Night draped itself across the northern reaches of the Land of Fire, weaving darkness between the towering trees of Konoha's outer forest. A silver moon clung high in the sky, its light seeping through the branches in thin ribbons that danced across the earth. The silence of the woods was broken only by the faint rustle of cloaks against underbrush — Akari and Iname moved like wraiths beneath the trees, their footsteps deliberately light, each breath measured.
Akari led with calm precision, the long hem of his black cloak brushing the forest floor as he advanced. His hair — bound loosely at his back — shimmered faintly under the moonlight. Behind him, Iname kept pace, her sharp eyes constantly scanning the shadows, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade.
"We've bypassed the fourth perimeter," she murmured. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you've memorized their entire patrol structure."
"I didn't memorize it," Akari replied quietly, his gaze steady on the path ahead. "I created it."
A smirk touched Iname's lips, but it faded quickly. This wasn't a night for jesting. Tonight's mission had come from Lord Madara himself — and it wasn't a mere scouting errand. A faction beyond the border had been stirring trouble. Their leadership was spreading whispers of rebellion, poisoning minds against Konoha's growing reach. It had to be silenced before it grew teeth.
"Remember," Madara had said just hours ago, standing in the shadows of the strategy hall, "peace forged through compromise crumbles easily. What we build must be unshakable. No mercy for roots that threaten the tree."
The village lay just beyond the next ridge — a loose gathering of tents and makeshift huts surrounding a large central pavilion. Dim lanterns flickered in the night wind, illuminating faint outlines of armored figures moving in irregular patterns. Sloppy. Undisciplined. Not trained shinobi, Akari noted, but likely hired blades.
"They're not expecting shinobi," Iname whispered.
"Which is why we won't give them a chance to react," Akari said, eyes narrowing. "We move quietly. Eliminate scouts. Identify leadership. No casualties unless necessary."
She nodded once, and they vanished into the darkness like twin phantoms.
The first kill was silent — a kunai across the throat of a distracted sentry. Iname dispatched her target with similar grace. Each step brought them closer to the heart of the camp. The tension in the air thickened. Akari could feel the chakra — subtle, but present — laced through the camp like an invisible web.
When they reached the central tent, Akari raised a hand. "Stop," he whispered.
There, buried under the surface of the ground — a sealing array.
"A chakra-triggered trap," he muttered. "They were ready for someone."
Iname stepped closer. "But how? We didn't leave a trace."
Then it hit him — the air pulsed slightly. A moment later, too late, a shimmer flared from the trees.
Explosive tags. Dozens of them.
"Move!"
The detonation tore through the clearing, blasting earth and fire into the night. Akari hit the ground hard, ears ringing, vision blurring. When he pushed himself up, he was surrounded — figures in dark armor, their faces masked, chakra radiating from them like heat off coals.
These weren't mercenaries. They were shinobi.
He rolled aside, avoiding a kunai that whistled past his face, then retaliated with a burst of wind chakra, slicing across his attacker's chest. Sparks of battle erupted all around as more enemies descended. From the smoke, Iname emerged, blood trickling from her temple, blade drawn and gleaming with lightning chakra.
"They knew," she spat. "Someone warned them."
Akari's expression hardened. He flicked his fingers, releasing a storm of shuriken imbued with wind — disabling three more attackers in a blink.
"This wasn't an ambush," he said, voice cold. "It was a warning."
To them. Or maybe... to Madara.
They didn't linger to find out. Fighting back-to-back, Akari and Iname carved a path through the chaos, moving with deadly synchronicity. Their escape was swift and brutal, and by the time the sun's first light reached the treetops, they had returned to Konoha — bruised, bloodied, but alive.
In the dim halls beneath the Hokage Tower, Madara stood awaiting them.
Akari knelt without speaking, head bowed, cloak torn at the shoulder.
Madara's eyes — like twin embers — studied him.
"They anticipated you," he said. "Explain."
"There's a leak," Akari said flatly. "Someone in our ranks gave them our movements."
Madara's jaw tensed, but he said nothing at first. Then, slowly, he stepped forward and placed a firm hand on Akari's shoulder.
"Then find them," he said. "And extinguish them. Quietly. No shadow must defy the flame."
Akari nodded once, rising to his feet. His eyes, dark and unreadable, held the fire of purpose.
This was no longer a mission.
It was a hunt.