Three Missions

This time, Yugito nodded slightly and didn't argue with Neji again.

She took a deep breath and frowned. "The Land of Water has been closed off for years. The two batches of spies our village sent to Kirigakure have both vanished without a trace. Something must have happened there."

"Is that so?"

Neji deliberately put on a surprised expression, then sighed. "It seems Kirigakure's waters run deep."

Yugito hurriedly nodded. "Exactly."

That night.

Yugito, Neji, and C were summoned to the Raikage's Office.

Bang!

After reading the investigation report in his hands, the Fourth Raikage slammed his fist into the table, furious. "Kirigakure—it was Kirigakure all along!"

"Lord Raikage."

Dodai spoke up. "We don't yet know what connection this mysterious Space-Time Ninja has to Kirigakure. Nor do we know whether Kirigakure's leadership was involved in Yozuki Rei's death..."

Before Dodai could finish, the Fourth Raikage set down the dumbbell in his hand and asked in a low voice, "Dodai, are you trying to convince me to let this go?"

"..."

Dodai's expression stiffened slightly.

Yugito's investigation had been based mostly on speculation, with no solid evidence.

Even if that mysterious Space-Time Ninja really was hiding in Kirigakure, they couldn't very well hold the village accountable.

Dodai wanted to persuade the Fourth Raikage to show restraint, but he knew it would be difficult.

The Fourth Raikage couldn't tolerate even the smallest offense.

What's more, the one who had died was the most brilliant young talent of the Yozuki clan.

It concerned the clan's honor and the Raikage's dignity.

They had to handle it seriously.

At that moment, Neji said solemnly, "Lord Raikage, we shouldn't make a big show of searching for the mysterious Space-Time Ninja. Leave the mission to our team."

"Your team?"

The Fourth Raikage furrowed his brow slightly.

Seeing his hesitation, Neji stepped forward.

"Lord Raikage, we wouldn't have found that mysterious Space-Time Ninja without me. Besides..."

"Yozuki Rei was my friend. I'll avenge him."

"I hope you'll grant me this."

Neji's resolve was unwavering.

The Fourth Raikage's expression softened.

Seeing this, Dodai seized the moment to urge him, "Lord Raikage, Konoha is our greatest enemy."

The Fourth Raikage casually tossed his dumbbell to the ground and sighed. "If you hadn't talked me out of it, I'd have squared off against the Mizukage!"

Dodai let out a long, relieved breath.

He could never have persuaded the Fourth Raikage on his own. Fortunately, Neji was there.

The Fourth Raikage picked up Yozuki Rei's Chakra Blade and handed it to Neji. "Neji, Rei was killed in our village. I'm too ashamed to face the clan head. You can use this blade for now. Once you've killed that mysterious Space-Time Ninja, return it to the clan head."

"All right. From now on, it's my weapon."

Half a month later, Kumogakure was back on track.

For the first few days, the Anbu searched the village for suspicious individuals every day.

But the Root shinobi were exceptionally well hidden, and the search turned up nothing.

Dodai suspected that those Root shinobi were hiding among ordinary civilians.

Without using chakra, shinobi were no different from ordinary people. If they were determined to stay hidden, they'd be very difficult to find.

Besides, the large-scale searches had only left the villagers in a state of panic.

In the end, at Neji and Dodai's suggestion, the Fourth Raikage rescinded the search order.

It was a calm, uneventful day.

With an order from the Fourth Raikage, Neji made an exception and accepted a B-Rank Mission from the Mission Hall.

The mission was to deliver the tachi used by a shinobi named Kyuzo to Mifune, the general of the Land of Iron.

Kyuzo lived in Kumogakure.

He was a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, bedridden with a serious illness for three years and not long for this world.

Kyuzo had once been a samurai of the Land of Iron. He had become a shinobi later in life and, by chance, settled in Kumogakure. He had never returned to the Land of Iron.

"Young man, I'm counting on you. You must deliver this sword to Mifune."

"I'll do everything I can."

In a dim underground room.

Aburame Ryoma glanced at Aoyama Hideomi, the Patrol Team's captain, who sat before him, and asked coldly, "That guy went to the Land of Iron?"

"I saw him leave with my own eyes. There's no mistake."

Aoyama Hideomi nodded firmly.

Aburame Ryoma took a deep breath. "Danzo has urged us again and again. We don't have any time to spare. Even if it's a trap, we have to take the risk."

"That's what I was thinking too," Aoyama Hideomi said.

Aburame Ryoma suddenly glanced at Aoyama Hideomi's left arm and asked impassively, "Is that left arm still working?"

Click!

Aoyama Hideomi slowly raised his left arm. The faint sound of gears grinding could be heard.

It was a mechanical arm.

"Even if it works well, it's no match for a real arm."

Aoyama Hideomi's eyes were filled with darkness.

Losing an arm hadn't just weakened him considerably and greatly increased the risk of exposure. It also meant he could no longer work as a spy.

In other words, he was half a cripple.

Aoyama Hideomi felt bleak.

All he had to do was look at Nonō, whom Aburame Ryoma had abandoned before, to know what would happen.

Once Danzo decided he was no longer useful, he would have no choice but to die.

"Don't worry. Once you've completed the mission, you can return to Konoha."

"This time, we're going all out. We won't fail again."

Aburame Ryoma adjusted his sunglasses, his gaze unfathomable.

Aoyama Hideomi gave a self-deprecating smile. "Maybe."

Aburame Ryoma ignored him and called into the dark underground room, "Bring Kabuto to me."

"Yes."

A voice came from the shadows.

Before long, a short boy with silver hair appeared in the underground room.

"Captain, you wanted to see me?"

Yakushi Kabuto adjusted his glasses and peered through the dim light at Aburame Ryoma's indistinct face.

"Kabuto, I have a very important mission for you."

"Understood."

Yakushi Kabuto immediately nodded respectfully.

He thought he saw a malicious smile on Aburame Ryoma's face.

But the thought had barely crossed his mind before he dismissed it.

Aburame Ryoma's expressionless face always looked the same.

He must have imagined it.

Aburame Ryoma took a scroll from his Ninja Tool Pouch and handed it to Yakushi Kabuto. "The mission details are in there. This is a test from Danzo. If you pass, you'll get to see the matron you've been longing for."

"Matron..."

Yakushi Kabuto murmured the word twice, his heart beating faster.

After Aburame Ryoma and Aoyama Hideomi left, Yakushi Kabuto eagerly opened the scroll to see what mission Danzo had assigned him.

[August 10, 12:00 a.m.]

[Crimson Leaf Izakaya, assassinate the proprietress.]

Yakushi Kabuto breathed a sigh of relief.

An assassination mission wasn't very difficult for him.

Although he was a medic-nin, he trained hard every day and was no weaker than an ordinary Root shinobi.

Yakushi Kabuto carefully read the mission details twice, making sure he hadn't missed anything before burning the scroll.