As Minato activated the Flying Thunder God, Renjiro braced himself. There was a moment of disorientation as the world around him seemed to blur and twist. Colours and shapes melded into a dizzying swirl, accompanied by a faint, high-pitched whine in his ears.
He felt a sensation akin to being pulled through a narrow tube at incredible speed, his body tingling with the rush of chakra. Then, just as quickly as it began, it was over. The world snapped back into focus with a soft whoosh, and Renjiro found himself standing in a completely different environment.
They had arrived in what appeared to be a canyon, the towering rock walls stretching high above them and creating a narrow passageway. The ground was rough and uneven, with scattered boulders and sparse vegetation clinging to the rocky surfaces.
The canyon's natural acoustics amplified every sound, making the rustling of leaves and the distant calls of birds seem closer than they were.
'This way more uncomfortable than when I used the summoning seals. But it is convenient, so I guess that helps.' Renjiro thought as he took a moment to gather himself.
Minato gave them a moment to orient themselves before speaking. "You two know what to do. Be cautious and quick. I'll return for you once you've placed the kunais."
Yano nodded, his expression serious. "Understood."
Renjiro echoed, "Got it."
Before Minato left, he handed both Yano and Renjiro another kunai. Renjiro's brow furrowed in confusion as he accepted it. 'Didn't he already give us one of his kunais? Or wasn't that enough?' he thought.
Minato noticed Renjiro's puzzled expression and quickly explained, "This is for any emergencies. Whenever a seal is placed and activated, I can feel and sense them. So I will be expecting to sense the two seals that you will place in the capital city. Once I sense a third or fourth one, then I'll know something is wrong."
With that, Minato vanished, leaving Yano and Renjiro to begin their part of the mission.
Renjiro turned to Yano and asked, "What's next?"
While Renjiro knew the overall objective, he understood that Yano, being a senior shinobi, would dictate the specific tactics and strategies to achieve their goals.
It was common practice for lower-ranking shinobi to defer to their more experienced counterparts, as their insights and decisions could mean the difference between success and failure, life and death.
Taking a moment to think of their next move, Yano said, "We'll head straight to the capital. But travelling alone will be risky, so we need to look for any caravans heading there and join them."
Renjiro thought, 'While going there might be the plan, I think attacking the marked spots across the country that we would pass on our way would make things easier.'
As if Yano had read Renjiro's mind, he added, "If we want our plan to be effective, then we have to apply pressure to Iwa. We need the Earth Daimyo to pressure him to do what we want, so what better way than to assassinate some nobles in the capital?"
Renjiro nodded and thought, 'Fair enough.'
With that, Yano and Renjiro made their move, the Jounin taking the lead. They navigated through the rugged terrain with practised ease. While the rocky surroundings posed some challenges, Renjiro found them manageable.
'I've never been to Suna or the Land of Wind as a whole, but I am sure navigating those deserts would not be as easy as it is here in the Land of Earth.'
As they neared the capital city, their surroundings gradually became more populated. The rocky wilderness gave way to sparse settlements and travellers on the road.
It wasn't long before they spotted a caravan heading towards the capital. Yano whispered, "We will have to join the caravan. Let's pick two people whose identities we can assume."
Renjiro nodded, following Yano's lead. They kept a low profile, observing the caravan from a distance. As night fell, the caravan set up camp. This was their chance.
Moving silently through the darkness, they identified two merchants who seemed to be isolated from the rest of the group. They approached stealthily, knocking the merchants out with precision.
They quickly stripped the merchants of their belongings, exchanging their own clothing for the merchants' attire. Renjiro performed the transformation jutsu, morphing into the likeness of one of the merchants. Yano did the same. It was a perfect disguise, one that would allow them to blend seamlessly with the caravan.
However, when Renjiro moved to hide the unconscious body of the merchant he had replaced, Yano's voice stopped him. "Kill him and get rid of the body," Yano instructed.
Renjiro paused, 'Isn't that a bit much?' he thought.
The idea of killing the merchants felt excessive. He wasn't opposed to killing, but this felt unnecessarily brutal.
Reluctantly, he carried out the order. He dispatched the merchant quickly, making sure the body was well hidden.
With their disguises complete, they waited for dawn. The next day, the caravan resumed its journey towards the capital. Travelling with the caravan slowed their progress, but it provided the safest means of entering the heavily guarded city.
The journey was uneventful, which was exactly what they hoped for. Renjiro maintained his role as a merchant, interacting minimally and keeping his head down. The bustling caravan provided ample cover for their infiltration.
Finally, they reached the capital city. The towering walls and bustling gates loomed ahead. The guards at the gate waved the caravan through without issue, and soon they were inside the city. The plan had worked flawlessly so far.
But just as Yano and Renjiro were about to break away from the caravan and proceed with their mission, they were stopped by a group of shinobi.
"Make way," one of the shinobi commanded.
Although Yano and Renjiro were confused, they obliged without hesitation, knowing that as mere merchants, it was best not to attract any attention.
Renjiro was still impressed by Yano's ability to mask his chakra so effectively. While he wasn't actively scanning for chakra signatures, Renjiro noted that Yano seemed to be an expert at erasing any trace of his presence. Renjiro himself was making sure to keep his own chakra suppressed.
As they moved aside, a delegation walked past, escorted by a squad of shinobi. What caught Renjiro's eye immediately was the distinct maroon jumpsuits and green flak jackets of Iwagakure shinobi.
'A delegation from Iwagakure? This messes things up,' he thought.
The presence of more shinobi within the capital significantly complicated their mission. Moving around undetected would become much harder with the heightened security and the potential for more skilled sensors among the Iwa shinobi. Renjiro knew that any misstep could now lead to immediate detection and capture.
Turning to Yano, Renjiro could see that his companion shared his concerns. Yano's usually composed face was marred by a scowl that he was trying his best to conceal. Clearly, the unexpected arrival of the Iwa delegation was an unwelcome development.
'A delegation from Iwa is here, that must mean someone important is here. Who could it be?' Yano wondered.