Chapter 189: Ghosts in the Mist (Part-11) [Bleeding Hounds and Boiled Elders]

Chapter 189 - Ghosts in the Mist (Part-11) [Bleeding Hounds and Boiled Elders] In the rough seas around the main island of the Land of Water, Kakashi skimmed across the surface, his sandals slapping against the waves as he moved. A few hundred meters behind him, the hunter-nin of the Mist were still on his trail relentless as ever. Every so often, Kakashi ducked under the surface, swimming low in the cold depths to shake his pursuers off. When they got too close, he'd pop up again and fire off a simple jutsu which would be just enough to buy himself a few more seconds. Every step on the water cost chakra, every dive and dodge a little more. But there was no other choice, if the hunter-nin gave up and turned their attention back inland, the rest of his team might get caught in their dragnet. He had to keep these dogs chasing him. He could feel how the talk with Ren back at the base still weighed on him. Even now, flashes of old memories slipped in at the edges of his focus. He'd never let himself sit and think about it for too long, his father's so-called "disgrace," how quickly the stories turned against the White Fang. It had always seemed off. But he'd told himself for years that there just wasn't time to question it. Missions didn't stop for grief. Now, hearing it said out loud, that maybe someone in the village he'd trusted had pushed it all along, that stung more than he'd thought it would. And if Ren was right, then the same pattern was repeating, again and again. Kakashi gritted his teeth and forced those thoughts away for now. There was no time to be sentimental. He had a job to do. As the shore line of the Water Capital's island came into view through the sea mist, Kakashi dropped below the waves one last time. He let the ocean hide him until he was near the rocky shoreline. He broke the surface just long enough to scan the area and found no one in sight. He climbed up the slick rocks quietly and didn't even pause to catch his breath before slipping into the shadows of the low, foggy land. The two pairs of hunter-nin chasing him weren't far behind. They landed on the shore with no attempt at stealth. They didn't need to hide, they were the hunter-nin, the Mist's hounds, the whole land of water was the domain of their Mizukage. Kakashi smiled faintly under his mask, 'These guys are making my work easier.' He slipped deeper inland while the hunter-nin spread out in pairs, moving like wolves through the small villages and roads that led to the Water Capital. It didn't take long for the rumors to ripple through the capital's streets. Ten hunter-nin had been seen, maybe more were moving in the Water Capital. Ordinary fishermen whispered about masked men on rooftops. Shopkeepers caught glimpses of shapes flickering across canals. Word reached the Water Daimyo's ears before the sun was even overhead. Orders went out and every trusted guard and shinobi loyal to the Daimyo was to keep eyes on these hunter-nin. The Mizukage's dogs shouldn't have been here. Everyone knew that. If they were, it meant trouble. Hidden under a plain traveling cloak, Kakashi drifted into the busy merchant quarter. He blended in with the workers hauling crates of dried fish and rice sacks off the morning boats. Every now and then he ducked into a side alley or slipped into a half-shuttered shop. He watched the hunter-nin leap over rooftops, brazen and loud which perfectly suited his purpose. These weren't like the Daimyo's loyal guards, who were respected throughout the water capital. These were hunter-nin, who didn't belong here and people were always keeping an eye out for them. Kakashi made sure he stayed just visible enough to keep them hunting him, always catching glimpses of a cloak disappearing around a corner. If they lost him completely, they'd spread out, and the game would fall apart. He needed them to have some hope atleast. In the deeper part of the city, where the smaller council offices and noble estates clustered around the canals, Kakashi finally took a breath. He found a shadowed corner of a storehouse. From there, he could see a handful of the Daimyo's guards already eyeing the rooftops where the hunter-nin were darting around. Alright, now they will wonder why the Mizukage's men were here. When the moment was right, he'd make sure they didn't just wonder, they'd have evidence to be angry about. And when that happened, all Ren's plans would start to unfold. The hunter-nin hadn't been moving in their usual squads of four. Instead, they'd split into pairs, that actually made Kakashi's job easier as leading 2 was much easier than leading 4. He slipped through the back alleys of the Water Capital until he found a good spot, an old granary tucked between two storage houses. From the narrow upper window, he could see the warm lantern glow of a small council office just across the lane. Even this late, there were always a few scribes and clerks working inside. Not too important, but important enough to send a message. But before