Blue B

Inside the Kumo Ninja gathering place, Yemo hid trembling in the bushes, not daring to move a muscle. He even kept his breathing as quiet as possible, trying not to make the slightest sound. After all, there were nine Jonin on the other side.

Yemo felt that these Kumo Ninja were very likely the reason Kumogakure had launched its invasion. In other words, Kumogakure had launched raids at the border to focus Konoha's leadership on the border war and draw large numbers of ninja there as reinforcements.

Meanwhile, it had secretly dispatched an elite ninja squad across the border to lie low near Konoha's border and achieve some ulterior purpose.

Of course, this was all just Yemo's speculation. He had no evidence whatsoever to confirm it, but he was more than seventy percent confident that his guess was right.

Yemo was also very curious about what Kumogakure was plotting that required a team of nine Jonin. Normally, a ninja squad had three members, but once a ninja became a Jonin, they could usually carry out missions alone or lead a team.

Of course, three Jonin could form a squad under special circumstances, but a mission of that level was guaranteed to be S-rank. Kumogakure had sent a squad of nine Jonin, which showed how determined its leadership was.

But none of that was Yemo's business. He was not even a Genin, and matters involving the leadership of two villages were beyond his reach.

Suddenly, the two Kumo Jonin on night watch began talking quietly. Yemo immediately pricked up his ears and listened closely.

One of the two Jonin was the Kumo Jonin who had nearly killed Yemo during the day. The other ninja was the one who spoke.

"Kuruda, when do you think we'll finally get to make our move? We've been hiding here for a long time."

Yemo could hear the complaint in the ninja's voice. His words also told Yemo that these Kumo Ninja had been here for quite some time, but for some reason, they had not made a move.

There was something else that made Yemo very sad: the ninja who had attacked him during the day was named Kuruda. Yemo committed the name to memory.

The ninja named Kuruda said calmly, "Stop complaining. If Big Brother Blue B hears you, he'll give you another scolding."

Clearly, the Blue B Kuruda spoke of was no ordinary person. When the complaining ninja heard his name, his eyes instinctively showed a trace of heartfelt respect.

After a pause, Kuruda poked at the fire and continued, "But we've been lying low long enough. Boss Blue B should have informed Lord Hokage about what happened today. I expect we'll be making our move soon."

Blue B. Yemo silently committed the name to memory. It seemed Blue B was probably the leader of this group, but he did not know who he was-one of the four sleeping men, or one of the three hidden in the shadows.

"Speaking of what happened today, Kuruda," the ninja said curiously, "I heard the one you ran into was a little brat."

Kuruda nodded. "I thought he was a Konoha Ninja at first. I didn't expect him to be a kid. But don't underestimate him. He was no ordinary kid."

"Oh?"

The ninja's interest was immediately piqued. It was rare indeed for Kuruda to say something like that.

"Tell me, what happened?"

Seeing how curious his companion was, and with nothing much to do in the middle of the night, Kuruda said, "It was nothing much. I just traded a couple of moves with the kid, and I thought he was pretty strong."

"You know how strong I am. Even an ordinary Genin would have trouble withstanding a single move from me, but that brat not only held off my Taijutsu, he even used Ninjutsu to fight back. Most importantly, he didn't have a Forehead Protector on, which means he's still a student at the Ninja Academy."

"A brat that strong?"

After hearing his companion's explanation, the other ninja was shocked. He knew how strong Kuruda was-stronger even than Kuruda had said. Otherwise, Lord Hokage would not have specifically assigned him to this mission. "A student at Konoha Ninja Academy? Doesn't that make him a genius?"

"He counts as a genius. If he grew up, he might have become a serious threat, but I've already killed him." As Kuruda finished, a cruel look flashed across his face. That was how the struggle between ninja villages worked; it was not limited to fights between ninja.

Nearby, Yemo heard their conversation, and a smug look flashed across his face. If a Jonin called him a genius, his talent spoke for itself.

But the very next second, the smugness vanished from Yemo's face. He had noticed someone move—not one of the six by the fire, but one of the three hidden in the shadows.

Yemo noticed the moment that person moved. At the same time, he sensed a tremendous power erupting from him, like a primordial beast. Yemo had never seen anyone so strong. He kept his breathing even quieter, terrified of being discovered.

Clearly, Yemo was not the only one who sensed that aura. Kuruda and the other ninja immediately stopped talking and stood up. A gentle breeze drifted past, making the flames flicker. When the fire grew steady again, there were three shadows on the tree trunk, and another person was standing beside Kuruda and his companion by the fire.

So fast!

Hidden in the shadows, Yemo could not help marveling. The man had appeared without warning, as if out of thin air. Only Space-Time Ninjutsu should have been able to do that.

But Yemo was certain the man had not used Space-Time Ninjutsu. He was simply too fast, so fast that he had reached an extreme beyond what the naked eye could follow.

"Big Brother Blue B."

When they saw the newcomer, Kuruda and the other ninja called out in unison, their expressions and voices full of respect.

Yemo saw this too and wondered who Blue B was. Could he be part of Kumogakure's leadership, to command such respect from two Jonin in both their words and expressions?

Only now did Yemo take a close look at the Kumo Ninja who had appeared. His clothing was not much different from that of an ordinary Kumo Ninja, but his bearing was steadier. He had a long scar across his face and a long sword on his back.

At first glance, the man struck Yemo as extraordinary. At second glance, he felt something else: the man was terrifying. Not only that, Yemo sensed two powers hidden inside him. One was calm and felt very familiar to Yemo; the other was powerful and extremely terrifying.

How could two completely different powers exist within one person? Moreover, the two seemed to be in balance, neither disturbing the other, maintaining a very strange equilibrium inside the man named Blue B.

But Yemo had no time to ponder what those two powers were. He stared intently at the three men and pricked up his ears, ready to hear what they were going to say.

This fellow was clearly the leader of this group of Kumo Ninja, and he might also be part of Kumogakure's leadership. He was sure to know many secrets. If Yemo could overhear something confidential from him, this trip would have been a great haul.