Only those who wrong you know...

The next day, waking from sleep, Namikaze Yoru stretched his body with satisfaction, as if the events in the forest the previous night had nothing to do with him.

Outside the window, the small town was still shrouded in hazy mist.

Leisurely walking to a small shop near the inn, he ordered a steaming bowl of the Land of Water's specialty seafood porridge. The squid tentacles in the porridge were delightfully chewy, and as he savored them, he thought:

"I wonder if the tentacles of the Eight-Tails Gyuki would be even more chewy?"

As for last night's events, it was as if they had never happened; there was not a trace of burden in his heart.

After finishing breakfast, Namikaze Yoru picked up his travel bag and began his work as a "Traveling Merchant."

First, he went to some shops he had scouted the day before to pay deposits and arrange to pick up goods the next day.

This series of actions would make anyone think he planned to leave the town early the next morning.

After casually purchasing a few more items, he wandered seemingly aimlessly through the town, but before he knew it, he had returned to the same street as the day before.

Sure enough, another figure hurriedly brushed past Namikaze Yoru. In an instant, another slip of paper appeared between his fingers.

Unmoved, he walked to a secluded spot and unfolded the paper. The text and even the handwriting were identical to the day before.

However, this time, the slip of paper also bore an extremely subtle mark, one unique to Konoha.

This mark was something only covert operatives would recognize. The corner of his mouth curled into a knowing smile, and a judgment had already formed in his mind.

Night had fallen. In the forest northeast of the town, the figure from the previous night appeared once again.

The man stood with his arms crossed, exuding confidence, certain that the other party would come.

He didn't even turn around until the sound of rustling footsteps came from the woods.

He simply said calmly, "I knew you would come."

"Yeah. I'm here. Clan Leader Kaguya, I hope you have a reasonable explanation." The newcomer's tone was equally indifferent.

Hearing this voice, Kaguya Naoto turned back in shock. Instead of the expected Namikaze Yoru, he found himself facing a squad of Kirigakure ninja.

It turned out that after confirming the Konoha covert mark on the paper, Namikaze Yoru felt no reassurance—instead, his sneer deepened.

"Something's wrong, and it's a problem from the higher-ups," he thought, his mind as clear as a mirror.

"The contact method is too deliberate. Any real covert operative would never use the same method at the same location two days in a row without eliminating the risk first, let alone casually reveal such a high-level identity marker to gain trust.

This is clearly a fishing trap—though I can't rule out the possibility that this person is a complete fool."

As for which dear higher-up was behind it, Namikaze Yoru didn't even need to think.

He could almost picture Danzo in the Root base, smirking as he hoped either that the Kaguya Clan would kill him, or that he'd expose himself and get captured by Kirigakure.

"Want to use the Kaguya as a blade to kill me? Then I'll snap that blade and give Kirigakure a shock."

Having made up his mind, Namikaze Yoru didn't head to the forest. Instead, he went straight to find the Kirigakure duty squad leader he was familiar with.

With just the right amount of worry on his face, he presented the slip of paper.

"Sir... look at this. I'm really uneasy about it. I got this mysterious note yesterday and didn't dare to go. Today it came again, and this time there's a strange mark added here."

Pointing at the Konoha covert mark, he continued with feigned confusion: "I'm just a merchant looking to make a living. I don't want to get dragged into any trouble."

He didn't deliberately point out the other party's "Kaguya Clan" identity—after all, as a traveling merchant, saying too much would only invite mistakes. Only if the other party discovered it on their own would they believe it without doubt, sealing the matter.

As expected, the Kirigakure captain's face instantly darkened. Recognizing the gravity of the situation, he immediately gathered his squad members to lie in ambush on the forest's periphery.

When Kaguya Naoto appeared, this scene in the woods unfolded.

"Kaguya Naoto!" the Kirigakure captain said coldly, his tone laced with disbelief.

"You secretly initiated contact with an outsider and used what appears to be a foreign village's spy code. What is your intention? To leak village secrets, or to plot something?"

Kaguya Naoto was both shocked and furious. He had never expected Namikaze Yoru to break the script and directly report him to the Kirigakure enforcement squad.

Could it be that, realizing he was exposed and had no hope of escaping the Mist Village, he was trying to drag the Kaguya Clan leader down with him?

He looked around desperately, trying to spot the other party, his eyes nearly spitting fire. If he found him, he would have gladly impaled him with Bone Spikes.

"Get lost! Don't you slander me!" Kaguya Naoto roared as several elite Kirigakure ninja slowly closed in, surrounding him.

"I am the clan leader of the Kaguya Clan. How could I possibly..."

"Right and wrong will be judged back at the Mizukage's office," Matsushita Kudai interrupted without courtesy. "If you resist, you will be treated as a traitor to the village."

Kaguya Naoto wanted to argue further, but the elite Kirigakure ninja were already upon him, their short swords glinting coldly, as if they would strike at the slightest provocation.

Helpless, Kaguya Naoto could only give up resistance and allow the Kirigakure ninja to bind him.

As the bridge between the Kaguya Clan and the village, he still wanted to believe that the Third Mizukage would clear his name.

Before leaving, Kaguya Naoto looked at the Kirigakure captain who was friendly with Namikaze Yoru and said, "Matsushita Kudai, you absolutely cannot let that traveling merchant brat escape. He is definitely a Konoha spy."

The Kirigakure captain, named Matsushita, was also puzzled by Kaguya Naoto's surrender.

He had come prepared for resistance, and seeing that it was Kaguya Naoto had filled him with dread.

After all, as the Kaguya Clan leader, his strength was among the top in the Land of Water. If it came to a fight, this squad of theirs wouldn't stand a chance. That was why he had bluffed to threaten him. He hadn't expected the other party to cooperate so readily, which only made him more suspicious.

But since things had come to this, it could only be handed over to the Mizukage for investigation. The Kaguya Clan, as one of the major ninja clans of the Mist Village, had already far exceeded the scope of what he could handle alone.

Unable to fathom the intricacies of the matter, Matsushita Kudai summoned his subordinate and asked, "Is that Traveling Merchant still at the inn?"

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Matsushita's brow furrowed even tighter.

Though he had gotten the answer he wanted, Matsushita Kudai was even more perplexed. If this were a conspiracy, could that "Traveling Merchant" really remain so composed?

Thinking this, the Mist Village squad leader's face darkened as if it were about to drip water. The Kaguya Clan had always been known within the village for their arrogance and reckless behavior, and their relationship with the Mist Village's upper echelons had always been extremely tense.

It could be said that any abnormal activity involving them was enough to provoke the sensitive nerves of both sides.