Chapter 371: The Sealed Book Taken!

No one knew exactly what Mizuki and Kurama Yakumo had discussed that afternoon, but one night a few weeks later, an uninvited guest slipped into the loosely guarded Hokage Building.

By this time, autumn had set in, and the night should have been clear and refreshing. However, the sky above Konoha was shrouded in thick clouds, and a dense fog had risen over the village. This eerie weather felt completely out of place for the season.

"The weather today is really strange. There was no sign of rain earlier, but now, even the moon is nowhere to be seen."

At the entrance of the Hokage Building, two guards stood watch. The monotony of duty made it easy to grow drowsy, so the two kept up a conversation to stay alert.

Since Namikaze Minato took office, Konoha had entered an era of rapid development. Externally, the village had grown so powerful that no other nation dared to challenge it. Even among the Five Great Nations, the Land of Lightning only engaged in minor border skirmishes, none of which posed any real threat to Konoha.

Internally, Minato's governance was firm yet amicable. Fights in the streets had become rare, and the Hokage Building was so well-protected that its guards felt their job had become too easy—so easy that they struggled to find motivation.

"Yeah, the weather is unpredictable. Hopefully, it doesn't rain."

One of the young guards covered his mouth as he yawned, his expression relaxed. But in the next instant, his eyes widened in shock, the whites bloodshot with terror as if he had witnessed something horrifying.

The next second, the young man's hands shot up to his throat.

"Ugh... ugh…" He collapsed to the ground, convulsing, foam gathering at the corners of his mouth.

"Hey, Murakami?! What's wrong? Murakami?!"

His older companion, though only in his twenties, immediately rushed to his side, grabbing his hand in concern.

"Who's there?!" Just as he tried to help Murakami, he sensed someone approaching from behind and quickly turned to shout. But before he could even see his attacker, a dark figure struck him down. He fell unconscious before he could react.

The younger guard, who had been choking himself, soon lost consciousness as well, his hands slipping away from his throat as he collapsed.

"Chūnin… this is all they amount to?"

"I will overcome the limitations of my body and become a ninja. Not just a ninja—but a shinobi stronger than my father."

As the thick fog receded slightly, a slender girl emerged from the darkness, gazing down at the fallen guards before stepping toward the Hokage Building.

The intruder was none other than Kurama Yakumo, a student of the Ninja Academy. Despite not even graduating, she had single-handedly subdued two Chūnin guards stationed at the Hokage Building.

As she entered the Hokage's office, a shadowy figure suddenly appeared atop the courtyard wall facing the main entrance. The fog parted just enough for the moonlight to illuminate him.

His silver-white hair glowed under the moonlight, and though he wore a fox mask, anyone familiar with him would immediately recognize the telltale white hair.

"Someone actually dared to break into the Hokage Building… and it's a little girl?"

"I need to report this to Minato-sensei immediately."

Kakashi leaped down from the courtyard wall, landing soundlessly on the soft grass. Recently, Uzumaki Raiden had summoned all expatriate shinobi back to Konoha and had not deployed them for missions since. The task of hunting Demons had been reassigned, leaving Kakashi with unexpected free time.

Seeing that Kakashi had little to do, Minato recruited him into the Anbu, and tonight, his mission was to guard the Hokage Building. The two sentries at the entrance were the visible guards, while he, as an Anbu operative, remained hidden in the shadows.

Although Konoha had enjoyed years of peace, the Hokage Building was still the heart of the village. No matter how lax the security seemed, a mere girl infiltrating it unnoticed was unthinkable.

Kakashi approached the fallen guards to assess their condition and was relieved to find they had only been rendered unconscious. His eyes sharpened with vigilance as he bit his finger and began weaving hand signs.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

With a puff of smoke, a small pug appeared at his feet. It opened its mouth to speak, but Kakashi quickly gestured for silence before pulling out a scroll, jotting down a message, and handing it over to the dog.

The ninja hound, clearly intelligent, glanced at the scroll's title, nodded at Kakashi, and swiftly leaped away into the darkness to deliver the message.

With that taken care of, Kakashi disappeared in a flicker, silently following the girl's trail.

He needed to find out what she was after.

Kakashi considered several possibilities. The girl had risked everything to infiltrate the Hokage Building—she had to have a deeper motive. His first objective was to determine her purpose.

His second goal was to uncover who was manipulating her. After all, what kind of grand scheme could a teenage girl devise on her own? Kakashi was certain someone else was pulling the strings.

Once he identified the mastermind, he would make his move. If he caught the thief red-handed, there would be no room for denial. Arresting the girl immediately would serve as an early warning—but finding the true culprit was far more important.

Inside the Hokage Building, Kurama Yakumo moved with clear intent. After briefly orienting herself in the dark, she quickly made her way to the third floor. There, she soon found the Hokage's office.

She hesitated only for a moment before reaching for the door.

But it was locked.

"As expected."

Her expression remained unfazed. It was clear to Kakashi, watching from the shadows, that she had anticipated this.

Yakumo formed a series of hand seals. Moments later, the soil within the door's crevices began to shift, slowly rising before suddenly snapping upward, breaking the lock. Hearing the sound, she quickly pushed the door open, slipped inside, and shut it behind her.

Meanwhile, Uzumaki Raiden, sleeping soundly at home, suddenly opened his eyes. A flicker of doubt crossed his face as he instinctively turned his gaze toward Konoha.

"The barrier was triggered? Who could it be?" he murmured, his expression sharp as he closed his eyes. Activating Kagura's Mind Eye, he quickly expanded his chakra perception over the entire village.

