Chapter 124: The Ghost in the Lion's Den
The air in the Uchiha District had a specific, metallic tang—a mixture of whetstones, charcoal, and the static of a thousand active Sharingan. Usually, the district was a fortress of surveillance, but tonight, the shadows seemed to stretch and twist in ways that defied the laws of physics.
In the center of the Uchiha main hall, Fugaku sat alone. He wasn't meditating; he was waiting. The candle on the low table flickered once, the flame turning a strange, bioluminescent green for a fraction of a second, and then the space in front of him simply... folded.
There was no sound. No displacement of air. One moment the room was empty; the next, two figures stood in the candlelight.
Fugaku's hand went instinctively to the hilt of his tachi, his Sharingan spinning into life. He froze.
"A little jumpy tonight, aren't we, Fugaku?"
Rimon Uzumaki stood there, looking remarkably casual for a man who had just committed high-stakes infiltration into a Hidden Village. Beside him, dressed in the silver-lined fabrics of the Whirlpool, was a boy who shouldn't exist.
"Nawaki," Fugaku breathed, his eyes widening. He had seen the official reports. He had seen the "remains" brought back by the recovery teams. Seeing the boy standing there—his skin healthy, his eyes glowing with a strange emerald ring—was like seeing a crack in the universe itself.
"The reports of my death were... slightly exaggerated," Nawaki said, his voice steadier than Fugaku remembered. There was a new weight to his presence, a grounded power that felt like the roots of a mountain.
"Efficiency is the soul of a good heist," Rimon said, pulling a small, translucent map from his sleeve and laying it on the table. It wasn't paper; it was a localized holographic seal that projected a 3D layout of the Konoha borders. "We don't have long. The Root's sensory net pulses every ten minutes. I've dampened this room, but Danzo's dogs have a nose for Senju chakra."
Fugaku leaned over the map, his mind racing. "The Hyuga are ready. Hizashi is taking twenty-one of the Branch house. I have fifty civilians prepared to move through the Southern gate. But the patrols—"
"The patrols won't see a thing," Rimon interrupted, his finger tracing a line on the map. "Nawaki isn't just here for the reunion. He's the bridge. Using the Verdant Crown Seal, he can tap into the root system of the forest surrounding the village. He will create a 'Silent Corridor.' As your people move, the trees themselves will mask their heat signatures and muffle their footsteps. Nature itself will lie for us."
Nawaki nodded, his hands forming a single, effortless seal. "I can hold the corridor for six hours. That's enough time to get both groups to the coast. Once you hit the salt spray, the Flying Thunder God markers I've placed on the cliffs will trigger. You won't have to sail; you'll be 'pulled' into Uzushio's harbor."
Fugaku looked from the boy to Rimon. "And the 'Cloud' skirmish for the Hyuga? If it's not convincing, Hiruzen will send the Sannin after us."
"That's where the science comes in," Rimon smirked, tossing a small, jagged piece of dark metal onto the table. "This is a Resonance Shard. When Hizashi reaches the extraction point, he'll detonates this. it mimics the exact chakra frequency of a Raikage-level Lightning Release. It will burn the 'Caged Bird' signatures out of the air, leaving nothing but the scent of ozone and the 'proof' of a total annihilation."
Fugaku felt a chill. This wasn't just a rescue; it was a surgical removal of Konoha's foundation.
"You're stealing the eyes and the heart of this village," Fugaku whispered.
"I'm not stealing anything, Fugaku," Rimon replied, his eyes cold and regal. "I'm just reclaiming assets that the Leaf forgot how to value. You have forty-eight hours. Pack light. Tell your people to leave their fear here—Uzushio has no room for it."
With a sudden, sharp snap of chakra, the two figures vanished as quickly as they had arrived. The candle flame returned to its normal orange hue, leaving Fugaku alone in the silence. He looked at the spot where the "dead" Senju had stood, then gripped his sword.
The plan was set. The King had spoken. Konoha was about to wake up very, very empty.
Note:
I am not earning anything from this novel. I am still writing just because of two or three regular readers. But it's also hurt when after that much hard work webnovel reject the contract. Anyway today I am going to publish a new book.
Football: The Last Kings' Legacy, Reclaiming the Golden Era.
Synopsis:
"They say the era of magic is dead. They say football has become a game of machines, data, and endless running. But they've forgotten how a single feint could stop time."
In the narrow, muddy lanes of Keraniganj, 20-year-old Rimon—a "Lazy Genius" from the English Department of Bangladesh University—has buried his dreams. After a soul-crushing betrayal at Shia Mosjid and the weight of a broken national football system, he plays only for himself.
Everything changes when he meets Mahima—a love so deep and obsessive that it becomes his only reason to fight.
Suddenly, a voice awakens. Not a robot, but a snarky, poetic "Eternal Commentator" guarding The Last Kings' Legacy. It's a repository of the "Lost Arts"—the vision of Messi, the drive of Ronaldo, the flair of Neymar, and the ghost-like precision of Ozil.
But the System has a condition: Pure Art over Metrics.
From the traffic jams of Dhaka to the grass of the Bernabéu, Rimon must navigate a world of corrupt officials, toxic rivals, and a brotherhood with his childhood friend. Side-by-side with real-world legends Rimon isn't just playing for a trophy—he's lifting 170 million people on his back to prove that the Golden Era isn't over. It's just waiting for a new King.
If you guys want to help or just interested in football related book then you can try it.