Si Vis Pacem -‖- Para Bellum [Naruto FanFic]

Arc II Chapter 1

II

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Arc II Chapter 1

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Rain fell from the sky, enveloping Konoha in a veil of thick fog. Lightning split the clouds apart, enlightening the night with their brilliance.

Surrounded by the forces of nature, three men walked down the road on the way to Konoha. Heavy trench coats covered them, but even they little protection against the elements.

“Have I ever told you that I hate rain, Ibuki?” Akihiro grumbled, complaining as usual.

Ibuki sounded annoyed. “You did. 27th times already, to be exact.”

Akihiro countered, “Ibuki, calm down. Not need to ...”

“Silence, both of you. Do you idiots want to blow our cover, or what?” Hagane glared. They were good friends, but enough was enough.

Ibuki protested, “Hagane, you are exaggerating. This was just a civilised discussion among friends. And I doubt Konoha will get us. Based on our sources, their internal security is weak right now. Their security forces are understaffed and overstretched. They lost the Uchiha clan a few weeks ago, and together with them the entirety of their police force. Konoha doesn't have the manpower to replace the lost Uchiha. But we should act with caution. Kumo doesn't need another Hyuga incident.”

Akihiro agreed, “I remember, the mission was a disaster of abysmal proportions. We were lucky that the mission didn't compromise the peace treaty.”

Hagane nodded. “True, we can't afford a repetition of three years ago. This time, failure is not an option. We can't allow Kumo's involvement in this mission to be revealed. We will meet our informant in Konoha. He will provide us with all the necessary intel for this operation. He informed Kumo that he had got his hands on some valuable information.”

“Valuable information? How valuable?” Akihiro furrowed his eyebrow.

Hagane grinned. “They say the Uchiha clan was wiped out, but that's not true. Apparently, the clan slayer Itachi didn't get them all. According to our contact, two survived. His little brother, and a certain girl.”

Everyone's interest was piqued.

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“As it seems, we have two options”, Akihiro summarised. “Option one is we try to get the boy, but I don't think that is viable. The boy is guarded by multiple ANBU squads. After all, he is the last sharingan user Konoha has, and he is an important asset to the village. Any move against the boy would be extremely difficult, if not outright suicidal.” Hagane and Ibuki agreed, sharing Akihiro's analysis.

“Option two is the girl. The question is only whether we should take the gamble or just abortion the entire operation. We can't be sure whether she is an Uchiha, or not.”

Ibuki mused, “True, but unlike the boy, the girl is easy prey. We won't encounter any serious resistance if we decide to abduct her. The main question is whether if we rely on our intel? I don't consider overhearing a random stranger in a bar and rumours a reliable source of information.

Especially, if said stranger had not only fallen into alcoholism, but was also known as a notorious liar. Can we really trust this man to tell the truth? Is Asami really his daughter? Or did our drunken Uchiha lie as usual? I think the latter was the case. And even if the girl is an Uchiha, it's far from sure she can awaken the Sharingan.”

Akihiro disagreed, “Ibuki, you are looking at this from the wrong perspective.”

“What do you mean, Akihiro?”

“Ibuki, the girl is a low risk target. Failure is unlikely. The risk negligible. We can only gain. If she is an Uchiha, good. If not, then we just kill her and leave.”

Ibuki fell silent, his resistance waning. “Right. Still, Akihiro, you shouldn't forget that getting an Uchiha doesn't mean getting the sharingan. Not every Uchiha awakens the Sharingan. Some do. Some never. Without the eyes, the girl is basically worthless ...”

Hagane grinned. “That is not an issue ... Beause I have a possible solution for our problem. Have you ever heard about the curse of hatred?” 

Akihiro and Ibuki shook their heads.

Hagane explained, “I heard some rumours here and there that the Uchiha suffer from the so called curse of hatred. They awaken their sharingan when the user is subjected to emotional stress or trauma, which means that all that is needed is the right stimulus.”

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The rain was heavy and the night dark. Hagane checked his gear, as did the rest of his squad. “We get in and out quickly. No interruptions. No diversions. Time is precious. Secure both targets. Eliminate everyone else. Afterward, we will proceed with the second stage of our plan. Understood?” Akihiro and Ibuki nodded.

Under the cover of the pitch black night, the fateful trio began to move.

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