Byakuya, a picture of cold efficiency, plucked the crimson-stained kunai from the rogue leader's chest. His gaze, devoid of warmth, locked onto the remaining ninjas, particularly lingering on the nervous archer who instinctively recoiled. The tension crackled in the air, thick enough to choke on.
Unable to bear Byakuya's chilling stare any longer, the archer, his bravado replaced by raw fear, drew his bow and unleashed an arrow. It flew with deadly speed, almost invisible to the naked eye, but Byakuya was ready. A surge of chakra erupted from him, conjuring a wall of water that rose with surprising speed to meet the projectile, deflecting it harmlessly.
The rogue ninjas, momentarily stunned by the display of power, found themselves facing a tidal wave of destruction.
Byakuya, with a flick of his wrist, channeled a massive wave, the size of a house, that crashed down upon them with terrifying force.
The shockwave sent them reeling, scattering their formation and making it difficult to maintain their footing.
Byakuya, capitalizing on their disarray, launched a relentless barrage of shuriken, each finding its mark with deadly precision. One by one, the rogue ninjas fell, their anguished cries swallowed by the symphony of death.
Panic seized the remaining rogues. The once-confident warriors now resembled cornered rats, their eyes wide with terror as they witnessed their comrades dispatched with ruthless efficiency. Byakuya, a blur of white in the night, hunted them down with unnerving calmness. He moved with a predator's grace, eliminating any who dared to resist.
However, just as the last rogue ninja seemed on the verge of receiving his final judgment, Byakuya called off the attack. To the others' confusion, he allowed the remaining ones to escape, their ragged figures disappearing into the darkness.
Konan, her cheeks flushed with adrenaline but her voice laced with curiosity, approached Byakuya. "Why did you let them go? Didn't you say you eliminate all threats?"
Byakuya nodded subtly before elaborating, "I deliberately let them go. They're not typical rogue ninjas; there's likely a mastermind orchestrating their actions."
Rogue ninjas in the shinobi world typically comprise missing-nin or ex-shinobi from minor villages that have been displaced.
Additionally, there exists a distinct class of rogue ninjas—ordinary individuals who have learned to harness chakra. These rogue ninjas possess the ability to enhance their bodies and weapons with chakra but lack proficiency in other areas.
Most of the rogue ninjas they had encountered fell into this category, lacking even the basic skills like the Three Basic Techniques, tree climbing, or water walking. Their capabilities were inferior to those of academy graduates, limited to preying on ordinary civilians.
However, the discrepancy in strength between these rogue ninjas and their leader was perplexing. The leader exhibited skills akin to a Chunin-level shinobi, displaying decisive judgment in confronting formidable adversaries—qualities uncharacteristic of a typical rogue ninja. The leader seemed more akin to a shinobi trained by a major village.
"Byakuya, aren't you being too paranoid?" Konan countered, her voice laced with doubt.
After all, Byakuya's instincts had proven unfailing ever since she had known him. Even Yahiko, despite their ideological clashes, held unwavering trust in his judgment.
After a moment's pause, Konan inquired, "What is our next course of action?"
"We shall attend to the bodies of these rogue ninjas and then track those who fled. We must ascertain their mastermind... and acquaint you with the realities of the shinobi world."
The latter part of his statement, Byakuya kept to himself.
Konan nodded in understanding, proceeding to follow Byakuya's directives to dispose of the rogue ninjas' bodies, primarily by obliterating their brains to prevent any potential extraction of information about them.
Byakuya's meticulous and professional handling of the situation only deepened Konan's confusion. This boy, barely out of his teens, seemed to possess an uncanny amount of experience. Was there truly such a thing as a prodigy ninja, born with the instincts and knowledge honed by years of combat?
Konan felt the weight of Byakuya's gaze on her and stifled a surprised gasp. A silent chuckle rumbled through Byakuya's chest. He took point, his senses attuned to the rogue ninjas' chakra signatures as he leaped effortlessly from branch to branch. He, too, was consumed by a burning curiosity about the faction pulling the strings of these rogue ninjas operating so close to the border.
