Naruto: From Fake to Real, Deceiving the Ninja World.

"Itachi," Shisui greeted first, smiling, "Are you ready?"

Uchiha Itachi nodded, his eyes extremely calm.

Seeing this, Shisui, who knew Itachi very well, immediately guessed that something must have happened to Itachi after he returned home last night...

"Itachi, what happened?" Uchiha Shisui's smile vanished, and his expression became serious and solemn.

Itachi Uchiha opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time. Seeing this, Shisui walked up to him and smiled, "You should understand that I feel the same way you do."

Itachi certainly knew this; they shared the same ambition.

The atmosphere at the secret monthly meetings held at the Nanga Shrine grew increasingly tense, with both men believing that the villagers' resentment and anger towards the village had reached its limit.

We must do everything we can to prevent the discontent among our clansmen from erupting completely.

If the Uchiha clan rebels, the village will be dragged into conflict and once again shrouded in death.

This was a shared idea between them; they had both transcended the limitations of their own kind and were able to see further.

“Father said,” Itachi said in a deep voice, “that he is prepared to agree with the radical clansmen’s ideas at the next meeting and take control of the Uchiha clan’s voice from the higher-ups through a struggle.”

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Shisui's expression changed slightly, and he frowned, saying, "How could this be? Didn't Lord Fugaku maintain neutrality and try his best to eliminate the dissatisfaction of the clan members?"

“It’s because of me,” Itachi Uchiha said, revealing his guess. “I joined the Anbu, which gave my father hope. He wanted me to gather intelligence on the higher-ups and work from the inside out.”

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Shisui fell silent.

He knew very well that once Fugaku Uchiha, as the clan head, clearly sided with the radical clan members, the already fragile balance within the clan would be completely shattered.

Even those clansmen who were initially undecided would side with the radicals; a coup d'état within the Uchiha clan was already foreseeable.

"Itachi, actually..."

Uchiha Shisui's eyes flickered, and he opened his mouth as if to say something.

rustle.

It wasn't deliberately concealed; it was just normal footsteps, treading on fallen leaves in the woods, approaching from afar.

Itachi and Shisui instantly became alert, their eyes fixed on the source of the sound.

Two figures slowly emerged from the swaying shadows of the jungle.

One of the men was nearing middle age, swaggering around with a bottle of liquor in his hand, his eyes only revealing a faint white depth.

This is precisely what Shisui and Itachi are targeting this time.

Kohinata Mukai.

And the other person...

"first meet."

He stopped and stood in front of the two men, a slight smile on his lips, and said in a gentle tone, "I was temporarily sent by the Third Generation Lord to join this mission."

"My name is Hinata Kumokawa."

Chapter 148 Mirror Flowers and Moon in the Water

It was noon, at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Rivers.

Four figures leaped through the trees in the jungle, creating an eerie atmosphere amidst the deathly silence.

Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Shisui followed behind the two, and when they looked at each other, they could see the deep meaning in each other's eyes.

They had confirmed the authenticity of the transfer order in Hinata Kumokawa's possession, and they also knew that Hinata Kumokawa's mission was the same as their own: to assassinate the spy traitor, Hinata Mukai.

But why was it the Third Hokage's order?

Temporary placement? Or surveillance?

Or perhaps, for some deeper purpose, or even as a power struggle among the village's higher-ups?

"Senior Wujie."

Hinata Kumokawa suddenly broke the eerie silence between the four of them, asking with a smile, "May I ask how your son is doing?"

Upon hearing this, Itachi Uchiha and Shisui subconsciously frowned.

Hinata Kumokawa's words clearly revealed that he had investigated Hinata Mukai's background, which could easily alert him.

"It surprised me that."

Kohinata Mukai laughed nonchalantly, "The hottest war hero, the famous 'Takemikazuchi,' actually cares about the well-being of his distant relative like me."

"'Takemikazuchi'..." Hinata Kumokawa's smile vanished. "Uncle, could you please not mention that title in front of me?"

"Hahaha, you're really unlike those old fogies of the Hyuga clan!"

Kohinata Mukai laughed heartily and said, "Isn't this a cool title? I've been a Jonin for so many years, and I'm not as famous as you."

