"I can fly now. If I need to escape, Kumogakure doesn't seem to have many countermeasures against aerial movement."
Uchiha Kaien's thoughts were simple.
Since the Tailed Beast in his own village was currently out of reach, he might as well go after one in another village.
Matatabi, the Two-Tails... there probably still isn't a suitable Jinchūriki candidate yet, right?
"Flight?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi perked up at that. Was this ability granted by the Mangekyō Sharingan? Truly fascinating.
Flight was incredibly rare in the shinobi world.
With the ability to fly, a shinobi's options in battle expanded dramatically.
To Hiruzen's knowledge, only Ōnoki could manage true solo flight, relying on a special Earth Release technique.
Others either needed the help of summoning beasts or incredibly complex setups. As such, most shinobi combat remained ground-based.
Techniques that could accurately hit airborne targets were even rarer.
Now considering that Kaien had already awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan—even ignoring the unknown powers hidden within those eyes—the sheer boost they granted was enough to put him on par with an elite jonin, maybe even stronger.
The Uchiha clan truly was gifted. Hiruzen could only sigh in admiration—just awakening those eyes alone could give someone strength that surpassed what most could ever dream of.
This boy standing before him had already surpassed ninety-eight percent of the shinobi world, purely by relying on the power of his bloodline.
"In that case, let Kaien handle it. If things go south, he can retreat immediately using his flight."
Having the right person to keep an eye on Kumogakure's spies was ideal.
And Kaien, in particular, wouldn't raise any suspicions.
Why? Because his appearance was completely deceptive. Even Hiruzen, just by looking at the kid, could hardly imagine the kind of terrifying power hiding inside that small frame.
"Alright then, it's settled. This mission will be classified as an A-rank."
Given that it involved jonin-level concerns, an A-rank classification wasn't an exaggeration.
...
After leaving the Hokage's office, Kaien casually handed a training scroll for the Four Symbols Seal to Minato Namikaze.
"Kaien, what's this?"
"Ah, nothing major. Just start training with it. You'd better master Flying Thunder God soon, okay? Once you've got it down, teach me!"
"That technique's so convenient, I wouldn't even need to walk to get food anymore. I could just summon a delivery."
"Delivery?"
Minato looked puzzled. His name was Minato—so what did "delivery" have to do with anything?
"I mean once you master Flying Thunder God, you can place a mark on my dining table. Then whenever I want to eat, you just teleport the food straight to my table."
Kaien spoke proudly.
With delivery this fast, he was willing to crown Minato the Delivery God.
Minato's mouth twitched at the explanation.
Using an S-rank jutsu just to deliver food? That was... actually pretty on-brand for Kaien.
"What about the Four Symbols Seal?"
"You need sealing arts to train Flying Thunder God anyway, right? Might as well study both. I already copied the technique with my Sharingan."
"Now then—it's time for the spy games to begin!"
Leaving Minato behind, Kaien headed straight for the most crowded area.
Attracting the attention of enemy spies was an art.
Step one: understand what they want.
Kumogakure was infamous for trying to take things—jutsu, bloodlines, people, whatever they could get their hands on.
Everyone in the shinobi world knew it.
Small villages had long grumbled about being looted by Kumogakure, but what could they do? It was one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations.
Considering their original plan targeted Kushina, and with the intel he now had, it was obvious—they were here to abduct someone.
Konoha was full of clans with kekkei genkai and unique jutsu. If they managed to smuggle even one child back—especially one from a bloodline clan—it could give rise to a whole new shinobi bloodline in Kumogakure.
To be honest, spotting Kumogakure's people wasn't even that hard.
They couldn't use chakra recklessly inside Konoha, or they'd risk getting busted by the police force. So, they disguised themselves as traveling performers.
Muscular, dark-skinned performers making a living through street shows—yeah, that was believable enough.
But showing up during wartime? That didn't add up.
The war hadn't reached its peak yet, but the world was still dangerous—bandits roamed freely outside the villages. What kind of traveling performer would risk their life just to perform?
Kaien spotted them instantly. The towering dark-skinned man stuck out like a sore thumb in the crowd.
Kaien had already taken off his forehead protector—no longer displaying himself as a Konoha shinobi.
The rest of his gear hadn't changed, though. He didn't even carry a ninja pouch, since he had his Raikōken. For him, tools were unnecessary.
So, how do you attract the attention of shady old men?
Simple.
Just do what Kaien was doing right now.
He sat quietly on a large rock, watching the performance.
And sure enough, the performer's gaze shifted immediately in his direction.
This kid... was different.
The man smashing rocks on his chest spotted it right away.
Kaien looked clean and neat. His eyes were bright, curious—watching everything with interest.
His delicate features carried a calm, amused smile—like a wealthy young noble enjoying a peaceful afternoon.
Definitely the child of a rich family.
And when the Kumogakure performer saw the Uchiha crest on Kaien's shoulder, his eyes lit up.
An Uchiha!
Right on target!
And the "little girl" looked so easy to deceive too!
She seemed about ten years old. If they could get her back to Kumogakure and give her some good ol' village-loving brainwashing, she'd be a loyal shinobi for life.
After days of observing, the man was moved. Finally! A perfect candidate!
He gave a subtle signal to the Kumogakure shinobi resting nearby.
The two subordinates instantly understood and sprang into action.
"Hey there, little girl. You like acrobatics?"
One of them, the more friendly-looking one, approached with a warm smile.
Kaien didn't react.
The guy said "little girl." That clearly wasn't him.
He kept watching the boulder-smashing show with interest.
How's that rock going to break without chakra? he wondered. Or are they planning to use chakra at the last second?
Seeing that Kaien ignored him, the spy didn't get mad. Weirdly, he felt a sense of familiarity from the kid—so much so that he even softened his tone without realizing it.
He pulled a lollipop from his sleeve, like a magician revealing a trick, and offered it to Kaien.
"Wanna candy, little one?"
Kaien finally responded once the lollipop was right in front of him.
A bright smile curved on his lips.
See? Attracting creeps isn't that hard.
"Were you talking to me, mister?"
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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