Investigation

The three of them, including Haku, stood outside a Konoha outpost on the border, looking at the outpost not far away.

"Let's scout it out first, no need to rush. I have a strange feeling about this mission," Haku said hesitantly.

"Byakugan, activate!"

Sensing Haku's hesitation, Hyuga Riko activated his Byakugan without delay and looked towards the nearby outpost.

"That? According to the intel we received, this outpost should be guarded by one Chunin and two Genin, right?"

"Hmm? There's only one squad of ninja here. What's wrong? Is there a problem with the outpost?"

Hearing Hyuga Riko's question, Haku asked nervously.

"It seems we're in trouble. There's only one ninja in the outpost now, and judging by the chakra strength, it's a Jonin. This is completely different from our intel. I think we might be in big trouble."

Hearing Hyuga Riko's findings with the Byakugan, Haku made a hand gesture, signaling the other two to retreat.

In an open space about 5 kilometers away, the three of them were in a dilemma, discussing the situation they had just observed.

"Besides the Jonin that Riko observed in the outpost with his Byakugan, there are also signs of more than one person's presence around the outpost. According to our mission intel, this outpost has likely been occupied by the enemy."

"We're not sure how many people there are besides the one Jonin. It's highly likely to be ninja from Iwagakure or Kumogakure. Rogue ninja wouldn't have Jonin-level strength, and rogue ninja from villages wouldn't provoke Konoha at this time."

After the three of them analyzed the situation, Haku asked the most crucial question.

"What do we do about our mission now? Do we bypass it and proceed with the mission in the Land of Grass, or do we return to the village and report the intel?"

"I wonder how Captain Mori no and the others are doing? If we could rendezvous with them, we'd have more options."

Uchiha Yu mentioned Mori no's squad, who were on the same mission.

"Captain Mori no and the others... I think they might be in grave danger."

Hyuga Riko hesitated as he said this, after all, they were ninja from the same village, and he felt reluctant to speak of a bad outcome.

"Given their strength, their speed moving through the forest should be similar to ours. Even with the advantage of the Byakugan for scouting and clearing the path, they should have arrived by now. If they haven't..."

Hyuga Riko didn't finish his sentence, but Haku and Uchiha Yu understood his meaning. Haku interrupted Riko before he could say more.

"Whether we continue the mission or return to the village to report the intel, we need to gather enough information. We currently know too little about the enemy."

"Then I'll monitor the outpost from nearby. My Byakugan's range is now 800 meters, so I won't be discovered while monitoring from a distance. You two go search for Captain Mori no and the others in the forest. Regardless of the outcome, we'll meet here at this time tomorrow."

Hyuga Riko voluntarily took on the task of monitoring the outpost.

Seeing Hyuga Riko take on the task of monitoring the outpost, Haku and Uchiha Yu didn't refuse; it was the best arrangement at the moment.

After a brief exchange of precautions, Haku and Uchiha Yu left, preparing to scout along another route commonly taken by Konoha ninja.

Watching Haku and Uchiha Yu leave, Hyuga Riko let out a sigh of relief. It seemed it was up to him this time; there was no one to rely on.

"Riko, you're the best! Keep it up! Let Father see! And let Haku know that you're strong now."

Hyuga Riko encouraged himself as he moved to a position 500 meters from the outpost and went into hiding. He activated his Byakugan every two minutes to observe the activity at the distant outpost.

In the forest.

Before the two squads separated, they had roughly informed each other of their intended routes so they could provide support if necessary. This route was now the main clue for Haku and Uchiha Yu's search.

After Haku and Uchiha Yu had searched along the route they had agreed upon with Mori no for about four hours.

"Haku! Come look at this."

Uchiha Yu was the first to discover something.

"It's another member of Captain Mori no's squad. Judging by his appearance, he was killed with a single blow from behind. He must have encountered an enemy he couldn't handle and was ambushed from behind during his retreat, receiving a fatal blow."

Looking at the body Uchiha Yu had found, Haku gave his assessment.

"Let's check the vicinity for Captain Mori no and the others?"

Ten minutes later, at the site of Mori no's corpse.

"Based on the current situation, Mori no's squad must have encountered the companion of the Jonin at the outpost and were all killed. Even the previous mission squad was killed by these ninja."

After hearing Haku's words, Uchiha Yu pointed to an indentation on the ground.

"That pit there should be a trace left by a ninja using the Earth Style: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique. This jutsu is quite popular in Iwagakure, so it's highly likely these ninja are from Iwagakure. They might have been sent by Iwagakure to harass Konoha's rear."