The calm before the storm

That indescribable feeling of uneasiness, like the morning mist gradually rising over the Nanga River, quietly seeped into every corner of Uchiha Aoi's life.

At first, it was just a fleeting feeling of something strange. On her way to the ninja school, she would suddenly feel a chill down her spine, as if something were casting a cold gaze at her from the darkness. But when she turned back, she saw only the usual street scene: early-rising shopkeepers unloading shutters, housewives chatting with their baskets, patrolling ninjas nodding at her in a friendly manner.

"It must be an illusion." She always told herself this, shook her head slightly and continued to move forward.

But this feeling came more and more frequently. Sometimes it was while she was sorting through medical records at the hospital, sometimes while she was pruning flowers in her garden, or even while happily interacting with students. That chilling feeling of being watched would come over her unexpectedly. It was as if a pair of invisible eyes were constantly following her every move.

What most disturbed her was one rainy night. Alone in her study, grading students' homework, the sound of rain pattered outside. Suddenly, a sharp chill swept over her, causing her pen to drop to the ground. The feeling was so real, as if something utterly sinister stood outside, staring at her through the thin window paper. She mustered the courage to open the window, only to see only a rain-soaked courtyard and a deserted corridor.

"Maybe I'm just too sensitive," she whispered to herself, trying to rationalize these changes. "The trauma of the war hasn't fully healed yet."

She thought of the loved ones she had lost in the war, of the rivers of blood that had flowed between the Uchiha and Senju clans. Peaceful days sometimes seemed unreal to her. Perhaps this constant unease was simply a physical and mental inability to adapt to a peaceful life.

However, a voice deep inside whispered: This kind of fear is completely different from the trauma brought by war.

Senju Tobirama was the first person to notice her abnormality.

One evening, they had a rare dinner together. Aoi was uneasy because she had felt the strange gaze from the day before, and her chopsticks slipped several times.

"Are you feeling unwell?" Tobirama put down the file in his hand, his red eyes examining her slightly pale face. "You don't look well."

Aoi forced a smile: "Maybe I've been a little tired recently."

"Since you're not feeling well, get more rest." His tone was as calm as ever, but Aoi caught a glimpse of concern in his eyes. "You can take some time off from school and the hospital."

"I'm fine." She shook her head, trying to sound relaxed and natural. "It's just a minor problem. Don't worry."

She didn't dare to express her true feelings—the fear of being watched by an invisible being. In Konoha, a place she had tried so hard to fit in, expressing this unfounded unease would only make her seem even more out of place.

What's more, even she herself couldn't be sure whether these feelings were real threats or projections of post-war psychological trauma.

Tobirama stared at her for a moment, then nodded and picked up the file again. But his next words warmed her heart: "If necessary, I can arrange for an ANBU escort for your daily travels."

"No," she said softly, "it's really okay."

She didn't want to waste the village's police resources because of her suspicion, and she didn't want to give those who already had doubts about her another reason to question them.

However, what Aoi didn't know was that while she was trying to convince herself that all this was an illusion, a deadly net was slowly closing in where she couldn't see.

Throughout Black Zetsu's thousand-year life, patience is the quality he has the most. Like an experienced hunter, he lurks quietly in the shadows, observing every habit and weakness of his prey.

After several weeks of close monitoring, it has figured out Uchiha Aoi's daily routine:

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, she teaches at the Ninja School; on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, she assists with clerical work at the Konoha Hospital; every evening, as long as the weather permits, she takes a walk alone along the Minamiga River; on weekend mornings, she goes to the market to shop and then visits Uzumaki Mito.

It also noticed the invisible protective nets around her:

Other teachers in the school were always paying attention to her safety, consciously or unconsciously; there were Anbu members in the hospital who were specially assigned to protect medical staff; although the walking route of Minamiga River was relatively secluded, there were still patrols on fixed routes; and Uzumaki Mito himself was a powerful ninja, making it even more difficult to attack him.

Even more troublesome was that, although Tobirama Senju kept his distance from his wife on the surface, he actually arranged secret guards in the places she frequented. Black Zetsu could feel the chakra hidden in the crowd, which were like invisible silk threads, weaving into a protective net.

But Black Zetsu was in no hurry. Thousands of years had taught him that even the most rigorous defenses would eventually slacken, and even the most cautious prey would make mistakes.

It began to carefully test the strength of the protective net.

One Wednesday afternoon, it possessed an ordinary villager and pretended to accidentally push a cart loaded with goods towards Uchiha Aoi who was walking. Just as the cart was about to hit her, a seemingly ordinary passerby quickly stepped in to stabilize the cart.

