Tremendous chakra leaked from Indra's body. The kunai abruptly stopped as the force field containing him shattered. Indra's hands moved swiftly as he clutched the kunai and flickered.
"Where is he?" Instantly, a shinobi felt something behind his back and dodged—but still received a shallow cut.
"He's fast!" the shinobi said, only for a mocking voice to echo, "Not faster than me!" Lightning chakra gathered in the man's legs as he closed in on Indra, leaving a trail of white light before punching him.
Thud!
Indra's nose bled as he quickly performed hand signs.
"Fire Style! Great Fire Annihilation!"
A massive burst of flames erupted, scorching a Kumo jōnin alive and killing him instantly. Indra's eyes narrowed as he looked at Kushina lying nearby. Without hesitation, he picked her up and dashed toward the village.
"Catch him!" Several kunai were launched his way. Indra twisted mid-motion, catching them all before continuing his sprint.
"Quick!" one Kumo ninja urged, but in the next moment, his face paled.
"Lightning Style! Lariat!"
Lightning burst from Indra's figure instead. Using the technique's speed, he shot far ahead.
"Huff… huff…" Even with his massive chakra reserves and matured Sharingan, he still had the body of a child.
Suddenly, danger prickled down his spine. His eyes flicked back—multiple shuriken, each coated in lightning chakra, were flying toward him.
In an instant, he pulled out a kunai. A blue aura of chakra flared around it as he deflected every shuriken in his path.
Ahead, the great wall of Konoha loomed. His teeth clenched, his body screaming in exhaustion.
"Body Flicker…"
And then he stood atop the walls of konoha as he fall down with kushina with him.
The Kumo shinobi stopped at the place where Indra once stood.
"What should we do now?" one asked.
"We've already lost a jōnin," another said gravely. "And we tried to kidnap Konoha's Nine-Tails jinchūriki. If this gets out…"
"Another war will erupt," the first ninja muttered.
The leader turned back with a dark expression.
"Abandon the mission. Erase all traces of fighting."
Meanwhile, Indra had collapsed right at the base of the wall. His eyes grew heavy, and darkness claimed him.
*
*
*
After an unknown time, he stirred awake groggily, an itch burning behind his eyes. Blinking against the light, his gaze swept the room.
Beside him, Nawaki was asleep, his head resting on the bed.
"Nawaki… senpai?" Indra whispered. The boy didn't stir. Indra tried to sit up, clutching his head—
"Ahh!!"
A sharp pain racked his body. His scream jolted Nawaki awake. As nawaki's eyes landed on Indra. He spoke
"Don't force your body, Indra—" he paused as he yawned and scratched his head "You were drained of chakra."
The door creaked open, and Tsunade entered. Her eyes softened the moment she saw him.
"Are you awake?" she asked with a gentle smile.
Indra scoffed inwardly. No, I'm sleeping.
"Yes, I'm awake, Sister Tsunade," he answered aloud with a smile.
"Thank you for saving Kushina, Indra. Konoha will reward you greatly."
'yeah...sure they would' Indra looked into tsunades eyes as he spoke "I want to ask something."
Tsunade nodded. "Go on."
"What the hell were the ninja in the Senju compound doing? Even if they were asleep, where were Konoha's guards?"
Tsunade sighed, her shoulders heavy.
"Kushina is our responsibility. No one outside the village can shoulder that. And… the Senju compound didn't sense any intruders."
Indra nodded slowly. Elite stealth units from Kumo, huh. No wonder they evaded even the Yamanaka's sensing techniques.
"As the pioneers of this village, aren't the Senju granted more privileges?"
Nawaki laughed. "Sister, he's right. The Third is useless."
Tsunade hesitated, murmuring, "The Nine-Tails is under the Hokage faction's control, not the Senju's—just because its jinchūriki lives with us…"
"I believe the Third Hokage might have played a part," Nawaki added.
Tsunade fell silent, and the two continued their discussion.
Indra's eyes sharpened. 'Just wait until I grow up… because that will be the end of Hiruzen's reign. Then either the Uchiha or the Senju will ascend into power.'
---
Hours later, Indra lay resting when the door creaked open again. His eyes snapped open.
Kushina stepped inside, her gaze locking with his.
"Indra… thank you. If it wasn't for you, I—"
"It's fine," Indra interrupted calmly. "I know it must've been terrifying for you… it was for me too. My shoulder got cut, dattebane!"
Kushina stifled a laugh and hugged him tightly.
Indra was caught off guard, but inwardly, he celebrated. She's finally in the same boat as me.
He hugged her back—then Kushina suddenly pulled away and dashed out of the room.
Indra smiled faintly as he closed his eyes again, letting rest take him.
—
Meanwhile, inside the Hokage's office, all the clan heads had gathered.
