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Several days later, Uchiha Tajima made a public announcement. In four months, he would leave Konoha and travel to the capital of the Land of Fire to meet with the daimyō.
The news quickly spread through every shinobi clan in the country!
For years, Konoha used its strength and mission system to take over almost every contract in the Land of Fire. Independent clans were pushed out, their income shrinking until many could barely support their people. Resentment grew, and the other clans waited for a chance to fight back and break Konoha's grip on the country.
Tajima's planned trip gave them that chance.
..............
A secret meeting took place inside a remote Six Paths Temple.
The Senju Clan had called the gathering. Aside from the Uchiha and Hyūga—who were already part of Konoha—every major clan in the Land of Fire sent their leader or a senior member.
The mood in the temple was tense.
Senju Butsuma stood on the raised platform, his face serious and his fists clenched.
"FELLOW CLAN LEADERS, KONOHA HAS SPENT YEARS DRIVING US INTO THE GROUND! THEY'VE TAKEN OUR CLIENTS, SEIZED THE MISSION MARKET, AND CUT OFF EVERY PATH WE HAVE TO SURVIVE!"
"If we allow this to continue, our clans will only grow weaker. Sooner or later, Konoha will swallow us whole."
His voice rang through the hall.
"Konoha destroyed our livelihoods. We have no choice but to fight back!"
"The village must be wiped out. That is the only way our clans can preserve their future!"
Angry murmurs spread through the temple.
The gathered clan heads had all suffered under Konoha's rise. Some had lost most of their contracts. Others could no longer afford weapons, food, or training resources for their younger generations.
One clan head slammed a hand against the table. "I propose that we form an anti-Konoha alliance at once. Every clan contributes troops—and together we attack the village!"
"Now is the perfect time... Tajima will soon leave for the capital. We can ambush him on the road and kill him before he returns." another elder said.
"At the same time, we send our best assassins into Konoha and eliminate First Elder Manji."
Quiet voices spread through the room. "But who could handle the assassination?"
"Manji is only an old administrator. He may be brilliant, but he isn't a fighter. I know someone who can kill him!!" someone answered.
That was all the encouragement the room needed.
Before long, the plan was settled.
One team of elite shinobi would ambush Tajima on his way to the capital. Another group of expendable assassins would sneak into Konoha to kill Manji.
If both leaders died—the village would lose its command and fall into chaos. The allied clans would then gather their full strength, march on Konoha, and wipe it from the Land of Fire.
..............
The Land of Waterfalls was a maze of marshes, rivers, and thick forest. Takigakure did not yet exist, leaving the country divided among several shinobi clans, each defending its own territory and interests.
Even this isolated land had begun to feel Konoha's growing reach. Clients who once hired the local clans now sent their missions across the border instead. Work dried up, trade slowed, and resentment toward Konoha spread with every lost contract.
"Kakuzu, this is your next assignment."
Inside an old clan stronghold, a white-haired elder walked up to a twelve-year-old boy and handed him a sealed mission scroll.
The boy had dark skin, defined features, and a stubborn look that showed he never backed down from anything.
His name was Kakuzu.
Kakuzu opened the scroll and read the mission. His eyes grew wide.
"Elder... you want me to assassinate Konoha's First Elder?"
"Yes." The elder nodded.
"There's nothing to fear. Everyone knows Manji is no fighter. Politics and strategy are his only weapons, and he has no powerful ninjutsu to protect himself. Slip past his guards, wait for an opening, and put a blade through his heart—"
Kakuzu read over the assignment in silence.
By the time he lowered the scroll, all hesitation had left his face.
"I'LL TAKE IT."
At twelve, Kakuzu was confident, ambitious, and desperate to prove himself. Killing one old man sounded simple enough. The real challenge would be slipping past Manji's guards.
Meanwhile, in his home in Konoha, Manji finished reading a report about the assassination plot.
He paused for a moment. Then he gave his order. "If an assassin is coming, open the defenses and let him through."
..............
A few days later, Kakuzu slipped into Konoha without facing any obstacles. He hid in the shadows of an alley and looked toward the distant Council Building.
"Pfft. So much for Konoha's famous security."
A faint sneer crossed his face.
"They let me walk straight into the village. All that remains is finding Manji and finishing the job." Kakuzu ran his hand over the short blade strapped to his forearm, then looked around the village again.
His sneer vanished.
Konoha was unlike any place he had seen before. The streets were wide and well-kept. Shops filled whole districts, merchants pushed carts full of goods, and crowds moved between restaurants, workshops, and market stalls.
Money seemed to flow through every street. Even the capital of the Land of Fire looked poor compared to this.
"..." Kakuzu stared at the commercial district, already thinking about numbers.
'How much money does this place make every day?' His eyes wandered to the Konoha Bank.
'A shop near that bank probably cost more to rent than an estate on Kikyō Pass...'
For a few seconds, he almost forgot about the assassination.
..............
Inside Manji's courtyard, a quiet pond reflected the afternoon sky.
Manji sat alone on a stone bench, fishing rod resting loosely in his hands. With a practiced cast, he sent the hook sailing across the water.
A shadow landed behind him without a sound.
Manji did not turn.
"Heh... I never thought the Great First Elder of Konoha would sit here without a single guard." Kakuzu's young voice sounded more confident than experienced. "You've made this much easier than it should have been..."
Manji opened his eyes.
"A child your age infiltrated Konoha alone to carry out an assassination. That takes courage, Kakuzu."
"..." Kakuzu frowned.
Manji had spoken his name without asking who he was. Worse, the old man showed no surprise. He sat by the pond as though he had been waiting for Kakuzu to arrive.
Something about this was wrong...
Kakuzu forced the doubt away—
"You won't live long enough for that knowledge to matter."
His hand snapped toward his forearm. Steel flashed as he drew the hidden short sword and drove it toward Manji's neck. The strike was fast, direct, and aimed to kill before the old man could call for help.
Manji remained seated. He did not flinch.
The blade stopped an inch from Manji's throat.
White-gold light burst from his body, swallowing the courtyard in a blinding flash.
"WHAT??" Kakuzu's eyes narrowed.
Before he could move back, an invisible force hit him head-on. He flew across the courtyard and hit the ground hard. Pain shot through his body, but when he tried to get up, nothing worked.
HIS CHAKRA NETWORK WAS LOCKED DOWN!!
Kakuzu tried to move, but his body refused to obey. His arms lay useless at his sides, his legs felt rooted to the ground, and even his fingers would not twitch. Sprawled across the stones, he could do nothing but watch.
The light faded.
Manji stayed by the pond, still holding his fishing rod.
The water had barely rippled...
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