After thinking it over, Uchiha Madara still couldn't come up with an answer.
He simply gave up trying to figure it out.
In this kind of situation, he had a rule of thumb:
If you thought you might have been manipulated but weren't sure, don't hesitate—assume you really were being manipulated!
It was a lesson he'd learned from a certain devious little bastard!
Once he'd made up his mind, Uchiha Madara acted at once.
"White Zetsu."
"Yes, Lord Madara!"
"Where are Uchiha Aoya and the others now?"
"Uh, they kept heading forward. Judging by their direction, they should be on their way to Kannabi Bridge."
"Kannabi Bridge... So their mission is to blow up the bridge?"
Uchiha Madara suddenly let out a cold laugh.
Blowing up a bridge was such a thoroughly ordinary mission. How could that possibly be enough?
He'd originally planned to ignore Uchiha Aoya's team for the time being and focus on Obito's movements, but now he'd changed his mind.
He couldn't let either side out of his sight!
Besides, he'd have to give them another push!
"White Zetsu, disguise yourself as a Konoha shinobi and lure all the nearby Iwagakure Ninja toward Kannabi Bridge."
"Split off as many White Zetsu as you can. The more, the better!"
Uchiha Aoya seemed to be the type whose Sharingan would only evolve when he was in mortal danger.
If the danger he faced wasn't enough, Madara would help create a crisis intense enough to do the job!
As White Zetsu's body split apart, the newly formed White Zetsu used the Mayfly Technique and departed one after another. Uchiha Madara closed his eyes and pondered.
Through the eyes of a distant White Zetsu, his view returned to Uchiha Obito.
The little girl named Nohara Rin had already been captured by an Iwagakure jonin.
The girl really was important to him. Kakashi Hatake was still hesitating, but that kid Obito had abandoned the mission outright and chosen to rescue Nohara Rin.
This should be enough to make that kid Obito awaken his Sharingan.
The three members of Aoya's team hurried on at full speed. Only after they'd covered more than ten miles did they slow down a little.
"Aoya, what exactly was down in that cave?"
Yūhi Kurenai was getting more and more curious.
They were in the Land of Grass, after all.
Someone had dug a cavern beneath a cave in one of the country's hills.
Aoya seemed to have known about it all along. When they passed by, he'd used an Explosive Tag to bring down the ground above the cavern, blocking the Iwagakure Ninja.
What exactly was inside?
If the Iwagakure Ninja had simply fallen in by accident, they should have caught up with them again soon enough.
But after they'd passed the place, not one of the dozens of Iwagakure shinobi who'd been chasing them managed to keep up!
Yūhi Kurenai guessed, "Was there something dangerous in there?"
After bringing down the ground above it, Aoya had taken her and Himon and hurried away at full speed... as if something terrifying would emerge if they stayed a moment longer.
It couldn't have been hiding a Tailed Beast, could it?
"Don't overthink it. Knowing too much won't do you any good."
Aoya was in a much better mood.
At last, he'd gotten even for the frustration of being manipulated by Uchiha Madara.
Yūhi Kurenai obediently fell silent, though curiosity still scratched at her like a cat.
What exactly was in there? And how had Aoya known something was hidden there? So many Iwagakure Ninja hadn't known!
And yet Aoya was keeping it from them, acting all mysterious.
"Wait, something's ahead."
Hyuga Himon suddenly called for them to stop.
His Byakugan's long-range vision pierced through the forest ahead and fixed on a point.
"It's Nohara Rin! She's been captured!" Hyuga Himon exclaimed.
The person who had captured her was carrying her on his back as he hurried forward. Judging by his Chakra, he was probably a jonin!
"..."
Aoya couldn't help wanting to complain.
What was going on?!
Their team had been infiltrating just fine. Thanks to Hyuga Himon's Byakugan, they'd avoided every Iwagakure shinobi they'd encountered along the way.
First, Akimichi Dōtō's team had inexplicably turned up on their side, getting them spotted by the Iwagakure Ninja.
And now Nohara Rin had somehow shown up too?
"Where are Kakashi and Obito?"
"I don't see them!"
The Byakugan swept the area, but neither of them was in sight.
"What do we do now? Should we rescue Rin?" Yūhi Kurenai looked to Aoya. Over the past three months, she'd gotten used to following his lead. It was the easiest way to complete their missions.
"She's right in front of us. There's no way around her."
Aoya sighed helplessly.
They might as well rescue her while they were at it.
How had a perfectly good Kannabi Bridge mission turned into this? Could things get any more chaotic?!
Aoya made his decision. Yūhi Kurenai and Himon naturally had no objections. The three of them quickened their pace and raced after the others.
Up ahead.
Iwagakure jonin Mahiru twitched his ears, hearing the noise behind him. He immediately went on alert.
Still carrying Nohara Rin over his shoulder, he turned around and saw Aoya and the others catching up.
"Aoya!"
Nohara Rin cried out.
"Three more brats from Konoha?"
Seeing how young the three looked, Mahiru relaxed again and sneered, "Is Konoha really that short on people? They keep sending kids out on missions!"
As he spoke, he drew the samurai sword from his waist.
He'd been worried that a little girl might not yield much information under interrogation. Now, three more had come along.
"Aoya, be careful! He's really good with a sword!"
Nohara Rin hurried to warn him.
When they'd encountered Mahiru earlier, Kakashi had been wounded in the shoulder after only a few exchanges!
Across from him, Aoya narrowed his eyes. A crimson glint flashed in them as he channeled Fire Release Chakra into the Tachi in his hand. He moved his feet, and his entire body vanished in an instant.
Uchiha Style: Sword Leap Flame!
He appeared behind Mahiru with a Body Flicker Technique and swung back with a Flame Slash!
Mahiru hadn't even reacted. He only felt a gust of wind rush toward him, as if someone had passed close by. The wind lifted his hair slightly.
His expression changed. He had just started to raise his samurai sword to defend himself when he felt a scorching heat at the back of his neck!
Before he could turn around, the corner of his eye caught sight of a Flame Slash flying forward from his neck. At the same time, a searing pain burned through it.
His vision suddenly rose, then the world began to turn upside down.
"I... I..."
Mahiru's head spun through the air. Once it had turned around, he finally saw his headless body.
Farther behind it, the brat from before had used a Body Flicker Technique to appear at his back. The Tachi in his hand still glowed with a scorching red light.
"I actually... got killed in one hit by a Konoha brat..."
Mahiru's head spun through the air for a moment before falling. His eyes were wide open, his final resentment still in them as his consciousness rapidly faded.
Nohara Rin was still stunned when she suddenly felt the headless body carrying her sway.
She hadn't even had time to react before she fell—and then landed in someone's arms.
"Taken care of."
Aoya reached out and caught Nohara Rin.
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