he made a move on the building, he had to set things up right. He found a pair of the Daimyo's guard personnel doing a routine patrol nearby. They weren't elite shinobi, but they were loyal and more importantly, they were believable witnesses. Kakashi dropped down behind them like a ghost, knocked them both out with a precise strike, then dragged them deeper into the shadows. When they woke up, they didn't even know they'd been under. Kakashi had slipped a simple Genjutsu into their minds which was just enough to convince them that they'd decided to guard this area tonight, and that any unknown shinobi they spotted were to be attacked immediately, no questions asked. Even though he didn't have the Sharingan unlocked right now, his normal Genjutsu attainments were high enough to make this work. Satisfied, Kakashi vanished again. He gave it some time, then made just enough noise to draw the attention of a pair of hunter-nin prowling the rooftops. They spotted the flicker of his cloak and came right for him, just as planned. He led them to the alley beside the council office, then disappeared into the shadows again. The two hunter-nin landed in the narrow lane, their masked heads scanning the darkness. Right then, the two Daimyo's guards rounded the corner. In the dim torchlight, they didn't see shinobi from their own side, they saw masked intruders. They didn't hesitate and began the attack just as the suggestion Kakashi planted in their minds. Kakashi, perched unseen on a rooftop beam, watched the chaos unfold. One guard went down almost instantly, but the second put up a fight long enough for Kakashi to make his next move. He dropped down silently, used the dying guard's own blade to cut into one of the hunter-nin from behind, then kicked the corpse into the other guard's arms. It was messy, but that was the point. The remaining hunter-nin flared in anger and hurled a water ball jutsu at the shadow he thought was Kakashi. Instead, the blast slammed into the council office wall, shattering the wooden beams and blowing debris and shrapnel across the scribes inside. Kakashi used the moment of confusion and using the debris he made sure a few clerks didn't make it out alive. They'd be found among the rubble, killed by flying debris and the only attackers anyone would have seen were the hunter-nin. Kakashi didn't stick around. He slipped up to the balcony, then vanished across the rooftops again before the lone hunter-nin could regroup. The surviving hunter-nin, caught up in rage and confusion, didn't stop to think, he just followed the phantom trail, leaving the chaos behind. Within minutes, civilians were crowding the alley. Some tried to help the wounded guard, but he died from his injuries. Others just stared at the ruined wall and the dead scribes. The rumors started immediately, loud whispers about the Mizukage's dogs causing bloodshed right in the Daimyo's capital. And hidden among the murmuring crowds, Kakashi's clones were already at work. Dressed in plain clothes, they whispered to market vendors, street sweepers, and curious passersby, planting the idea that the Mizukage was so bold, so out of control, that even the capital wasn't safe from his hunter-nin anymore. By the time the sun rose, the story would be spreading through every corner of the Water Capital. And Kakashi was already gone, slipping deeper into the city, ready to repeat the same trick again if he had to. ~ Just like that, Kakashi kept working his way through the entire Water Capital. He never stayed in one place too long, he'd slip through crowds, bait a pair of hunter-nin into following him, then twist the situation to create the chaos he needed. Sometimes he'd lure them into fighting near an official's residence or around places where the Daimyo's men would see them. The more witnesses, the better. But it wasn't enough to just cause trouble. Every hunter-nin who got dragged into his traps had to be dealt with, if they made it out alive, they might piece things together or report inconsistencies. Kakashi was ruthless about it. Once a pair had served their purpose, he'd double back, cut them down in the shadows, and store their bodies in scrolls as they would become much more useful later. His clones helped too, while disguised as regular townsfolk, they whispered rumors into the right ears and even baited a few hunter-nin into attacking openly. That alone caused panic. When the hunter-nin struck at "civilians," it only confirmed the idea that the Mizukage's enforcers were running wild. One big hit was the minister Kakashi had targeted. He'd maneuvered things so a single hunter-nin cornered the man in his own courtyard, forcing a confrontation. The minister's aide saw the whole thing and would no doubt spread the story like wildfire, the Mizukage's hounds had killed a key official right under the Daimyo's nose. Before the hunter-nin could slip away, Kakashi was already there and with a quick, clean, slash to the throat he killed him and stored the body. It wasn't pretty work, but it was necessary. Leaving hunter-nin corpses