17 The Cloaked Man
*CHIRP* *CHIRP*
*RUSTLE* *RUSTLE*
Lush greenery, towering trees that soared to the heavens, its thick canopies casting dappled light on the ground blanketed by the foliage of leaves, squirrels munching on nuts, and tiny birds perched atop trees releasing melodious tweets. The description goes on and on, as to be expected of a thriving forest brimming with wildlife.
But there was one feature that deviated from the norm, as evidenced by the numerous animals of the terrain averting their gazes at someone...
Disturbing the ambiance was a solitary figure, draped from head to toe in a grey cloak that blended seamlessly with the shadows, the only visible feature being his sapphire eyes- windows to a potential concealed beneath a veneer of subtle coldness.
He halted.
He closed his sapphire eyes, besieged by the early morning breeze. While this man may be perceived as strange to those who don't know the fundamentals of being a ninja, he was heightening his senses. Closing his eyes, the black world was illuminated by numerous light blue flames; an indication of numerous chakra signatures signifying his proximity to Konoha.
"Nii-san... I'm sorry. It's been far too long," the cloaked man muttered.
He mumbled inaudibly, "I'm so close to Konoha."
Opening his eyes, he gazed skyward, a silent contemplation of life reflecting in his troubled gaze. The momentary falter in his eyes revealed a culmination of negative emotions, grief, dread, and guilt, but he steeled himself, reaffirming his determination.
"I ended up dragging this much longer than intended. I'm sorry, nii-san, and I'm sorry, Naruto," he murmured, burdened by the weight of his actions.
Soon enough, his silhouette vanished, and the creatures that had been ensnared by the man's presence tended back to their former duties.
The forest regained vitality.
...
Standing in patrol in the middle of the forest were 2 individuals who wore a flak jacket and dark blue trousers. They wore a headband bearing the insignia of Konoha, signifying that they were Shinobis, which served as a symbol of their allegiance to the village, and also their heritage citizens of Konoha.
They monitored this area to prevent illegal access to Konoha. Even if someone were to access it, with the Yamanaka clan's exceptionally high sensory abilities, the culprit would be easily ratted out, but it never hurts to take extra precautions.
Back to the patrol guards:
One seemed to be a junior seemingly in his late teens who had a rather lean build, while the other was presumably in his early thirties with a muscular physique. The muscular man leaned back on a chair, reading from a newspaper, while the junior surveyed the surroundings with acute precision. The junior was situated atop a watchtower, spectating from an eagle-eye view, and with his heightened senses, none could escape his perception.
The junior was a ninja who had never encountered real threats, as such, he was always nonchalant and laidback, but right now was different.
His eyes squinted as he stared into the distance, which seemed like a moving black dot. Initially, one would come to the assumption it was a scurrying rabbit, but upon further analysis, the speck enlarged, vividly resembling the anatomy of a human being draped in a cloak.
"Katsuki-san, one'o clock!" The Junior warned.
Katsuki, with his usual laid-back demeanor, responded, "What?"
"ONE'O CLOCK, SOMEONE'S THERE!"
With this confirmation, Katsuki immediately stood, knocking his chair behind him. His narrow eyes squinted, and indeed, he could confirm a silhouette in the distance who ever so slowly approached them.
The Junior from above assumed a stance with a bow and arrow, one eye closed as he pinpointed the head of the silhouette.
Before long, the silhouette had come within proximity, and Katsuki reached for his katana.
*WHOOSH*
The junior acted first, firing his arrow engulfed in electricty which vaulted right for the head of the silhouette; an instant-kill move! However, with a single sidestep, the cloaked figure evaded the attack and raised his hands in surrender.
"I come in peace." Assured the cloaked man.
The junior jumped down, standing beside Katsuki with his bow raised. Meanwhile, Katsuki, the man in his early thirties, had a perplexed look, as evidenced by his widened eyes. Finally, breaking the silence, Katsuki spoke, "You... You're..."
"Yeah, it's me... It's been a while," the cloaked man asserted.
"Y-Yeah, indeed... A very long while," Katsuki affirmed, his perplexion replaced with a smile conveying ease; he seemed to know the person.
"By the way, this is the way to Konoha, right," the cloaked man questioned.
