Fuma stood on a high rooftop, his [Predator's Malice] exuding a faint blood aura, enveloping the entire village of Konoha.
The blood aura allowed him to sense the unique chakra signatures of everyone within its range. Back in the ANBU, Fuma always found it amusing how the chakra of Rain ninjas carried a melancholic, rainy scent, reflecting their unhealthy psyches.
"Heh, found you," he murmured, spotting a luxurious carriage emitting the scent of rain.
In a flash, he intercepted the carriage.
The lead coachman, seeing the imposing figure of Fuma, sneered, "Who are you? Do you know whose carriage this is? This belongs to the daimyo!"
Fuma chuckled at the spy's ingenuity. "Posing as the daimyo, huh? Quite innovative. Such brains are wasted on ninja work."
With a casual wave, a fierce punch shattered the carriage, forcing the hidden Rain ninja and the coachman to instinctively use the Body Flicker Technique.
Fuma laughed, "A daimyo who knows the Body Flicker Technique, huh?"
The three Rain ninja dropped their pretense, their faces contorted in malicious grins. "Kill him!"
*Thud* *Thud*
Two dull sounds echoed.
Two more heads burst like ripe watermelons.
The remaining Rain ninja, horrified, stared at his decapitated comrades and then at Fuma.
"It's over. We've encountered the 'Blood Wolf'."
Fuma's brutal, high-speed taijutsu style and tendency to leave enemies in pieces had made him infamous throughout the ANBU divisions of various countries. "Blood Wolf" was a nickname given to him by his enemies.
Some even said encountering the Blood Wolf was a blessing—death was swift and painless.
The Rain ninja gritted his teeth, pulling out a paper tag from his wrist, ready to activate it.
In an instant, Fuma grabbed his neck, his fingers slicing through his spine like a scalpel. With precise movements, he severed the ninja's main joints, rendering him paralyzed but conscious.
Fuma curiously examined the paper tag the Rain ninja had tried to activate. It wasn't a regular explosive tag; it seemed to be some kind of sealing technique.
Carefully enveloping it with his chakra, he stashed it away, waiting for the ANBU and the Konoha Military Police Force to arrive.
He glanced at the so-called daimyo's carriage, lost in thought.
In the ninja world, daimyo held a peculiar position. Lacking substantial military power, they nonetheless occupied lofty statuses.
For the Land of Fire, this was somewhat understandable. When the Senju clan disbanded, although the name disappeared, the bloodline connections remained intact.
Senju clan members, about half, continued their ninja careers, spreading their influence. This helped explain why Konoha frequently produced geniuses among both ninjas and civilians—the Senju bloodline was subtly enhancing Konoha.
The rest took up significant governmental positions in the Land of Fire or married into the daimyo's family, starting new lives.
Thus, the daimyo of the Land of Fire's most important supporters were the Senju clan members. This was a crucial reason why Danzo, despite his audacity, didn't dare make a move against the daimyo.
In small countries, killing a daimyo might lead to some bounties placed by other daimyo to maintain their untouchable image, but that would be the extent of it.
After about two minutes, the ANBU and the Military Police Force arrived, and Fuma addressed them coldly:
"ANBU numbers 24 and 56, the Inuzuka clan feels ashamed of you."
"Tetsuka, Enbu, you have shamed the Uchiha clan."
The four ninja bowed their heads in shame, deeply bowing and saying in unison, "We deeply apologize, Fuma-senpai!"
Fuma glanced at them, feeling the weight of history.
Twenty years had passed since the First Great Ninja War. The economic benefits gained from the war, earned with the life of Tobirama Senju, had made Konoha prosperous and materially wealthy.
But this abundance had dulled many Konoha ninja's senses, eroding their vigilance.
Small, hungry nations, bled dry, glared at Konoha with red, greedy eyes, ready to pounce. Future Sunagakure, so impoverished even their Kage dug for gold, reflected the dire straits of ordinary ninja and civilians, driven to despair and war.
History teaches that people never learn from history.
Fuma pointed at the Rain ninja, who lay motionless like a dead fish, and commanded, "One is still alive. Don't mess this up."
"Yes, Senpai."
Waving them off, Fuma walked home, pondering what to cook for Tsunade that evening and what to discuss.
The more he thought, the more anxious he became. He felt a rare and unfamiliar tension.
Forgetting his earlier reflections on history and insights, he concluded that nothing was more important than love.
The young ninja watched Fuma walk away, collectively exhaling.
"Huh? Even you Uchiha fear Fuma-senpai?"
"You might not know, but our clan leader has been bedridden recently. I heard he was almost killed by him a few days ago."
"That's been circulating in the ANBU too. Apparently, Fuma-senpai fought against two commanders simultaneously."
"Wasn't it five? But for Fuma-senpai, that's normal. It's already good if no one died."
"Hey, tell us more about Fuma-senpai. I'm just a junior in the clan and can't get much information."
"He's terrifying. Touch him and you're injured; bump into him and you're dead. Got it?"
The Rain ninja, dragged away like a dead fish, wanted to chime in but could only express his eerie agreement through his eyes.
In the Hokage's office.
Danzo burst in angrily, the smoke-filled office only fueling his rage. "How could Konoha, the greatest village, be infiltrated by a few Rain ninja? Hiruzen, the ANBU are disgraceful!"
The Third Hokage, also displeased, sighed, "Indeed, the wounds of war fade quickly. The village ninja are losing their vigilance."
Danzo slammed the desk, demanding, "Ninja who are not ninja, what use are they? Hiruzen, you're too indecisive! I've always said, we should rely on Fire Country's trade caravans for foreign trade, not bring foreign traders into the village!"
The Third Hokage stepped forward, face to face with Danzo, retorting loudly, "You speak easily. If foreign trade were so simple, your Root division wouldn't keep asking me for funds!"
Feeling unsatisfied, he added, "Your Root takes so much funding, but what are your results? Root's five-year achievements don't match Orochimaru's in half a year!"
Mentioning funds and results made Danzo's bandaged face twitch in anger. The funds went to Orochimaru, but he couldn't reveal that to this old dog!
Unable to refute, he could only utter his usual line.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Konoha's interrogation room. Morino Ibiki summoned his ancestral torture devices, locking the Rain ninja inside.
ANBU Commander Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the Third Hokage's eldest son, issued grave orders:
"Summon Uchiha Fugaku, Yamanaka Shingen, and Yuhi Shinku. We must uncover the stolen intel and the number of infiltrators."
The ANBU's laxity had reached such a level? This wasn't good news with impending war.
Thankfully, that troublesome Fuma had saved the day. Surprisingly reliable.
Recalling how Fuma had broken his ribs when he tried to assert authority in the ANBU, Shinnosuke chuckled.
Strange camaraderie, perhaps. After all, he did say, "No fight, no acquaintance."
For ninja, strength spoke louder than words.
Sarutobi Shinnosuke, lost in past thoughts, mused on the peculiarities of ninja life.
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