scattered around would only make people question what really happened. By dawn the next day, the Water Capital was buzzing with fear and anger. The story was out. People were pointing fingers at the Mizukage's faction, the Daimyo's advisors were already urging the Daimyo to demand an explanation. Kakashi made one final sweep through the city, changing his appearance with a simple disguise jutsu. He tracked down the last few hunter-nin who might have survived, ambushed them quietly, and made sure there'd be no loose ends. When he was certain he hadn't left a single one alive, he didn't stick around to watch the fallout. There was no point, he could already see how angry people were getting. That was enough. The seeds Ren wanted planted were buried deep, and they'd sprout soon enough. Without wasting another minute, Kakashi slipped back out of the Water Capital, moving fast across the water under the cover of early dawn mist. He didn't relax until the city's walls were far behind him and the coastline of the main island came into view. He still had to regroup with Ren and the others, but he knew his part of the plan had been a success. ~~~ While Kakashi was busy with his mission, Itachi and the others were working just as hard. A few of them had already slipped into the Hidden Mist Village itself. Itachi used his Sharingan to quietly catch a handful of people from the bloodline clans in a Genjutsu, making them believe he and Hitoshi were just their servants. That was the easiest way to get through the village's security barriers, with a legitimate reason to pass by the guards. Once they were inside and away from prying eyes, they ditched the bloodline clan members and disappeared into the village's maze-like streets. Hitoshi spread out his insects right away, using them to scout the area and pick up on chakra signatures. It didn't take long for him to pinpoint the council building, the place where the village elders usually gathered. They spent a while observing the place from a distance, gathering bits of chatter and watching the comings and goings. It didn't take long for them to confirm that, that tonight, the only people inside were elders loyal to the Mizukage's faction, perfect for what they needed to do. They waited patiently for one of the elders to leave the building alone. Once they confirmed he really was who they thought he was, they let him notice he was being followed. Sure enough, the man ducked into a shadowed alley, probably hoping to spring a trap on his pursuers. He didn't stand a chance and the last thing he saw was the glow of Itachi's red eyes before his mind slipped away into a Genjutsu-induced fog. Itachi had him spill everything using Genjutsu, the names, the petty rivalries, the elders who were selfish and greedy enough to even steal candy from children if it suited them. All the information they could use to pick the best targets. As Itachi worked, Hitoshi's insects spread out again, this time searching for those specific elders across the village. Meanwhile, Itachi got to work staging the "scene." In the alley, he dug a shallow pit and used a quick water-style jutsu to fill it up. Then he shifted to fire-style, heating the water slowly until it was scalding hot, matching the temperature that would make it look like a Boil Release user had done this. He kept the heat up until the water was so hot that flesh would break down in seconds. Once that was ready, he used his Sharingan again to put the elder into a deep Genjutsu that stopped his heart, leaving no external signs of how he'd died. Itachi found an ID tag on the man and dropped it at the edge of the alley, making it look like it had fallen off in a struggle. He added a few cuts and scrapes on the corpse to sell the idea that the elder fought back, then pushed the body above the boiling pit so it would really look like the work of boil release and not scalding hot water. The flesh sizzled instantly, ensuring the body would be unrecognizable except for the ID. Careful not to burn himself, Itachi pulled the ruined corpse out and dragged it a few feet to make it look like there'd been a short battle. He finished setting up signs of struggle, gouged earth, scorched walls, and some blood trails to complete the illusion. Just as he was double-checking the scene, a deep boom echoed through the village, so loud it rattled the windows and startled birds out of the trees. Both Itachi and Hitoshi turned their heads toward the sound. Even from the alleyway, they could see the faint glow of an explosion far outside the village walls. Hitoshi muttered quietly, "Something tells me that has to be Ren." Itachi gave a nodded, "You're probably right." ~ {No Chapter tomorrow} ~~~~~ {No Ren, but it was important to show what the other characters were doing too, otherwise it'd become confusing.} {Also, I feel like I'm using too much Genjutsu in this arc, aren't I?} {If you want, you can support me on pat-reon} { h t t p s : / / w w w . p a t r e o n . c o m / Z e e n o n } {You know what else} {280 Stones = Extra Chapter} {STONES!!!!}