A (Ei) stood rooted to the spot, Lightning Release chakra crackling around him and illuminating his livid face.
The air was thick with the smell of blood and scorched flesh. The scattered remains and the corpse with a kunai in its throat all served as reminders of what had just transpired.
"Good, very good..." His low voice suppressed a boiling rage.
As a taijutsu specialist, he admittedly wasn't skilled at tracking. The opponent had taken advantage of the chaos to flee and was long gone by now.
As for returning to the Chinoike settlement? Who knew if they would pull another stunt?
More importantly, he needed to re-evaluate this seemingly destitute clan.
A turned and sped toward the Uchiha camp, his Lightning Release Chakra Mode carving a dazzling trail through the valley.
---
Inside the Uchiha camp, Hachitsutsu was reading a scroll. Hearing the massive explosion from outside, the corner of his mouth curled up slightly.
Before long, he saw A, radiating a menacing aura, outside the camp.
"Lord A, back so soon?" he asked, feigning surprise.
"Pass a message to Momoe Chinoike."
A's voice was as cold as ice. "Tell them I am very displeased with today's farce. If they cannot thoroughly purge their internal issues, they can stay in Hell Valley forever!"
With that, he turned decisively and left, streaking away like lightning, disappearing completely from the Hell Valley area.
Hachitsutsu stood still until A's figure vanished into the distance, a satisfied smile slowly appearing on his face.
"Everything is proceeding according to plan... A brute is just a brute in the end," he murmured to himself.
Turning back into his tent, he summoned a trusted subordinate. "Go tell the Chinoike that those three fools angered the Cloud envoy.
If there are any more restless moves, the Cloud will abandon them completely. Also, clean up the valley entrance and bring back the remaining corpse."
---
Meanwhile, in the Chinoike settlement, Momoe and the elders were unsettled by the explosion.
The blast was too close to the valley entrance. Rushing to investigate might give the Uchiha an excuse to execute them on the spot for "attempting to defect."
When the Uchiha ninja brought the message, everyone's hearts sank.
"Is that all? The Cloud envoy said nothing else?" Momoe asked unwillingly.
"Lord A was furious. He left immediately after speaking, telling you to look out for yourselves," the Uchiha ninja replied expressionlessly.
After the messenger left, an elder finally slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "This is bullying! We have already..."
"Enough!"
Momoe interrupted him, rubbing her temples wearily. "What use is talking about this now?"
She looked around at the elders and clansmen present, her voice filled with deep helplessness. "Pass down the order: no clansman is to leave the settlement without permission. Until we receive further news, no one is to act rashly."
Despite her doubts about the Uchiha's message, in their current predicament, she dared not risk questioning it, nor could she go verify it.
---
From a distant cliff face, Night took in everything. His Mind's Eye of the Kagura was firmly locked onto the fleeing Chinoike traitor.
As he expected, the traitor didn't return to the settlement. Instead, he moved silently along an extremely hidden path toward the outside of the valley.
Even more strangely, right under the nose of an Uchiha guard, he skillfully infiltrated an abandoned campsite, as if waiting for something.
Night followed silently, flickering among the strange rocks on the cliff.
He noticed that this small path was clearly well-trodden, yet it wasn't on the Uchiha patrol routes marked in the intelligence he received.
The abandoned camp was hidden deep in a rock fissure, unremarkable from the outside.
Not long after, footsteps approached. Night immediately suppressed his aura.
An Uchiha ninja walked over carrying a body bag, containing one of the Chinoike clansmen killed at the valley entrance earlier.
"Well done," the Uchiha ninja said indifferently, tossing the body bag on the ground.
The fleeing Chinoike clansman stepped out from a corner, crimson flashing in his eyes. "About what Lord Hachitsutsu promised me..."
"What's the rush?"
The Uchiha ninja kept a cold face and interrupted, "His Lordship keeps his word. Just wait."
Night narrowed his eyes in the dark. As expected, this was all a setup meticulously designed by Hachitsutsu.
And the clansman who had attacked A and "fled" was simply a pawn Hachitsutsu had planted within the Chinoike clan.
While the two conversed, Night suddenly sensed another familiar chakra approaching rapidly.
It was Yashiro Uchiha. He appeared on a nearby rock face, observing the abandoned camp cautiously. His face gradually turned ugly.
After confirming certain things, he left quickly with a dark expression.
The two in the camp remained unaware of the observer. The atmosphere was tense, with the Chinoike clansman tensely guarding against the Uchiha ninja.
Until the Uchiha ninja impatiently tossed a bundle over, saying coldly, "These are the supplies promised earlier. His Lordship will personally deliver the rest."
The man caught the bundle, rummaging through it ecstatically to see precious supplies he had never seen before.
Without looking up, he asked, "How much longer? Do you know..."
"His Lordship will personally send you out in two days once he's finished his business," the Uchiha ninja promised.
Hearing this commitment, the Chinoike ninja visibly relaxed.
But the moment he let down his guard, the Uchiha ninja's Sharingan activated abruptly, the three tomoe spinning rapidly.
"Who's there!" the Uchiha ninja shouted.
"What...!"
The Chinoike clansman looked up reflexively. The moment he met those scarlet Sharingan, his body froze, and his eyes glazed over.
The last thing he saw before blacking out was the other's disdainful expression, as if looking at a dead object.
The Uchiha ninja skillfully sealed the man's chakra, casually tied up the unconscious pawn, and dumped him in a corner of the camp like a discarded tool before leaving without a backward glance.
Once sure the ninja was gone, Night emerged like a ghost, standing silently before the unconscious Chinoike ninja.
He looked through the so-called supplies—just some daily necessities for travel.
They held little value to Night, but to a ninja who had grown up in Hell Valley, they were like a gift from the heavens.
This man was clearly a pawn abandoned by Hachitsutsu, and Hachitsutsu would likely come to dispose of him soon.
The ruthless methods convinced Night even more that this Uchiha captain had grand ambitions. This discarded pawn might be the key to uncovering the truth.
Thinking for a moment, Night reached out and pawned the man directly through the System.
After setting the scene slightly, he left the area. Now, he just had to wait for the main act to begin.