"Kakashi… and someone else."

"Interesting."

Back at the Hokage Building, Kurama Yakumo emerged from the office after a long time, now carrying an enormous scroll on her back.

Kakashi, watching from the shadows, narrowed his eyes as recognition dawned.

"That's…?!"

His breath hitched.

She had stolen the Sealed Book—the legendary scroll containing all of Konoha's forbidden jutsu!

Kakashi's mind reeled. At first, he had assumed the girl was a spy from another village, stealing basic intelligence. But the Sealed Book?

That changed everything.

Then, an even more unsettling thought crossed his mind—how did she know where to find it?

Even Kakashi, Minato's personal disciple, had only seen it a handful of times. He had no idea where it was hidden.

Yet this girl not only knew where it was but had retrieved it so effortlessly.

Kakashi had no time for further speculation. Kurama Yakumo had already slipped out of the Hokage Building and vanished into the night.

Without hesitation, Kakashi masked his presence and followed.

The thick clouds overhead began to disperse, allowing the moonlight to illuminate the village.

Kurama Yakumo, who had successfully obtained the Sealed Book, quickly fled toward the village entrance. However, midway through her escape, she suddenly changed direction, veering west instead.

Silently, Kakashi followed behind her, his mind racing.

"If she was trying to leave the village, she should be heading south. But she's going west… toward the Forest of Death?"

"Is that where the handoff is supposed to happen?"

As they distanced themselves from the bustling downtown area, a growing sense of unease crept over Kakashi. Without realizing it, his fingers tightened around the handle of his tanto.

The buildings on both sides grew sparser until, eventually, they entered the Forest of Death.

Not long after, the girl ahead suddenly halted. The moonlight filtered through the trees, casting pale shadows over her form.

"You've been following me for a while now," her cold voice rang out in the stillness. "Why don't you come out?"

Kakashi's pupils contracted in shock. She noticed me? When did she realize?

Just as he prepared to step out from behind a massive tree, a male voice echoed through the forest.

"Hahahaha! As expected of my most talented disciple—you actually sensed my presence."

"Yakumo, well done."

"Now, hand it over. I'll find a way to rid you of your weak body."

From the shadow of a tree ahead, Mizuki emerged, a massive shuriken strapped to his back. The moonlight illuminated his face, twisted in a smug grin.

At Mizuki's words, Kurama Yakumo instinctively took a step back, clutching the scroll tightly.

Noticing her hesitation, Mizuki narrowed his eyes but maintained a pleasant smile.

"Heh, what's the matter, Yakumo?"

"Give me the scroll. Once I have it, it won't take long to cure your condition."

Mizuki kept his tone gentle, carefully concealing the eagerness and irritation bubbling beneath the surface.

"Sensei… can this Sealed Book really help me?"

Kurama Yakumo clutched the scroll, her voice trembling slightly. She hadn't even opened it yet, placing all her faith in Mizuki's words. But now, doubt gnawed at her.

What if there was no solution inside?

"Of course, Yakumo," Mizuki reassured her with a practiced smile. "Don't worry. There's a way—I'm sure of it."

"As long as I study it, I'll find the answer right away!"

Encouraged, Yakumo hesitated before nodding. Slowly, she removed the massive scroll from her back.

Mizuki stepped forward, his hands reaching for the scroll. As soon as it was in his grasp, his eyes gleamed with a dangerous obsession.

He unrolled the scroll hastily, scanning its contents.

"It's real… It's real!" Mizuki muttered, his voice rising to an exhilarated laugh. "Hahahahaha!"

Yakumo stood before him, rubbing her hands together nervously. In a small voice, she asked, "Mizuki-sensei… have you found a way?"

Her words made Mizuki abruptly fall silent.

Slowly, he lowered his head, his expression no longer gentle. His bloodshot eyes gleamed with something far more sinister.

Kurama Yakumo, still young and inexperienced, failed to sense the shift in his demeanor. She only noticed how cold the night had suddenly become, goosebumps rising on her arms.

"I found it," Mizuki whispered. "Of course, I found it."

His right hand moved behind his back as he took another step forward. Then, without warning, his eyes flashed with killing intent, and his arm shot forward—Kunai aimed straight for Yakumo's heart.

"Die!" Mizuki hissed.

The blade raced toward her, but before it could land, a dark shadow streaked between them.

A sudden flash of white light burst forth.

"Clang!" The sharp clang of metal echoed through the trees.

When Mizuki snapped back to his senses, Yakumo was no longer in front of him.

His gaze darted to the side. A white-haired Anbu, clad in a fox mask and holding a short blade, was lowering Yakumo to the ground.

"You…" Mizuki's stomach twisted with unease as he stared at the masked figure.

His instincts screamed at him. He knew this person.

Frantically, Mizuki looked down at his Kunai. The blade—once solid steel—had been severed cleanly, leaving only the broken handle in his grip.

The realization made his blood run cold. The one who had done this… was none other than the white-haired Anbu standing before him.

Mizuki clenched his jaw. He knew that stance. That masked figure.

"Kakashi…!"

Kakashi, gripping his tanto, fixed Mizuki with a piercing gaze.

"Mizuki… were you the one behind this?"

"Do you realize the crime of stealing the Sealed Book?"

"If you betray the village, execution is the only sentence!"

Kakashi's voice was calm but carried a deadly weight.

With one swift motion, he removed his mask. There was no need to conceal his identity now—the truth was already exposed.

Mizuki's eyes widened as Kakashi's face was revealed.

"It's really you… Hatake Kakashi!"

(End of Chapter)