It was a quiet evening in Konoha. On an empty street lit only by faint lanterns, Hyuga Hiashi stood still, his pale eyes fixed on the distant flicker of flames against the treeline. He spoke without turning his head.
"It seems Lord Fugaku came out with me tonight... and not just to talk."
Hiashi was not a fool. Uchiha Fugaku had invited him out without warning, without reason, and their walk had been filled with polite but meaningless chatter.
Now, with fire suddenly flaring in the woods outside the village, Hiashi found it impossible to believe it was a coincidence.
If it was a coincidence... it was far too convenient.
Fugaku smiled faintly.
"You're sharp as always, Hiashi-san. You're right—this meeting wasn't without purpose. I knew Kai would be making a move tonight, but I wasn't told the target or the intent."
Hiashi narrowed his eyes.
"Is that so?" he said flatly, not bothering to hide his skepticism.
Uchiha Fugaku, unaware of the target or the objective? Impossible. Even if he placed his trust in Uchiha Kai, no clan head would allow such freedom without knowledge of the stakes.
Still, Hiashi couldn't help but respect the authority Fugaku had granted Kai... even if it bordered on recklessness.
A faint wrinkle formed on Hiashi's brow. Kai was certainly involved. And if he had drawn Hiashi into this, then... could Aya Hyuga be involved as well?
Aya, a branch member, had been placed into the Konoha Military Police Force by Hiashi himself—despite opposition.
Fugaku's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"Shall we go take a look?" he asked, still smiling. "Perhaps we'll find something... enlightening."
Hiashi looked up at the sky with feigned indifference.
"I suppose it can't be helped. If there's a fire near the woods, someone must investigate. If it's an enemy incursion, then we won't be the only ones involved."
Fugaku's tone darkened slightly.
"And what if the so-called enemy... is one of our own?"
Hiashi's expression hardened.
There were more layers to this than he had realized. He stared at Fugaku's expression, hoping to catch a flicker of emotion—anything that betrayed a deeper truth.
But Fugaku's composure was perfect. His smile unchanged. His eyes calm.
"Who else will be there?" Hiashi asked after a pause.
Fugaku answered smoothly.
"If nothing unexpected happens, ANBU will arrive first. The Third Hokage, Danzo, and others will likely follow. The commotion is too visible to ignore. It's even possible Lord Fourth may make an appearance."
Hiashi exhaled quietly.
"So... you do want this to become a spectacle."
"Let's just say," Fugaku replied, watching the firelight dance in the distance, "that if we happened to be passing by... it's only natural we stop to observe."
Underground Laboratory — Battle Scene
In the depths of a hidden facility—one long abandoned by Orochimaru—Hyuga Aya and Imai Kenta were locked in battle.
The air reeked of old blood and formaldehyde.
The pair had anticipated traps, perhaps even a few reanimated guardians. But not this.
They were surrounded by twisted humanoid creations, grotesque creatures whose bodies had undergone partial mokuton-like mutation—bark creeping across skin, limbs gnarled like roots.
Worse still, they fought without pain, without fear—pure living weapons.
"Water Release: Heaven Weeps!" Kenta called out, sending sharp water projectiles through two of them.
"Gentle Step: Twin Lion Fists!" Aya followed, her chakra-laced palms crushing the sternum of another.
Even after falling, the enemies writhed and clawed, refusing to die easily.
"What are these things?" Kenta muttered, panting.
"You think I know?" Aya replied, her Byakugan active. "There are eight more. Let's end this before it gets worse."
The enemies were crude yet durable—resembling experimental White Zetsu, perhaps enhanced with Hashirama cells. And Aya had noticed: several were starting to sprout branches from their backs.
"This power... it's too dangerous," she thought grimly. "Even Kai was cautious with it. I see why."
The threat of overgrowth—of losing oneself to the cells—was all too real.
Aya steadied her breathing, tightening her stance.
"Kenta, we finish this fast. Then we grab what intel we can and get out. Bring a corpse if you can. Proof matters."
As her chakra flared, the blue lions on her fists roared with energy.
"Let's move!"
Root Infiltration
In another part of the hidden complex, Namikaze Minato moved like a ghost.
One hand struck a Root agent unconscious, careful not to kill.
As the ninja crumpled, Minato vanished with a blur of yellow flash, avoiding a trap that erupted from the floor.
Even for him, it was risky. The entire compound was layered with barrier seals, explosive traps, and curse-marked shinobi.
"This place is a fortress," Minato thought grimly. "It's not for keeping enemies out. It's to keep secrets in."
He had seen enough. Curse seals on tongues. Sealed corridors. Chakra-suppression fields.
Danzo had built a personal empire beneath the village—one even the Hokage couldn't freely access.
"This ends tonight."
He created a shadow clone and passed kunai to it.
"Split up. Search for intel. Look for sealed scrolls—start with Danzo's private archive."
Minato's keen sense of chakra soon drew him to a heavily trapped room. Inside, two elite Root shinobi stood guard over a small sealed box. The barrier around it was intricate, possibly Uzumaki-level.
"There it is," Minato whispered. But before he could move—
"Who's there!?"
He cursed inwardly. The alarm was raised.
Arrival of the Elders
Outside, as the flames from the nearby woods still burned, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, Koharu, and Homura arrived.
And standing near the tree line, arms crossed, was Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya?" Sarutobi narrowed his eyes. "Why are you here?"
The white-haired Sannin turned slowly.
"Evening, Sensei. Long time."
"You didn't report back. When did you return?"
"Heard your student finally made Hokage," Jiraiya replied with a half-smile. "Figured I should check in. Didn't expect a fireworks show."
Sarutobi's expression softened—but only slightly.
"I see... then come with us. We'll see what this disturbance is about."
Jiraiya gave a noncommittal shrug and walked with them into the night.