Naruto: The Shadow of Uchiha

Inside the inn, Samui made a suggestion.

"Since Lord Hokage invited us to explore Konoha, why don't we take the opportunity to walk around now?"

"We should get more familiar with the village's layout."

Although this was their first time visiting Konohagakure, they had already studied detailed maps of the village and the Hyūga clan compound, where their target Hinata Hyūga resided. Still, out of caution, they needed to verify everything on-site.

"Alright," Dodoi replied, since he would be taking the lead in this operation. Caution was essential—failure would have serious consequences.

Even if the soft-hearted Hokage didn't kill him for failure, it could jeopardize the peace talks and escalate tensions between the two villages.

Meanwhile, Kakashi had returned to the Hokage Tower to report to the Third Hokage.

"Lord Hokage, everything has been taken care of."

The Third Hokage Hiruzen smiled warmly.

"Well done, Kakashi."

Now, they only needed to wait until the peace treaty was signed two days later.

That would officially end the war.

Konoha had suffered heavily during the conflict. With the Uchiha clan growing increasingly restless, ending the war would be a huge relief. It would allow the village to redirect resources toward internal stability.

At that moment, Kakashi raised a concern.

"Lord Hokage, should we assign the ANBU to monitor the Cloud delegation more closely?"

After all, they were foreign shinobi, and Kakashi feared some hidden plot.

Hiruzen's smile faded slightly as he looked at Kakashi.

"There's no need. I believe they're here in good faith."

"If we have people tailing them, it would show a lack of trust—harmful to peace negotiations."

"Besides, this is Konoha. Our home turf. If they're smart, they won't try anything reckless."

Kakashi accepted the explanation and said no more.

Indeed, this was the stronghold of Konoha.

Even if those two seemed moderately skilled, they didn't give off an aura of overwhelming power.

If the Cloud really wanted to make a move, they wouldn't send such average shinobi.

On the other side, to avoid drawing suspicion, Samui and Dodoi had taken time to clean themselves up and changed into neat, traditional-style kimonos before heading out to explore the streets of Konoha.

They didn't immediately head to the Hyūga compound—they needed to maintain appearances.

Walking down the bustling streets of Konoha, they had to admit:

Konoha was far more prosperous than Kumogakure.

But perhaps it was that prosperity that had made them complacent and less vigilant.

After wandering the village casually, they began to steer—intentionally but subtly—toward the area surrounding the Hyūga clan estate.

From a distance, they observed the surroundings, planning infiltration and escape routes.

Their goal was to create a mental map of everything.

While circling the compound, they happened to see a man from the Uchiha clan—clearly marked by the famous fan crest on his back, known across the ninja world.

To see an Uchiha here, near the Hyūga's domain, made them both uneasy… but also a little excited.

After all, the Sharingan was also one of the most powerful dōjutsu in existence.

In battlefield utility, it might not rival the Byakugan in detection and surveillance—especially given the Byakugan's long-range capabilities.

But in personal combat? The Sharingan could greatly amplify an individual's strength.

Just like the famous Copy Ninja Kakashi who had welcomed them—his ability to replicate ninjutsu was legendary. A near cheat-level talent.

Still, stealing a Sharingan wasn't their objective this time.

The pair casually continued wandering, acting as if they hadn't noticed anything.

But Ryosuke had absolutely noticed them.

He didn't know Dodoi by face, but Samui—with her distinctive golden hair, fair skin, and two enormous… "Heavenly Bodies"—was instantly recognizable.

This woman exudes even more fertility energy than Tsunade… Definitely breeding potential through the roof.

Based on the plot progression he knew from the original story, it was clear that they were now doing preparatory reconnaissance.

Which meant… the original story was still mostly on track.

But Ryosuke had no intention of stopping them.

In fact, he intended to let events unfold just like in canon—particularly the part where Hiashi Hyūga kills the Cloud envoy, and the Third Hokage sacrifices Hizashi Hyūga to keep the peace.

A foreign envoy came to kidnap Hinata, was killed in self-defense, and yet Konoha forced the Hyūga clan to offer up a sacrificial lamb to avoid war.

If Hiashi didn't feel resentment over that, he wouldn't be a Hyūga.

That's when Ryosuke planned to step in.

How could he just watch fellow Konoha shinobi die so unjustly?

If he intervened at the right time—not to stop the incident, but to support the Hyūga in the aftermath—he could win favor with the clan.

He didn't expect them to bend the knee, but when war broke out between the Uchiha clan and Konoha, even just keeping the Hyūga neutral would be a huge victory.

For now, all he needed to do was wait for the real drama to unfold—and be ready to "play his part" when the moment came.

Meanwhile, Dodoi and Samui had already finished surveying the Hyūga compound's surroundings.

In their minds, a full infiltration and escape route was now mapped out.

Still, to keep up appearances, they wandered to other parts of the village—feigning curiosity and avoiding suspicion.

This wasn't just for deception. It also allowed them to assess Konoha's terrain further for any backup exit routes.

They found it almost laughable how generous the Third Hokage had been—letting them roam around Konoha freely with no visible surveillance.

Even when they passed Leaf shinobi on patrol, it felt like coincidence, not deliberate monitoring.

Thanks to this lack of oversight, they were able to scout multiple escape routes and run tests in the real environment.

That night, the two returned to their inn.

Their real-world reconnaissance had confirmed that both the infiltration and escape plans were feasible.

Dodoi looked thrilled.

"Samui, tomorrow night we make our move. You'll head north of the village first. Once I've grabbed Hinata, I'll meet you there."

"Then we'll escape together."

If their plan succeeded, the entire peace negotiation would fall apart.

Whether that meant war or not wasn't their concern—it would be up to the Fourth Raikage to decide.

But based on current intel, it was clear: Kumo still had the appetite for battle, while Konoha—with its hesitant, peace-seeking Hokage—did not.

Samui nodded in agreement.

If the mission succeeded, she had no reason to stay in Konoha anyway.

"I'll wait at the designated rendezvous point. Once you arrive, we'll leave Konoha immediately and head for the border. Our people are already waiting for us there."

"Even if Konoha realizes what happened, by the time they react, it'll already be too late."

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