Naruto: The Shadow of Uchiha

Late at night the next day—it was already nearing midnight.

The streets of Konoha were quiet and still. There were hardly any pedestrians around. Most homes were already dark, their residents long asleep.

Meanwhile, Ryosuke had been waiting patiently for quite some time, stationed at a distant point overlooking the Hyūga clan compound, quietly anticipating the arrival of the Cloud Village envoy.

Based on his knowledge of the timeline, the peace treaty was to be signed tomorrow.

Which meant tonight—had to be the night the Cloud nin would make their move.

A dark, moonless night was the perfect cover for such a mission.

Ryosuke's plan was simple: wait until Hinata was abducted, then appear and "rescue" her—winning massive goodwill from the Hyūga clan.

After all, Hinata Hyūga was the publicly acknowledged heir of the clan—her importance was beyond question.

If he could lend such a significant favor, then surely the Hyūga clan—one of the proudest in the village, second only to the Uchiha—would never stand against his clan in the future.

Nearly two more hours passed.

Now it was the deep of night, and the village was completely silent, save for the occasional chirping of insects.

Still, there were no signs of any movement.

Ryosuke frowned.

Could I have miscalculated?

Is it possible the Cloud Village doesn't plan to make a move after all?

As he began to feel a twinge of frustration, his eyes suddenly caught sight of a fast-moving shadow—darting across rooftops and stealthily approaching the walls of the Hyūga compound.

The figure vaulted over the wall with practiced ease.

Ryosuke's eyes lit up with excitement.

Target acquired.

He was also a bit impressed—this guy was fast, moved silently, and blended seamlessly with the environment.

Impressive infiltration skills.

All Ryosuke had to do now was wait.

Once Hinata was abducted and the kidnapper emerged, he would move in and "rescue" her.

Inside the Hyūga compound, Dodoi, dressed entirely in black, kept his chakra suppressed and used the terrain to mask his presence.

After confirming no sentries were nearby, he rapidly advanced toward Hinata's room.

The operation had to be quick and clean—there was no telling when a Hyūga guard might activate the Byakugan to scan the estate.

Once outside Hinata's room, he found the door locked. No problem—he turned toward the window, which fortunately had been left slightly open for ventilation.

Dodoi silently pushed it open just enough to slip inside.

Within, Hinata lay sleeping soundly in her bed.

Dodoi crept up to her side and took out a small handkerchief—already soaked in a strong anesthetic.

For someone Hinata's age, even a small whiff would be enough to knock her out instantly.

He pressed the cloth over her mouth and nose.

Hinata's eyes flew open in panic.

She struggled, wide-eyed and terrified.

But within five seconds, her gaze turned glassy, and she slipped into unconsciousness.

Dodoi quickly scooped her into his arms and returned to the window.

After confirming the area was still clear, he leapt out gracefully and landed at the base of the wall.

Grabbing the edge of the wall with one hand, he vaulted over and landed smoothly on the other side—still carrying Hinata.

He scanned the surroundings again.

No sign of detection.

Everything was going exactly to plan.

He restrained the excitement bubbling in his chest and began sprinting toward the rendezvous point with Samui.

But moments later, Dodoi's expression shifted dramatically as he felt a threat.

His instincts screamed at him to dodge immediately.

He leapt sideways, narrowly avoiding a savage claw swipe aimed directly at him.

He quickly widened the distance and turned to assess his attacker.

A man with spiked black hair, a muscular build, and most notably—three-tomoe Sharingan swirling in both eyes.

It was Ryosuke.

Dodoi scowled.

How the hell is this Uchiha guy here?!

Meanwhile, Ryosuke raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

Interesting. He actually dodged that.

Though he hadn't gone all out with that strike, it wasn't half-hearted either.

Dodoi was a speed-type jōnin, so this result was acceptable.

"But now you have two options," Ryosuke said calmly, eyes glowing red.

"Surrender quietly… or I beat you unconscious and drag you back."

Dodoi's expression darkened.

He had evaded the Hyūga guards, only to be intercepted by an Uchiha?

What rotten luck.

Surrender wasn't even a consideration.

He had to escape, no matter what.

In a flash, he pulled out two shuriken and flung them directly at Ryosuke's face.

Ryosuke casually slapped both aside with a single hand.

But in that instant, Dodoi turned and bolted.

Ryosuke immediately gave chase, his strides devouring distance rapidly.

He caught up quickly and lunged with a dragon claw strike aimed at Dodoi's back.

But just before contact, Dodoi vanished with a burst of chakra—Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique).

He reappeared several meters ahead, breathing heavily.

That was close. If not for the Body Flicker, I'd have been caught just now.

He specialized in speed, but this Uchiha's speed was equal or greater.

In a direct fight, Dodoi knew he'd be crushed.

Ryosuke, on the other hand, was getting annoyed.

This punk dodged me twice now?

Time to stop playing around.

He focused his chakra and immediately opened the Fourth Gate—Gate of Pain—from the Eight Gates technique.

Veins bulged on his forehead, his skin darkened slightly, and a crushing aura erupted from his body.

Dodoi, still fleeing, suddenly felt a monstrous killing intent behind him.

He turned his head—and instantly paled.

This pressure… it's just like the Raikage's!

Ryosuke rocketed forward, catching up in seconds.

Dodoi barely had time to react and tried to Body Flicker again—but this time, Ryosuke's hand snatched his right wrist mid-move.

The grip was iron-strong, crushing down on muscle and bone.

Dodoi's face twisted in agony.

Before he could react, Ryosuke grabbed his other hand, forcing him to drop Hinata.

With Hinata now free, Ryosuke caught her mid-air with ease and then delivered a devastating side kick to Dodoi's ribs.

The Cloud ninja was sent flying, his body slamming hard into the ground and skidding across the dirt in a long arc.

Ryosuke finally looked down at Hinata.

Thankfully, she seemed fine—just unconscious from the anesthetic.

No injuries.

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