Dawn had just broken.
At the gates of the Hidden Mist Village, Kitahara Kaede gripped the A-rank escort mission slip issued by Ao, the red official seal already stamped in the exit column.
Two Chunin from the patrol squad glanced at him but didn't stop him.
After leaving the village gates, he walked along the main road for about twenty minutes.
No one was following him.
Once he confird the coast was clear, he vanished into the dense forest to his right.
The sound of footsteps ceased.
Silence fell over the woods for a few seconds.
He wove a series of hand signs.
The white smoke of the Transformation Jutsu dissipated.
His stature shrank by half an inch, his shoulders narrowed, and his entire silhouette shifted.
He pulled a spare outer garnt from his breast, slipping it on and pulling the brim of the hood low to obscure the upper half of his face.
Without the Byakugan, an ordinary sensory ninja could, at most, detect the presence of chakra; they couldn't read any useful details.
He took off, sprinting toward the northwest.
...
Minutes later, Kitahara Kaede arrived.
The contact point for the peace talks was situated on a main road leading to Kirigakure.
Dense forests lined both sides of the road. Three hundred ters ahead lay the village checkpoint, while the retreat path behind him narrowed into a dirt trail flanked by shrubs and rocky slopes.
He crouched in the canopy of a high tree on the left, surveying the entire terrain.
Pakura would enter from the end of the main road.
The middle section of the road was the most open area.
The escort would stand there, and both parties would verify their identities.
In that mont, she would lower her guard.
That was the mont.
Kitahara Kaede scanned the surrounding treelines, his gaze pausing on a gap in the canopy to the rear right.
The line of sight covered the middle of the road perfectly, and the firing lane was clear.
If he were a Kirigakure commander, that is where he would place a long-range ambush.
He dropped silently from the canopy and began setting up.
First, at the base of a low shrub on the escape route, he placed two smoke bombs connected by a hair-thin tripwire.
Anyone passing through would catch it with their ankle.
Second, he stretched two steel wires between tree trunks at an awkward angle. Any kunai thrown for a long-range finishing blow would have its trajectory deflected if it passed through this zone.
Third, he loosened a patch of soil at the edge of the road, flipping the surface layer with the toe of his boot. Stepping on it would kick up a fine cloud of dust—harmless, but enough to obscure vision.
Finally, he crouched under the roots of an old tree and tucked a tid Explosive Tag into a crevice.
Kitahara Kaede retreated to the high ground on the left, settling into the shadows of the canopy.
He reviewed his retreat route one last ti.
After rescuing the target, he would lead Pakura southeast.
First, he would move through the dense forest to shake off any trackers, then have Pakura turn in one direction while he doubled back toward the port.
Given his speed, even with this detour, he would still make it to the rendezvous point with Ao on ti.
Leaning against the tree trunk, he closed his eyes.
...
At the gates of the Hidden Mist Village, Terumi i had changed her attire.
She wore a deep purple, high-collared, sleeveless bodysuit that hugged her fra, layered under a long black ninja coat. Her lower half consisted of dark blue shorts with tightened knee pads and high boots buckled at the calves.
Her long hair was styled into a high topknot, with the remaining locks tied into a ponytail, exposing her jawline and neck.
She arrived ten minutes early.
She stood inside the village gates, waiting.
Footsteps approached from behind.
She turned.
A bald head, a ninja hat, and a brown robe.
Midori.
Behind him followed another Jonin—a burly man with two short blades tucked into his waist.
Midori didn't bother with pleasantries. He gave Terumi i a brief glance and nodded.
"Move out. We'll discuss the division of labor on the way."
The three left the village, advancing quickly along the main road.
Terumi i followed half a step behind Midori, while the burly Jonin brought up the rear.
After about ten minutes, Midori spoke.
"The mission details are different from what you were previously told."
Terumi i tilted her head to look at him.
"This isn't a welcoming party for peace talks."
"The target is nad Pakura, a Jonin from Sunagakure with the Scorch Release bloodline limit."
"This ti, Sunagakure is proactively handing her over as a bargaining chip to ease tensions between our two nations."
"Our mission is to execute her at the contact point."
Terumi i's pace faltered for a heartbeat.
"...Sunagakure is handing her over themselves?"
Midori heard the question in her voice.
"The dealings at the peace table are never clean," he said, his tone flat. "She has earned rits, but Sunagakure believes her life is cheaper than the agreent."
Terumi i didn't speak again.
One thought cycled through her mind.
Soone who had bled for their village was being delivered by their own people into the hands of the enemy.
It wasn't just Kirigakure.
The way of the hidden villages was the sa everywhere.
She tucked her fingers into her sleeves and clenched them tight.
Ayan, the burly Jonin, glanced at her from behind but remained silent.
Midori continued with the assignnts.
"I'll handle the frontal reception. I'll use the identity verification as an excuse to get close and find an opening to strike."
"You and Ayan pick a high vantage point and stand by for long-range support."
"If my sneak attack succeeds, you provide the finishing blow. If it fails, imdiately use ninjutsu to suppress her."
He paused.
"She uses Scorch Release, so watch out for fireballs. Do not try to tank them at close range; pull back before attacking."
Terumi i nodded.
"Understood."
Her voice was steady, but her fingers remained clenched.
...
The three arrived at the contact point.
Mist drifted between the canopies; visibility wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great either.
Midori stood in the middle of the road and scanned the area, his gaze shifting slowly between the flanking forests.
He found nothing unusual.
He turned to Terumi i.
"You choose the long-range position."
Terumi i didn't answer imdiately.
This was the 'experience' Genji had spoken of.
She looked up, scanning the treelines on both sides.
The canopies on the left were low, obstructing the view.
However, there was a high point to the rear right where a natural gap between the branches provided a full view of the middle section of the road.
"The high point on the right," she pointed.
Midori glanced at it and nodded.
"Right there."
Terumi i and Ayan climbed to the vantage point, crouching behind the foliage.
The view was indeed perfect.
The middle of the road was laid bare, and Midori's position below was crystal clear.
It hadn't taken her long to pick the spot.
It was all thanks to the post-mission reviews Genji conducted after every assignnt.
Ayan spoke in a low voice.
"Don't pity the enemy."
Terumi i didn't turn around.
"She's killed many people from our village," Ayan added.
"I know."
...
From the opposing canopy, Kitahara Kaede had been watching since the mont the three arrived.
They were too far away to hear their conversation.
He only saw Terumi i scan the area and then climb to the high point on the right with the burly Jonin.
It was the exact position he had predicted.
He was in one canopy; she was in the opposite one.
His gaze shifted from Terumi i back to the center of the road.
Midori was in position.
His arms hung naturally at his sides, but there was a slight bulge inside the inner lining of his right sleeve.
A short blade.
His stance was entirely non-aggressive; he even wore a faint smile, looking like a genuine guide arriving to et a guest.
Kitahara Kaede's fingers silently rested on the kunai at his waist.
Terumi i was here; he couldn't let her recognize him.
He would avoid confronting her if possible, and even if they did clash, he wouldn't use his signature moves.
In the distance, through the morning mist at the end of the road, a figure appeared.
User Comments
0 comments from readers