---
Aftermath Report
We returned the captured missing-nin to Konoha. But interrogation revealed something worse:
"There's a larger network… your little raid won't stop it."
Hiruzen frowned. "Then we strike harder." He handed me another scroll: Destroy their main hub.
---
The Hub
We tracked the black-market network to an abandoned temple near the Land of Rivers.
Sera scanned. "Fifteen chakra signatures… two high-level."
"Storm Division—mask up. No mistakes," I ordered.
---
The Fight
As soon as we breached, explosive tags went off, scattering rubble.
Kai slammed an enemy into the floor, while Jin cloaked two others in genjutsu illusions.
One high-level enemy—wielding twin scythes—charged at me. His speed was brutal, but my Falcon Strike met his blade, sparking like a thunderclap.
"You're fast, kid," he grinned, swinging again.
"And you're about to regret it," I muttered, channeling a new technique: Tempest Cyclone Drill—a spinning spear of storm chakra that shattered his scythes and launched him through a wall.
---
Hana's Rescue
A hidden kunai flew at my back—but Hana leaped, blocking with her chakra vines, then countered with a paralyzing kick.
"You owe me, Arashi," she teased even as battle raged.
"Add it to the tab!" I shouted, finishing the last opponent with a palm strike that cracked the stone floor.
---
Victory & Reflection
The hub burned behind us as dawn broke.
Hana removed her mask again, this time stepping closer than usual. "We're good at this, aren't we?"
I met her eyes and, for a moment, forgot about the blood on our gloves. "Yeah… we are."
---
Cliffhanger
Hiruzen awaited us back home, but his expression wasn't one of pride. It was grim.
"Arashi… something bigger is moving in the shadows. I need you prepared for