The ambush by the Mist ninjas injected a sharp sense of tension into Team 7's first escort mission.
Although the Genin had performed admirably and Kakashi had dispatched the enemies with ease, the raw killing intent radiating from the Mist shinobi was unlike anything Naruto and his peers had ever encountered.
Compared to these fresh Academy graduates, the Mist ninjas were the embodiment of what the public imagined a "ninja" to be: cold, efficient, and lethal.
Even Tazuna, who had been successfully protected, realized from their reactions that Naruto and the others were green.
However, because of Kakashi's overwhelming presence, Tazuna kept his doubts well-hidden. The appearance of the Mist ninjas also made him uneasy—at this stage, he couldn't afford a conflict with the Konoha shinobi.
According to Konoha's mission rankings, any task involving foreign ninjas should start at B-rank. The fee Tazuna had paid was nowhere near enough to cover such an escort. Tazuna privately suspected the Mist ninjas were after him, given the Land of Waves' proximity to the Land of Water.
Kakashi, however, didn't immediately link the attack to Tazuna's secret. While the "Demon Brothers" were only mid-tier Genin or Chūnin, they could easily be a scout team. A stronger group seeking the Byakugan could be following close behind.
Kakashi never underestimated the Mist. It was because of them that Rin had died by his hand—a nightmare that remained a permanent scar on his soul. Out of caution, he sent two messages back to Konoha via ninja hawk.
To the Hokage: Reporting the encounter within the Land of Fire and suggesting a state of alert.
To the Hyuga Clan: Warning that Hinata might be a target.
Kakashi was close friends with Hyuga Shinichi. He knew that Hinata, despite being twelve, had not been marked with the Caged Bird Seal. This meant her Byakugan could be stolen.
While the seal was a tool of control, it also protected the clan's bloodline from being harvested by enemies. Without it, Hinata was a high-value target for any village—Cloud, Stone, or Mist—seeking the secrets of the Byakugan.
The View from Above
In Konoha, Minato received the news and ordered increased security at the gates. He also discussed the situation with his advisor, Hyuga Hiashi. Minato was curious why the traditional Hyuga clan was being so lax about Hinata's seal.
Hiashi's answer was simple: "Shinichi is powerful enough. He is a powerhouse capable of protecting an entire generation of Hyuga."
Shinichi's strength had silenced all internal dissent. No one questioned his choices—not even the Clan Head.
Meanwhile, the letter arrived on Shinichi's desk. He glanced at it with an air of indifference. "No need to worry. I trust Kakashi's ability," Shinichi stated to his subordinates. "And Hinata won't be in danger. If something truly goes wrong, I will step in."
What Kakashi didn't know was that Shinichi had been "watching" them since they left. With his Tenseigan, Shinichi's vision could cover vast distances.
More importantly, he had surreptitiously slipped a Flying Thunder God (Hiraishin) kunai into Hinata's tool pouch. He was ready to teleport to her side in a heartbeat.
The Shadow in the Woods
As Team 7 crossed the border into the Land of Waves, the atmosphere changed. The journey became deceptively quiet. Naruto, usually a "hot-headed idiot," had actually caught a slight cold due to the changing climate—perhaps a side effect of becoming "smarter" and losing some of his protagonist's immunity.
One evening, while gathering firewood, Naruto encountered a beautiful "young lady" (Haku) in the forest. They had a brief, polite conversation.
Naruto, lacking real-world experience, didn't sense anything abnormal about the encounter and didn't mention it to the team.
The next morning, a thick, damp fog rolled in. The temperature dropped sharply. Suddenly, a whistling sound cut through the air.
"Get down!" Kakashi barked, grabbing Tazuna and diving for cover.
A massive blade spun through the air, slicing through the mist before embedding itself deep into a massive tree trunk.
A tall, muscular man landed lightly on the hilt of the sword, looking down at Team 7 with a predatory gaze. He wore the standard striped arm-warmers of the Mist and carried an aura of absolute violence.
"Oh?" the man rumbled. "You hired ninja escorts? From Konoha, no less."
Kakashi stepped in front of his students, his expression turning grim. He recognized the man immediately.
"The Executioner's Blade... One of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Biwa Jūzō!"
The Negotiator of Death
In this timeline, because the Akatsuki had effectively vanished before it could truly rise, Jūzō had not joined them. Instead, he worked as a high-end mercenary in the underworld. He was known for being powerful, "professional," and reliable.
Jūzō had been hired by a wealthy client (Gato) to finish a job. That job just happened to be the man Kakashi was protecting.
Jūzō grinned, revealing rows of jagged, shark-like teeth. "Recognize me, do you? Good. That makes this easier."
His eyes scanned the group, lingering for a fraction of a second on Hinata's pale eyes. He felt a slight hitch in his breath before looking away.
He was a smart man; he didn't want to provoke the Hyuga Clan—especially not the monster rumored to be leading them now.
"Since you know who I am, your mission ends here," Jūzō said, leaping down and pulling his massive sword from the tree with a shower of wood chips. "Leave the old man, and the rest of you can walk away. I'm in a good mood today. I'll let you live."
He released a wave of crushing killing intent, hoping to scare the Genin off. He didn't want the headache of a "Missing-nin kills Konoha elite" incident on his record, especially if it involved a Hyuga.
"Leave?" Kakashi replied coolly. He reached up and slid his headband aside, revealing his Sharingan. He drew a kunai, falling into a combat stance. "I'm afraid that's not possible. A Konoha shinobi doesn't abandon a mission that easily."
Jūzō's face darkened, his grip tightening on the Kubikiribōchō.
"So..." Jūzō growled. "You've chosen death?"
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