Ti passed quickly.
In the blink of an eye, an entire month slipped away.
During this month, Konohagakure beca livelier than ever, its streets overflowing with nobles, officials, and dignitaries from the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and several smaller nations. With the upcoming Chūnin Exams approaching, every rchant in the village seed unable to hide their smiles. These wealthy visitors were walking treasure chests—spending lavishly and without hesitation.
Wherever nma walked, he could see the joy and excitent on the faces of ordinary villagers.
No one sensed the coming disaster.
Of course, how could they? For those at the bottom of society, focusing only on the present was the most realistic way to live. They didn't possess the freedom or power to influence their own destinies.
So people swim with the current and reach the shore.
Others drown in the abyss.
This was the fate of ordinary people.
But nma refused to live that kind of life.
His fate—his future—would be carved out by his own hands. He refused to be trapped by helplessness ever again.
Even if stepping forward ant plunging into an abyss, he would leap without hesitation. That was his choice.
nma walked toward the easternmost streets of the village.
Stepping down to the right, he blended into the crowd.
As he moved through the people, soone brushed lightly past his shoulder.
nma slowed for a mont but continued walking.
When he turned at the next corner, he made his way straight ho.
Night eventually settled over Konohagakure, cloaking the village in shadows.
nma pushed open his door gently.
A wave of chakra perception spread out from him—wide, precise, controlled.
Only after confirming no shinobi were nearby did he move.
"Swoosh."
With a single tap of his toes, nma shot into the northwest, his figure rging seamlessly with the darkness.
He avoided every patrol, every civilian, every presence along the way.
Finally, he reached a remote, abandoned residential area at the edge of the village.
Two figures were already waiting.
One was Kabuto Yakushi, his usual smile calm and unreadable.
The other was Maki, the Fourth Kazekage's most trusted advisor—currently the strongest jōnin in Sunagakure.
The mont Maki sensed nma's chakra approaching, he grew tense.
He cast a suspicious glance at Kabuto.
"Kabuto Yakushi… what is this supposed to an?" Maki demanded sharply.
As expected, there was no trust between parties who were only allies for convenience. Even Konoha and Suna—nations that had cooperated for years—never truly trusted one another. At the level of entire villages, trust was a luxury.
Kabuto simply kept smiling.
"Haha, calm down, Maki-san. This is the other ally I ntioned before—the one who will serve as our most crucial asset in the plan."
Before Maki could respond, nma stepped into view.
His appearance—and his Konoha forehead protector—made Maki freeze mid-breath.
"A crucial asset? Don't joke with ," Maki scoffed. "He's a Konoha brat. Ten years old at most—"
Kabuto tilted his head.
"Hehe… but isn't Gaara-kun also ten years old?"
Maki opened his mouth to retort, but halfway through, sothing clicked in his mind.
He swung his gaze back to nma—eyes widening as a terrifying possibility ford.
"You don't an…!"
"That's exactly what he ans," Kabuto said.
"Impossible! This child can't be—"
BOOM.
nma released a surge of chakra.
Dense. Violent. Red.
Contained tightly within a controlled boundary—yet its presence was overwhelming.
nma's pupils sharpened into the distinct fox-like slits of a Jinchūriki.
Maki's voice died as if soone had crushed his windpipe.
nma stared coldly at the two.
"Enough pointless talking. We're running out of ti. Three days remain until the operation. I've said this before, Kabuto—if your plan doesn't satisfy , I will not act. Don't forget that."
Today was the day they would finalize everything.
A month was far too long; unexpected variables could appear at any mont.
And the biggest unexpected variable was Jiraiya's sudden return to the village.
Originally, nma planned to avoid deep involvent.
But later he realized—knowing more about Orochimaru's and Sunagakure's true plan would give him more freedom in deciding his next move.
There would always be risks.
No matter what nma chose, nothing ca without consequences.
Maki stared at nma, his mind blank.
The Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki.
Standing before him.
Cooperating with them.
Willing to join a plan that targeted Konoha itself.
It defied all logic.
The pressure nma released—it made Maki's very soul tremble.
Konoha never deployed the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki in war, so few had ever witnessed this chakra firsthand. But the information they gathered, combined with what he felt now…
There was no way to deny it.
The red-haired boy in front of him was indeed the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki of Konoha.
Yet the situation was unbelievable.
The Nine-Tails Jinchūriki…
Siding with them?
Joining Orochimaru's operation?
This wasn't reasonable.
This wasn't logical.
It was madness.
It was impossible—and yet happening right before his eyes.
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