Ronglin gave a cold laugh, looked at Ay and his two guards, and invited, "Shall we go together?"
"Nothing would please me more."
Ay grinned broadly.
The six of them left Iwagakure together under Ōnoki's watchful gaze.
After swiftly putting enough distance between themselves and Iwagakure, Ronglin finally stopped in a small forest. "Kisame. Mei Terumi, go find something to eat."
"You two go as well."
Ay waved at his guards, signaling for them to go too.
The four understood that, aside from finding food, Ronglin and Ay had matters to discuss in private. They tactfully left to look for something to eat. Though they had rations, Ronglin hated the stuff. Out here, naturally, they would be having grilled meat.
It was a pity Shisui was not around, or they could have enjoyed some delicious grilled meat. Fortunately, Mei Terumi could handle it in his place. As for Kisame, Ronglin did not dare eat the meat he grilled—it would be half-raw.
"What do you think of this operation?"
By the campfire, with both sides' guards gone, Ay spoke up.
"I'm not very optimistic."
Ronglin tossed a stick into the fire and shook his head.
"I have a feeling this war will be a hard one. Of course, it won't just be hard for us. It'll be hard for them too."
"A hard one?"
Ay was immediately startled and asked incredulously, "No way. The Four Great Ninja Villages are joining forces. Even if we have fewer people than the enemy, it shouldn't be hard enough to describe it that way."
The ninja of the Four Great Ninja Villages were not something the Small Nations Alliance could compare to.
That was why Ay believed the Four Great Ninja Villages would fight a brilliant war, while Ronglin did not share his optimism.
Shaking