According to the reports, the target had just left the camp.
The mission he was heading out on led straight to a trap Nara Tohiko had set in advance.
"Finally took the bait." The corners of his mouth rose slightly, his eyes brimming with arrogance.
So what if he's the Evil-Faced Rakshasa? So what if he's the Uchiha's rising star? He's still dancing to my tune.
Under his personal direction, the mission had been disguised flawlessly. No one would be able to spot the trick hidden within.
Who would have imagined that strategic supplies sufficient to sustain a small-scale war would become bait to lure the Rakshasa into a trap?
"As long as the temptation is strong enough, there's no prey that won't bite." Nara Tohiko was supremely confident.
However, he might never have heard a certain saying.
The best hunters often appeared in the guise of prey.
Even if he couldn't find the Three Clans' spies, Kyosuke could figure out without thinking that the Southern Army had to have enemy agents in its ranks.
For the Yamanaka Clan, controlling a ninja couldn't have been easier.
A sweeping investigation would only undermine the Southern Army's will to fight.
If he couldn't find the spies, he might as well deliberately reveal the mission he was carrying out.
Kyosuke believed the information would eventually reach his target.
His views on temptation and prey were astonishingly similar to Nara Tohiko's.
You're looking for me, aren't you? Fine. Today, I'll come right to your door.
Whether you can swallow me whole will depend on what each of us can do.
In truth, Nara Tohiko knew perfectly well that ambushing the Evil-Faced Rakshasa carried enormous risks.
If even one of his people slipped up and was captured, the secret base they had painstakingly established would immediately be exposed to the Uchiha.
Then they would truly have no foothold left on the Southern Border.
But that raised a question: did Nara Tohiko have any better options?
Yes, Butsuma Senju had promised to do everything in his power to keep the Three Clans safe in the future.
Sheltering behind the Senju Clan would indeed give them a peaceful haven where they could rest and recover, but it would also mean losing their autonomy entirely.
In name, the two sides would form an alliance. In reality, the Three Clans would become nothing more than Senju vassals.
As proud as Nara Tohiko was, how could he willingly become someone else's dog?
"If we capture him, we'll have room to maneuver." His fingers tapped lightly against the table. After wrestling with the decision for some time, he still chose to keep the original plan unchanged.
Clap!
He clapped his hands lightly twice, and seven people soon entered from outside.
Three Jonin and four Elite Chunin. These were the forces he had assembled to capture the Evil-Faced Rakshasa.
Too many people would make it easy for the enemy to notice something amiss. Scaring the target away would defeat the purpose.
Too few, and they might not be able to guarantee his capture. A seven-person squad was just right.
"Rumiko, Teppei, Kanbei." Calling their names in turn, Nara Tohiko said gravely, "The future of Ino-Shika-Cho rests entirely in your hands."
"Complete this mission, and we'll have a chance to rise again!"
Rumiko Yamanaka was a beautiful woman with long blond hair who specialized in the secret Mind Body Switch Technique.
Teppei Nara was the squad's strategist and backbone, proficient in the secret shadow techniques of various schools.
Kanbei Akimichi was the team's strongest fighter, with combat strength approaching that of an Elite Jonin.
According to their information, the target's squad included a Jonin with three tomoe.
That strength would be troublesome, but it shouldn't pose a threat to the three of them.
"Ugh, what a drag." The relatively young Teppei Nara paid no attention whatsoever to the Clan Leader's impassioned pep talk.
What's wrong with joining the Senju Clan? Why go to all this trouble?
If things go wrong, we might even have to flee the Land of Fire.
His attitude made it clear that not everyone in the clan was of one mind. Some supported fighting to the bitter end, while others naturally had no wish to keep risking their lives.
Even so, Teppei Nara would still carry out the mission.
Whatever else they disagreed on, hatred of the Uchiha was something every member of the Three Clans shared.
Anything that made the Uchiha suffer was worth doing.
"Leave it to us." With that, Teppei Nara led his companions away.
To get into position undercover, he had to swap places with the transport team serving as bait as soon as possible.
Before making his move, the Evil-Faced Rakshasa would undoubtedly scout the area.
This was a dangerous confrontation. The slightest misstep could cost them everything.
Dusk Town, on the Southern Border of the Land of Fire.
Wearing a gray cloak and carrying a travel pack, Kyosuke entered the renowned livestock town like any ordinary traveling merchant.
The sun blazed overhead. Mud left by the rain covered the ground, and the pungent stench of livestock hung in the air.
"It's really a blessing to have been born an Uchiha." Kyosuke couldn't help shaking his head. He hadn't expected basic sanitation in other towns to be so appalling.
Feeling the thick mud beneath his feet, he made his way into town, planning to find somewhere to have lunch.
He could gather some information while he was at it.
Most of the merchants coming and going were dressed much like him, so Kyosuke wasn't likely to expose his whereabouts anytime soon.
He wore a mask whenever he went out, making it difficult for his enemies to learn exactly what he looked like.
After all, codes and ciphers could only convey text. A highly accurate portrait sketch was a little too much to ask of intelligence agents.
"Boss, a sushi set and a bottle of fresh milk, please." Kyosuke entered a restaurant and sat down by a window.
He was still growing. He couldn't imitate Madara Uchiha and spend all day plotting to sneak drinks of alcohol.
Milk was what suited children best. Drinking more of it certainly wouldn't hurt.
As a livestock town, it might lack plenty of things, but milk wasn't one of them.
Before long, a large glass of fresh milk was brought over. Young Kyosuke found its rich, fresh flavor utterly captivating.
No one would have connected the boy by the window, gulping down milk, with a title like the Evil-Faced Rakshasa.
The restaurant worker shifted his gaze away from the boy and resumed observing his other targets.
Little did he know that the boy had already noticed his every move.
There's something off about this man.
After a little thought, Kyosuke abandoned the idea of probing him.
Dusk Town was a mixed bag. All sorts of people could turn up here.
The worker's unusual behavior wasn't necessarily connected to the Three Clans. He might simply have been looking for a wealthy mark to rob.
Setting down his glass with a clunk, Kyosuke picked up a piece of sushi and put it in his mouth, his gaze casually sweeping toward the street diagonally across from him.
An abandoned shop stood there.
According to the intelligence reports, one of the Three Clans' transport teams was currently stopped there.
What Kyosuke needed to do was carefully observe the movements over there and make sure no large enemy force was present.
Otherwise, he would have to abandon his bait plan for the time being.
If I approach the shop, I'll immediately put the enemy on alert.
I have to be careful. At the very least, I can't let anyone see that I'm doing it deliberately.
As he considered this, his gaze returned to the worker inside the restaurant.
Perhaps he could make use of this fellow.
Before you continue