There's no way Kumo could've pulled off that operation without some help from the inside.
Forget everything else—how else could they have pinpointed the Uzumaki residential district and chosen their targets so precisely?
So a spy—or several—was definitely out there. The real problem now was how to track them down.
Even if the missing Uzumaki child had fallen into the hands of a hidden Kumo agent currently lying low in Konoha, that person wouldn't be able to leave the village with their "mission objective" right away.
Konoha's security wasn't that lax.
They needed to act fast—the longer they waited, the worse things would get. If the enemy felt the mission couldn't succeed, to stay hidden, they might kill the kid and bury the body… No, more accurately, as a spy, they certainly would do exactly that.
Thinking this through, Haseo immediately asked, "When will Anbu finish the interrogation?"
"They said as soon as possible. I'd guess no later than tomorrow," Kajin replied.
Anbu's efficiency was legendary—even in emergencies, they could tap into the Yamanaka clan's mind techniques when needed. Still, for a moment, Haseo wished he'd kept the prisoner himself—it would've been so much easier that way.
Thankfully though, at least one live suspect remained. Otherwise, the trail would have gone cold. If those Kumo ninjas had made contact with a spy while in Konoha, traces were sure to have been left behind—and those tracks could definitely be followed.
"It looks like we'll just have to wait for Anbu's report. I hope they hurry… In the meantime, we should keep searching ourselves too. Maybe we'll find the kid. Hopefully, this disappearance is just a small misunderstanding."
That's what Haseo said. He wanted things to go in a positive direction, but the truth was, even he didn't really believe a turnaround was possible.
Unrealistic expectations would only lead to disappointment. Haseo had never been lucky—every time he pulled from a loot box, it was a dud. He never won anything on the lottery. His life was forever cursed with bad luck… Even the person he liked was just as unlucky as he was.
Last night was one of those nights from hell—everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. First, Kushina Uzumaki—someone who absolutely shouldn't have gotten hurt—ended up injured. Then the Uzumaki District suffered damage, and now someone had disappeared.
Was Kumo here specifically to mess with him? What beef did they even have with him anyway? Haseo asked himself—he'd never done anything to harm Kumo.
After all, hadn't it been his idea that helped stabilize the Third Raikage's position back then? Now they repay kindness with hostility?
While considering all these misfortunes, Haseo had overlooked the most important issue.
Luckily, someone reminded him.
A figure dressed in Anbu uniform came sprinting from the distance. Immediately, Haseo couldn't help but think, *Were Anbu really this fast? Did they already get results from the interrogation?*
"If I may interrupt," a voice cut in, as an Anbu ninja approached him.
"Haseo, the Third Hokage is summoning you."
"The Third Hokage's summons?"
Haseo frowned. The Anbu should have already filed a full report on last night's events. Why call for him again?
"Yes." The Anbu glanced around cautiously, ensuring no one was eavesdropping before continuing. "It seems to be about discussing future relations between Konoha and Kumo."
…
Come to think of it, Haseo had completely blanked on this issue.
With Kumo's envoy team sent to Konoha now "wiped out completely," this was a serious diplomatic and political incident—one that could easily escalate into outright war.
At the very least, it was clear that Konoha and Kumo would no longer even pretend to maintain mutual trust on the surface. The alliance was clearly beyond repair.
Although Kumo had made the first move—entering Konoha with hostile intent, attempting to abduct a member of the Uzumaki clan—and Konoha had merely retaliated in self-defense, there was no way to prove that. Even if the surviving captives could offer testimony, it would carry little weight; Kumo would simply dismiss their statements as fabricated under Konoha's control.
Only two objective facts could be verified in this entire incident: First, Kumo had dispatched an envoy to Konoha. Second, that envoy had died entirely within Konoha.
Everything in between was open to interpretation—each side claiming its own version of truth. And given Kumo's usual habits, they were likely preparing to turn the tables and accuse Konoha instead.
In any case, last night's events alone were justification enough for war.
So the Third Hokage's summons was clearly important—it meant deciding how to respond to Kumo next.
...
When Haseo arrived at the Hokage's office, he immediately recognized three familiar faces. This scene felt strangely familiar… Well, since returning to Konoha, it seemed like he was either in meetings or on his way to them nonstop.
"Haseo, we've already learned what happened last night. As you predicted, Kumo came for the Uzumaki."
Though Konoha had successfully thwarted Kumo's plot, another war between the two villages seemed inevitable.
The Third Hokage couldn't help but think Konoha had drawn the short straw—why did they always end up fighting wars on multiple fronts?
But it wasn't just bad luck. Fire Country occupied the central location on the continent, blessed with the richest natural environment and most abundant resources. Its geography alone ensured that it would face enemies from all sides.
"There's also another important piece of news. I suppose the Anbu haven't reported it yet... Recently, we discovered that a child from the Uzumaki clan has gone missing. It's believed the child has fallen into the hands of Kumo's spy within Konoha."
So now there are two possible situations. If Kumo gets what it wants, the war factor should be eliminated since their goal wasn't war, but the Uzumaki. Their intention to wage war against Konoha isn't that strong. To define their action last night, it would count more as theft than robbery.
Secondly, if Kumo fails to obtain the power of the Uzumaki clan, given their style of never taking losses lightly, relations between Konoha and Kumo will certainly break down.
Haseo brought the latest intelligence to the Third Hokage and seemingly offered a choice. Yet… such a choice didn't actually exist.
The Third Hokage remained silent for a moment before saying, "We can never allow Kumo to acquire the power of the Uzumaki clan. So the first scenario you mentioned doesn't even exist."
Firstly, the Third Hokage could never allow the Uzumaki power to fall into Kumo's hands; secondly, even if he considered sacrificing one Uzumaki clansman to prevent war, he must also take into account Mito Uzumaki's and the present Haseo Yu's attitude.
Do they really think Haseo is easy to deal with? Would he simply allow one of his own clansmen to be sacrificed?
"Therefore, one can imagine that Kumo's immediate reaction will be to demand Konoha hand over the murderer of their envoys. Actually, there is another way to avoid war—hand me over to them.
Just pin the envoy's death on me personally, then hand me over to Kumo. I'm sure they'll happily accept this resolution." Haseo then offered another seemingly "reasonable" suggestion.
The two Elders exchanged glances. They hadn't expected Haseo himself would display such a sacrificial spirit, so they genuinely began considering the feasibility of his proposal.
However, at this point, the Third Hokage seriously tapped the table with his pipe and said, "There's no need for meaningless tests anymore. What we must discuss now is how to deal with Kumo's problem... War is imminent."
Haseo could only shrug and dropped the subject.
Though indeed he was testing them… was his "suggestion" truly "meaningless?"
Hyuga certainly got quite a raw deal.
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