Uchiha Clan: Uchiha Shinkuro
Sarutobi Clan: Sarutobi Hiruzen himself
Hyūga Clan: Hyūga Sōgen
Nara Clan: Nara Kazuto
Akimichi Clan: Akimichi Torifu
Yamanaka Clan: Yamanaka Junsai
Aburame Clan: Aburame Shibi
Inuzuka Clan: Inuzuka Kenzō
Senju Clan: Tsunade, who had just arrived
Several of the village's most famous jōnin from the Second War were also present.
Hiruzen began the meeting, his advisors seated at his side.
"Today, this council is convened because of Kumogakure's attempted abduction of our Nine-Tails jinchūriki…"
He paused, letting the words sink in.
"…who, in the end, was saved by a child of the Uchiha. Clan Head Uchiha Shinkuro."
"Yes," Shinkuro replied evenly, though he sensed a scheme forming in the Hokage's mind.
Hiruzen leaned forward, his eyes sharp.
"How can a mere child—nine, maybe ten years old—know the precise moment and place of the abduction? And more so, how could he possibly survive against a squad of jōnin?"
Shinkuro kept silent, deep in thought. But Tsunade's voice cut through.
"I think it's unnecessary to put the Uchiha under suspicion. The Nine-Tails jinchūriki was safely returned thanks to one of their children!"
"And also the Yamanaka search unit should also be held accountabl—"
"Silence!" Hiruzen's voice thundered. He turned on Tsunade, tone commanding.
"You had the duty to protect the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, didn't you?"
Tsunade nodded, her expression calm.
Hiruzen slammed his desk, his face dark.
"Do you understand how much of a disadvantage we would've been at? How can you be so careless! Another war was nearly at our gates!"
At that moment, Danzo leaned forward slightly, his eyes glinting. His voice was smooth, deliberate.
"Perhaps… the question we should ask is not only how the Senju failed to protect the jinchūriki, but how the Uchiha boy knew where to be. A nine-year-old should not have that kind of foresight unless…" He paused, letting the implication settle. "…he was involved from the beginning."
The chamber filled with murmurs. Shinkuro's eyes hardened, but before he could answer, Hiruzen added fuel.
"Danzo raises a valid concern. The timing is suspicious."
Shinkuro finally spoke, his voice steady.
"I believe the abduction was prevented, and that should end this matter."
"When the Hokage speaks, who are you to interrupt?" Koharu snapped immediately, seizing on Hiruzen's lead.
Shinkuro's glare sharpened.
"I am Uchiha Shinkuro, head of the Uchiha clan—a clan that has produced multiple geniuses and loyal shinobi for Konoha. If you seek accountability, perhaps first explain why bloodline-limit corpses have been disappearing from our morgues and ending up in enemy hands."
Danzo's expression didn't flicker, but his fingers tapped lightly on the armrest.
Shinkuro pressed on.
"The Uchiha prevented the capture of the Nine-Tails jinchūriki. That fact should not be twisted into suspicion."
"Aswell as the fact the Yamanaka unit failed to identify some ninjas that broke through the barrier!"
"Indeed," Hyūga Sōgen said, voice calm and firm. "I agree with Clan Head Shinkuro. Infighting only weakens us. The Uchiha prevented a crisis."
Nara Kazuto rose next.
"Yes. For this deed, the Uchiha deserve a reward and Yamanaka should be held accountable."
Hiruzen's jaw tightened. His gaze flicked to Danzo, who gave the slightest nod, silent but insistent. Do not let the Uchiha gain too much sympathy. Bind them instead.
Suppressing his frustration, Hiruzen exhaled slowly.
"…Very well. Clan Head Shinkuro, from this day forward, the Police Department will be entrusted solely to the Uchiha."
Applause filled the chamber, though Danzo's lips curved into the faintest shadow of a smile. The seed of isolation had been planted.
"but, we should give the senju clan a punishment for neglecting their duties!" Danzo's eyes narrowed towards hiruzen but a calm voice broke out.
One elder spoke, "Third Hokage, I believe the responsibility of the Nine-Tails is not solely that of the Senju. Just because the jinchūriki lives in their compound doesn't mean they guarantee his safety—or his stability."
"And," the voice continued, "the Senju have declined. For nearly a decade, they've produced no shinobi of real power."
Hiruzen's glare sharpened, pressing Tsunade further.
"I gave you this duty. You should obey! We are talking about the Nine-Tails jinchūriki—a weapon vital to Konoha!"
Before Tsunade could answer danzo begun"A punishment is nesasarry..."
"The senju clan will no longer intervene in the high level meetings from today onwards,they are fined 50 million ryo!"
Hiruzens voice echoed...
"As well as the Yamanaka clan! They'll be fined 30 million ryo!" The others nodded in agreement....
But the yamanaka clan head bore a grave expression...
Soon, the meeting was dismissed.
——
And...the Fanfiction Is going on hiatus because of no ideas. I'll come back I promise.