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The third location where the ninjas went missing was quite far from the hot spring inn. After laying the victims from the inn to rest, the three knew they had done all they could. The mission was their top priority.
Leaving the inn, the three quickly made their way towards the targeted location, swiftly moving through the forest, creating a breeze as they passed.
The travelers they passed by only felt something above them, but when they looked up, nothing was there.
The three were moving at full speed, not daring to waste a moment. The longer they delayed, the more disadvantageous the situation would become.
"Yashiro, what do you think the Hidden Mist is trying to accomplish here?" Shin asked as they sped forward, their conversation unaffected by their pace.
Shin couldn't quite grasp the Hidden Mist's motives.
"They first emerged from the Hidden Mist and headed straight for the hot spring inn. Judging by their actions, they weren't there to relax," Yashiro replied.
The Land of Hot Water was famous for its hot springs, but if the Mist ninja were merely there to enjoy the hot springs, they wouldn't have killed the Konoha ninjas.
Moreover, after they had the chance to escape, they doubled back to eliminate the witnesses.
The key issue was that, for ninjas, witnesses were of little importance. Their actions seemed unnecessarily brutal.
After a moment of thought, Yashiro spoke, "The Hidden Mist Village is a very oppressive place. I don't know what the Third Mizukage is thinking, but in the Hidden Mist, the weak are considered worthless, and the strong can obtain anything. This creates a significant difference between them and us."
If war was a time of rampant death, then the Hidden Mist was always at war. Even their Genin graduation exams required bloodshed. Ninja ranks were determined purely by strength, making it a paradise for the strong and a hell for the weak.
This information was gleaned from the minds of the Mist ninjas they had killed. Such a village inevitably produced many strong ninjas. Those who survived such a place were never to be underestimated.
"So, is the Hidden Mist just an evil organization?" Shin thought he had uncovered the truth. After all, such behavior was typical of criminals.
"Perhaps," Yashiro replied, shaking his head. He wasn't sure how to evaluate the Hidden Mist Village, but he knew it was far more dangerous than any other ninja village. If they hadn't been holding this outpost, Konoha might have already lost its foothold in the Land of Hot Water.
"The important thing is to hold this position; otherwise, it would be a stain on us," Yashiro added. The outpost in the Land of Hot Water wasn't captured by them, but by the White Fang leading a team. The Hidden Hot Water Village ninja once referred to him as the "White Fang." Yashiro wouldn't mind having a title like that—perhaps something like "Squint Eyes" would do.
The three fell into silence as they continued moving forward, with trees swiftly passing by. They finally reached their destination, a canyon.
The three began their investigation.
"There are signs of ninjutsu here," Yashiro suddenly spoke up.
Both Shin and Fugaku turned to look at him, their Sharingan activated, but they hadn't detected anything this quickly. They were surprised by how fast Yashiro noticed it.
Yashiro raised his hand and felt a slight moisture. "It's likely the Kirigakure no Jutsu."
Creating a dense fog was a common tactic of Mist ninjas. This made Yashiro think of a specific unit from the Hidden Mist— the Hidden Mist Assassination Squad.
The Kirigakure no Jutsu was the fundamental technique of this squad, a team formed with the sole purpose of assassinating enemy leaders and possessing formidable assassination skills.
This made Yashiro uneasy.
"Yashiro, your visual prowess seems stronger than ours," Shin remarked curiously. Despite all of them having three tomoe in their Sharingan, Yashiro seemed to be detecting things more quickly.
"I'm a few years older than you, after all," Yashiro replied with a smile. "Besides, I've been practicing the Basic Inner Technique. This technique enhances my visual abilities, which naturally boosts the power of my Sharingan."
"I didn't know something like that was possible," Fugaku said in surprise. He had underestimated the jutsu created by Jin. While the Rokushiki was indeed impressive, he hadn't expected the Basic Inner Technique to also enhance the Sharingan. This was completely unexpected.
"Actually, I have a copy of it. If you're interested, I'm sure Jin wouldn't mind sharing," Yashiro offered, partly to ease the tension between Fugaku and Jin. Things had become too strained between the two.
Fugaku fell silent. It wasn't just strained—it was almost a matter of life and death. Jin wasn't very fond of him.
"Thank Jin for us," Shin quickly responded on Fugaku's behalf. Regardless of what the young leader thought, it wasn't wise to easily reject something that could enhance their strength.
Fugaku remained silent, which was taken as tacit approval.
The three continued their investigation in the area, but they still hadn't found much useful information.
"The enemy seems to have passed through this canyon. Does anyone know where it leads?" Fugaku asked, looking towards the other side of the canyon. The canyon only had paths leading forward and backward.
"This defense line leads to the sea," Yashiro frowned. "Beyond the sea lies the Land of Lightning."
The three exchanged glances and quickly moved forward. However, as they exited the canyon, Yashiro suddenly shouted, "Something's wrong!"
The three immediately leaped away from their original positions as the ground ahead of them collapsed with a loud crash. Several figures emerged from the sides of the canyon, and the area outside began to fill with mist.
A group of ninjas, each wearing a headband from the Hidden Rain Village, blocked both the front and back exits.
"It's a trap," the three muttered darkly. Yashiro, feeling a deep sense of regret, realized he hadn't detected it earlier.
"Yashiro, this isn't your fault," Fugaku said in a steady voice. Although the war had already begun, the Hidden Mist had not made any significant moves until now.
It was difficult for anyone to predict that they would set a trap at this moment. The enemy's actions were indeed surprising and perfectly suited to the current situation, something Konoha hadn't anticipated.
"Why are there only three of them?" the leader of the ambushers, a man, frowned as he looked at the three Konoha ninjas, clearly dissatisfied.
"We'll have to keep fishing," the woman beside him licked her lips.
"If we keep fishing, Konoha will find out," another one of them, a short, white-haired elder with a cruel smile, said. "These three aren't just ordinary Konoha ninjas—they're Uchiha elites."
Three pairs of crimson eyes glared at the ambushers.
"Fight our way out!" The three simultaneously drew their swords. The Uchiha's kenjutsu was quite renowned.
"Kill them," the leader commanded as the mist gradually enveloped the three.
(End of Chapter)