The Izakaya

Sound Nest Town is located on a major transportation route in the northern part of the mainland. Although it is a small town, it is quite prosperous.

There is an izakaya in town that is famous far and wide for its excellent food and drinks.

Even ninjas—if they weren't on a mission—would come in, have a few drinks, drink heartily, whisper, or talk loudly, making the izakaya exceptionally noisy.

The New Year has just passed.

On this day in the depths of winter, heavy snow was falling over the town.

The foul air made people especially reluctant to stay indoors in comfort; even the hurried ninjas couldn't resist the allure of warmth.

The town's izakayas were packed with customers; the lobby was bustling with noise and a lively atmosphere.

Four middle-aged men who looked like Kumogakure Ninja sat at a table near the door, leisurely sipping hot drinks and discussing the latest developments in the Shinobi World.

"... Hey, did you hear that? Last month, that 'Akatsuki' stole the Tailed Beast from the Land of Water!"

The short ninja huddled in his seat like Monkey and whispered.

"No way?" A plain-looking ninja sitting next to him, with a long, ugly scar on his face, subconsciously lowered his body and whispered, "Didn't Konoha send people to support them too? Even with the combined strength of two villages, they still couldn't stop Akatsuki?"

"I know a high-ranking friend of mine. That time, even the leader of Akatsuki personally went out," the burly man sitting across the table said in a deep voice. "I heard that Konoha also sent their top fighters, and they fought a fierce battle with Akatsuki in the waters Land of Water, even causing a tsunami."

Hearing this, even the lean man who had been silently eating and drinking became interested and looked up to listen with fascination.

The scarred man continued, "Konoha's top fighting force... could they have taken Sannin Jiraiya? Tsk tsk, wouldn't that cause a complete upheaval?"

The burly man chuckled dismissively, "What's Jiraiya? My friend, a ninja sent out by Konoha, is at least ten times stronger than Jiraiya!"

"Ten times?"

The three of them looked at the burly ninja, their eyes filled not only with shock but also with suspicion and disdain.

"It's at least seven or eight times, if not ten times! At least five times, no less!" The burly ninja chuckled dryly, realizing that he had exaggerated and no one would believe him, so he quickly corrected himself.

But after he changed his tune, the others believed him even less and started to jeer and ridicule him.

"Five times is definitely not true, I know you love to brag!" the lean ninja interjected, downing his warm sake in one gulp. He smacked his lips and squinted his eyes, savoring the taste, and said, "But it's true that Konoha has a ninja stronger than Jiraiya."

"Really?" "Who is it?" "Could it be Kakashi?" The three immediately moved closer.

The lean man poured himself another glass of wine, sipping it slowly while glancing smugly at the three people who had approached him.

Having piqued everyone's interest, he finally said, "Hey, haven't you all seen her? That Konoha envoy who recently visited our Kumogakure, the Fifth Hokage's disciple, the really pretty one! Don't be fooled by her appearance and age, she's incredibly strong!"

"Let me think... her name is Sakura Haruno, right?" The scarred ninja frowned and pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized, "She's only sixteen, isn't she? Stronger than the Sannin? Are you kidding me!"

The scarred ninja looked incredulous, but after glancing around, he saw that both the burly man and the ninja sitting like Monkey seemed to be deep in thought, and he couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. "Hey, you guys don't actually believe it too, do you?"

"That was Sakura Haruno just now," the burly man said solemnly. "I swear to the Lord Raikage, everything I said is true, no exaggeration, no fabrication! My friend, Sakura Haruno, has fought against Akatsuki members several times before, and not only did she always escape unscathed, she even personally killed several of them!"

Scarface and Monkey both glanced sideways, their expressions saying, "Are you kidding me?"

Even if this guy likes to exaggerate, if you squeeze out the exaggeration, Sakura Haruno must have fought Akatsuki head-on a few times and been a ruthless person who at least took down one of their members!

"How is that possible? A fifteen-year-old girl... Could she have inherited some powerful Kekkei Genkai?"

"I heard she's a commoner ninja, completely unrelated to those Kekkei Genkai clans."

The two looked at each other in bewilderment.

The lean man chuckled and said, "Many people reacted like you at first, but facts are facts. Let me tell you something I witnessed with my own eyes..."

The Kumogakure Ninja refers to the conflict that occurred when Sakura Haruno presented her credentials to the Raikage (see Chapter 498). Although they didn't actually fight, Sakura Haruno directly Raikage in front of everyone and didn't fall behind, which speaks volumes.

His firsthand experience was naturally more convincing than hearsay.

Enjoying the attentive gazes of everyone, he got excited and dropped another bombshell: Sakura Haruno, along with the remaining members of the Uchiha Clan, were fighting at sea, far from the shore, and the aftershocks of the battle actually triggered two tsunamis within a short time.

This guy truly lives up to his reputation as a ninja who witnessed the Konoha envoys presenting their credentials. His status is considerably higher than the other three, and the gossip he gathers is far more accurate and reliable than that burly man's.

A lone Kumogakure Ninja at the next table, overhearing the lively discussion, glanced over curiously and met the gaze of the wiry, eloquent man. The man, startled, abruptly stopped talking, his face slightly flushed (perhaps from the alcohol), and raised his hand in greeting, saying, "Ah... Greetings, Lord Uroko!"

Ukon Uroko has dark skin, a stern face, and carries a long sword on his back; he is a typical Kumogakure Ninja. As Elite Jonin, he is worthy of the title "Sir".

"It's Anjō..." Ukon Uroko frowned slightly. "Have you completed your mission?"

"It's done!" Anjō replied cautiously. "We're on our way back, but we stopped here to rest because the mountains were blocked by heavy snow."

The Kumogakure Ninja Jonin, still frowning, reprimanded, "Go back as soon as the mission is complete. Don't linger outside the village."

"... Yes!" the four replied, shrinking back.

Uroko them, Urokodaki quickly emptied the food from his plate, then got up and left.

When he reached Anjō's side, he paused, patted the lean man on the shoulder, and whispered, "I have something to tell you four, but don't tell anyone from other villages."

The four men's expressions hardened.

As Uroko spoke, he seemed to have used some kind of Secret Technique or Genjutsu, his voice was just low enough that only they could hear it clearly, completely different from the sneaky whispers of the four of them before.

"According to reliable intelligence, Konoha Jonin Kakashi Hatake has led a team that has been spotted in this area, seemingly on some mission. Besides the Copy Ninja, the other ninjas Konoha has dispatched are all highly skilled; do not be careless!"

He slowly extended his left arm, revealing a wound wrapped in layers of bandages.

"This is the wound I sustained when I tried to test the weakest, most Byakugan girl when she was alone..."

(Two chapters released in quick succession, one more to come)