The Land of Fire, located at the heart of the continent, is rich in trade and resources.

  As the rgest military organization in the Land of Fire, Konoha Vilge is no different.

  The sun had already set, with farmers finishing their work in the fields, street vendors closing their shops, and ninja returning from their missions.

  The streets of Konoha were bustling with noise, crowds of people flowing in every direction.

  But even in this vilge, bathed in the light of fire, there are shadows.

  Beneath the surface of prosperity, the giant tree’s roots spread deep into the earth, working tirelessly to nourish the massive trunk.

  An elderly man, his face almost entirely covered by bandages, leaned on a wooden cane as he issued orders to a ninja.

  “Shirohebi, these three ninjas in the photos are your targets. One of them has been bribed by an Iwagakure spy. Find him, and kill him.”

  A gust of wind rose in the sealed underground chamber, blowing the three photos onto the floor.

  The Anbu ninja wearing a terrifying white snake mask did not reach for them.

  He simply lowered his gaze, quietly staring at the faces in the photographs.

  Still as cautious and alert as ever… The bandaged elder's expression gave no sign of change.

  This half-bandaged elderly ninja was one of Konoha's three advisors, Shimura Danzo.

  He was also the head of Konoha's secret organization, ROOT.

  And the ninja before him was known as "Snake," or more often, "Shirohebi."

  He had no name, no identity, no past—just a simple code name.

  One day, Orochimaru sent this trusted subordinate to Danzo to serve him as a show of goodwill.

  At first, Shirohebi’s skills were unremarkable. He simply followed orders, carrying out tasks assigned by Danzo one after another.

  It wasn’t until five months ago that Shirohebi’s Anbu unit dispyed incredible counterintelligence abilities, catching one spy after another from foreign vilges.

  This swift action and sharp insight made Danzo understand why Orochimaru considered him his most trusted underling.

  Shirohebi raised his gaze, committing the three faces in the photos to memory.

  Danzo’s lone eye gleamed coldly as he emphasized harshly:

  “Remember, all three of them are from the Barrier Css, a lineage of ninjas responsible for maintaining Konoha’s protective barrier for generations.”

  “But now, one of them has turned traitor. If we fail to capture him, Konoha’s defenses will be as permeable as a sieve.”

  “So, this mission cannot fail. You must kill the traitor. Do you understand, Shirohebi?”

  The ninja wearing the snake mask stood motionless for nearly a minute, his silence unwavering.

  Finally, Danzo’s brow furrowed, and Shirohebi’s cold voice, devoid of emotion, replied, “I fully understand, Danzo-sama.”

  “Good.” Danzo spoke in a deep tone. “Go, Shirohebi. Use your unique abilities to do this for me… and for Konoha.”

  ...

  Through ROOT’s secret tunnels, Shirohebi moved silently through the dark corridors, passing by torches that illuminated only a few meters at a time.

  At each torch, a ROOT ninja stood motionless like a statue, barely even breathing.

  They did not acknowledge Shirohebi, and he did not acknowledge them. They simply existed as part of the scenery.

  Shirohebi preferred this ck of social interaction. He was used to thinking in solitude.

  The three faces in the photos were likely identified by the Mountain Cn’s ninja after they read the mind of the unlucky Iwagakure spy he had captured.

  It seemed there had been some mistake. After all, a spy sent by Iwagakure would have had mental seals on him.

  Most likely, the extraction was cut short when the Iwagakure spy’s head exploded.

  Thus, Danzo had to rely on the limited information extracted to lock onto these three suspects.

  Emerging from the tunnel into the outside world, even though it was dark, Konoha was far brighter than ROOT's secret ir.

  Shirohebi arrived at the eastern residential district of the vilge. This area housed ninjas who had some rank, but were not particurly prominent—medical ninjas, sealing css members, and talented civilian ninjas.

  This was also where the three targets resided. They lived in the same apartment building and were neighbors with a good retionship.

  This made Shirohebi’s task easier.

  He flexed his wrist, and a small sealing scroll, about the size of a fingertip, fell from his sleeve into his palm.

  With a small pop, the scroll exploded with a faint puff of smoke, dissipating as Shirohebi opened his hand to reveal a lump of something resembling white modeling cy.

  "Not much left," Shirohebi thought to himself. "I’ll need to smuggle some more from Iwagakure soon."

  This white cy was the infamous Exploding Cy, a favorite of Iwagakure’s explosive experts.

  Shirohebi guessed that when Danzo spoke of his "unique abilities," he was referring to his control over these "little toys."

  If Danzo meant something else… well, Shirohebi would have to say goodbye and run.

  Because Shirohebi harbored a secret that could not be exposed.

