The next day.
Evening.
Just after Seimei led his troops to repel an assault from the Mist Ninjas, he received word that a messenger had arrived with new orders from Nara Keiko.
Ignoring the blood splattered on him, Seimei headed directly to the rear of the base and entered a small room. Facing the Chūnin in front of him, he asked directly, "What are the captain's orders?"
Without a word, the Konoha Chūnin handed him a written command.
Seimei examined the document carefully, confirmed it was authentic, and then formed a hand seal to lift the seal on top.
Opening the envelope-like item, Seimei pulled out a slip of paper covered in numbers and symbols.
It was clear this was a coded message.
Seimei would have to decipher it himself to obtain the true information.
One couldn't blame Nara Keiko for making things so complicated; the spy they'd failed to uncover was utterly relentless. In recent days, this spy continued to steal secrets at an alarming rate, forcing Nara Keiko to exercise extreme caution.
Gazing at the coded message, Seimei quickly translated it in his mind and soon understood the latest instructions.
Yet his expression didn't change. After a brief pause, he put the message away and said to the Chūnin, "I've received the orders; you may report back."
"Yes, Seimei Jonin!"
With no hesitation, the Konoha Chūnin withdrew from the small wooden hut and left the base.
Once alone, Seimei closed his eyes and focused for a moment, confirming the Chūnin had truly left. He then reopened the message.
Scanning the encoded message, his mind translated it into readable words: *At dawn, the plan begins as scheduled!*
With a quiet "poof," flames erupted from his palm, instantly reducing the slip of paper to ashes.
"Whew…"
Exhaling lightly, he blew the ashes away, scattering them in the air. Only now did a look of solemnity cross his face.
He knew of the plan only in general terms—that Konoha intended to use its superior high-level forces to shift the battlefield balance. However, Konoha had been engaged on multiple fronts, making it hard to reassign troops, hence the delay.
But now, all was finally prepared.
Over the past three days, he'd learned the plan's full details: Konoha would focus all its elite forces to execute a decapitation strike on the Mist Ninjas. This wasn't limited to the Mist's commanding officers but included all their elite fighters. Nara Keiko's goal was to completely dismantle the Mist Village's command structure in one swift blow.
Without the Jonin to lead, even vast numbers of lower-ranking Mist Ninjas would pose little threat.
Of course, Mist could regroup and launch a new offensive, but that would require time.
Meanwhile, the decisive battle between Konoha and the Sand Village would likely be nearing its conclusion.
If all went as expected, Konoha would emerge victorious.
Then, by redirecting troops to this front, Konoha would have little to fear from Mist's attacks.
In essence, Konoha's leadership was buying time with this strategy.
And a simpler plan meant fewer unexpected variables. Especially since the spy remained at large, clarity and secrecy were paramount.
To ensure maximum secrecy, Nara Keiko had withheld the precise timing until now, sharing it only with the Jonin directly involved.
Seimei could even guess that the elite forces assigned to this decapitation strike might not yet be at camp.
This time, it seemed Nara Keiko was going all out.
Shaking his head, Seimei set aside these thoughts and muttered, "I wonder if Minato Namikaze will show up this time?"
*A chance for such glory—surely Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't let him miss it.*
This thought still in mind, Seimei moved to step outside the hut.
But suddenly, he froze, whispering to himself, "Minato Namikaze?"
In that instant, it was as if a shooting star lit up his mind, illuminating many hidden connections.
After a long pause, he came back to his senses, about to say something. Then, as if thinking better of it, he formed a hand seal to release the "Guardian Seal" above his head.
Concentrating his chakra, he activated the Byakugan at his forehead.
His vision pierced through his Konoha headband and the walls around him, scanning everything within a one-kilometer radius.
Yet he ignored most of it, focusing his attention below.
His gaze swept through the earth, searching carefully. Confirming no hidden threats below, he let out a long sigh of relief.
After sealing the Byakugan, Seimei reviewed the thoughts that had just crossed his mind.
Moments earlier, thinking of Minato Namikaze had led him to consider his three disciples.
More than two months ago, when he'd first heard that Twin Rivers Town had fallen, he had expected that Iwagakure would seize the chance to invade the Land of Fire.
This had led him to anticipate the Battle of Kannabi Bridge and Obito's "death."
His prediction had proven correct, and Obito's sacrifice had indeed been reported shortly after the battle.
Seimei recalled Uchiha Tetsuharu telling him that Kakashi had transplanted a Sharingan from their clan, which some people wanted back.
Calculating the time, Obito would have just about recovered by now.
Likewise, the Third Shinobi World War was nearing its end.
This timing matched almost perfectly with when Uchiha Madara would deliver his final blow to Obito, manipulating Rin Nohara to drive him to despair, awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan.
However, kidnapping Rin Nohara under Minato Namikaze's protection was highly unlikely. So how would Madara accomplish it?
The answer was clear—distract Minato Namikaze.
If Madara were aware of Konoha's decapitation plan, would he intervene?
The answer seemed obvious—it was almost certain.
Even with meticulous planning, certain traces would always remain. But by working with the situation at hand, Madara could hide his presence more effectively.
Reflecting on Nara Keiko's inability to locate the spy, he realized that White Zetsu's *Imitation Jutsu* fit perfectly.
This was the ultimate transformation technique, impossible to detect through standard means. By simply using it to replace a few trusted Konoha ninjas, White Zetsu could easily gather intelligence.
As for how the Mist obtained this information…
Uchiha Madara, capturing Rin Nohara and sealing the Three-Tails within her, had used Mist's own ANBU to execute his plan.
With this, it became apparent how Mist was receiving the information.
Now, everything made sense. Seimei could almost conclude that he'd found the truth.
This revelation had driven him to use his Byakugan to search his surroundings, particularly below ground, to ensure no White Zetsu were hidden nearby.
He hadn't forgotten that, aside from the *Imitation Jutsu*, White Zetsu had another technique: the *Mayfly Technique*, which allowed it to move underground undetected.
Fortunately, there appeared to be no one watching him.
This realization made him sigh in relief, feeling grateful he had never revealed his Mangekyō Sharingan; otherwise, he might have attracted Madara's attention.
From this plan alone, Madara was clearly a master strategist.
If he truly had been targeted, dealing with Madara would have been no easy task.
This experience also served as a reminder—never underestimate these shadow figures of the shinobi world. Even with absolute information advantage, vigilance was necessary.
After all, his memories from his past life only reflected one fragment of this reality.
In the unseen corners of the world, events unfolded every moment, and the hidden connections were not always something he could perceive.
*(End of chapter)*