"Looks like these people are getting desperate too."
After his expression changed, Chiba's gaze slowly lowered, finally settling on the two vacant-faced ninja at his feet: one wearing an Iwa forehead protector and tied up like a bundle, the other beside him wearing a Sunagakure forehead protector.
As his gaze settled, the change in expression brought on by suddenly seeing the two ninja gradually calmed, replaced by an amused smile.
"Ah, though it's a little strange. According to your plan, spies from at least five villages should have come to investigate last night. But I waited until dawn, and only these two showed up. I was worried that if they didn't find anything this time, they wouldn't come back next time, so I captured them before they could leave."
As he spoke, Hirohiko took a mouthful of rice, glanced at the two ninja, and addressed Chiba.
"Only these two?"
Hearing that, Chiba stepped around the two ninja who had been placed under genjutsu and walked to Hirohiko's bedside. After glancing at the exquisite statue on the bedside table, he turned to Hirohiko and asked in some confusion.
By his calculations, spies from more than one village should have appeared in the camp last night.
Now, aside from the Kirigakure spy who had already been killed and the two Iwa and Sunagakure ninja before him, there should also have been a Kumogakure ninja.
"Yes, only these two. I waited all night and never found any Kumogakure ninja."
Hearing Chiba's clearly surprised question, Hirohiko answered with certainty.
What Chiba had asked him to do last night was hide within the camp and monitor everything there. Chiba had concluded that the spies from the other four hidden villages would not be able to resist investigating the empty camp in search of intelligence. Sometimes,