Kapitel 26: Mastermind

"So...How are we going to do this?" Naruto had a brow raised while looking at the ground together with his brother.

Kaito was also squatting just the same as Naruto and had a hand under his chin. His mind was racing to find a good solution to their little heist.

In front of them was a rough blueprint that they had drawn down with a stick. It's hardly anything professional but got the job done none the less.

"Hmm, just wait a sec..." Kaito said while still thinking.

"Can't we just go in normally? It´s not like they would think we want to take the scroll.", suggested Naruto without thinking much more about it.

Kaito looked at him. "And then get caught directly carrying that huge thing? Think things through before you rush in." He flipped a finger on his metal headband. "That thing on your head is not just to protect your forehead you know?

´How in the world did you get a hold of it in the first place?´, thought Kaito to himself while scolding his brother a little.

Just at that moment another figure arrived at a tree close by and jumped down to them. Their location was rather hidden and only people knowing their whereabouts could find this meetup.

So the person joining was also obviously just a normal clone from Kaito.

It came closer, knelt down and started to share its information. "The back entrance is guarded by 2 shinobi...But I think there are more close by. Probably those mask wearers."

"The personal guards from the Hokage? Makes sense.", added Naruto while thinking about them.

He still thought about Kakashi from time to time whenever the ANBU were mentioned by Iruka. Naruto actually had a rather positive impression of the ANBU. Even though they are a special stealth force of assassins.

"So much for that idea. And the front is obviously guarded a lot harder. Anything else?", asked Kaito his clone.

"Well, there is something we could use." The clone started to add something to the drawing at the side of the Hokage building close to a fence that led down another road. "The little damaged parts here that we used when we were younger are still there. The Hokage didn't seem too bothered about them being fixed..."

"That is still there? How many years has it been now? Do we even fit inside any longer?", asked Naruto himself.

"Well, its better than nothing. That old geezer is getting too old." Kaito just destroyed the drawing with his hand and stood up. "That will be our entrance."

He then nodded to his clone that vanished in confirmation and both Naruto and Kaito started to run back to the village.

---

It was already dark outside and moving around in the shadows of the buildings was rather easy. The village actually had many small alleys that were rather suspicious if you looked at them at night.

But currently, they helped to move unnoticed. At least as much as they thought it would be. Generally speaking, it was already a doomed idea from the very start. This village was peaceful from the outside but it was guarded rather strongly.

Considering that it survived an attack from a monstrous being as a nine-tails and before that every other war just stood testament for it.

It had its weaknesses but that was more accountable to the people that split the forces. Those people were power-hungry to such an extent that they would never understand what really would need to be done to stop this bloodshed.

For example, the Uchiha being massacred in holocaust like event was only the fault of a power-hungry bastard called Danzo. Even if that person was right at some things, his actions were far from the way to tackle the problems.

The unity of this village was just too low. The fire of the leaf is slowly being smothered.

Anyway, because of that and Mizuki being another person that took action, the twins got into the building rather easy and already moved around in the secret library.

"Found it!", said Naruto and carried a rather large scroll on his back. It was strapped around him with a rope.

"Good. Then let us...Huh!?"

Kaito reacted fast and avoided a Kunai that was thrown at him.

"Alarm! There are thieves in the office!" An ANBU found them and was already readying up to attack them with his nin-to

"Shit! Run!" Kaito pointed towards the windows.

"But..."

"GO!" Kaito charged right at the ANBU and engaged him in close combat with a Kunai he grabbed from his pouch.

Sparks flew from the contact point and the force of the attack also locked their movements with each other.

Naruto on the other hand just gritted his teeth and started running. He jumped through the window and landed outside where he dashed away.

When that happened Kaito looked after him. That glimpse of relaxation from him gave enough time for the ANBU to act and try to kick him.

"You..." Kaito his words became chilly after seeing the attack. It was not because he did use that little lapse in concentration but something else that he was rather surprised about.

Not giving much more thought about it he saw the attack and therefore dodged it with shifting his body. Then he used his free hand to slam a Rasengan into the body of the ANBU. That knocked him out directly.

Kaito didn't stop there and went ahead and took off the mask. "Tsk...That bastard actually wants us dead that badly. How in the world did he infiltrate the ANBU?"

What Kaito was looking at was just some low-rank Genin that was probably in cahoots with Mizuki.

"That is something I am also interested in." Right then another voice sounded.

Kaito looked over. "...Old man. Do I have to assume our plan was leaked?" It was the third Hokage that was currently standing there with another two ANBU as bodyguards.

"It seems so. Looks like I will have to be harsher with my handling of village affairs...You better go and catch Naruto. I have a bad feeling that only Iruka chasing after him will not be enough." Hiruzen was frowning at the moment. "I will send reinforcements shortly after to apprehend Mizuki."

"Understood..." Kaito would have nothing else even if he got told so and rushed off to catch his brother.

Hiruzen looked at the imposter ANBU. "Get this fellow into custody as well. And I want every mole inside my own ANBU to be gone. Do you understand?"

Another Shinobi appeared and also had a grim face. It was Onizuka. "I will do that personally. You have my word, lord third." That person then disappeared with the two ANBU and the criminal.

Then Hiruzen sighed and looked into his little crystal ball that was connected to the network of the Yamanaka. He saw Kaito rushing through the forest already.

Looking at the events he smiled a little. "He actually learned it and improved by that much..."