The next day, after waking from his sleep, Namikaze Yoru stretched contentedly, as if nothing that had happened in the woods the previous night had anything to do with him.
Outside the window, the town was still shrouded in a hazy mist.
He strolled to a little shop near the inn and ordered a steaming bowl of seafood congee, a specialty of the Land of Water. The squid tentacles in it were wonderfully chewy. As he savored the dish, he thought:
I wonder if the Eight-Tails Gyuki's tentacles are even chewier?
As for what had happened the night before, it was as if it had never happened at all. He felt not the slightest burden.
After breakfast, Namikaze Yoru gathered his belongings and got to work as a "traveling merchant."
First, he went to some of the shops he had picked out the previous day, paid deposits, and arranged to collect the goods the following day.
Anyone who saw him would have thought he planned to leave town the next morning.
After buying a few more things, he wandered around town as if on a whim. Before long, however, he found himself back on the same street as the day before.
Just as expected, another figure hurried past Namikaze Yoru. In an instant, a slip of paper appeared between his fingers once more.
Without betraying any reaction, he went somewhere secluded and unfolded the note. Its words and handwriting were exactly the same as the previous day's.
This time, however, the note also bore an extremely subtle, secret mark unique to Konoha.
Unless someone was a covert operative privy to classified information, they would never know about this mark. The corner of his mouth curled into a knowing smile; he had already reached his conclusion.
Night had fallen. In the woods northeast of town, the figure from the previous day appeared once more.
The man stood with his arms crossed, seemingly brimming with confidence, certain the other party would come.
Even when he heard footsteps rustling through the woods, he didn't turn around.
He merely said, "I knew you'd come."
"Mm. I'm here. Kaguya Clan Head, I hope you have a reasonable explanation." The newcomer spoke just as coolly.
Hearing that voice, Kaguya Naoto whipped around in shock. The person he had expected, Namikaze Yoru, hadn't come. Instead, a squad of Kirigakure Ninja had arrived.
As it turned out, after confirming the secret Konoha mark on the note, Namikaze Yoru hadn't felt reassured at all. If anything, his sneer had deepened.
Something's wrong—and it's someone high up.
"The meeting method was far too deliberate. No genuine covert operative would use the same method to meet at the same place two days in a row while the danger remained. Nor would they casually reveal an identity marker of this caliber to win someone's trust.
"This is clearly a trap. Though I can't rule out the possibility that the person behind it is a complete fool."
As for which kindly higher-up was responsible, Namikaze Yoru didn't even have to think.
He could almost picture Danzo in the Root Base, grinning as he hoped Yoru would either be killed by the Kaguya Clan or expose his identity and be captured by Kirigakure.
"You want to use the Kaguya Clan as a blade to kill me? Then I'll break that blade and give Kirigakure a shock."
Having made up his mind, Namikaze Yoru didn't go to the woods. Instead, he went straight to the Kirigakure patrol captain he knew.
With just the right touch of concern on his face, he presented the note.
"Sir... This whole thing has me worried. I received this strange note yesterday but didn't dare go. Today, I got another one, and there's a strange mark on it."
Pointing to the secret Konoha mark, he continued, feigning confusion. "I'm just a merchant trying to make a living. I don't want to get mixed up in any trouble."
He didn't deliberately mention the other party's identity as a member of the Kaguya Clan. A traveling merchant would only invite suspicion by saying too much. If the captain discovered it on his own, he would believe it without a doubt—and the matter would be firmly established.
Sure enough, the Kirigakure captain's expression immediately darkened. Recognizing how serious the matter was, he gathered his squad and had them lie in wait around the perimeter.
Only when Kaguya Naoto appeared did the scene in the woods unfold.
"Kaguya Naoto!" The Kirigakure captain spoke coldly, his voice full of disbelief.
"You secretly arranged to meet an outsider and appear to have used another village's spy code. What are you planning? Do you intend to leak the village's secrets, or are you plotting something else?"
Kaguya Naoto was both shocked and furious. He had never expected Namikaze Yoru to break the usual rules and report him directly to Kirigakure's enforcement squad.
Had Yoru realized his cover was blown and that escape from Kirigakure was hopeless, so he had decided to drag the Kaguya Clan Head down with him?
He looked around, desperately trying to spot the other man. His eyes blazed with fury. If he found him, he would gladly run him through with Bone Spikes.
"Bullshit! Don't you dare make false accusations!" Kaguya Naoto roared as several elite Kirigakure Ninja slowly closed in around him.
"I'm the head of the Kaguya Clan. How could I possibly..."
"The Shadow Tower will determine the facts," Matsushita Kudai interrupted bluntly. "If you resist, you'll be treated as a traitor to the village."
Kaguya Naoto wanted to argue further, but the elite Kirigakure Ninja had already reached him. The short blades in their hands glinted coldly, as if they would attack at the slightest provocation.
With no choice, Kaguya Naoto gave up resisting and let the Kirigakure Ninja restrain him.
As the bridge between the Kaguya Clan and the village, he was still willing to believe that the Third Mizukage would clear his name.
Before leaving, Kaguya Naoto looked at the Kirigakure captain who had been on friendly terms with Namikaze Yoru and said, "Matsushita Kudai, don't let that traveling merchant brat get away. He's definitely a Konoha spy."
The Kirigakure captain, Matsushita, was also puzzled by Kaguya Naoto's surrender.
Before coming, he had prepared for the man to resist. When he saw that it was Kaguya Naoto, he was even more alarmed.
After all, as the Kaguya Clan Head, his strength was among the best in the Land of Water.
If it came to a fight, their squad wouldn't stand a chance. That was why he had bluffed and threatened the man. He hadn't expected him to cooperate so readily, which only made him more suspicious.
But things had already come to this. The matter could only be left to the Mizukage to investigate. The Kaguya Clan was one of Kirigakure's great ninja clans, far beyond the scope of what he could handle.
Unable to make sense of the situation, Matsushita Kudai called over one of his subordinates and asked, "Is that traveling merchant still at the inn?"
After receiving confirmation, Matsushita furrowed his brow even more deeply.
Though he'd received the answer he wanted, Matsushita Kudai was even more confused. If the "traveling merchant" was involved in a scheme, how could he remain so calm?
At the thought, the Kirigakure captain's face darkened until it seemed ready to drip. The Kaguya Clan had always been known in the village for its arrogance and recklessness, and its relationship with Kirigakure's leadership had always been tense.
It was fair to say that any unusual activity connected to them was enough to set both sides on edge.
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