Naruto evolution system

Chapter 134: Success (Part 1)

The night was calm, with sparse stars scattered across the sky.

Iwagakure.

In the Tsuchikage's office, Ōnoki sat under dim light, his brows deeply furrowed as he scanned through a stack of reports.

Despite Baishi's repeated refinements of the Mental Seed technique, the behavior of those under its control still revealed slight anomalies. With the sheer number of Iwa shinobi Baishi had targeted in the past half-month, these irregularities had inevitably come to light.

The reports in Ōnoki's hands were the result of the Iwa ANBU's investigation into these strange behaviors.

The contents of the report made his chest tighten. In a mere half-month, so many shinobi had exhibited abnormalities.

His extensive experience told him that Iwagakure was being targeted.

"Who could it be?"

Ōnoki pondered deeply. The oil lamp on his desk flickered out, yet he remained lost in thought.

Suddenly, BOOM!

A deafening explosion jolted him back to reality. It was quickly followed by a series of blasts echoing from across the village.

In an instant, chaos engulfed Iwagakure.

Ōnoki hurried to the window and looked out. Fires caused by explosive tags were raging across the village.

Fortunately, most of the buildings in Iwagakure were made of stone, which kept the fires from spreading further.

Still, the scale of the chaos suggested that the attack was no spur-of-the-moment decision. Nor could it be the work of just one or two individuals.

It was undoubtedly a premeditated assault.

---

"Could it be... them?"

A sudden thought struck Ōnoki. Grabbing the reports, he skimmed through them again.

After a moment, he muttered to himself, "So it's you, after all."

His tone carried both disappointment and simmering rage.

---

The Third Shinobi War had dealt Iwagakure a heavy blow, leaving the village in a precarious state of recovery. Many of those named in the reports were key pillars holding the village together.

To have them compromised in this way—wasted like this—Ōnoki couldn't help but seethe with fury.

Still, he forced himself to suppress his anger and returned to his desk, awaiting updates from his ANBU.

As Tsuchikage, his primary duty was to maintain order, not to charge into the fray. Though the village was in disarray, it was not yet beyond control.

Before long, an Iwa ANBU appeared, kneeling before him.

"Tsuchikage-sama, the attackers infiltrated the vault and stole several classified scrolls. The extent of the damage is still being assessed."

Ōnoki dismissed the details with a wave. "What about the enemy's identity?"

The ANBU hesitated before replying, "Most of those causing chaos in the village match the individuals we've been investigating in recent days."

Ōnoki closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh. Any faint hope of a coincidence was now thoroughly extinguished.

After a long pause, he opened his eyes, his expression grim. "What else?"

The ANBU shifted uneasily under his sharp gaze. Finally, he said, "Your suspicions were correct. Those who infiltrated the vault are a different group entirely. Based on their techniques and behavior, they appear to be... Konoha's ANBU."

---

"Konoha's ANBU?"

Ōnoki repeated the words, frowning in disbelief. "This doesn't align with their usual modus operandi."

A sudden thought struck him. Turning to the ANBU, he asked, "Could it be...?"

The ANBU nodded affirmatively. "It's highly likely that they're under the command of Konoha's Danzo Shimura."

Ōnoki didn't need further elaboration. The reputation of "The Darkness of the Shinobi World" preceded Danzo. There was nothing his operatives wouldn't do.

The realization deepened Ōnoki's scowl.

---

"Regardless of who they serve, I want them all captured!" Ōnoki slammed his desk and barked his order.

"Understood, Tsuchikage-sama!"

The ANBU vanished via Body Flicker, leaving Ōnoki to brood in silence.

Seated once again, the Tsuchikage pondered Danzo's motives.

Even for someone as ruthless as Danzo, it seemed implausible to risk so many operatives for the sake of a few scrolls. Konoha certainly wasn't lacking advanced techniques, and someone of Danzo's stature would have access to whatever he desired.

Additionally, cultivating elite shinobi was no trivial task. Squandering them in this manner was illogical.

And then there was the matter of the mind-control technique used on the Iwa shinobi. Surely, such a secretive and potent ability could have been deployed in more strategic ways.

Taken together, all signs pointed to a larger scheme—one that had yet to reveal itself.

What Ōnoki failed to realize was that these operatives weren't Danzo's at all.

This misunderstanding worked in Baishi's favor. As long as Ōnoki remained wary of some imagined secondary plot, a portion of Iwagakure's forces would stay in reserve, effectively neutralized.

Unbeknownst to him, Baishi's goal truly was just the scrolls.

---

As time passed, the chaos in Iwagakure gradually subsided. The controlled Iwa shinobi were subdued one by one, restoring some semblance of order.

Meanwhile, a few Root operatives managed to flee the village, with Iwagakure's forces in hot pursuit.

The relentless chase soon brought the surviving Root operatives to their limits. Despite their training, they were outnumbered and had to resort to a fighting retreat.

---

At the Zimu Inn, Baishi sat cross-legged in his room. His soul, detached from his body via the Spirit Transformation Technique, hovered in midair, monitoring the situation.

His enhanced sensory abilities allowed him to track the Root operatives' positions with precision.

When one of them finally escaped Iwagakure's perimeter, Baishi allowed himself a satisfied smile.

"That means the mission was a success."

He knew that these operatives wouldn't retreat unless they had secured the objective.

---

However, just as he began to relax, the pursuit suddenly intensified.

It seemed Iwagakure had received some critical intelligence, prompting their forces to accelerate the chase.

Within moments, the pursuers caught up to the fleeing Root operatives. The overwhelming numbers forced the survivors into a desperate retreat.

To make matters worse, Baishi sensed a powerful chakra signature rising from Iwagakure—the unmistakable presence of Ōnoki.

The Tsuchikage had taken to the skies, heading straight for the battlefield at alarming speed.

---

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Baishi wasted no time.

Deactivating the Spirit Transformation Technique, he locked onto a Flying Thunder God marker embedded on one of the Root operatives.

In an instant, his body vanished from the room.

(End of Chapter)

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