Despite her reservations, Konan pushed herself to keep pace with Byakuya's swift movements. They followed the rogue ninjas until the first rays of dawn began to paint the horizon with streaks of orange and gold. Finally, they stopped upon a large, sturdy tree that offered a good vantage point. Using binoculars, they meticulously scrutinized the situation unfolding at the rogue ninjas' base.
A grim realization dawned on Konan as she watched the rogue ninjas enter the base. Shortly after, a dozen shinobi emerged, their headbands emblazoned with the symbol of the Grass Village. A tremor ran through her body, a mixture of shock and disbelief. Here was concrete evidence - rogue ninjas operating within the Land of Rain, secretly backed by the Grass Village.
"The rogue ninjas are being supported by the Grass Village!" Konan exclaimed, her body trembling slightly with shock. She was taken aback by the revelation that some of the rogue ninjas operating within the Land of Rain were covertly backed by the Grass Village.
"It's not as straightforward as it seems... What you perceive with your eyes may not always reflect the truth," Byakuya remarked, his expression serious as he crouched on the tree trunk, meticulously reflecting on the unfolding events.
Just because the shinobi wore Grass Village headbands didn't automatically make them loyal to the village itself. Byakuya's reasoning was simple: the Grass Village, currently embroiled in a bloody conflict between two major powers, wouldn't have the resources to blatantly provoke the Land of Rain, especially with the notoriously ruthless Hanzō the Salamander holding the reins.
Openly antagonizing the Rain would only serve to drag them into the war, further escalating the already volatile situation.
The potential fallout would be disastrous, with the Grass Village's territory becoming a chaotic four-way battleground.
Furthermore, the rogue ninja leader's fighting style gave him away. His earth jutsu techniques were far more characteristic of the Stone Village, known for their mastery over Earth Release.
The Stone Village had a far greater motive to muddy the waters of this battlefield compared to the Grass Village. Their geographical proximity and long-standing rivalry with the Land of Rain made them the more likely culprit.
Of course, the Hidden Leaf Village couldn't be entirely discounted. Danzo, the enigmatic leader of the Root, was a man who operated in the shadows and shouldn't be underestimated.
Byakuya concluded that they had gleaned enough intel for now. Pressing further held unnecessary risk. They lacked a compelling reason, nor the manpower, to completely unravel the identities of these rogue ninjas.
With Hanzō the Salamander keeping a watchful eye, no major shinobi village dared to outright provoke the Land of Rain. Even conquering this war-torn nation wouldn't be much of a prize. The cost of subjugating and holding such a territory would be crippling, a truth that held water even for the Leaf Village at its zenith.
Beyond the potential for plunder, Byakuya's primary objective in bringing Konan here was to expose her to the brutal realities of the ninja world.
The harsh environment of the Land of Rain had fostered a generation of naive shinobi. Sheltered under Hanzō's leadership, many had grown complacent, mistakenly believing their lack of conflict stemmed from their inherent strength rather than their strategic insignificance.
"We've gathered what we need," Byakuya said to Konan, gesturing for her to follow.
He was about to propel himself down from the tree and retreat from the brewing conflict when Konan, still glued to the binoculars, hissed, "Byakuya, the enemy base is under attack! And there are a lot of ninjas heading our way!"
Byakuya's brow furrowed. He tapped into his Uzumaki clan's sensory prowess to gauge the approaching ninjas. Their swift movements indicated they were at least Chūnin-level.
In a swift motion, Byakuya retrieved a vial of specialized oil from his pack.
Beneath Konan's quizzical stare, he elucidated, "Morning dew can easily saturate ordinary paper, but oiled paper offers greater resistance to moisture. Prepare for combat as we withdraw; our pursuers are seasoned shinobi!"
Konan accepted the oil without question, her mind already shifting into battle mode.
However, a nagging curiosity lingered.
How did Byakuya know Paper Release techniques were vulnerable to water? She herself had only uncovered this weakness the night before. Was it possible they had reached this conclusion simultaneously?
The gravity of their situation, however, took precedence.
With practiced efficiency, they coated their paper weapons in the oil, readying themselves for the inevitable confrontation. The approaching elite enemy ninjas signaled a fight for survival, a test that demanded their utmost focus and skill.