Many days had passed since the incident, and Tsunade's unease only grew stronger.
By now, Hayate should have returned.
But there was still no news.
Something was definitely wrong.
Tsunade frowned as she skimmed through the mission reports in her hand. Several squads sent on missions had also gone silent.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Shizune!"
"Yes!"
Shizune immediately stood up.
"Call the ANBU commander. Now."
"Understood!"
A short while later, Tsunade was questioning the ANBU about the border defenses of the Land of Fire.
Even the ANBU were starting to feel uneasy.
"Hokage-sama, the border guards have not reported any anomalies."
"However, we've noticed an increase in rogue ninjas entering the Land of Fire recently."
Tsunade tapped her fingers on the desk, deep in thought.
Normally, small-time rogue ninjas or wandering mercenaries weren't considered a major threat.
Unless they were powerful individuals, the border guards wouldn't bother engaging them.
And even if an enemy force was gathering, the scattered nature of Konoha's border watch made it difficult to track.
Most of the stationed forces were either spread thin or hiding among civilians in small villages, ready to raise an alarm at the first sign of a large-scale invasion.
They weren't meant to resist an enemy force—just to detect it.
But now?
Something didn't add up.
At this moment, any unusual activity had to be taken seriously.
Tsunade's expression darkened as she thought from the enemy's perspective.
If someone was planning to invade Konoha, what would be their first move?
They would send in vanguard troops—scouts to familiarize themselves with the terrain and gather intelligence.
Then…
Her eyes widened.
"Those 'wandering ninjas'—they're Iwa's vanguard forces!"
The ANBU commander stiffened.
"Iwa's vanguard troops?!"
Tsunade nodded.
"Call Shikaku. Gather the heads of all major clans immediately."
She let out a heavy sigh.
"We're holding a pre-war council."
---
A Small Village on the Border of the Land of Fire
At a small roadside eatery, Sakiya and her group were seated around a table, finishing lunch.
There were six of them—Sakiya, her two teammates, and Chihiro.
Also with them were two other men: Deben Gongmin and Ochiai Suke.
Deben Gongmin, a round-bellied man with a cheerful expression, laughed heartily.
"Hahaha! I really must thank you, Miss Chihiro."
Chihiro's expression remained cold.
"If you want to thank me, stop assigning me your errands."
Deben Gongmin nodded quickly.
"Yes, yes, Miss Chihiro. I swear, this will be the last time I trouble you!"
Only then did Chihiro's expression soften slightly.
"Where is your merchant friend?"
Deben Gongmin smiled.
"He's in another village nearby."
Chihiro nodded.
"Then let's finish eating and move quickly."
Just then, a loud gasp swept through the eatery.
"Whoa!"
Chihiro turned her head and sighed.
Of course.
It was Sakiya.
Performing some kind of ridiculous "fancy eating" routine, drawing attention from the entire shop.
For example, a ball was thrown into the air, passed through a glowing circle, and disappeared. The next moment, another glowing circle appeared right next to Sakiya's mouth, and the ball flew straight in.
The entire shop gasped in amazement.
Next, Sakiya used her mind control again.
A ball floated up, encased in a glowing aura, slowly levitating before falling directly into her mouth.
Her cheeks puffed out, her eyes squinted in delight, and she gently pressed her hands against her face.
"Mmm~ delicious!"
Another wave of gasps came from the audience.
Someone started clapping.
Before long, the entire shop was applauding.
The rest of the group, who had been quietly eating, looked on with mixed expressions.
Using such powerful techniques… just to put on a performance?
Chihiro's expression twitched slightly. She thought about stopping Sakiya from drawing so much attention.
But after a moment, she sighed and smiled to herself.
Well… never mind. She's adorable, after all.
---
After that little scene, Chihiro and her team continued their journey toward their target location.
They crossed a dense forest, waded through a river, and walked several more miles before finally reaching the village Deben Gongmin had mentioned.
The moment they entered, Chihiro felt… uneasy.
Something was off.
She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but the village felt strange.
There were very few people outside.
Only two or three residents could be seen—some selling snacks, others with stalls displaying old books of unknown origin.
But something about them felt wrong.
A chill ran down Chihiro's spine.
She frowned.
"Hey! Deben Gongmin, hurry up. Something about this place feels off!"
Deben Gongmin flinched, his expression uneasy.
"R-right! He should be in the front courtyard."
Without another word, he grabbed Ochiai Suke and rushed ahead.
Chihiro followed closely behind.
Sakuragi, walking behind her, also sensed something was off. The villagers—especially the ones selling goods—were behaving strangely, almost as if they were acting.
He exchanged glances with Tsuchiya Yueshang, and both of them silently confirmed the same thing.
Something was definitely wrong.
By now, they had reached the most luxurious courtyard in the village.
The moment they got close, Chihiro caught a whiff of something metallic.
Blood.
Her eyes widened in alarm.
Sakuragi and Tsuchiya stiffened, their nerves tightening as the same scent hit them.
Chihiro's voice rang out sharply.
"Something's wrong! Deben Gongmin, get back here!"
But instead of heeding the warning, Deben Gongmin turned toward them with a familiar, kind smile.
Except this time, it felt different.
It wasn't warm or reassuring.
It was cold.
And as he smiled, he slowly pushed open the courtyard gate.
A figure stepped out.
A ninja—wearing the forehead protector of Iwa.
Deben Gongmin and Ochiai Suke retreated behind him.
"Miss Chihiro," Deben said smoothly. "I told you, didn't I? I wouldn't trouble you again."
Chihiro's fists clenched in anger.
At that moment, the villagers dropped their disguises.
One by one, they pulled off their cloaks, revealing their true identities—ninjas from Iwa, each wearing a stone-engraved forehead protector.
At least twenty of them.
Chihiro felt her palms grow cold.
She had walked straight into a trap—bringing Sakiya along with her.
Tsuchiya and Sakuragi exchanged tense glances, despair creeping into their expressions.
---
And just when things seemed the most hopeless, a small figure in a red robe stepped forward.
A very small figure.
"You bunch of idiots!"
Chihiro, Sakuragi, and Tsuchiya blinked in confusion.
Standing defiantly before them was Sakiya, fearlessly facing the enemy.
She raised her hand, forming a scissor gesture over her right eye.
"You fools aren't even worthy of being fertilizer for my ultimate technique!"
The Iwa ninja facing her twitched.
What the hell was this girl?
And why was she so damn fearless?
_____
Support me on patreon
patreon.com/Silver757