That very night, Lady Tsunade departed the camp, leading a small escort to return Sarutobi Yuri safely to the village.
The support troops she had brought remained in camp for one night, then marched to reinforce the front lines the following morning.
Everyone had expected a large-scale battle to break out. For several days, Konoha's frontline divisions had stayed on high alert—ready for Cloud's next assault.
But surprisingly, after the raid that killed Sarutobi Shinnosuke, the Cloud forces didn't attack again. They simply held their positions.
The only skirmishes were minor encounters between patrol squads.
In Uchiha Yuan's tent, the air was tense.
"This is strange. What on earth is Cloud playing at?"
Yamanaka Mokuno frowned as he reviewed the intelligence reports. He couldn't understand why the Cloud's momentum had suddenly halted.
"Maybe their talks with Iwagakure fell apart?" Akimichi Kai said, tearing into a slab of roasted meat.
"Possible," Mokuno muttered. "But according to our scouts, the Iwa front hasn't changed at all. They're still sitting tight, maintaining a defensive stance."
Moonlight Ryūka sipped his tea. "Even if Iwa moves, it shouldn't affect us right now. But the Cloud's behavior really doesn't make sense. After crushing our first three defensive lines, they just… stopped. That's not like them."
"Maybe they're running out of strength," Mokuno said thoughtfully. "But if that's true, why aren't they suing for peace?"
Yuan sat quietly, listening as they speculated.
Kai slammed down his cup, irritation flashing in his eyes. "If Cloud's running out of steam, then what was the point of their massive assault? They killed Captain Shinnosuke—they can forget about peace now."
Mokuno's gaze grew distant, his brow furrowed in thought. "No… something's off. I think that assault had a specific goal."
The tent fell into silence. Each man sank into thought, trying to piece together the logic behind Cloud's actions.
After a moment, Kai rubbed his temples. "Ugh, this is giving me a headache. I don't get it at all. What are they planning?"
He looked toward Yuan. "Lord Yuan, the Cloud's assassination squads haven't shown up in a while. Do you think they've given up?"
That made Mokuno's eyes widen. Inspiration struck him. He turned sharply toward Yuan. "No… I think I understand now. Cloud's true objective might be you, Lord Yuan."
"Hm?"
"What do you mean?" Ryūka asked, startled.
Mokuno explained, "Everyone knows Cloud shinobi are vengeful by nature. You injured their Fourth Raikage. For them, that's an unbearable humiliation. It's why they've sent so many assassination squads after you already."
He paused, his reasoning growing sharper. "So their large-scale raid wasn't a strategic move—it was retribution. They wanted to show us that even if their Raikage was wounded, Cloud is still not to be underestimated."
Kai frowned. "But they stopped sending assassins weeks ago."
"Exactly," Mokuno said. "And that's what's suspicious. Do you really think they'd just stop? I don't. I think their next strike will be far more deadly."
He pointed toward the map spread out on the table. "Look—Cloud isn't attacking anymore, but they're still sending huge numbers of patrols near the front. They're drawing our attention away. Distracting us."
Ryūka's eyes widened. "You mean—if another assassination team comes, it'll be led by someone important from the Cloud."
Mokuno nodded. "Precisely. Killing Lord Yuan themselves would be the only way for Cloud to erase their shame."
He turned to Yuan. "Lord Yuan, I believe we should warn Lord Jiraiya immediately."
Yuan smiled faintly. "Mokuno, even if you're right—do you think Lord Jiraiya would believe it? That some high-ranking Cloud shinobi would sneak across enemy lines, risk everything, just to kill me? Cloud might throw away lesser ninjas easily, but they won't gamble their elites like that."
Mokuno fell silent. After a while, the others left the tent, still uneasy.
Not long after, Yakushi Nonō entered carrying a tray of medicine. She wordlessly began examining Yuan, her hands moving with practiced precision.
Once she finished administering the injections, she gathered her instruments—but stopped halfway to the door.
Her brow creased with hesitation.
Yuan noticed immediately. "Doctor Yakushi, is something wrong?"
Nonō bit her lip, conflicted. Finally, she spoke. "Lord Yuan… your medical test data—it's been taken."
Yuan's expression didn't change, but an invisible pressure filled the tent. The faintest trace of his killing intent made the air feel heavy.
"Who took it?" His voice was calm, yet it carried a weight that made her chest tighten.
So this is the aura of the man who fought the Fourth Raikage, she thought.
"It was Lord Orochimaru's men," she answered softly. "He requested the data. I thought about it… and I decided I should tell you."
Yuan nodded slightly. He had already suspected as much.
Throughout his treatment, Nonō's efforts had been secondary—his body's recovery came mainly from his own chakra and its overwhelming vitality. Both of them understood this unspoken truth.
So when she said Orochimaru had taken an interest, Yuan wasn't surprised. He simply leaned back, his tone even. "So it was Orochimaru-senpai. If he wanted it… let him have it."
Nonō looked up, startled.
But Yuan's face was calm, almost amused. In truth, he had anticipated this from the beginning. If he hadn't wanted Orochimaru to see the data, he could've easily ordered it destroyed—or refused any medical tests at all.
Instead, he had baited him.
Because Yuan knew—Orochimaru would never be able to resist his curiosity about a human body that had survived the power of Sage Transformation.
Two nights later.
The moon hung high and silver over the quiet camp.
Uchiha Yuan led a squad of guards on a routine patrol around the perimeter.
The last two days had seen fierce clashes at the front—Cloud had launched brutal assaults, nearly breaking through Konoha's defenses.
Now, walking along the grassy western edge of camp, Yuan suddenly stopped. His eyes narrowed toward the dark treeline.
"Who's there?"
The sharp command cut through the night.
A heartbeat later, several figures burst from the forest, cutting through the air like shadows.
In an instant, the grassland was surrounded—shapes moving fast, their killing intent unmistakable.
The hunt had begun.
Some people die… but they're never truly gone.
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