"Please be careful, ma'am." The "passerby" nodded to Aoi, but Black Zetsu could feel the hidden chakra in his body - this was a disguised Anbu.

Once again, it caused a small commotion in the hospital—a pile of medical equipment suddenly collapsed. Almost at the same time as the sound came, two medical ninjas quickly appeared beside Aoi, their alert posture far exceeding the reaction of ordinary medical staff.

"What a tight defense!" Black Zetsu sneered from the shadows. "But the tighter the defense, the more deadly it will be once it's breached."

It realized that in order to succeed, several conditions must be met at the same time: Aoi must be alone; the surrounding guards must be transferred or distracted; the action must be swift and leave no trace; and finally, the entire incident must look like an accident.

This requires precise planning and timing, and what Black Zetsu lacks the most is patience and the ability to plan.

The turning point came on an ordinary morning.

Aoi was preparing to go to school as usual, but was stopped by an elder of the Senju clan on her way out.

"Madam," the elder said in a respectful yet distant tone, "there are some disagreements within the clan regarding the portion of the school curriculum that touches upon family secrets. I hope you can attend today's clan meeting to explain the situation."

Aoi was slightly startled. This was the first time she had been invited to an internal meeting of the Senju Clan. She realized that this was a significant moment—perhaps the beginning of her true acceptance into the Senju Clan, or perhaps a test of her loyalty.

"I understand." She nodded gently. "Please allow me to inform the school to ask for leave."

Just as she turned around to give her servants an order, the feeling of being watched hit her again, stronger than ever before. She shuddered involuntarily.

"Are you feeling unwell?" The elder noticed her abnormality.

"No, it's nothing." She forced a smile. "Let's go."

Little did she know that this sudden meeting was the first step in Black Zetsu's meticulous planning. He possessed a member of the Senju clan who was dissatisfied with Aoi and cleverly proposed to convene a clan meeting.

While Aoi patiently explained her teaching philosophy at the clan meeting, Black Zetsu had already begun his next move.

The opportunity finally arrived a few days later.

News arrives from the Hokage's office: the Three-Tailed Isobu has been spotted on the border of the Water Country. The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, must immediately address the situation.

This was a critical moment for Konoha. The distribution of the tailed beasts depended on the strategic balance of the village, and the two strongest ninjas had to personally take action.

For Black Zetsu, this is a godsend.

"Finally... the time has come." In the shadows, the yellow eyes sparkled with excitement.

It watched Hashirama and Madara leave the village as the villagers saw them off, and watched Uchiha Aoi stand in the crowd, her eyes filled with worry for her brother. It watched Senju Tobirama handle the mountain of village affairs for her brother, too busy to care about anything else.

Perfect timing.

Black Zetsu began its performance.

The first scene took place at the village's eastern entrance. Using the Mayfly Jutsu, it infiltrated the surrounding walls, creating a disturbance in the weakest areas. Several seals suddenly failed, and suspicious noises were heard from beyond the walls. Alarms rang, and a team of Anbu were immediately dispatched to investigate.

Then, the second scene unfolded in the confidential documents vault. A strange black flame ignited between the shelves, leaving the papers unharmed but emitting dangerous chakra fluctuations. More guards were dispatched to deal with this "emergency."

"Lord Tobirama!" An Anbu rushed into the Hokage's office. "Multiple emergencies, reinforcements needed!"

Senju Tobirama raised his head from the pile of documents, his brow furrowed. Years of combat experience had made him instinctively sense the unusual nature of these events, but the pressing situation left him no time for reflection.

"Dispatch the third squad to provide support." He gave the order, his eyes returning to the border report in his hand.

He didn't notice - or rather, couldn't notice - that this was exactly what Black Zetsu had calculated.

As the last group of guards were transferred away from the Senju clan's territory, the courtyard where Uchiha Aoi was located fell into an eerie silence.

She had just finished a day's work and was alone in her study, sorting out her lesson plans. Outside the window, the afterglow of the setting sun dyed the sky blood red.

That feeling of unease returned, stronger than ever before. She stood up and wanted to find Tobirama, but she remembered that he was extremely busy today and didn't want to disturb him.

"It's just an illusion." She told herself softly, forcing herself to sit down.

But little did she know that this time, the threat was no longer her imagination.

As the night gradually fell, a dark shadow slid silently across the stone path in the courtyard and approached the room where she was.

The calm before the storm is finally about to be broken.