After the battle between the Land of the Moon and the Hidden Cloud Village, the title of Hyuga Kumokawa spread throughout the ninja world.

Having witnessed Hinata Kumokawa holding up lightning in the thunderclouds, everyone gave him the title of "Takemikazuchi no Otoko" (Man of Takemikazuchi).

This means that even among the few Jonin, Hyuga Kumokawa is an extremely rare exception.

Not just anyone's title can be recognized by the ninja world.

"I feel unworthy of the fame that many of my comrades sacrificed for."

Hinata Kumokawa raised his previously injured arm and laughed, "Besides, that ninjutsu kept me in the hospital for almost half a year, and it was during that time that I saw you visiting your wife and children."

"Oh, I see. I thought you were investigating me. That was terrifying."

Kohinata Mukai jokingly said something that sent a chill down the spines of Itachi and Shisui behind him, before shrugging and saying, "To be honest, my son isn't doing too well."

As he spoke, he suddenly stopped, and under the wary gazes of Shisui and Itachi, he reached into his pocket, took out a cigarette, and lit it.

"call……"

He watched as the purple smoke he exhaled drifted away with the wind, while Hinata Kumokawa watched this scene quietly with a smile on his face.

"I was a little worried about them, so I asked the Third Generation Lord for a month's leave."

Kohinata Mukai smiled expectantly: "They keep complaining that I'm never home. I need to finish the mission as soon as possible and go back to spend more time with them."

"It seems that Senior Wujie is a father and husband who values ​​family very much," Hinata Yunchuan said softly.

“Yes.” Wujie did not deny it, and said with emotion, “It’s not an exaggeration to say that I live for them… Oh right, besides them, there are also cigarettes and fine wine.”

After saying that, he took out a silver bottle from the ninja tool pouch at the back of his pants and brought the bottle opening to his mouth.

A sweet aroma wafted over on the breeze, letting Shisui and Itachi know that Mukai was drinking sake.

"Senior Wujie, have you forgotten the Three Forbidden Rules of Ninjas?" Uchiha Itachi asked, looking at Wujie's retreating figure.

Kohinata Mukai ignored him, gulped down the whole bottle, and finally let out a comfortable groan.

"Ha, as a senior, let me teach you something."

Only then did he turn to look at Itachi and Shisui, and said with a smile, "Ninjas must learn to hide their killing intent. Our 'Takemikazuchi' has done this very well."

The moment the words left his mouth, a cold glint flashed.

Click!

Kohinata Mukai looked at the metal bottle blocking his way, and sighed as he watched the kunai deeply submerged in it: "Ahhh, this sake is expensive, and it's just going to be wasted like this."

At this moment, solemn expressions appeared on the faces of Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi, clearly indicating that it was Uchiha Shisui who had just made the move.

"Has it been discovered?" Shisui said in a deep voice. "Just surrender obediently, Kohinata Mukai. The Third Hokage is very lenient towards criminals who turn themselves in, so he probably won't kill you."

Although he said this, his eyes were already bloodshot, and the six tomoe silently swirled within them.

Meanwhile, Kohinata Mukai had already lowered his head, deliberately avoiding looking into Shisui's eyes, and a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"Your skill in 'Staying Still in the Moment' is quite renowned," he murmured. "But is it because you only walk in the sunlight that your wisdom is limited to this level, or perhaps..."

"Compared to that guy over there, are you just an innocent brat?"

As he spoke, Wujie flicked his thumb, flicking away the ash from his cigarette, and glanced down at Hinata Yunchuan, who was always smiling beside him.

"You should know what I did, right? Since that's the case, you should also know whether I'll be forgiven after I turn myself in, right?"

"I never expected that the people who came to assassinate me were not only two geniuses from the Uchiha clan, but also our war hero. I feel truly honored."

Upon hearing this, Hinata Kumokawa shrugged, mimicking his previous gesture, and said, "Just treat it as rehabilitation training."

"You're quite an interesting fellow," Kohinata Mukai couldn't help but smile. "Normally, I wouldn't mind giving you my sake, but unfortunately..."

As he spoke, his chakra suddenly increased, clearly indicating that he had released and recalled the shadow clone.

As Mukai's chakra increased, Itachi also dispelled the shadow clones at Konoha Hospital, clearly indicating that he had been monitoring Kohinata Mukai all along.

