In Naruto as the Shadow Monarch

Chapter 15

After a while, Kuro noticed his chakra starting to run low and the effectiveness of the Shadow Possession Jutsu starting to wear off.

Looking at the tier 4 scroll, Kuro connected his shadow to it. Once connected, he put the scroll into his inventory. It was something he figured out by accident during one of his training sessions.

While the spectators laughed at the Hyuga, the student that came for the scroll noticed that it was gone.

Suddenly, the Hyuga stopped dancing and they saw a shadow dashing away among the trees.

"KURO NARA!!!!!" The leader of the Hyuga group shouted at the top of his lungs.

The leader then turned towards the forest and shouted again. "ALL HYUGA CURRENTLY PARTICIPATING IN THE TOURNAMENT! I ORDER ALL OF YOU! FIND AND BRING ME KURO NARA!"

He then turned towards the crowd. "I wish all of you will keep what you have seen a secret. In the name of the Hyuga."

The crowd started to murmur, since this was the first time a major clan used their name and power to intimidate the common folks.

Before things got out of hand, the Third Hokage arrived to shut down the Hyuga leader's intimidation tactics. "This is a tournament and anything can happen. If you feel humiliated, blame it on yourself. This is a warning. DO NOT TRY TO USE YOUR FAMILY NAME WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THE CONSEQUENCES. Do you understand, Kaneki Hyuga?"

The Third Hokage frowns and pressures Kaneki. Kaneki gritted his teeth and went back into the forest with his team without apologizing to the spectators.

The Third Hokage sighed seeing the departing figure of Kaneki Hyuga and his humiliated teammates and disappear.

The Third Hokage reappears in his tent as he tries his hardest to prevent himself from laughing. However, he couldn't stop himself before he burst out laughing remembering Kaneki and his team dancing moves.

…

Kuro, however, wasn't celebrating anymore after he heard the shout from the Hyuga leader.

The Hyuga were proud and vengeful, and the leader's order was not something Kuro took lightly. He had stolen a Tier 4 scroll right under the leader nose and humiliated him and his team in front of everyone. It wasn't going to be forgotten so easily.

As he made his way back to the forest, he was already thinking about what to do next. Knowing the Byakugan, Kuro was having a headache. He knows that if he distributes his stats, all of this can easily be settled.

'But would it be fun and exciting if I do that?' Kuro smiles and laughs at the idea of distributing his stat points.

Kuro can already feel the sweeping chakra in the air as the Hyuga has started their relentless search for him.

"I am not one to shy away from challenges. Since I am good at hit and run, I will give them something to dream about. Let's see how long their chakra can support their Byakugan usage."

Kuro's grin widened as he melted further into the shadows of the forest, the rustling of the leaves and the distant shouts of the Hyuga leader pushing him into overdrive. He could already feel the approach of the Hyuga and their Byakugan's.

The idea of being hunted by a group of Hyuga with their heightened senses wasn't exactly a pleasant one, but it had a certain... appeal to him.

Kuro dash among the trees like a fish in water. The trees do little to slow him down as he approaches the closest team consisting of 3 Hyuga.

The Hyuga immediately notice Kuro approach and Kuro can see their Byakugan being used to track his every move.

One of the Hyuga shouted to alert the others Hyuga of Kuro location. Kuro can feel that more people are converging in his direction.

Instead of engaging the group, Kuro melted back into the shadow as he used Shadow Step to appear at the other end of the forest. Feeling that there was no one around, Kuro sat down to recover his chakra for the fun ahead. He has already forgotten about collecting the scrolls.

The thrill of being wanted. Kuro felt his blood boiling at the thought.

He already decided that he will bring the other clan kids along for the ride.

His mind was already moving ahead, strategizing his next move. The Hyuga were strong, but they were predictable. The Byakugan made them formidable trackers, but it also made them reliant on seeing everything in front of them. Kuro could use that to his advantage.

But it wasn't just the Hyuga that interested him. No, Kuro had another target in mind now. The Uchiha. Kuro grinned at the thought. He could already imagine the sparks flying when he orchestrated a little chaos between the two.

'The Uchiha will love this,' he thought to himself.

The Uchiha had pride, just like the Hyuga. And where there pride, there arrogance and chaos. Kuro saw an opportunity to make everything much more interesting. A three-way game of cat and mouse, with him at the center. He would become the catalyst of chaos, pulling the strings from the shadows, creating a whirlwind that none of them could ignore.

'They'll start fighting each other, just watch,' Kuro thought, his smile turning almost predatory. 'A battle between the Uchiha and the Hyuga? How perfect.'

Kuro pushed himself to his feet, brushing off the dirt from his pants. His chakra was steadily returning, and with it, his excitement. He stretched his arms, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.

He took out a set of clothes and pants from his inventory. It was a set he 'borrowed' from one of the Hyuga. A set of clothes that every Hyuga kid seems to wear in the tournament.

After making sure that the area is clear from peeping toms, Kuro took off his clothes and changed into the Hyuga clothes.

Kuro whistles as he looks at himself. 'Damn, I'm handsome in anything, huh?" A small chuckle escaped his lips as he checked himself one last time.

The first step of the plan was simple: create doubt.

The Uchiha and Hyuga were both keen on reputation, pride, and proving their superiority.

With the Hyuga clothes on, he quickly set off, moving through the forest with the same fluid grace he'd perfected over the months.

…

Back at the tent, the Third Hokage's laughter had died down, but the smile on his face remained.

He knew Kuro had stirred up quite a hornet's nest, but in his own way, the young man was proving something important. He was clever, resourceful, and had a sense of humor that was sometimes needed in this harsh world.

But the Hokage wasn't naive. The Hyuga weren't going to let this slide, and it was only a matter of time before they tried to retaliate. Kuro had made his move, and now it was time to see how he'd handle the consequences.

"Well, Kuro," the Hokage muttered to himself, "let's see how long you can keep this up."

If only Hiruzen knew of Kuro's antics involving the other clan kids, he would have stopped the chaos before it began.

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