Naruto : Sequence 0 Visionary

Brooklyn, New York, 2:30 PM

According to the "decoy" plan set by the Execution Bureau, after the plane arrived, they quickly began their operations.

First, Adam went to the crime scene and to the police station to examine the victim's body. Based on various clues, he started profiling the killer's psychology, trying to find any leads.

Meanwhile, the other members of the Execution Bureau spread out and took positions around the hospital areas the killer might appear at, hoping to find the killer before he shows up. Both plans were executed simultaneously, covering all bases.

"The victims are all around 25-30 years old, blonde, and young," Adam observed while examining the victim's body at the police station. 

"Their social backgrounds show they are mostly from single-parent or divorced families. It's clear now that the killer's targets are young, blonde women aged 25-30, and specifically those who are single mothers or divorced."

"How did he know the victims were single or divorced?" Chu Zihang frowned, sensing the key issue.

If the killer was simply targeting young pregnant women, the physical traits like blonde hair might be noticed, but knowing their social background requires more than just observation. It meant the killer had access to specific information channels.

"The hospital," Adam said, adjusting his glasses with a smile. "When patients register, the hospital records their information."

He had somehow put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, which, combined with his gentle smile, made him look even more refined.

"A doctor?" Chu Zihang guessed.

"No, not a doctor," Adam shook his head. "If it were a doctor, the crime scenes would likely be fixed. It's probably someone else."

"Who else could it be?" Chu Zihang thought for a moment. The options weren't many, but still, they weren't few.

"Let's go find out," Adam said with a calm smile.

The investigation focused on major hospitals, specifically those where people might have access to patient information.

Soon, the Execution Bureau identified a group of people: "caregivers."

Most caregivers are employed by patients or their families, but a small number work directly for hospitals, helping nurses with the daily care of patients. These individuals can easily access patient information and frequently change locations due to their work duties.

Once the target group was identified, things became much easier.

Susie officially entered the scene. After being carefully prepared, she took on the identity of a 29-year-old single, unmarried mother and moved into a hospital's caregiving room.

Chu Zihang naturally disguised himself as a gynecologist and infiltrated the hospital to protect "the bait" Susie. Adam, along with another agent, Freya, formed a "husband and wife" duo and stayed in the room next door, ready to adapt to any situation.

Other agents from the Execution Bureau were stationed around the area to avoid alerting the target.

Although Susie fit the killer's selection criteria, no one was sure if the killer would show up. Under Raymond's direction, the local police force was used to quietly remove all other individuals that met the criteria from the hospital's database for the time being.

This way, in the short term, Susie would be the only one who fit the criteria.

Of course, all of this was based on Adam's request. People clearly noticed that the plan didn't seem very reliable, but Adam was confident and insisted it would work.

Despite their doubts, Raymond, trusting the principal's decision, ultimately had to go along with Adam's plan and made the necessary arrangements.

"What do you think the chances are of this working?" Susie, who could only lie in bed pretending to be pregnant, asked with some boredom as she ate an apple.

Chu Zihang, posing as a doctor, was writing something on a clipboard, not even looking up. He replied, "Based on the Execution Bureau's plan, the chances of drawing out the killer are less than 20%."

"Only that low?" Susie blinked in frustration. "Then, am I just pretending for nothing?"

"If you were the killer, and you found out that there was only one person in all of Brooklyn's hospitals who met the selection criteria, what would you think?" Chu Zihang countered.

"I'd probably think it's a trap?" Susie thought for a moment but shook her head. "No, the killer's criteria are so strict; maybe this is actually normal for them?"

"That's right, but there's still a chance it could be a trap."

Chu Zihang closed his clipboard, lifted his gaze, and looked at Susie on the hospital bed. He said indifferently, "If it were me, after realizing it might be a trap, I would immediately back away."

"Then why make this plan?" Susie asked, even more confused.

At the same time, in the room next door, Freya was asking Adam the same question.

"Since you know the killer won't fall for it, why use this method?" Freya, with her elf-like bright blue eyes, curly golden hair, and long lashes that fluttered slightly, added a touch of mystery and allure to her words. She asked in her perfect London accent.

