Chapter Forty-Four: Turning the Tables on the Cloud Ninja Spy

"What do you want?"
Karn approached the entrance to the grocery store and the adjoining residence. He saw someone about to enter and called out to stop him. This person looked familiar—he seemed to be the same one who had been making inquiries at the neighboring pharmacy earlier in the day. The man’s skin was strikingly dark, a color Karn particularly disliked, so the impression stuck with him.

"Boss, the kids at home are restless. I’d like to buy a box of sweets..."

"Stop right there! Don’t take another step!" Karn cut him off before he could finish. Although the man was speaking, he kept inching closer. Karn was now nearly certain—ninety percent sure—that this man was up to no good. He also remembered that most of the ninja from the Cloud Village had dark skin.

The man hesitated at Karn’s interruption, but tried to explain, "Boss, I just want to buy some sweets—"

He didn’t finish. His words trailed off as a young girl with red hair poked her head out behind Karn. Upon seeing Kushina, the man’s face twisted into a triumphant smirk. "Both targets together. How convenient..."

Rat-a-tat-tat...

Karn didn’t bother to listen to another word. He pulled two submachine guns from his spatial backpack and opened fire on the Cloud ninja spy. His body, enhanced by chakra, handled the twin weapons with ease. At such close range, there was no need to aim—the hail of bullets emptied both magazines within seconds.

Bang!

After the barrage, the Cloud ninja suddenly turned into a wooden log, accompanied by a puff of smoke.

A substitution jutsu!

Karn’s eyes darted to the corner, where he found the Cloud spy, his arms riddled with bullet holes and bleeding profusely.

The Cloud ninja glared at Karn, a vicious glint in his eyes. "So you have weapons like that—no wonder the captain warned us about you..."

Ratatatat!

Karn had no intention of letting him finish. He tossed aside the empty guns, drew a Thompson submachine gun from his backpack, and fired rapidly. The Cloud spy’s pupils constricted at the sudden appearance of another weapon, and he tried to use a jutsu to escape again. But the pain in his arms crippled his ability to form hand signs—nearly twenty bullet wounds made even quick seals impossible.

‘Too late!’

Panic seized the Cloud ninja as he instinctively raised his hands to shield himself, bracing for impact.

But he had overestimated his own resilience. Few Cloud spies trained in the Lightning Chakra Mode; while it increased strength, it made muscles stand out—something spies avoided. In that moment, his greatest regret was not petitioning the village to let him learn that technique.

Thud-thud-thud...

Dozens of bullets tore through his body in an instant. Fresh blood from the new wounds spattered the floor of the sweets shop like rain.

Karn aimed for his vital organs. When the Thompson clicked empty, the Cloud ninja was already dead. To be sure, Karn pulled out an assault rifle and blasted a gaping hole in the man’s chest.

With the enemy slain, Karn quickly stowed the guns in his spatial backpack, pulled out several grenades, and tossed them into the street outside. He intended for the explosions and flashes to draw the attention of the Leaf Village ninja.

"Get back!"

After throwing the grenades, Karn tucked Kushina under his arm and headed for the bedroom, where a hidden underground room lay, impossible for an ordinary person to find.

Kushina was petrified with fear. Only when Karn gripped her under his arm did she snap out of it and ask, "Boss, that was... an enemy, wasn’t it?"

"Yes, the enemy. Don’t raise your voice—they might have accomplices!" Karn threw a few more grenades toward the shop entrance. If the enemy had anyone outside, the gunfire might lure them in for a look, letting Karn treat them to his own explosive confections.

...

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As night approached, a series of explosions rocked the Leaf Village, the sound reminiscent of several explosive tags going off at once.

"Someone’s using explosive tags in the village?"

The Leaf Village police force, patrolling nearby, leapt onto the rooftops at the noise. Spotting the flashes, they hurried toward the source.

Nearby ninja, startled by the blasts, grabbed their tool pouches and raced across the roofs, following the lingering glow in the sky.

Soon after the first blast, another explosion erupted in the same location. The Uchiha police force, already on their way, grew even angrier. To cause such a commotion in the village—was this a direct challenge to their authority?

Two squads—eight Uchiha police officers—activated their Sharingan eyes, determined to show the enemy the might of their clan.

Meanwhile, Karn and Kushina hid in the secret underground chamber. He could only follow the events outside through the surveillance cameras he’d installed nearby. Still, he was certain the two explosions would deter any other Cloud spies from storming in.

"Boss, what’s going on out there?"

Before Kushina could finish her question, Karn clamped a hand over her mouth—not out of fear that the enemy would hear, but simply because he had no desire to answer.

The camera at the sweet shop entrance had been destroyed by the blasts, but the others at the neighboring stores still worked. Karn could clearly see several people bearing the Uchiha clan’s fan insignia, as well as other ninja converging on the scene.

"It’s fine now. Let’s go out," Karn said to Kushina. If they didn’t leave soon, members of the Hyuga clan would start searching with their Byakugan and discover the secret room.

He and Kushina emerged from the underground chamber.

"I’m the proprietor of the sweets shop. We were attacked by ninja tonight. Please inform Lady Tsunade!"

As soon as they stepped out, the Uchiha police sprang to alertness. Had Karn not spoken quickly, he might have been attacked with shuriken.

After confirming their identities, the police began routine questioning. Karn did not hide anything—he described the Cloud spy’s actions in detail, even exaggerating a bit to claim the spy had revealed his identity and tried to attack him.

It didn’t matter; Tsunade would protect him when she arrived. Besides, the village’s security was truly lacking if a Cloud spy had managed to watch him for so long.

"Kushina, are you alright?"

Minato Namikaze jumped down from a rooftop and hurried to Kushina’s side, concern plain on his face.

Kushina, who usually found Minato a bit effeminate, now warmed to his concern. "I’m fine. The enemy didn’t hurt me. Minato, what are you doing here?"

"I’m glad you’re safe, Kushina. I was so worried," Minato sighed with relief. "On my way home from training, an ANBU approached me in a hurry and told me a spy was after you, so I rushed over..."

Kushina felt touched. Minato was a good person—he came running the moment he heard she was in danger. Perhaps her earlier impression of him had been too rigid.

But Karn, hearing this, sensed something amiss. He stepped closer, cutting between Minato and Kushina. "Sorry to interrupt, Minato, but did you just say... an ANBU told you Kushina was in danger, so you came here?"

Karn’s pointed question made everyone present sense a hint of suspicion. The Uchiha police, in particular, grew wary and began to close in, ready to question Minato further.