Little Cleverness

A full moon hung high in the sky.

The moonlight was bright and clear.

Now and then, nightingales called from the forest, their cries crisp, melodious, and pleasing to the ear.

Beneath the tree branches.

The woman's snow-white legs dangled in midair, her clean bare feet swaying gently, teasing the air as though stirring the surface of water.

At her mature age, she should not have been making such girlish movements, but there was no one nearby.

Through her round glasses.

That group gradually departed.

They had not been intent on finding her, either.

Only then did she relax.

Those people had left in a hurry, as if fleeing for their lives. Once they were gone, they probably would not return.

"This is the first time I've been disturbed while bathing and had to flee so pathetically.

Sigh, I'm sorry.

I have a mission to carry out. I can't spend too much Chakra helping others."

A gentle smile appeared on her lovely face. The conflict in her heart vanished completely as she slowly rose and reached out to untie her bath towel.

The moonlight was pure as snow.

Her skin was like creamy white jade.

The white bath towel fell to the ground, covering the thorns.

Her rosy white toes stepped onto a branch. Nonō formed hand seals with both hands, unsealed her Storage Scroll, took out her clothes, and swiftly dressed. Then she vanished in a Body Flicker.

Buzz—

The branch trembled softly. Wearing Miko robes that could not contain her surging curves, the voluptuous figure leaped toward the mountain stronghold.

Upon returning to the Wooden House.

The front door stood open.

Nonō lowered her white hood, revealing a fair and handsome face beneath her golden hair.

Looking at the empty hall.

Nonō's pale blue eyes trembled, filled with confusion and astonishment.

"Hm? Where did my bath barrel go?"

Her delicate brows rose slightly. Barefoot, she retreated outside and looked around, but found no trace of anyone having poured out water. A huge question mark immediately appeared in her mind.

She had bought that new bath barrel with money yesterday, after going to Kikyo City to submit her mission for killing a rogue ninja!

Someone might have used a sealing scroll to seal away the bath barrel, but how could they seal it together with all the water inside?

Those people couldn't find her.

So they took the bath barrel to vent their anger?

"How can there be people like that? They wouldn't even spare bathwater! Despicable!"

Nonō put aside her doubts. Though she was usually gentle and kind, a trace of anger still appeared on her lovely face as she clenched her jade-like fingers.

She cast a glance down the hillside.

Beside the rugged mountain path.

Yager and Doctor Nak were still chatting.

"Doctor Nak, it's already so late. Why don't you stay at my house tonight?"

Yager invited him warmly.

Nak shook his head and declined:

"No. The account over in Kabuki District still hasn't been settled. What rotten luck—being called over in the middle of the night to treat someone, and your friends didn't even pay the medical fees!"

"I'll pay the money!"

Yager said with an honest smile.

Nak glanced at him. Seeing how sincere the hunter was, he waved his hand and said:

"Your family of three depends on you to support them. Besides, how much money could a wandering hunter like you have? Forget it, forget it. I'll go to your house for a cup of hot tea, then I'll be on my way!"

Yager's smile did not fade as he hurriedly led Doctor Nak back to his home. The moment they entered, both men froze in place.

Candlelight flickered within the Wooden House.

Nonō sat upright in the Main Seat, her eyes narrowed and a gentle smile on her face. Like an exceptionally graceful mistress of the household, she looked at the two men outside the door.

"Gasp... Yellow hair, round-framed glasses, pretty face, dressed like a shrine maiden!!"

Doctor Nak's eyes widened. He sucked in a sharp breath, turned around, and started to leave.

Yager immediately grabbed the doctor's arm in a death grip, his entire body tense. He swallowed hard, stared blankly at Nonō, and said softly, "Doctor, don't go. I'm scared!"

"I'm scared too!"

Doctor Nak's face twitched as he complained aloud and inwardly at the same time, "I never should've gotten greedy over your cup of tea!"

In the pitch-black night.

Each Uchiha carried a torch as they moved through the darkness. Some members carried stretchers, so they were not traveling very quickly.

They had not encountered any attacks along the way, allowing their taut nerves to relax slightly.

