After about half a day of rest—
Once Might Duy was able to walk normally again, the group resumed their journey, heading toward their mission destination: Shogetsu Town in the Land of Grass.
The remainder of the trip went smoothly without any more unexpected incidents, and they safely arrived at the destination.
…
"Thank you both for the escort. Here's your payment for the commission... I sincerely apologize for concealing parts of the original intel."
Upon arriving at the town, Urabe Daisuke took out a payment voucher worth five hundred thousand ryo, respectfully presenting it to Kaede with both hands and a deep bow.
Kaede reached out, took the payment, and ran his fingers over it, quickly confirming the amount. He gave a slight nod.
"Then that concludes the mission."
Just as he was about to split the payment with Might Duy, his expression suddenly shifted slightly. He turned his head, eyes narrowing as he gazed off into the distance. A flicker of light danced across his pupils.
He said nothing more, he simply shoved the money into his pocket.
"Duy-senpai, let's move."
Whoosh! Whoosh!!
With those words, Kaede darted off in the direction they had come from.
Might Duy blinked in surprise for a moment but quickly followed, catching up behind Kaede.
"What is it? Did you sense something?"
"Ninjas... a lot of them."
Kaede took a deep breath, continuing to run without slowing down. His gaze darkened as he glanced back at the town behind them.
"At least a hundred... possibly more."
Duy's eyes widened in shock.
"That many?! Are they from Land of Grass?!"
"No."
Kaede shook his head, his expression serious.
"They don't feel like Grass ninjas. If anything... their numbers might be even greater. Duy-senpai, war might be about to break out."
With those words, Kaede activated his 2x speed state, accelerating further as he raced out of the town. Seeing this, Might Duy opened the First Gate of the Eight Inner Gates and quickly gave chase.
After putting some distance between themselves and the town—
The two of them leapt into the forest, traveling swiftly through the treetops. Glancing back during their movement, they could vaguely make out a mass of human figures pouring into the town behind them.
Though too far to discern their faces, their attire clearly wasn't from Kusagakure.
They wore the gear of Iwagakure.
"War..."
Duy couldn't help but exhale deeply, his eyes filled with gravity.
So many Hidden Stone ninja flooding into the Land of Grass... there was no way this was just some mission. It had to be a full-scale invasion. They were likely planning to seize the Land of Grass and establish a front to strike at the Land of Fire!
Even though Duy was slow to pick up on political undercurrents, he wasn't naive about war, he had lived through the Second Great Shinobi War. He knew how brutal it could be.
"We have to return to the village and report this, fast."
"Yeah."
Kaede nodded.
The Third Great Shinobi War... was about to begin.
…
Land of Grass, Shogetsu Town
A massive force of Hidden Stone ninja had entered the town. In just a short time, they had completely seized control.
The scattered Kusagakure ninja in town were utterly helpless in the face of this overwhelming force.
"Y-You... What are you trying to do?!"
urabe Daisuke had already been captured by the Hidden Stone ninja. He looked up at the enemy, his voice trembling.
Standing in front of him was a broad-shouldered Hidden Stone ninja, who simply raised a finger to his lips and whispered:
"Shhh... Just relax. We're only borrowing your town for a little while, using it as a temporary base of operations."
War.
Just hearing that word turned urabe Daisuke's face pale.
Anyone who had experienced the Second Great Ninja War knew exactly what war meant, especially for small countries like the Land of Grass, caught between great nations.
They were just stepping stones.
Helpless battlegrounds trampled by powerful ninja villages.
"Lord Sekkotsu, we've secured the town."
A Chunin appeared beside the large Hidden Stone ninja, kneeling on one knee to deliver the report.
Sekkotsu stood with his hands behind his back, nodding slowly.
"Minimize civilian casualties. We'll need the locals for labor, to prepare resting spaces for the next wave of troops."
"understood."
The Chunin nodded and left to relay the order.
Sekkotsu's eyes casually swept across Urabe Daisuke and the captured town leaders. He waved a hand, signaling for them to be taken into custody.
Just then, another Hidden Stone ninja dropped down beside him.
"Report, Lord Sekkotsu, no sign of Jonin Hikaru's team."
"What?!"
Sekkotsu's brows furrowed.
"They accepted a mission in this region just a few days ago, didn't they? Keep looking. If you find them, tell them to skip the report and come straight to the forward base."
"Yes, sir!"
The ninja disappeared in a flash.
Hearing Sekkotsu's words, Urabe Daisuke's expression shifted slightly. Something had clearly occurred to him, but he hesitated, he didn't speak.
But to someone like Sekkotsu, an elite jonin, even a glance could give things away.
"Hold up."
He stopped the guards just as they were escorting Urabe and the others away.
"You seem like you know something."
"N-No... I don't know anything..."
urabe instinctively denied it.
Shhk!
Blood sprayed into the air.
A kunai pierced cleanly through Urabe's shoulder, leaving a gaping hole. Blood poured down his arm, soaking his clothes.
"Aaaghh!"
"Nothing, huh?"
Sekkotsu twirled the blood-stained kunai between his fingers, his voice calm.
urabe clutched his wound, trembling and pale. Cold sweat ran down his forehead as he collapsed to the ground.
"If... if you're talking about a ten-man unit led by a jonin... they were... they were taken out by Konoha ninja..."
"What?!"
Sekkotsu's face instantly darkened.
He pressed the kunai to urabe's forehead.
"Konoha ninja? Explain. Now!"
A ten-man squad led by a jonin, annihilated by Konoha? That was critical intel, it meant Konoha might also be operating in the Land of Grass!
If they weren't careful, they could be walking into a trap set by Konoha, and that could put the Hidden Stone ninja forces at a huge disadvantage before the war even officially began.
…
"Cough... cough... I-I'll explain... it was like this..."
Blood dripped from urabe's forehead as he trembled, slowly recounting everything: the mission, the escort, the events that had occurred.
As he spoke, a flicker of disbelief crossed Sekkotsu's face.
The surrounding Hidden Stone ninja also exchanged uncertain glances.
It wasn't a Konoha ambush.
Jonin Hikaru's team had been eliminated by just two Konoha ninja, who were only there on an escort mission?!
That's absurd!
Hikaru was nearly at the level of an elite jonin. His ten-man team had included sensor types, medical ninja, a well-balanced and experienced unit. Even if they were ambushed by Konoha's Anbu, they should have at least held their own.
And yet—
Two people took them out, effortlessly.
That meant either two elite jonin from Konoha, or perhaps even one of the legendary Sannin!
But...
Based on Urabe's description, the two Konoha ninja didn't match anyone like that.
Elite jonin from Konoha were few in number, most Hidden Stone ninja could recognize them on sight. But the pair described by Urabe were completely unfamiliar!