  But he had never shown his true abilities in Konoha, so it should be impossible for anyone to discover them.

  Besides, if he were found out, Danzo wouldn’t stand calmly before him. Instead, he would send people to capture him and bring him to the Fire Country’s Daimyo for judgment.

  Even if Danzo wanted to use him, it wouldn’t be in such an overtly brutal manner.

  While his thoughts swirled, Shirohebi had already taken a small piece of the Exploding Cy, about the size of a fingernail, and split it into three parts.

  “Better to keep it subtle… I'll use some 'bread bugs' for this.”

  He shaped the three pieces of cy into small cylindrical shapes and tossed them onto the ground.

  The three "bread bugs" crawled through the cracks in the windows and into the three neighboring homes.

  The Barrier Css ninjas, deep in sleep, noticed nothing amiss. Their identities allowed them to live in peace, but they had also lost their vigince against danger.

  It wasn’t until the three "bread bugs" crawled into their ears that their eyes suddenly bulged, and blood began to pour from all their orifices. They reached up to touch their ears, their bodies growing limp, the stench of decay already creeping from the bed.

  Their brains had turned to mush.

  Mission complete.

  Shirohebi did not pause. He walked downstairs as if nothing had happened.

  At the base of the stairs stood a figure—a resident of the building, watching him intently.

  But Shirohebi didn’t seem to notice. He continued forward, his left hand slipping from his pocket, making a subtle motion with his fingers.

  As he passed the figure, Shirohebi stopped abruptly, his left foot pressing down hard on something he had "accidentally" left behind.

  With great force, he drove it deep into the ground.

  “You saw?” Shirohebi tilted his head toward the woman, who had suddenly appeared. “Let’s consider this our little secret. Don’t tell anyone, alright?”

  “I’m ‘Kirin,’ Danzo-sama sent me to assist you,” the woman quickly stated, fearing Shirohebi might misunderstand and react violently.

  “Why aren’t you wearing Anbu gear?” Shirohebi questioned.

  “When handling missions like this, one cannot reveal any traces. You should understand that, right?” Kirin’s voice was low, almost a whisper.

  A person wearing Anbu gear arriving here in the dead of night, while three members of the Barrier Css y dead—it wouldn’t take a fool to guess who was behind it.

  Danzo hadn’t consulted the Third Hokage for this mission.

  This task was entirely Danzo’s doing, taking advantage of the Third Hokage’s secret departure from the vilge.

  “Danzo-sama forgot to remind me, but I won’t bme him. His mind isn’t the sharpest,” Shirohebi chuckled darkly.

  Perhaps it was the tone of his voice, but his previously cold demeanor now sounded zy and casual.

  “You?” Kirin’s eyes widened as she realized something was wrong.

  This person, who should have been a fellow ROOT member, showed no reverence for Danzo whatsoever?

  With a sharp crack, Shirohebi’s left foot lifted, revealing the slender branch that had punctured Kirin’s heart.

  “Why…” Kirin’s body grew limp, and with the branch retracting back into the ground, she colpsed.

  “Iwagakure spies infiltrated the homes of the Barrier Css ninjas for intelligence, but a righteous ninja intervened and killed them. Unfortunately, it was too te. The three Barrier Css ninjas have already been assassinated…”

  Shirohebi shook his head. “This report will be on the Hokage’s desk. Rest in peace, don’t be the scapegoat in your next life.”

  Kirin, the ROOT ninja, had been sent here for only one reason.

  If Shirohebi slipped up, she would be the one to take the fall.

  If Shirohebi succeeded, she would py the role of the "spy."

  Three dead Barrier Css ninjas in the vilge would need some kind of expnation.

  Kirin’s pupils began to fade, but her expression softened.

  “As long as… it doesn’t affect Danzo-sama…” she murmured.

  “Tsk.” Shirohebi clicked his tongue.

  If his subordinates were as loyal as this caged bird, he wouldn't have had to change his appearance and hide in Konoha.

  He wiped the dirt off his pant cuffs with a handkerchief, the soil flying up as the wooden branch cracked beneath him. It was from that time.

  After tucking the handkerchief away, he swiftly made his way toward Orochimaru’s residence.

  He didn’t seem to notice that, from a shadowed corner nearby, a Root ninja wearing a mask was quietly withdrawing.

  The corners of Shirohebi’s mouth curled beneath his mask.

  Even if Danzo suspected something, he’d likely think what I’m hiding is “Wood Release.”

  After all, this was the secret “Shirohebi” had concealed, witnessed firsthand by his trusted subordinate.

  And with the identity I’ve fabricated, one that doesn’t exist in the Konoha resident records, Danzo would deduce the conclusion that satisfies him.

  Using the truth to hide the truth.