Now, all they could do was pray that they would find a Medical Ninja for Tamao within the remaining three or four days.

Izumi stayed close beside Ingetsu and asked curiously, "Captain Ingetsu, why didn't that ninja dressed as a shrine maiden kill Mister Yager and the others for impersonating rogue ninjas from Kirigakure?"

Ingetsu thought for a moment and replied, "For a ninja, what is the most important thing before taking action?"

Izumi immediately smiled. "Intelligence!"

Ingetsu gave a slight nod.

"I get it now!"

Izumi suddenly understood.

Before taking action, that female ninja must have investigated the rogue ninjas in this region.

She knew that Yager's mountain stronghold was not truly made up of rogue ninjas, which was why she had stayed there and even kindly helped the family.

Still, Izumi felt that pretending to be rogue ninjas was an extremely unwise move!

Ingetsu landed on a tree branch and looked up at the night sky. The stars sparkled like diamonds, while the bright moon hung high above, pale and clear.

This night was just like the night Danzo was killed.

Beautiful beyond compare.

The corner of Ingetsu's lips suddenly curled upward. He stopped, turned back to the team, and said calmly, "Return the way we came!"

"Huh?"

The Uchihas were suddenly dumbfounded.

Inside the simple wooden house.

Nonō frowned as she looked at Yager, who was gritting his teeth and refusing to speak. Then she looked at Doctor Nak. "You tell me. Who were those people just now, and what were they doing at Mount Kikyo?"

At that moment, Yager and Nak were tied back-to-back to two chairs, unable to move.

Both men looked livid.

As for Yager's wife, she stood behind Nonō, staring intently at the back of her neck with a grave expression while holding the sleeping baby.

Doctor Nak sighed. "I really don't know those people well. I don't even know their names."

Thud—

Nonō deliberately drove a kunai into the tabletop. Yager stared at the sharp kunai, his eyes going wide.

Nonō put on a cold expression. "This is your last chance!"

Naturally, she would not harm Yager or Nak. She only wanted to intimidate them and try to gather intelligence about that group.

This was not something she absolutely had to do.

But when traveling outside.

As an outstanding Intelligence Operative of the Root Organization, gathering intelligence was an ability ingrained in Nonō's bones.

For the sake of successfully completing her mission.

Nonō felt it was necessary to probe for this sort of intelligence. If that group had nothing to do with her mission, then so be it.

If she truly wanted to extract information.

She should have threatened Yager with the woman and child behind her. That would have been far easier.

Before Yager could make up some lie to cover things up, Nonō's brows lifted slightly. A sense of foreboding rose in her heart as she looked toward the tightly shut wooden door.

Bang—

The wooden door was violently kicked open from outside, sending plenty of wood chips and dust falling from the roof of the house.

The stench of blood hit them full in the face.

Yager's eyes widened. He felt that this bloody smell was even more pungent and unbearable than the one on Nonō two days ago.

Nonō remained calm, raising a hand to adjust her glasses. Through the clear lenses, she saw four figures slowly walk into the wooden house.

Yager's wife and the baby in her arms were startled, and the latter began wailing again.

The baby's cries kicked off the chaos.

Doctor Nak, seated in the high-backed chair, had his pupils constrict sharply. Turning his head to look, he complained inwardly once more, I really shouldn't have been greedy for that cup of tea!

The four wore Konoha ninja uniforms and Konoha forehead protectors, their clothes stained with blood that had yet to dry.

One was a fat, short-haired ninja with the character "Food" printed on his armor. In his huge hand, he clutched several Kirigakure Rogue Ninja Headbands, one of them missing a corner.

Then—

A white-furred Ninja Hound slipped in from outside, nose twitching as it lowered its head to sniff the lingering scents within the wooden house.

"Woof!"

Suddenly, it caught a familiar scent and yelped in fright, desperately trying to flee outside. But one of the ninjas held it tightly on a leash.

Yager stared blankly, his gaze fixed on the corner-chipped Kirigakure Rogue Ninja Headband in the fat ninja's hand.