Plots and Schemes

Flickering rapidly through the forest, a figure eventually arrived before Kurenai. 

"!!!"

Startled to suddenly face a person she could not sense with her chakra field, Kurenai took a step back. A pair of silver eyes were gazing straight at her, jarring her senses. The young face was an even more baffling experience.

However, looking at the long silver hair that cascaded down his back, Kurenai couldn't help but find his figure familiar.

Yet she could not put her finger on who he was.

—Stare.

As her initial shock died down, Kurenai felt awkward, unable to maintain eye contact. Her eyes flickered between the dark forest around her and the boy gazing into her eyes.

The silence was unnerving.

"So? Who might you be?" Her question hung in the air.

The only response to her words was a curious head tilt. As if asking, "You don't know?"

Kurenai's lips twitched. With the other party not saying anything, she was at a loss. Had she been unaware of her students' safety, she would have already left.

—Rustle.

Moving leaves gave way to three injured and traumatized figures. Hinata, Kiba, and Shino sluggishly made their way to their sensei's side. Eyeing Suguru warily, while he stood before them, wearing a curious expression.

Suguru's lips slowly parted, and a wave of relief washed over Kurenai.

"...Who were those people?"

Hearing these words, Kurenai's gaze sharpened ever so slightly. Such a question had two possible indications. One was that he was aware of her battle... and another was that he was the person who helped her.

Whichever it was, Kurenai felt that she had to tread carefully.

"Why do you care?" She asked.

The boy in front of her blinked.

"Because I killed them?"

Suguru spoke in a tone as if it were obvious.

A drop of cold sweat dripped down Kurenai's cheek. Her latter conjecture was correct, making her wonder just who the boy was.

"...And I might just kill you too if you don't answer me properly."

Suguru's innocent intonation delivered a chilling sentence.

"!!!"

Team 8 all tensed up.

Kurenai held a hand out, blocking Suguru's view from her students. Suddenly, she didn't fancy their presence here.

"Relax, boy. I'll answer."

Suguru blinked again, yet his gaze never moved from Kurenai's eyes.

Kurenai noted that he wasn't amazed at her beauty at all. Instead, there was only a cold observation, looking down upon her as if she were an interesting book. For a moment, she considered fighting... however something told her that none of her jutsu would work as intentended.

Those silver eyes seemed to see through her.

So, she spoke, careful not to leak any unnecessary information.

"...Those men were rogue shinobi who have been ambushing our squads lately."

A brow was raised on the boy's youthful face.

"Oh? Do you know why?"

Kurenai shook her head and kept her lips sealed.

Suguru squinted upon seeing this. Team 8 got ready to flee at a moment's notice.

"I see," But then, Suguru bowed, "You have my thanks, Kurenai... sensei."

And then he vanished, leaving behind the stunned squad.

"...Ah!" Hinata yelped, pulling the attention of everyone else. "Wasn't that... Suguru-kun who sparred with Naruto and Sasuke back then?"

Kiba's eyes widened.

"Hinata! You're right! No wonder he looked familiar!" Turning to Kurenai, Kiba gestured with his arms. "That Suguru beat even Sasuke, sensei! It was crazy!"

"Indeed," Shino was the next to speak, "We just couldn't tell because his bloodlust was too thick. It really felt like he wanted us dead."

Kurenai fell into thought upon hearing her students' words. Recalling Suguru's appearance, the lack of a headband concerned her.

Had this Suguru boy gone rogue as well? If so, then why hadn't he appeared on the Bingo Book?

Suspicion flashed in her eyes.

"Let's head back, everyone." Kurenai turned arouund. "I have a bad feeling about this."

She had to speak with Hiruzen, knowing that Danzo already had a firm grasp on the village and its shinobi.

***

Suguru was similarly deep in thought. From Kurenai's replies, he had gleaned a few things.

The first was that the other villages had caught on to the changes in Konoha, although it was likely that they had no definite answers. All the information they could gather came from shinobi who had infiltrated their villages and had made mistakes in doing so.

The second was the fact that missing-nin seemed to be flocking towards the Land of Fire. With his Kaisugan active, he located a hidden hideout where about a hundred shinobi were gathered.

He couldn't help but smile.

The world was moving, and it was getting interesting.

"Third..." He muttered, continuing his thoughts.

With the Negative Chakra Formation losing its power source, it seemed like Danzo's defenses had weakened. Pests were worming their way into the village again, no longer in the Hokage's complete control.

Although Suguru had not eavesdropped on the conversations of those in power, he had a feeling that the world had their eyes on Konohagakure alone.

A subtle tension lingered in the air. Plots and schemes were baking in the oven, and a hidden war of wits was being waged.

With a brain like that of Shikaku out of the picture, Suguru wondered how Danzo would fare in such a war. Especially now when he seemed to lean more towards being a fighter than a schemer.

'Danzo might make a move soon,'

And Suguru had to be there to see it.

***

Konohagakure, a few days later.

Danzo, with an unending pile of paperwork stacked before him, smirked when he read a report made by Hiruzen himself. Hiruzen's Team 7 had been ambushed by a group of missing-nin while out on a mission.

Luckily, they had sensed the ambush beforehand and made appropriate preparations.

It was unfortunate that such shinobi decided to take on a Kage-level God of Shinobi, but they had to face both the Sharingan and the Byakugan at the same time.

Danzo was most certainly amused.

'This is good,'

Everything was going according to plan.

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