Rain poured from the heavens, cloaking Konoha in a thick, heavy fog. Lightning cleaved through the storm clouds, casting fleeting flashes of brilliance across the night sky.
Surrounded by the relentless forces of nature, three men trudged down the road toward Konoha. Heavy trench coats shielded their bodies, though even these offered scant protection against the raging elements.
"Have I ever told you that I hate the rain, Ibuki?" Akihiro grumbled, his voice almost drowned by the roaring wind.
Ibuki clicked his tongue. "You have. Twenty-seven times, to be exact."
Akihiro huffed. "So you were counting…"
"Silence, both of you," Hagane growled, glaring at them through the mist. "Do you fools want to get our cover blown?"
Ibuki raised a hand in defense. "Come on, Hagane, you're exaggerating. It was just a civilised discussion between friends. Besides, I doubt Konoha will catch us. According to our sources, their internal security is a complete mess right now. Their forces are severely understaffed and overstretched. They lost the Uchiha Clan a few weeks ago, along with their entire police force. Konoha doesn't have the manpower to replace them. Still, we should move with caution. Kumo can't afford another Hyuga incident."
Akihiro's expression darkened. "I remember. That mission was a disaster of abysmal proportions. We were lucky it didn't destroy the peace treaty entirely."
Hagane nodded grimly. "Exactly. We can't afford a repeat of three years ago. Failure is not an option this time. Our involvement must stay hidden. We'll meet our informant inside Konoha; he has crucial intel for this operation. He claims he's gotten hold of something valuable."
"How valuable?" Akihiro asked, furrowing his brow.
A sharp grin spread across Hagane's face. "They say the Uchiha Clan was wiped out, but that's not entirely true. It seems the slayer, Itachi, didn't get them all. Our contact claims two survived—Itachi's younger brother and a certain girl."
A boy and a girl? That certainly piqued everyone's interest.
"We've got two options," Akihiro summarized. "Option one: we target the boy. But that's practically suicide. He's under heavy ANBU protection. He's the last sharingan user they have left, a critical asset to Konoha. Any attempt on him would be doomed."
Hagane and Ibuki nodded, agreeing with Akihiro's assessment.
"Option two: the girl. The question is whether we gamble or abort the mission altogether. There's no guarantee she's even a true Uchiha."
Ibuki mused thoughtfully, "True, but unlike the boy, the girl is easy prey. Minimal resistance. The real question is whether we can trust our intel. Overhearing a drunken stranger at a bar isn't exactly reliable. Especially when said stranger is a notorious liar and a drunkard. Can we really trust him? Is Asami truly his daughter? Or was he lying, as usual? And even if she is Uchiha, there's no guarantee she'll awaken the sharingan."
Akihiro shook his head. "Ibuki, you're looking at this the wrong way."
"What do you mean?" Ibuki asked.
"The girl is a low-risk target. Failure is unlikely. The risks are negligible. We can only gain. If she's an Uchiha—great. If not, we dispose of her and move on."
Ibuki fell silent, the logic weighing on him. "Right. But remember, just having Uchiha blood doesn't guarantee the sharingan. Some never awaken it. Without those eyes, the girl's worthless to Kumo."
Hagane grinned, an unsettling gleam in his eyes. "That's not a problem. I've heard rumors about the so-called Curse of Hatred."
Akihiro and Ibuki frowned, unfamiliar with the term.
Hagane continued, "The Uchiha are said to suffer from an inherited curse. They awaken the sharingan when subjected to intense emotional trauma. Meaning, we just need to provide the right... stimulus."
The rain fell harder, the darkness thicker. Hagane adjusted his gear, as did Akihiro and Ibuki, their movements precise.
"We get in, get out. No interruptions. No diversions. Time is precious. Secure the target. Eliminate anyone else. Afterward, we move to the second phase. Understood?"
Akihiro and Ibuki answered with firm nods.
Under the cover of pitch-black night, the trio moved out, shadows in the storm.
They were men with a mission.