248-Spiralling

[A Few Hours Earlier]

The small clearing where the three ANBU operatives stood was silent, save for the occasional rustling of leaves in the wind. The moon hung low, casting long shadows over the village outskirts. Yano's gaze fixed on Renjiro, who had just finished outlining his suggestion.

"Are you sure about this?" Yano asked, his voice low and measured, the faintest hint of doubt creeping into his tone.

Renjiro didn't flinch. His eyes, concealed behind his mask, locked onto Yano's, and his answer was unwavering.

"Yes, I can."

Yano's expression didn't change, but his silence spoke volumes. He knew the weight of what Renjiro was proposing. There was always a risk when using the Sharingan, particularly for something as delicate as framing another village, but Renjiro had proven himself to be competent. Still, Yano needed to be certain.

"There's a chance—however small—that things won't work out as planned. You're aware of that?"

Renjiro nodded. "I'm aware. But the risk is worth it."

Yano considered this for a moment, his gaze moving to Kakashi, who stood off to the side. Kakashi remained silent, waiting for Yano's decision.

"Alright then," Yano finally said, exhaling softly. "Once we destroy this outpost, there are four others we need to hit before sunrise. We'll keep moving until the job is done."

As the leader of the squad, Yano had to ensure the mission's success, but the plan Renjiro had proposed was nothing short of audacious.

A day ago, when the three of them had first arrived in Kusagakure, they had spent the night gathering as much intel as possible. There was a chance that Konoha's information on Kusagakure had been outdated and Yano knew that acting on bad intelligence could lead to disaster.

So, they'd spent the first night carefully blending in with the locals, observing movements, and listening to whispers. By morning, they had pieced together enough to understand that Kusagakure was preparing for something big, but not enough to understand their intent behind it.

That day, the team split up, each of them tasked with sowing the seeds of chaos in the village. Rumours were their weapon of choice, whispers about an impending war with Konoha spreading like wildfire.

If their direct actions couldn't put enough pressure on the village's kage, then the civilians would do it for them. It was a subtle but effective strategy, and Renjiro, in particular, had found a way to accelerate the process.

Using his Sharingan, Renjiro subtly influenced the minds of the civilians he encountered, planting the rumour deep into their subconscious. It wasn't outright genjutsu—no, that would have been too obvious, too risky—but a gentle nudge, a suggestion that would encourage them to spread the gossip to everyone they met.

It was delicate work, and Renjiro had been careful not to draw attention to himself. The Sharingan's power could be overwhelming if not wielded properly, but Renjiro was nothing if not meticulous.

The second phase of their mission was even more dangerous. The plan was to attack Kusagakure's outposts near the border with the Land of Earth, framing Iwagakure for the destruction.

By doing so, they hoped to force Kusagakure to redistribute its forces, stretching them thin. If all went well, Kusa might even retaliate against Iwa, thinking them the aggressors.

The damage caused by Yano and his team would be blamed on Iwagakure's shinobi, giving Konoha the upper hand without ever directly engaging Kusagakure in combat.

It was then that Renjiro had an idea, one that took even Yano by surprise.

"What if I use genjutsu during the attack?" Renjiro had suggested earlier, the idea fresh in his mind.

"Instead of just mimicking Iwa's jutsus, I could implant the memory of Iwa shinobi attacking them. That way, if anyone survives, they won't just think it was Iwa—they'll 'know' it was Iwa."

Yano had been silent for a long moment, considering the implications. It had been years since he'd worked with an Uchiha, and he'd nearly forgotten just how powerful the Sharingan could be in the right hands. But before he could voice his approval, Kakashi had raised a valid concern.

"What if Kusagakure figures it out?" Kakashi had said, his voice calm but pointed. "If they have a way of digging through the memories of their soldiers, they might find evidence of genjutsu—especially Sharingan-induced genjutsu. If they figure out it was Konoha's doing, this whole mission could blow up in our faces."

Yano had nodded thoughtfully, turning to Renjiro once more. "He's right. This could backfire if we're not careful. Are you sure you can pull this off without leaving a trail?"

Renjiro had met his gaze, his expression unreadable behind his mask. "I'm sure. The genjutsu will be flawless. They'll believe what they saw, and what they saw will be Iwa."

It had been a bold proposal, but Yano had ultimately agreed to the change in plans. If it worked, it would be far more effective than simply mimicking Iwa's jutsus. And now, a few hours later, they stood on the cusp of executing that plan.

The outpost lay ahead of them, nestled in the dense forest near the border of the Land of Earth. The night was dark, the only light coming from the small fires that flickered around the outpost's perimeter. The shinobi stationed there were unaware of the storm about to hit them.

Renjiro knelt in the shadows, his Sharingan active, the familiar red glow illuminating his gaze. His mind was focused, and calculating. He had already opened the four gates, allowing him access to the full power of his four-tomoe Sharingan. He wasn't taking any chances—not with a mission like this.

"Ready?" Yano whispered, crouching beside him.

Renjiro nodded. "Let's move."

With a flicker of movement, the three ANBU operatives launched into action. Yano and Kakashi attacked with a series of earth-style jutsus, mimicking the techniques commonly used by Iwa shinobi.

The ground rumbled as they unleashed their chakra, the earth splitting and rising like waves, crashing into the outpost's defences. Shouts of alarm rang out from the Kusa shinobi stationed there, but the assault was swift and brutal.

Renjiro moved with precision, his Sharingan tracking every movement of their enemies. He singled out the shinobi who would survive the attack—those who would be allowed to escape and spread the word of what had happened here.

One by one, he cast his genjutsu, implanting the memory of Iwa shinobi in their minds. When they fled, they would carry the tale of an Iwa attack, not the truth of what had really occurred.

The battle was over quickly. The outpost lay in ruins, its defenders either dead or fleeing for their lives. Renjiro stood in the aftermath, his Sharingan fading as he deactivated his genjutsu. His breathing was steady, his focus unbroken. Everything had gone according to plan.

Yano surveyed the destruction, nodding in approval. "One down," he said quietly, his voice cutting through the night air. "Four more to go."

Without another word, the team moved on, disappearing into the darkness as they made their way to the next target.

---

Back in Kusagakure, the atmosphere was tense. Nao Kita, the village's kage, paced back and forth in his office, his mind racing with uncertainty. Things were unravelling faster than he had anticipated, and he wasn't sure how to stop it.

"I didn't expect this," Nao muttered under his breath, his brow furrowed in frustration.

"I didn't expect Iwa to attack."

Ryota, his aide, stood by the door, watching his leader with a concerned expression. "Lord Kita," he said carefully, "wasn't there an agreement between Iwa and Konoha? Some kind of treaty? Why would Iwa make such a move now?"

Nao paused, his eyes narrowing. He glanced at Ryota, then quickly looked away. "I don't know," he lied. "Perhaps they found out… about the plan I had with… those guys."

"Call for a council meeting," Nao instructed his voice tight with barely controlled panic.

"Get everyone here. Now."

Ryota's eyes widened slightly at the vague reference from before, but before he could ask for clarification, there was a knock at the door. Nao gestured for the newcomer to enter, and a shinobi stepped into the room, his face pale with shock.

"Lord Kita," the shinobi said breathlessly, "two members of the village council… they've just been killed."

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