The Kumogakure delegation was ushered into the guesthouse.
Nagasaki Hiroaki and the other high-ranking officials entered a room.
He shot a glance at Tokijin, who formed a hand seal; a silencing barrier spread out.
Had anyone walked past the door, they would have noticed the room suddenly go deathly quiet.
Tokijin pressed a finger to his lips. "Good—Konoha can't hear us now."
"But without a Chakra-wave barrier, watch your lip movements; if the Hyuga Clan reads our lips, we're exposed."
Everyone nodded; after fighting the Hyuga for so long, they knew the Byakugan's quirks inside out.
What they didn't know was that Hyuga Hiashi's talk with Hiruzen Sarutobi had collapsed, and every Hyuga had gone home to celebrate Hinata's birthday—no one was watching them.
Still, they stayed cautious, speaking with hands covering their mouths.
Nagasaki Hiroaki looked around the group and began.
"The one feeding us intel is among Konoha's top brass. Last time, Lord Tsuchikage analyzed that the Konoha Leadership is split."
"He wants to use us to teach the Hyuga a lesson."
"We'll ride that wave and probe the Hyuga's bottom line."
"My plan—" a fit of coughing cut him off.
Hiroaki doubled over, clamping a hand over his mouth to stifle the hacking.
Tokijin quickly pulled out a tissue and handed it to him.
Hiroaki wiped his mouth and crumpled the tissue into a ball.
But everyone caught the dark-red stain blooming at its edge.
"I intend to steal a child from the Hyuga Main Family."
"If we succeed, we gain a pair of Byakugan; if we fail—" cough, cough.
Hiroaki's face paled; he fished out several pills and swallowed them dry.
The mood soured—they all knew this mission was sending Hiroaki to his death.
"If we fail, we can still spark a clash between Konoha and the Hyuga."
"At worst, we gain leverage in the peace talks."
"Konoha is weak and battered; the Third Hokage is old and lacks the guts to face our wrath."
"He won't dare touch you, nor risk another war."
"Whatever happens tomorrow, you must stay aggressive."
Hiroaki's eyes were bloodshot; his mind held, but drugs alone kept his body moving.
He had volunteered. Terminally ill, he had nothing left to lose—if his life could win the village greater gains, he'd die smiling.
"Totsui, Kai Gai, Worui…"
He named the three who had fought the Hyuga longest.
"My life is just a bargaining chip. Your real goal isn't revenge or body counts—it's to pit the Hyuga against Konoha."
"Understood?"
They all knew his condition and revered him; even the rowdiest among them listened in silence.
"Yes, Lord Hiroaki!"
…Root Headquarters.
"…The Kumogakure group has arrived; Elder Utatane led them into Konoha."
"Their roster is…"
As the Darkness of Konoha, Danzo had eyes everywhere; every whisper in the village reached him.
"Our undercover agents have picked up nothing from Kumogakure so far."
"Sir, should we take additional measures?"
Danzo draped a cloak over his shoulders and moved closer to the hearth; snow fell outside, and the Root base felt damp and cold.
Calm, composed, he even wore a faint smile.
"Do nothing."
"Given the slightest opening, those Kumogakure dogs will lunge and bite."
"We've already handed them the Hyuga compound's layout and patrol routes. If they still botch it, they're not Kumogakure."
"The whole village sent delegates to the peace talks—yet the Hyuga dare openly defy the village."
"Hmph…"
Whether drafting elites from clans into Root or relocating the Uchiha to the outskirts, every order had come from Hiruzen Sarutobi—so tacit agreement they no longer needed words.
Suppressing upstart clans was part of Danzo's job; he knew exactly how far to push.
"Several of their men fought the Hyuga most on the battlefield."
"They didn't come here to play…"
Danzo's eyes narrowed, half smile, half spectator… Qinglan Household.
"…Karin, spelled K-a-r-i-n, your name…"
A bright fire roared in the living-room hearth, heat flooding the space.
Snow piled outside, yet inside was cozy.
At the table, Aoran held Karin's hand, teaching her to write.
Her small hand could barely grip the pen; the strokes came out crooked.
But she beamed today, copying her name a dozen times until she had it memorized.
"Big brother, teach me your name next."
Karin set down the pen, round eyes shining as she looked up at Aoran.
Aoran smiled and ruffled her hair. "That's enough for today. It's cold—go bathe and sleep."
"Okay. Good night, big brother." She gave his cheek a loud peck.
Aoran shook his head with a chuckle; over the past weeks Karin had visibly brightened.
He added wood to the hearth and adjusted the flue.
Their nightly warmth taken care of.
In these pre-air-conditioner days, the fireplace was king.
The clan bought firewood in bulk and distributed it to every household.
Even branch families squeezed by the main house lived far better than common villagers.
Once Karin left for her bath, Aoran headed upstairs.
The travel-worn Owl was already waiting.
The Shadow Clone simply nodded and vanished in a puff of smoke.
Owl sorted through the fresh memories—nothing extraordinary.
[Hope everything goes smoothly.]
He released the Transformation Jutsu and reverted to Aoran's form; every piece was in place.
Whether Hizashi could be saved would be decided tomorrow…