Chapter 39 — Only the One Who Framed You Truly Knows…
The next morning, Namikaze Yami woke from his sleep and stretched lazily, as though whatever had happened in the forest the night before had nothing to do with him at all.
Outside the window, the small town was still wrapped in a thin, drifting mist.
He strolled to a nearby shop and ordered a steaming bowl of the Land of Water's signature seafood porridge. The squid tentacles were delightfully chewy. As he ate, a random thought crossed his mind:
"I wonder… would the Eight-Tails' tentacles have even better texture?"
As for last night's events—he carried not the slightest psychological burden, as if they had never happened.
After breakfast, Yami packed up his belongings and resumed his work as a "traveling merchant."
He first visited several shops he'd scoped out the day before, paid deposits, and arranged to return the next morning to collect goods. To any observer, it looked exactly like someone preparing to leave town at dawn.
After casually purchasing a few more items, he wandered aimlessly through the streets—and, without seeming to intend it, found himself back on yesterday's road.
Sure enough, a hurried figure brushed past him.
In that instant, another slip of paper appeared between his fingers.
He didn't react, walking calmly to a secluded spot before unfolding the note. The wording—and even the handwriting—were identical to yesterday's.
But this time, there was something extra.
A minuscule symbol—so subtle it would escape almost anyone's notice—yet unmistakably a secret mark unique to Konoha.
A mark that only high-level covert operatives would ever recognize.
Yami's lips curled into a knowing smile.
So that's how it is.
---
Night fell.
In the forest northeast of the town, the same figure from yesterday appeared once more.
Arms crossed, posture relaxed—he looked utterly confident, certain the other party would show.
Even when the faint rustle of footsteps sounded behind him, he didn't turn around.
"I knew you'd come," he said calmly.
"Yes. I'm here," a cool voice replied.
"Clan Head Kaguya—I hope you have a reasonable explanation."
The moment he heard that voice, Kaguya Naoto spun around in shock.
What greeted him was not Namikaze Yami—
—but a squad of Kirigakure ninja.
The truth was simple.
The moment Yami had noticed the hidden Konoha mark on the note, his sense of relief had vanished—replaced instead by a cold, mocking laugh.
There's a problem. And it's a problem coming from the top.
The contact method was far too deliberate.
Any genuine deep-cover agent would never:
Use the same approach two days in a row
At the same location
Before confirming the area was completely safe
Nor casually expose an identity marker of that level just to "gain trust"
This wasn't an exchange.
It was bait.
A fishing hook dangled in plain sight.
Of course, Yami allowed, there's always the chance the sender is just an absolute brute with no sense of caution…
But as for which "kind-hearted" high-ranking individual orchestrated this?
He didn't even need to think about it.
He already knew.
He could almost picture it—Danzō, lurking in the depths of the Root headquarters, wearing that sinister grin as he waited for one of two outcomes:
Either Kaguya clan would kill him outright,
or his identity would be exposed and he'd be seized by Kirigakure.
So you want to use the Kaguya clan as a blade to cut me down?
Yami sneered inwardly.
Then I'll snap that blade in half—and make sure Kirigakure feels the shock.
Having made up his mind, Namikaze Yami did not head for the forest.
Instead, he went straight to the familiar Kirigakure patrol captain.
With just the right amount of unease on his face, he handed over the note.
"Sir… I really don't feel right about this," he said quietly.
"I received this strange note yesterday and didn't dare go. Today it came again—and this time there's an odd mark added here."
He pointed at the hidden Konoha symbol, feigning confusion as he continued:
"I'm just a merchant trying to make a living. I don't want to get dragged into anything dangerous."
Notably, he never once mentioned the Kaguya clan.
A traveling merchant who talked too much would only incriminate himself.
If the patrol discovered the truth on their own, however—that would make it ironclad.
As expected, the Kirigakure captain's expression darkened instantly.
Realizing the gravity of the matter, he immediately mobilized his squad and ordered them to lie in wait around the perimeter.
That was how the scene in the forest came to be.
---
"Kaguya Naoto!"
The patrol captain's voice was icy, disbelief laced through every word.
"You secretly attempted to contact an outsider, using what appears to be foreign espionage signals. What was your intention?"
"Were you planning to leak village intelligence—or do you have other designs?"
Kaguya Naoto was both shocked and furious.
He had never imagined Yami would refuse to play along—and instead report the matter directly to Kirigakure's enforcement forces.
Did he realize he'd been exposed?
Was he dragging me down with him now that escape was impossible?
Kaguya scanned the surroundings, eyes blazing, desperately searching for Yami's figure.
If he found him, he would skewer that bastard with bone spikes without hesitation.
"Bullshit!" Kaguya roared.
"Don't you dare slander me!"
By now, several elite Kirigakure ninja were closing in, forming a tightening ring.
"I am the head of the Kaguya clan. How could I possibly—"
"Right and wrong will be determined at the Mizukage Tower," Matsushita Kōdai cut in coldly.
"Resist, and you'll be treated as a traitor to the village."
Kaguya tried to argue further, but the gleaming short blades around him told him everything he needed to know.
Any resistance would be answered with blood.
Left with no choice, Kaguya Naoto abandoned the struggle and allowed himself to be bound.
As the official liaison between the Kaguya clan and Kirigakure, he still believed—deep down—that the Third Mizukage would clear his name.
Before being taken away, he glared at the patrol captain who had once been friendly with Yami.
"Matsushita Kōdai," he said through clenched teeth,
"Do not let that traveling merchant escape. He is definitely a Konoha spy."
---
Matsushita felt a flicker of doubt.
Before arriving, he had fully prepared for resistance.
Seeing that the suspect was Kaguya Naoto had nearly made his heart stop.
As clan head, Kaguya's strength was unquestionably among the top tier of the Land of Water.
If a fight had broken out, their squad would have stood no chance.
That was why Matsushita had leaned on authority and intimidation—
Yet Kaguya had submitted so easily.
That, more than anything, unsettled him.
But the matter had already exceeded his jurisdiction.
As one of Kirigakure's great clans, the Kaguya family was a problem only the Mizukage could resolve.
Unable to untangle the implications, Matsushita turned to his subordinate.
"The merchant—still at the inn?"
"Yes, sir."
The confirmation only deepened the crease between his brows.
If this was truly a conspiracy…
how could that so-called merchant remain so calm?
Matsushita's expression darkened like a storm about to break.
The Kaguya clan had always been infamous within the village—arrogant, violent, unpredictable.
Their relationship with Kirigakure's leadership was perpetually strained.
Any unusual movement involving them was more than enough to set nerves on edge.
And tonight—
Those nerves had been pulled tight to the breaking point.