“My son saw that the dad he was talking to was actually a shadow clone. He must be very angry now.”

Kohinata Mukai scratched his head and said, "In that case, I'll have to hurry back and find an excuse to explain things to him properly."

As soon as he finished speaking, he lowered his center of gravity, stretched his left hand forward, and left his right hand in front of his chest, seemingly assuming a unique stance of soft fist.

But his hand was not clenched into a fist; instead, he made a chop-like motion.

Instead of immediately attacking, Itachi Uchiha voiced his thoughts: "Why would a ninja as skilled as you choose to become a spy?"

"As you get older, there are all sorts of unavoidable reasons," Kohinata Mukai said with a knowing smile. "Besides, you only understand those things when you get old."

"..." After a moment of silence, Itachi Uchiha asked, "What will happen to our sick son after you die?"

"So, I can't die here."

Kohinata Mukai's left pupil disappeared, and countless meridians appeared around his eye. His smile faded, and he said coldly, "Even if I kill you all, I cannot die."

Rolling your eyes?!

Uchiha Shisui and Itachi's expressions changed slightly, and they jumped behind him without hesitation to create distance.

How could that be? The intelligence report didn't mention that Kohinata Mukai possessed the Byakugan. The Kohinata family separated from the Hyuga clan several generations ago, and their bloodline is so diluted that they are simply unable to awaken the Byakugan.

With the Byakugan, Jonin Kohinata Mukai's difficulty level increased by a whole level.

Since genjutsu works by disrupting the enemy's chakra, the Hyuga clan members, who possess the Byakugan, can keenly sense whether their own chakra has been disrupted.

This guy actually fooled everyone, including high-ranking officials like Hiruzen Sarutobi?

“This is a generational inheritance,” Hinata Kumokawa suddenly said. “Even if you find a reason to separate the main family and the branch family, the blood ties in your bones can still not be separated.”

The moment the words left his mouth, a wave of scorching heat swept over him.

"Art fire escape ho fireball!"

In the distance, Uchiha Shisui quickly raised his hand and formed a hand seal, spitting out a fireball large enough to engulf Mukai.

But Kohinata Mukai's expression remained unchanged as he raised his palm in front of his face to face the fireball.

呲!

Reflected in Shisui and Itachi's slightly constricted pupils, the incoming fireball was cleaved in two before the Boundless Interface, flowing past on either side of his body.

It was impossible to tell what kind of ninjutsu Mujie had used, nor was there any special chakra wrapped around his body. In Itachi's eyes, the fireball in front of Mujie looked as if he had split in two.

"Being able to use Gentle Fist to cut off the enemy's chakra means that one is familiar with the flow of chakra."

Hyuga Kumokawa explained again, "Ninjutsu is also formed by condensing chakra. As long as you can use the Byakugan to judge its flow, it is not difficult to cut a ninjutsu in two."

"Unfortunately, the main family and the branch family have always been trapped in the barriers they have set for themselves, focusing their energy on the so-called secret martial art of Gentle Fist, while neglecting the development of the Byakugan."

As he was explaining, Kohinata Mukai's figure disappeared and appeared beside Uchiha Itachi, engaging him and Shisui in battle.

Hinata Kumokawa stood on the tree, calmly looking down at the scene, seemingly with no intention of making a move.

Until finally, the battle was nearing its end.

"Hoo! Cough cough!"

Kohinata Mukai leaned against a tree trunk, panting heavily. His dark-colored outfit was torn in several places, revealing the rolled-up flesh and seeping blood underneath.

A deep, bone-revealing wound on his left shoulder was gushing blood; it was the work of Uchiha Shisui's short sword.

His right arm was twisted unnaturally, the joint of which had been severely injured by Itachi. His former fierce aura had vanished, leaving only the wretched and struggling state of a severely wounded beast.

However, his bloodshot eyes, filled with pain, were fixed on the two figures standing side by side in front of him.

Itachi's breathing was slightly rapid at this moment, and his Sharingan emitted an eerie red light as he stared intently at Mukai, searching for the final weakness.

Uchiha Shisui, on the other hand, appeared more composed, locking onto the direction Mukai might be fleeing.