"It's a provocation."

Adam sat next to the hospital bed and handed her a peeled apple, smiling lightly.

"A provocation?" Freya took the apple, took a small bite, chewed slowly, and then asked, "But how do you know he will accept your provocation?"

Logically speaking, a clever killer, after realizing it's a trap, would be too smart to fall for a provocation, right?

The answer was clear—extremely unlikely, practically impossible.

This was the main question Freya, Susie, Chu Zihang, and the whole Execution Bureau were wondering about.

However, Adam maintained his mysterious smile and placed the knife on the bedside table. "Trust me, he will."

"Why? I need a convincing reason."

Freya's brows furrowed slightly as she spoke, her tone carrying a hint of distrust. "You should know our time is precious. If we waste it here and don't catch the killer, while more victims suffer, it will be a huge blow to the reputation of the Cassell College's Execution Bureau."

"Of course, I can give you a reason."

Adam smiled again. "The interval between each attack by the killer usually doesn't exceed a month. Can you guess why?"

Freya shook her head, uncertain. "To avoid the police's pursuit?"

"It's the cooling-off period. After each act of torture, he feels a moment of satisfaction. However, this satisfaction has a time limit—about a month or so." Adam gave the girl a deep look, then continued, "But desire is like a wild beast. Once you release the reins that control this beast and let your reason slide into the abyss, you will inevitably become a puppet of your desires."

"Now, here's the problem."

He smiled slightly and said, "Once desire overpowers reason and there's no outlet for it, what do you think will happen?"

"He will take risks and choose someone he shouldn't."

Freya had a sudden flash of insight and immediately understood what he meant, though she was still somewhat doubtful. "But how can you be sure he won't be able to resist? What if he holds back, or chooses another target? Won't we just be alerting him if we act now?"

"Yes, he could choose another place."

Adam looked out the window, his tone calm. "But if I were him, I'd definitely choose this place."

"Why?"

Freya asked.

"Normally, a hybrid with awakened bloodlines would never do something so obvious if they knew we were here," Adam said. "Don't you think the marks he leaves behind every time he commits a crime look like he's showing off? He's smart, cunning, but also arrogant, proud."

"He's provoking us, using what he believes is 'art' to 'showcase' his work to everyone."

"But now, someone is trying to ruin his masterpiece. To him, these destroyers are nothing more than some traps set by ordinary human cops. With the power he has, why would he ever retreat in front of humans?"

"If a bunch of disgusting insects gathered at your feet, what would you do?"

Adam asked.

"Step on them."

Freya froze for a moment, then her gaze became complicated. "I see what you mean now. He sees us all as his next 'art piece,' doesn't he?"

"Shh."

At that moment, Adam suddenly raised a finger to his lips and smiled. "He's here."

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Freya's muscles tensed immediately. Deep within her azure eyes, it was as if a blazing golden hue had appeared.

At the same time, in the neighboring hospital room, Chu Zihang seemed to sense something. His gaze suddenly turned sharp, and the aura around him surged, as if he had become a ferocious, wild beast.

"What's wrong?" Susie asked.

"Killing intent," Chu Zihang replied. His eyes were fixed on the door. Lowering his center of gravity slightly, he said in a low voice, "Just outside the door, there was a distinct killing intent aimed directly at us."

"Is it the murderer?" Susie tensed up, asking, "Have we been exposed?"

"No. From the very beginning, we were exposed," Chu Zihang thought for a moment before pulling out his alchemy sword from under the bed. "Temporary command center, prepare to evacuate the civilians. There may be some noise soon."

However, all that came through the earpiece was a sharp, static sound.

At the same time, the hospital room door suddenly burst open. Several disheveled figures, as if driven mad, howled and charged toward them, claws bared.

Susie was about to act when Chu Zihang stopped her. His face was expressionless, but there was a sense of calm and composure in his voice that cut through the chaos. "Don't attack. These are just ordinary people. The real murderer hasn't appeared yet. These people are under control."

Susie's beautiful eyes narrowed. She instinctively said, "An Word Soul (Yanling)?"

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