"Uhh, yes sir, but people usually take the path through the entrance," Katsuki answered, startled by the question.
"I'm well aware. Thank you," the cloaked man said, casually passing the duo and proceeding through the forest trails. However, he stopped in his tracks momentarily and faced Katsuki, "I believe you will not speak of my presence, Katsuki-san," he said playfully, as though he knew this individual.
"Yes, sir," the head guard saluted.
The fact that the guards were nearby indicated that Konoha was close by. However, the cloaked man was taking an illegal route to the village, yet the guard let him proceed.
"Sir, shouldn't we stop him," the other guard questioned.
"No," Katsuki, replied, resolutely.
"But sir-"
"I know those eyes... He's back," Katsuki stated, cutting his subordinate from speaking any further, and leaving him confused.
"You know him," the sub-guard asked in a questioning tone.
"Yeah, all too well. Standing against him will only be a futile effort," the head guard replied.
The sub-guard's brows furrowed as he eyed his superior. A ninja must prioritize the lives of the village over themselves, yet his superior was allowing a stranger through despite the risk behind that. What if letting this man through lead to the bloodshed of the village? Even if standing against him was a futile effort, we are abandoning our role as Shinobis by letting this man through.
The head guard immediately understood the confusion in his subordinates' eyes, and said, "Rest assured, he's an ally."
***
*RUSTLE* *RUSTLE*
The cloaked man sauntered along the ground, and the rustling of the leaves disturbed the peace of the forest. The squirrels casually eating nuts watched the man's confident stride.
The towering trees with thick canopies cast dappled light on the forest floor.
A welcoming light was soon visible in the distance, leading to an opening... to another realm. The pacing of the cloaked man remained the same, unperturbed by the blinding light. The distant murmurs became audible, hinting at the proximity of the village.
Before long, the cloaked man had reached the other side...
The pathway seamlessly transitioned from nature's embrace to the bustling energy of the lively village. It was an old-style setting and, the majestic Hokage monument looms in the distance. This place was none other than Konoha!
"Hasn't changed at all," the cloaked man muttered. A smile adorned his lips as he gazed down at his hometown.
The smile on his face left as quickly as it came, replaced by a somber one. He didn't have time to admire the beauty of the landscape, because he was already late as it was.
He leaped from his spot, jumping high into the air, and observing his surroundings. He took a deep breath in, inhaling the fresh air of Konoha, coupled with the aroma of the delicacies from street vendors.
'I'm still outside of the radius,' he thought.
*GROWL*
His stomach grumbled, signifying his need for food.
The cloaked man descended at breakneck speed, breaking into the heart of Konoha. This was an illegal entry, but the man didn't care. His intention was to cause a scene, thereby, getting into direct contact with the Hokage. The Yamanaka clan will be informed of this breach, and it will be considered a serious offense, yet the cloaked man cared NOT.
He was going to break into the heart of Konoha!
***
It was just your ordinary day in Konoha. Children ran around and played with their friends, and grown-ups engaged in conversation with their peers; the scene was filled with idle chatter, and thankfully, it was a peaceful setting.
The village had a high-level surveillance system, monitoring not only the outskirts but also the innards. Not a single foreigner would think of invading the peace of the village, as the village was home to notorious members and notorious clans.
Unknown to these civilians minding their own business, a cloaked man had infiltrated Konoha, and appeared to be descending at breakneck speed.
...
"Lord Inoichi... New chakra presence detected... Bearing at two o'clock... Hovering in mid-air. The signature evaded the entry point into Konoha!"
A random person explained the situation.
The sensory unit serves the important role of detecting and identifying chakra signatures in the vicinity. Chakra is the fundamental energy source in the world, and every ninja has a unique chakra signature. Sensory ninja are trained to perceive and analyze these chakra signatures, allowing them to detect the presence of other individuals, identify their chakra characteristics, and even discern their emotions or intentions.
The sensory unit, which had been calm the entire time, suddenly faced an ominous threat. They suddenly sensed an abnormal signature descending at tremendous velocity into the heart of Konoha.
"Roger," a light-haired man replied. He had long light hair hair tied back in a ponytail and weaved a sign with a single hand.
This man was Yamanaka Inoichi. He wore the standard attire of a Jonin shinobi. He had long, light coloured hair, tied back in a long ponytail reaching his back.
