The Ultimate Scammer
"I've come here prepared to die…"
As soon as these words left the lips of the Cloud Village jonin commander, the faces of the surrounding ninjas all changed dramatically.
A special jonin from the Cloud Village stood up, his face full of concern, and said gravely:
"I don't understand, Lord Troy. The village still needs your strength. Why would you choose to die in a place like Konoha?"
"After all, you're the only ninja in the Cloud Village who has awakened the Magnet Release!"
Troy smiled bitterly, letting out a strained cough. A trickle of black blood oozed from the corner of his lips, staining his pale face.
This obvious sign of terminal illness left the gathered ninjas shocked, their eyes filled with worry.
Troy raised a hand to stop their panic, his tone calm as he explained:
"Although I managed to awaken the Magnet Release on my own, I haven't been able to fully control its power. The incompatibility of the two chakra natures has ravaged my body. My days are numbered."
"But my life isn't what's important right now. I'm more concerned about something else."
"Why do you all look so dreadful?" Troy's sharp gaze swept over the ninjas, forcing them to lower their heads in shame.
"If you were on the battlefield, you'd all fight to the death without hesitation. So why are you afraid now? Is it the mission? Or death? These pitiful expressions are unbecoming of Cloud ninjas!"
Troy's cutting words struck a chord, and guilt washed over the group. They weren't afraid of fighting, but this mission felt more like suicide than strategy.
The directive from the Third Raikage was frustratingly simple, "Go to Konoha to sign a peace treaty, then seize the opportunity to obtain the Byakugan through Troy."
The timing couldn't have been worse.
Konoha, fresh off its victories in the Second Great Ninja War, had crushed Hanzo the Salamander of the Rain Village and decimated the Sand Village forces, killing both the One-Tails and their third-in-command, Ebizo.
Konoha's strength had cemented its position as the dominant Hidden Village.
To provoke Konoha now felt like suicide, even for hardened ninjas.
Seeing the guilt in their eyes, Troy rubbed his temples in exasperation.
"Our people are strong, but strategy is not their strength. Muscle over mind is far too common in the Cloud Village…"
"Never mind. That's why I'm here," Troy thought, his frustration softening.He began speaking again, his tone firm, "Konoha may seem strong on the surface, but it's rotting from within."
"It's teetering on the brink of internal conflict. This is our opportunity."
"According to intelligence, the Uchiha clan and Konoha's leadership are at each other's throats, sabotaging each other even on the battlefield."
"And the Third Hokage and his administration are losing their grip on power. If we propose an alliance now, they'll have no choice but to accept. They might even rush to agree."
"Don't be fooled by their calm facade."
The Cloud ninjas nodded in understanding, but doubt still lingered.
"How exactly do we steal the Byakugan?"
Troy caught the unease in their expressions. Straightening his tattered robes, he exuded an air of tragic resolve and spoke decisively:
"You're here to cover me with genjutsu, ensuring I make contact with the Hyuga clan."
"Then, using my Magnet Release, I'll manipulate the iron in their weapons to attack me. This will make it look like I was killed by a Hyuga ninja."
"At that point, you'll demand an explanation from the Third Hokage. Accuse them of coveting my bloodline limit. Insist they hand over the responsible Hyuga ninja to us—or prepare for war!"
"If they refuse, threaten them with full-scale conflict. Show no fear. The Uchiha clan is waiting for an opportunity to strike. Konoha's leadership won't dare risk open war, especially not now."
The Third Raikage had calculated this gamble carefully. He understood Konoha's fragile state, exploiting the tensions between the Uchiha clan and the Hokage to his advantage.
Troy was prepared to give his life to execute this plan perfectly.
The Cloud ninjas were in awe of his selflessness. One of them, a chunin, stood and shouted:
"Lord Troy, maybe there's still a chance to save you if we return to the village. Let me take your place. I have no family and owe everything to the village!"
Troy gave him an approving look but shook his head.
"Your status isn't high enough. If a ninja of my level doesn't die, Konoha will dismiss the incident and offer meaningless compensation."
"Remember, we're aiming for a Hyuga main family member. Even a branch member is acceptable, but they must be alive and brought back to the Cloud Village."
"With even one living Hyuga, we can secure their bloodline and establish a new Hyuga clan within the Cloud!"
The room fell silent, the ninjas moved by his determination. But one particularly overzealous ninja suddenly exclaimed:
"Lord Troy, your sacrifice deserves more than just the Byakugan. Shouldn't we take the Sharingan from the Uchiha clan as well? Only with both can we truly make your sacrifice worthwhile!"
The room froze. Troy's expression darkened, his voice cold and commanding:
"Fool! Erase that thought from your mind. Do you want to drag the Cloud Village into ruin?"
"The Uchiha clan is untouchable right now. Provoking them will undoubtedly spark a war!"
"The village has just lost its Eight-Tails jinchuriki, and the Stone Village is watching for any sign of weakness. We're in no position to fight Konoha!"
Troy's words carried the weight of someone who had seen far more than the others. He thought of the Uchiha's strongest warrior—Fuma.
Fuma's strength rivaled the Third Raikage. He had killed the One-Tails, and his devastating attacks on the Grass Village were legendary.
Troy still remembered the tragic fate of his unrequited love, the former Two-Tails jinchuriki. Fuma had shattered her completely, leaving her to die in agony shortly after returning to the Cloud.
"Provoking Fuma means total annihilation. If we must, we will fight him to the death, but only when the Eight-Tails is under control and our strongest forces are ready."
Troy's stern gaze swept over his comrades.
"Our plan hinges on exploiting the cracks between Fuma and the Hokage, not challenging him directly."
The ninjas nodded solemnly. If Fuma was like their own Raikage, he was not someone to provoke lightly.
"Prepare yourselves, Hyuga clan," Troy thought grimly. "The Cloud's resolve is unshakable."
This time, the Cloud wasn't planning to recklessly raid the Hyuga. Instead, they aimed to execute a carefully crafted scheme, putting everything on the line.
And in Konoha, news of the Cloud delegation's arrival to sign a peace treaty spread like wildfire, sparking countless discussions.
Most celebrated Konoha's strength, proud that even foreign nations sought alliances.
But beneath the surface, chaos was brewing.
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