonlight draped the earth.
The entirety of Kirigakure had fallen into a heavy silence. Households were bolted shut, leaving only the patrolling shinobi squads with their lanterns and the hidden sentries tucked away in dark corners. They watched over the seemingly eternal village with cold, quiet vigilance.
At the harbor docks, four figures dressed in dark, form-fitting tactical gear skimmed across the water. They leaped onto the shore using the pilings as leverage, moving with swift, silent strides. They navigated along the crevices of walls and the crossbeams of pavilions, weaving their way toward the western side of the Hidden Mist Village.
As they moved, they pressed their bodies against grey brick walls or balanced atop beams. Their right hands reached forward to feel the way, while their left hands gripped either the hilts of their tantō or the ninja tool pouches strapped to their lower backs. Moving in a specialized stance with their feet crossed in an X-shape, they glided through the enemy's blind spots. Even when forced to leave a mark, the tracks they left behind were not human footprints, but the subtle impressions of cat paws.
Soon, the four figures bypassed the heavily guarded dock area and arrived beneath a cluster of towering, circular buildings.
Only then did the four Root members breathe a sigh of relief and stop for a brief rest. However, as they transitioned out of their focused infiltration state, Yamato, Shin, and Terai looked toward Hyuga Yu with visible astonishment. It wasn't surprising for Root ninjas to master the "Six Nothings" of stealth—but Yu, a ninja who had come straight from the Academy, had not only kept pace with them the entire time but had also continuously pointed out the locations of Hidden Mist sentries. He had corrected their course and used hand signals to either halt the team or command a burst of speed...
In fact, Yu's mastery of stealth techniques seemed to surpass their own.
It was staggering.
However, the team didn't have time to dwell on it. Upon reaching the western side of Kirigakure, Shin immediately pulled a sheet of paper from his tool pouch. He quickly sketched a bird's-eye view of the village and used a red cinnabar brush to trace the route they had just taken.
Terai lowered his voice, pointing at the crude map. "The Kaguya Clan estate is located in a valley on the west side of the village."
"According to the intel provided by Lord Ryōma, Kaguya Washirō's residence is inside a pavilion at the center of the clan grounds."
"He usually returns home from his office in the Mizukage Building at 9:00 PM. The Kaguya patrol ninjas arrive at his residence at 9:30 PM, after which several men are stationed outside his door."
"In other words, we have a thirty-minute window to observe and assassinate him."
"The timing is generous, but..." Terai paused, turning his gaze toward his teammates before finally settling on Hyuga Yu. "Ten-Nin, what's the plan?"
Hyuga Yu rubbed his chin in thought. Although Kaguya Washirō was the former patriarch of the Kaguya Clan, he was now seventy-six years old. His strength had deteriorated significantly. On paper, he was likely on par with the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—somewhere between a Jonin and an Elite Jonin.
For the Kaguya Clan, who specialized in Taijutsu, the physical decline associated with age was particularly lethal.
Eliminating the target wouldn't be difficult given the composition of Yu's squad. Even the extraction wouldn't be an issue, considering they had the Byakugan for reconnaissance and the Super Beast Imitating Drawing for flight.
However, Yu couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about this mission.
Unable to find a specific flaw in the logic, Yu decided to proceed with the most conservative approach. He looked at his teammates and began delegating.
"First, we infiltrate the Kaguya grounds and take up positions near Washirō's residence."
"Shin, you stay outside the pavilion for early warning. If anything goes wrong, be ready to use your Super Beast Imitating Drawing to evacuate everyone."
"Terai, Kinoe, you two block the exits from the left and right. Act according to the situation."
"I will go in first to eliminate the target with poison."
Yu reached into the tool pouch at his waist and pulled out a bottle of high-purity poison. He had synthesized this substance back at the Root secret base. It was a colorless, odorless liquid. In the medical field, it was primarily used to treat insomnia, depression, and narcolepsy—but in higher doses, it caused loss of consciousness, a slowed heart rate, respiratory suppression, hallucinations, and eventual coma.
For an elderly man like Kaguya Washirō, it was a "lethal lullaby." One bottle and his legs would go stiff, stripping him of all ability to resist.
Terai and the others watched as Yu pulled out the concoction without changing his expression, casually stating his plan to poison the target. They exchanged glances, their eyes growing increasingly strange as they looked at Yu.
The same thought echoed in their minds: Wait, why are you so practiced at this?
Why does this rookie look more like a ruthless, unscrupulous Root ninja than the veterans?
The team moved out again, slipping into the Kaguya Clan estate within the valley.
After the previous infiltration, the squad's respect for their "parachuted-in" leader, Ten-Nin, had shifted. Their initial slight resistance to his hand-signaled orders had transformed into disciplined execution.
Before long, Hyuga Yu had slipped inside the pavilion at the heart of the Kaguya grounds. Between his Byakugan, his Byakugan: Invisibility Technique, and his natural talent for sensing the gaze of others, a stealth mission that would be incredibly difficult for an ordinary ninja felt like a stroll in the park for him.
He moved through the Kaguya estate with a leisurely, composed gait, encountering no obstacles. At one point, he even walked silently past several Kaguya clansmen on night watch. Because their gazes happened to be directed elsewhere, they failed to notice that someone had brazenly intruded right under their noses.
Once he saw that his three teammates had reached their designated positions, Yu turned his head calmly. He was now standing before the main door of Kaguya Washirō's manor. Reaching out, he used a Wind Style: Chakra Scalpel to probe the keyhole, shifting its shape until with a slight twist, the door clicked open.
He stepped into the massive courtyard, and the door behind him closed automatically under the manipulation of his Wind Style.
Yu activated his Byakugan, scanning the area to find the courtyard riddled with various trip-wire sensory barriers. Ignoring them entirely, he simply stepped forward.
A "friction-reduction film" formed beneath his soles. Rather than walking, he seemed to glide through the air. With two quick strides, he slid forward over fifty meters, entering the interior of the pavilion without triggering a single sensory seal.
The pavilion was empty. Not even the servant quarters common in such large estates showed any signs of life.
Yu slowly climbed to the second floor and reached Washirō's living quarters. He located the man's usual teapot and unscrewed the cap of the poison bottle. With a flick of his finger, the teapot lid rose automatically under the influence of a weak gravitational pull. Yu calmly poured the lethal drug into the pot and replaced the lid, leaving not a single trace of movement.
Then, he found a dark corner of the room and sat down, silently waiting for the target to appear.
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