Shadows On The Leaf

The rain fell in a steady whisper on the streets of a small port near Kirigakure. In a dark alley, dimly lit by a flickering streetlight, a Mist chunin stood motionless. His eyes, empty of will, reflected the hypnotic glow of a Sharingan that held him under a genjutsu. 

Shisui Uchiha stood before the chunin, his gaze locked on the man's eyes, making sure the genjutsu remained intact. Beside him, Danzo watched with his arms crossed. 

"Speak," Shisui ordered in a controlled voice. 

The chunin replied in a mechanical monotone, the product of genjutsu. "I haven't seen him… but I've heard his name. Ao. He's a jounin. He's constantly out of the village on missions. Some say the Mizukage doesn't appreciate him." 

Danzo showed no emotion, but inside, the pieces were starting to fall into place. 'Obito wouldn't allow someone like Ao, with her Byakugan, to be near Yagura,' he thought. 'It's too risky, keeping him out ensures he doesn't discover his control over the Mizukage.'

"What else do you know about Ao?" Shisui pressed, his Sharingan glowing brightly. 

"He's… reserved. Loyal to Kirigakure, but works a lot outside the village. He doesn't interact much with other shinobi." 

Danzo raised a hand, stopping the questioning. "That's enough. This man has nothing more to offer." 

Shisui deactivated his Sharingan, and the chunin fell to the ground, unconscious. Danzo turned to his subordinate, his tone calm. "It is clear that Ao is someone important to the movements in Kirigakure. However, his usefulness depends on us being able to approach him without arousing suspicion." 

"How will we locate him, Danzo-sama?" Shisui asked, attentive to the details. 

Danzo kept his gaze fixed on the hazy horizon. "We will make Ao come to us." 

Shisui tilted his head slightly, intrigued. Danzo continued, his words carefully measured. "We'll pay for an escort mission outside the village. If Ao is as active as they say, they'll likely assign him. And if they don't… you'll be in charge of correcting that situation." 

A hint of understanding crossed Shisui's face. "I can use my Sharingan to influence the shinobi in charge of the assignments. I will have Ao receive the mission." 

Danzo nodded slightly. "Exactly. Once we have him out of the village, we can act more freely. There is no room for error, Shisui." 

The Uchiha bowed his head in respect. "Understood, Danzo-sama." 

The rain continued to fall as the two of them disappeared into the shadows, leaving the unconscious chunin behind as if nothing had happened. The plan was in motion, and Danzo knew that every move had to be meticulously calculated. 

////// 

The shop bell rang softly as "Taro" pushed open the wooden door and entered. The shop was modest, with shelves displaying kitchen utensils, fishing tools, and other common items. The dim light from a hanging lamp illuminated the worn faces of the few customers who loitered about, and the air was thick with dampness and mold, a constant reminder of the fog that shrouded Kirigakure.

Kinoe, under her false identity, moved cautiously between the shelves. Although it was not the first time she had visited a shop in the village, each foray required extreme caution. One wrong word, one suspicious gesture, and the entire plan could fall apart. 

As he examined a rack of cheap knives, his mind wandered into an internal monologue. 'Over a month in this place and I'm still not used to the fog,' he thought, running his fingers over the edges of the knives. 'It's like it's enveloping you, stalking you, making you feel like someone is always watching. But it's more than the fog. It's the atmosphere of this village, so thick with distrust, resentment and fear.' 

Kinoe looked up slightly, feigning interest in a worn-out medical kit. From his position, he could hear the conversations of the nearby villagers. 

"Did you hear about the family in the southern district? They killed them all… even the children." 

"Yes, but they were Mudbloods. Monsters with Kekkei Genkai. The Mizukage is cleansing our village of those beasts." 

Kinoe suppressed a grimace of disgust, keeping her expression neutral as she pretended to inspect the prices. 'Yagura's propaganda works too well,' she thought. 'The civilians actually believe that Kekkei Genkai users are monsters. How much longer can this situation be sustained before this village completely collapses?' 

The villagers continued talking, their words laced with fear and hatred. 

"They say that clans with Kekkei Genkai are fighting, but… what's the point? They can't stand up to the Mizukage's squads. They're hunted like animals." 

"And so it should be. Those powers are not natural. We are the ones who suffer every time they unleash their cursed abilities." 

