II
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Arc II Chapter 1
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Rain was falling from the sky, enveloping Konoha in a veil of thick fog. Lightning split the clouds apart, illuminating the night with their brilliance.
Surrounded by the forces of nature, three men were marching down the road on their way to Konoha. Heavy trench coats covered them, but even they offered little protection against the raging elements.
"Have I ever told you that I hate rain, Ibuki?" Akihiro grumbled, complaining as usual.
Ibuki clicked his tongue. "You did. 27th times already, to be exact."
Akihiro countered, "You were counting then ..."
"Silence, both of you. Do you idiots want our cover blown, or what?" Hagane glared at them. They were good friends, but enough was enough.
Ibuki protested in defence, "Hagane, come on, you're exaggerating. This was just a civilised discussion among friends. And I doubt Konoha will get us. Based on our sources, their internal security is in complete disarray right now. Their security forces are understaffed and overstretched. They lost the Uchiha clan a few weeks ago, and together with them the entirety of their police force. Konoha doesn't have the manpower to replace the lost Uchiha. But we should act with caution. Kumo doesn't need another Hyuga incident."
"..." Akihiro agreed. Every one of them did. "I remember, the mission was a disaster of abysmal proportions. We were lucky that the mission didn't compromise the peace treaty."
Hagane nodded. "True, we can't afford a repetition of three years ago. This time, failure is not an option. We can't allow Kumo's involvement in this mission to be revealed. We'll meet our informant in Konoha. He'll provide us with all the necessary intel for this operation. He informed Kumo that he'd got his hands on some valuable information."
"Valuable information? How valuable?" Akihiro furrowed his eyebrow.
Hagane grinned. "They say the Uchiha clan was wiped out, but that's not true. Apparently, the clan slayer Itachi didn't get them all. According to our contact, two survived. His little brother, and a certain girl."
A boy and girl? Everyone's interest was piqued.
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"As it seems, we've two options", Akihiro summarised their situation. "Option one, we try to get the boy, but I don't think that's viable. The boy is guarded by multiple ANBU squads. After all, he's the last sharingan user Konoha has, and he's an important asset to the village. Any move against the boy would be extremely difficult, if not outright suicidal." Hagane and Ibuki agreed, sharing Akihiro's analysis.
"Option two, get the girl. The question is only whether we should take the gamble or just abort the entire operation. We can't be sure whether she's really an Uchiha, or not."
Ibuki mused, "True, but unlike the boy, the girl is easy prey. We won't encounter any serious resistance should we decide to abduct her. The main question is whether we can rely on our intel? I don't consider overhearing a random stranger in a bar and some rumours a reliable source of information.
Especially, if said stranger had not only fallen into alcoholism, but was also known as a notorious liar. Can we really trust this man to tell the truth? Is Asami really his daughter? Or did our drunken Uchiha lie as usual? I think the latter was the case. And even if the girl is an Uchiha, it's far from sure that she'll be able to awaken the sharingan."
Akihiro shook his head. He disagreed, "Ibuki, you're looking at this from the wrong perspective."
"What do you mean, Akihiro?"
"Ibuki, the girl is a low risk target. Failure is unlikely. Risk is negligible. We can only gain. If she's an Uchiha, good. If not, then we just kill her and leave."
"..." Ibuki fell silent, his resistance waning. "Right. Still, Akihiro, you shouldn't forget that getting an Uchiha doesn't mean getting the sharingan if her bloodline is weak. Not every Uchiha will awaken the sharingan. Some do. Some never. Without the eyes, the girl is basically worthless ..."
Hagane grinned. "That's not an issue ... Because I've a solution for our problem. Have you ever heard about the curse of hatred?"
Akihiro and Ibuki shook their heads.
Hagane elaborated, "Listen, back in the days, I heard some rumours here and there. That the Uchiha suffer from the so called curse of hatred. They awaken their sharingan when the user is subjected to emotional stress or trauma, which means that all we need is the right stimulus."
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The rain was heavy and the night dark. Hagane checked his gear, as did the rest of his squad. "We get in and out quickly. No interruptions. No diversions. Time is precious. Secure both our targets. Eliminate everyone else. Afterward, we'll proceed with the second stage of our plan. Understood?"
"..." Akihiro and Ibuki merely nodded.
Under the cover of the pitch black night, the fateful trio began to move. They were men with a mission.
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