The Yamanaka clan is notorious for their 'Mind Transfer' jutsu, which allows a Yamanaka ninja to transfer their consciousness into the body of another person, effectively taking control of that person's actions.
There was also the 'Mind Disturbance Technique,' which allowed them to briefly disrupt the opponent's thought, and the 'Mind Transmission Technique,' which enabled telepathic communication between multiple individuals.
Right now, the man was performing the latter; the Mind Transmission Technique.
...
In a separate place situated in Konoha, stacks of papers were situated on the desk. If a lone person had to deal with the papers, it would be a nightmare... But that's exactly what was happening.
An old man sat on his chair, analyzing the stacks of papers presented before him. He already seemed as though he would hit the bucket soon enough, but the fatigue emanating from him made him seem as good as dead.
He may seem like a weak old man, however, it was far from that. This man was the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Sigh," he sighed at this painful ordeal, as he knew he definitely wouldn't have the leisure of free time. He continued to scrutinize the stacks of documents and wrote with intense focus.
"Lord Third, do you hear me," a voice rang in his head.
The old man was immediately alerted by the voice in his head, and immediately replied, "Inoichi!"
The Mind Transmission Technique was a success.
The fact that Inoichi contacted Lord Third indicated something serious had occurred, earning the attention of even the Hokage. "When was the last time you had to call me," Lord Third asked, startled by his sudden call.
"A new signature has invaded the premises. It's nearby, and appears to be beside Ichiraku Ramen," Inoichi explained the situation.
"What?!"
Lord Third was shocked, and turned around, gazing outside the window. As he tried to sense the chakra of the foreign individual, his mouth widened. That was no foreign signature, and Hiruzen regained a sense of familiarity.
"Lord Third, I have already contacted several of the higher-ups, including Shikaku and Choza, to go to the scene. What is our next line of action?"
Inoichi boldly claimed.
"Send them back. This situation is to be disregarded," Hiruzen replied.
"D-Disregarded?" Inoichi was stunned. He had assumed he made the correct choice, but Lord Third proved otherwise.
"Yes. Get in contact with the person yourself, and tell him to meet me... And don't cause a scene," Hiruzen added.
"Yes sir," Inoichi affirmed.
Silence prevailed in the office room of the Hokage once again, and a slight smile graced Hiruzen's lips.
"I've gotten old. I couldn't even sense the signature, sigh," Hiurzen sighed. realizing he had indeed gotten old.
He looked at the Crystal Orb beside him and used it to view the entire village, specifically, the individual who had infiltrated the village.
The individual donned a cloak and appeared to be walking along the street. He approached a familiar shop within the vicinity; Ichiraku Ramen.
"I can't even catch a break," Hiruzen scoffed.
It's one problem after another.
...
Inoichi's initial confusion subsided, driven by the fact that Lord Third had commanded him to disregard the individual. What's more, Lord Third said he wanted to personally chat with this person.
Inoichi performed a single-handed seal once again, contacting the Jonins he had told to patrol the area.
"Apologies. It appears there is no problem, and Lord Third wants me to personally escort the person to him. Forgive me for the disturbance," Inoichi apologized to the individuals he had contacted.
He opened his eyes and released his posture. As a high-class sensory ninja, he could sense the chakra signature. Inoichi donned his black coat, intent on following Lord Third's orders.
.
"Lord Inoichi," one of the people called out.
"Resume with your duty. I will return," Inoichi replied without turning back. The members of the sensory division could only watch his departing back leave the vicinity.
Meanwhile, Inoichi had questions of his own. He was curious as to who this individual was. He leaped on the rooftop of the building, scrutinizing the nearby infrastructures, and the casual lively chatter below. Thankfully, the situation didn't escalate and didn't threaten the lives of the residents.
Under normal circumstances, those who breach the security measures and enter the village illegally will be detained and severely interrogated, yet Lord Third didn't seem too keen on the situation. In fact, he wanted Inoichi to personally escort this man.
The middle-aged man increased his pace, running from one rooftop to another with his arms tucked back, and his center of mass shifted slightly forward, enabling him to propel at a faster pace; the iconic ninja run!
"Just who is this person," Inoichi questioned. He will have his answer soon enough.
