Meanwhile.
Under the veil of night.
Not far from the small town, a strange insect suddenly emerged from the ground.
It was two meters long, with three pairs of sharp feet, and its entire body was covered in scales. Its pair of earthy yellow eyes were remarkably intelligent.
It looked around, then opened its mouth and spat out a human figure.
The newcomer also looked around cautiously after appearing. After confirming it was safe, he touched the insect's head and said, "Good job, Chica!"
The insect rubbed against his palm, then lay on the ground, quietly waiting for Shoji Kohara's command.
That's right, this person was none other than Shoji Kohara.
And this strange insect named Chica was his summoning animal. It not only had the ability to conceal its aura but also had an extra-dimensional space within its body.
Shoji Kohara was hiding in this extra-dimensional space, and with Chica's ability to conceal their aura, he was able to follow behind Seimei without being detected.
That's right, ever since the battle the day before yesterday, he had been following Seimei, monitoring his every move from underground.
The occasional gaze that Seimei sensed was from him.
As for why Iwa hadn't surrounded them yet, the answer was simple: Shoji Kohara hadn't given the relevant information to the other Iwa ninja.
It wasn't that Shoji Kohara planned to take on Seimei alone, but he believed that the current Iwa ninja weren't enough to stop Seimei and the others.
So, giving them the information would only increase his risk of exposure and had no other benefit.
However, things were different now.
Not long ago, he received news that an elite team sent by the village had arrived at the battlefield.
As far as he knew, this team wasn't large, but the weakest members were special jonin with unique skills. The leader was an elite jonin known as the "Steam Ninja" - Han.
Moreover, he wasn't just an ordinary ninja. Within his body was sealed the fearsome tailed beast - the Five-Tails!
Therefore, after receiving this news, he passed on the information he had to them.
Calculating the time, they should arrive tomorrow morning.
With that thought, Shoji Kohara looked towards the town in the distance, as if seeing Seimei through many obstacles, and murmured, "Soon, very soon..."
After saying that, he gently patted the insect's head and said, "Chica, let's go!"
Hearing this, the strange insect named Chica shook its body, then raised its head and inhaled, swallowing Shoji Kohara into its abdomen.
Then, it poked its two front sharp feet into the ground, and the earth seemed to soften, swallowing it whole.
A moment later, the earth returned to normal, leaving no trace behind.
...
Time flew by, and it was early the next morning.
As soon as the sky turned light, all the Konoha ninja in the town woke up.
They quickly freshened up, then ate a few soldier pills to replenish their nutrients and energy.
After that, they set off towards their predetermined destination, led by the jonin.
Seimei walked at the front of the group, protecting Hyuga Hayato. His Sharingan was fully activated, his gaze fixed on the surroundings, his expression incredibly serious.
Hyuga Hayato looked at him several times, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Seimei, what's wrong with you today? You're so cautious!"
Hearing this, Seimei glanced at him and saw a long-lost sense of ease on his face.
Not just him, but all the surviving ninja in the group were more relaxed than they had been in the past two days.
Clearly, the completion of the mission and the upcoming reunion with their allies had unconsciously made them a little lax.
"This won't do!"
Seimei suddenly stopped.
Seeing this, Hyuga Hayato thought he had discovered something and quickly looked around vigilantly, asking in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
"Oh!"
Seimei was brought back to reality by the question and replied somewhat perfunctorily, "Nothing."
Before Hyuga Hayato could continue asking, he said again, "You be careful yourself. I have something to discuss with Nara-san, I'll be back in a bit."
Hyuga Hayato was confused but nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. Go ahead!"
After all, he was a special jonin and didn't need to be protected all the time.
The only reason Seimei was walking with him was as a precaution by Nara Shikaku.
The other Hyuga ninja also had members of the combat team by their side.
Hearing his response, Seimei simply replied and was about to turn around and leave, but after thinking for a moment, he still reminded him, "Linghuo, be careful. I have a feeling today won't be so smooth."
After saying that, regardless of Hyuga Hayato's reaction, he used the Body Flicker Technique and disappeared.
Hyuga Hayato was slightly taken aback and frowned, "Not so smooth, what does that mean? Are there still enemies? That doesn't make sense!"
As Hyuga Hayato was thinking, he suddenly remembered Seimei's unusual behavior today and wondered if he had really discovered something.
With that thought, he looked at the surrounding forest, a sense of fear inexplicably rising in his heart.
'Byakugan!'
As soon as the thought arose, Hyuga Hayato activated his Byakugan. Blue veins appeared on both sides of his eyes, looking quite terrifying.
But Hyuga Hayato was used to it. He used the Byakugan's透视 ability to quickly scan the surroundings.
However, apart from the departing Seimei, a few other scouting clansmen, and their teammates, there was no one else within a kilometer radius.
After confirming this, Hyuga Hayato secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
But...
Thinking of Seimei's cautiousness, he ultimately put away his relaxed attitude and once again seriously took on the task of scouting.
...
Meanwhile.
About twenty to thirty kilometers away from Seimei and the others, a seven-person Iwa team was rapidly advancing.
Suddenly, a loud eagle's cry rang out.
All seven of them stopped and looked up at the sky.
They saw an eagle flying from the horizon, circling overhead twice before suddenly descending and landing steadily on the outstretched arm of one of them.
This person first stroked the eagle's back feathers and then took out a rolled-up note from the message tube attached to its leg.
Opening the note, this person looked at the numbers on it and quickly compared them to the codebook in his mind, translating them into words.
"What does it say?"
Another Iwa ninja asked after he finished reading.
Hearing this, the Iwa ninja rubbed his fingers together, and a small flame appeared, burning the note to ashes.
After the ashes scattered, he slowly said, "Kohara-san just sent us intel. The Konoha ninja have left the town.
Based on their route, headquarters believes they're planning to rendezvous with the Konoha unit that broke through the Tiger Mountain camp yesterday."
"So, should we intercept them on the way or go straight to the Tiger Mountain camp and wait for them to walk into our trap?"
One of the Iwa ninja asked immediately after hearing this.
(End of Chapter)