16 Chapter 16: leaving the village and Assassination from the Root
Chapter 16: leaving the village and Assassination from the Root
Despite her reservations, Yūgao Uzuki did not dare to contradict in front of Uchiha Hikaru. "If it's a civilian, the control isn't that strict, but registration is still needed... I'll mention it to the captain. But have you decided where you're going?"
Silence.
After a dozen seconds, Yūgao Uzuki chose to follow her heart: "Alright, as long as you're happy."
Yūgao Uzuki waited a bit longer, but seeing that Uchiha Hikaru had no intention of revealing more, she stood up to leave.
After she left, Uchiha Hikaru closed the doors and windows, urged Naruto to go to bed, and after washing up, prepared to conserve energy for tomorrow's journey.
...
Deep into the night.
Outside Konoha, at the Root base.
In the dimly lit room, the flickering light of a lamp.
A man wrapped in bandages sat at a desk, listening to his subordinate's report.
"...You mean, that Uchiha woman has purchased a large amount of ninja tools and might be planning to leave Konoha soon?"
"From the current situation, it's very likely."
A Root ninja wearing a gray and white mask truthfully responded: "Just an hour and a half ago, Yūgao Uzuki left the Jinchuriki's house to meet with Asuma Sarutobi. It's very likely she was reporting about the Uchiha woman's departure from the village, probably within the next day or two."
"Hmm..."
Danzo nodded, flipped through the investigation materials on the desk again, closed his eyes to think for a while, then spoke in a deep voice: "A, execute Plan B."
"Add three to four more people on top of the original personnel, you decide who. The target is that Uchiha clan member's eyes. As for her... fight with all your might, regardless of life or death! No matter what happens, ensure the plan proceeds smoothly!"
"Yes."
The gray and white masked ninja nodded immediately, then stood up and left.
In the room.
Danzo sat at the desk, staring at a candle in front of him. The dim light flickered, casting a long shadow of him.
"The monkey has become senile, failing to see even such a simple issue. Since that's the case... I'll have to make the decision for you. Such a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan must not fall under Uchiha's control."
"All I do, is for the sake of Konoha!"
...
The next morning.
Just past half-past six, Uchiha Hikaru got up from bed, brushed her teeth, tied up her long hair, and changed into her traveling clothes.
As she was doing the final check on her backpack, she heard rustling noises from Naruto's side, then saw the little blond standing at the bedroom door, hands on the door frame, eagerly looking over.
"Awake?"
Uchiha Hikaru glanced at him: "I've already mentioned everything you need to be aware of yesterday. The bottom layer of the fridge is for meat and seafood, I've bought enough for a week, dumplings and noodles are in the middle, and the top is for vegetables and fruits, which spoil easily and should be consumed quickly..."
"The change is on the table, and I've hidden the passbook in the cabinet. You shouldn't need it under normal circumstances, just don't lose it, that's all your father's savings."
"If something happens in the village while I'm away, jot it down, and we'll settle it when I return."
Uchiha Hikaru briefly went over everything she needed to say, then waved her hand: "I'm off."
Under Naruto's somewhat reluctant gaze, Uchiha Hikaru left the house.
At this time, the streets weren't too crowded, and only a few shops had opened. However, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki, the perennial extras, were already waiting at the gate of Konoha Village. They seemed to have been informed and let Uchiha Hikaru pass without question.
After leaving the village, Uchiha Hikaru glanced behind her with her peripheral vision.
As expected, someone was following.
The presence felt like Yūgao Uzuki.
Her departure from the village was indeed somewhat abrupt from Konoha's perspective, and it was foreseeable that Sarutobi Hiruzen would be curious about her destination. Uchiha Hikaru was prepared for this and, after leisurely walking for a while, concentrated chakra under her feet and leaped towards the forest beside the road.
On a flat road, it's not easy to shake off pursuers.
But in a dim, dense forest, it's a different story.
Uchiha Hikaru, following the plan she had deduced earlier, first created some distance, made several false trails along the way, and then traveled deep into the forest for a long stretch before stopping by a small stream to splash water on her face.
From the thick fallen leaves around, this seemed to be a rarely visited place.
But...
"Huh..."
Uchiha Hikaru closed her eyes slightly, took a deep breath, then suddenly turned around to look deep into the forest behind her.
Sharingan activated!
In her crimson eyes, the figures of two people crouching on tree trunks were reflected. If not for the superior observational ability of the Sharingan, Uchiha Hikaru might not have noticed them at all, mistaking them for part of the trees.
"Really sticky like glue... Don't you understand any tact, insisting on clinging on?"
The next moment.
Uchiha Hikaru suddenly stood up, her figure flickered from the spot, disappearing into the bushes nearby.
"?"
A hundred meters away.
The two masked stalkers were taken aback, breaking out of their camouflage, widening their eyes, and nervously scanning their surroundings. Suddenly, one of them looked up and whispered a warning: "Above!!"
The sound of the wind!
The figure of the black-haired girl swept through the night sky like a nimble cat, using the dense canopy as cover, dropping down from above the two ninjas.
In the moment their eyes met, one of the stalkers threw a kunai, while Uchiha Hikaru kicked against a tree trunk beside her, propelling herself forward like a cannonball. She first delivered a swift roundhouse kick to knock down one of them, then quickly grabbed the wrist of the other ninja who was stabbing at her, using the momentum of the dive to elbow him in the stomach.
Bang!
The masked ninja staggered back a few steps, missed his footing, and fell downwards.
Uchiha Hikaru also leaped out, adding a palm strike in mid-air, putting the ninja into a deep sleep before he hit the ground.
Thud!
After landing lightly, Uchiha Hikaru stood up, her eyes narrowing as she looked towards another part of the dense forest:
"Having hidden for so long, aren't you planning to come out?"
"..."
The crisp female voice echoed through the forest.
Soon.
A series of rustling sounds began to emerge within the forest.
Around Uchiha Hikaru, from several different directions, more than a dozen figures appeared like bamboo shoots after a rain. Each one wore a mask, standing on the surrounding trees, boulders, and clearings, their emotionless eyes staring straight at her.
(End of Chapter)