Kinoe gritted his teeth slightly, keeping himself in control, he too was a Kekkei Genkai user. His eyes drifted to the shopkeeper behind the counter, an older man with a prominent bald spot and a tired look. The man was watching him with some distrust, as if evaluating whether "Taro" was a worthy customer or a problem waiting to happen.

'I can't blame them,' Kinoe thought as he picked up a knife and inspected it. 'Fear is a powerful tool, and Yagura knows how to use it. This hatred of the Kekkei Genkai isn't just a strategy to secure power; it's a means to divert attention. While civilians fear the 'monsters' within their walls, they don't question the true monster that rules them.' 

Arriving at the counter, Kinoe placed a knife and a small medical kit on the wood. The shopkeeper glanced at them quickly before naming the price. 

"It's 1,200 ryō," he said harshly, not bothering to smile. 

Kinoe calmly took out the coins, handing them over without a word. He knew that any excess of kindness or conversation could raise suspicion. His role was that of a silent child, one who had learned to stay in the shadows of his older "brothers." 

As he left the shop, the fog enveloped him again, as if it had been patiently waiting for his return. Kinoe adjusted his cloak and began walking down the cobblestone streets, the voices of the civilians still echoing in his mind. 

The sound of hurried footsteps brought him out of his thoughts. Kinoe looked up slightly to see a group of armed shinobi walking by. Their forehead protectors, bearing the Kirigakure symbol, were worn but still visible. One of them carried a bloody bag on his back. 

'A normal day in this village,' Kinoe thought, looking away before they could notice. 

He slipped down a side street, disappearing into the fog.

////// 

In a rented house on the outskirts of Kirigakure, the group gathered in a room dimly lit by an oil lamp. Danzo sat in the center, his expression pensive. To his right was Tatsuma, his arms crossed and his gaze serious. Kinoe stood silently near the wall, while Shisui fiddled with a kunai, but listened intently to every word.

Danzo broke the silence. "Kinoe, what did you hear?" 

Kinoe straightened up a bit, looking away from the fog that filtered through the window. "Civilians are talking about a possible insurgency against Yagura. Rumor has it that there is a group seeking to overthrow him, but as of now there is no concrete word. No names, no clear targets. Just speculation." 

Danzo nodded slowly. "Interesting. It could be useful if we can identify their leaders. An insurgent movement could distract Yagura and weaken Kirigakure's internal structure." 

Tatsuma stepped in, his tone firm. "I have news as well. I managed to infiltrate one of Kirigakure's morgues. I collected DNA samples from several important shinobi. Among them, the former members of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist who died during the last war and… the Second Mizukage." 

Danzo's eyes sparkled with interest. "Excellent work, Tatsuma. Those samples will be invaluable for future projects. Make sure to keep them safe."

Tatsuma nodded. "They are already secured in a sealing scroll. No one will be able to access them."

Danzo looked at each member of the team before speaking again, his tone low but determined. "Tomorrow we will set off on the next phase of our mission. We will all go to the mission building to request an escort task to the Land of Waves." 

Shisui asked. "And what will our story be this time, Danzo-sama?" 

Danzo smiled slightly, as if he had been expecting the question. "We will say that our grandfather left us an inheritance in the Land of Hot Springs, a fishing company that is now in my name. Of course, this did not please our father, who was the one who forced us to flee that country. Our excuse will be that we need to return to claim it, but we fear that our father will hire shinobi to assassinate us along the way." 

Kinoe tilted his head in understanding. "And that justifies our requesting a high-ranking escort mission." 

"Exactly," Danzo replied. "Since we will be asking for an A-rank mission, there is a high probability that Ao will be assigned to protect us. However, Shisui, you will ensure this." 

"You will use your Sharingan to influence the ninja who receives the requests," Danzo explained. "You will implant in him the idea that this mission must be given to Ao. You will do it subtly. A simple adjustment in his thoughts so that he believes it is the best choice." 

Shisui smiled confidently. "That won't be a problem." 

"Perfect." Danzo leaned back in his seat, assessing the situation. "This mission will be crucial. If we can get Ao on this mission, we can attack him away from Kirigakure, making our mission easier. Everyone must be prepared." 

The three of them nodded, showing their commitment. Kinoe looked back at the window, her mind returning to the comments she had heard in the shop about the hunt for Kekkei Genkai users. 

Danzo interrupted his thoughts. "Rest for now. Tomorrow we will have a role to play, and we must be perfect." 

With those words, the meeting ended. One by one, they left the room, prepared for what awaited them the next day.