He had easily been able to carry the plate to the serving waggon and unnoticed by anybody had placed a seal under it. One that was written in invisible ink.
This would give him access to the throne room at any time, as the seal, once it touched another surface, would be transferred to it, thanks to a second formula surrounding the flying thundergod one. He really loved fuinjutsu.
...
Koyuki and Sandayu were at the safe house waiting with thirty of Naruto's shadow clones. They had decided that for the surprise attack to work out, they couldn't spare any of them as guards, but with Naruto's ability to make as many clones as he wanted to, they would manage.
Especially as Koyuki now wore a bracelet with a sealing formula on it that would not only allow him to flash to her side in an instant if he was needed, it also created a strong barrier that would block any kind of attack on her. She was as safe as they could make her.
The idea of her leading a strike against her uncle was ridiculous and they had told Sandayu in no uncertain terms that they wouldn't endanger the life of the princess in an attack that she wasn't ready for. Koyuki was very pleased to hear that part.
She could agree with dealing with the cleaning up after Doto was dealt with, but she didn't want to die for a country she had fled from as a child and where she still had nightmares about. A country where spring didn't exist.
She wanted to continue being an actress, even if she took over as daimyo. She had decided that while she was willing to rule Snow Country officially, if they really managed to get rid of Doto, there would be others that took care of the day to day work while she continued her career as an actress. While Sandayu wasn't too happy about it, it was definitely an improvement to before.
They had planned to strike when the guard change took place. Gai and Lee would provide a distraction by going through the pipes and taking out any opponent that got in their way. Then Neji, Haku and Tenten would go up from the prison area and start on their part. His job would be taking Doto out.
As he was the one with the best abilities in stealth, not to mention that he could flash to his seal that would now be on Doto's table in the throne room, he had got this job.
There was no doubt that Doto would have his own version of the suits that all Snow ninjas wore, so they needed to take him by surprise and from a place he didn't expect they could get into.
He looked at his wrist watch and finally the time for the planned attack arrived. He could hear that some guards were called downstairs for an attack coming in from the pipes, getting closer very fast. Well, it seemed Gai and Lee had started. He flashed away from his position right into the throne room.
...
Haku led Neji and Tenten into the fortress. They made sure to stay hidden for as long as possible. They knew that Lee and Gai were already busy with their distraction and they had to take out as many guards as possible.
With the corridors mostly being long and straight, it was perfect for Tenten and Haku to attack, while Neji could give them information where there targets would appear.
Both Haku and Tenten would keep to thrown weapons as long as possible, as there might be chakra detectors around. With how technologically advanced Snow Country was, it wouldn't surprise any of them.
"Group of five coming into target range in fifteen seconds," Neji told them softly.
Haku and Tenten were ready. They fired their weapons when the group turned around the corner and Tenten took three down and Haku two. Neji confirmed that they were down for good and the group proceeded.
"Ten coming up from the left," Neji informed them, "Seven from the right coming closer as well."
"I take left, your take right," Tenten addressed Haku.
"Alright. Neji, take those that get past our weapons," Haku nodded and got a nod in return.
The weapons flew as soon as the guards turned around the corner.
"Trespasser at level three," one guard managed to shout into his communicator before he fell to one of Tenten's shuriken to the throat.
"Well, that has our position compromised. Let's make most of it," Haku declared.
"Yes, I have some seals that I got at the armoury that Dark Phoenix recently developed that I've been dying to test," Tenten agreed giddily.
"Yes, that would be a good idea. I have one that I was asked to test as well," Neji nodded.
Haku didn't know what kind of seals they had, but he knew that Dark Phoenix was supposedly a genius with fuinjutsu and his contributions to the armoury of Konoha had improved their power in battle as well as the duration for which a ninja could fight immensely.
...
Doto commanded the soldiers in his throne room when he got the information that the attack that he had been waiting for had been started. He should have known that the pipes would be a weak point, but he had honestly forgotten that the outlet was outside of the barrier.
A costly mistake that would need to be rectified as soon as they had countered the attack. If those Konoha ninjas thought that he would lose at his home turf, the fortress that he had changed to his ideas, they were dead wrong. He would show them how their arrogance would be their downfall.
"Send battalions eight and twelve to intercept the attack," he called out, "And be on guard in case this is a distraction for a second attack from another spot."
"Yes, Lord Doto," many exclaimed and ran off to get to their positions. The elite guards would stay at all times to stop any direct attack on him.
He had to wait for about ten minutes to get first reports.
"Team eight is down to ten men. There are two confirmed attackers. From descriptions they are Gai and the boy that resembles him so much," one soldier manning the communicator station reported.
"Then the others are somewhere else. At least one will be guarding Koyuki, but the others will attack from a second point. Don't drop your guard," Doto demanded.
"Lord Doto, report from patrol twenty three. Contact with the enemy on level three," he got the next bit of information, "No information on identities."
"Is see. Send battalions thirteen, twenty and twenty six there to intercept. We have to suspect that Naruto is on the second team. We can't afford to underestimate his ability to take down smaller groups quickly. His father was famous for taking down whole armies in seconds with that cursed flying thundergod jutsu," Doto ordered.
Then suddenly a hail of kunai appeared from the table with the maps on it and screams of pain followed within the next two seconds.
"Guards!" Was the one thing Doto could shout before he found himself being hit with at least ten senbons to the face and neck.
"Be happy that we want information from you, or you'd be dead by now," he heard a voice next to him and then blackness took over.
...
Naruto was happy how easily he had managed to get into the throne room. He acted as soon as he arrived and had got an overview where the guards and Doto were positioned.
He threw a flurry of kunai with the seals and flashed around the room from one kunai to the next in less than three seconds to kill them all where they stood.
It was simply too dangerous to leave them alive, not when he needed to capture Doto. The one chance he had were his poisons.
He had ten senbons ready once he had cut the throat of the last guard he noticed. Thankfully the flying thundergod jutsu slowed his perception down, similar to the sharingan's ability to estimate movement actually, which had been an inspiration to his father when he created the jutsu. The other was the summoning jutsu.
When the senbons hit, he had to grin. This had been much easier than expected, even with the moment of surprise being on his side.
Doto fell down, drugged, and Naruto quickly threw four kunai with sealing tags at the four corners of the door frame. It activated a barrier that would keep back-up outside until he was gone again. He sealed the body of Doto into a prisoner scroll.
It would be up to Koyuki to publically execute him when she took over as daimyo. That man was a traitor and traitors needed to be permanently taken out. And by doing it in front of the people, it would make clear that another attempt at the Kazahana royal family, by then only Koyuki, would be met with the harshest penalty.
Naruto flashed away again, locking onto the seal he had on Haku's sleeve. He would get the other three out, now that their main goal had been met.
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