Before Shiba Seika contracted Tama, Ajisai had been Akatsuki's ace scout.
The flock of birds she summoned had an aerial view and a wide patrol range. Back then, her scouting efficiency alone was often on par with a squad of four or five ninja.
It was a specialty Ajisai had always been proud of.
But this time, her flock had actually been outdone by a Ninja Cat.
Not only had Tama found the enemy, she'd also gathered fairly comprehensive intelligence.
"They're hiding on a hillside five kilometers to the southwest, meow~ There are quite a few of them, meow~ At least ten ninja, meow~
"They've got ninja who are good at Earth Release. They hollowed out the hillside and hid their base underground, meow~"
Shiba Seika nodded.
That explained why Ajisai's birds had found nothing during their aerial reconnaissance.
The enemy had chosen to dig underground.
Hiding their base belowground was certainly in keeping with Root's usual style.
"Anything else?" he asked Tama.
Tama tilted her head, thought for a moment, then said, "There are an unusually large number of bugs in the woods nearby. They're really annoying, meow!"
"Bugs?" Shiba Seika repeated, immediately on alert. "The Aburame Clan of Konoha?"
It seemed Tama was a cat with a broad knowledge of the world, too. She immediately followed Shiba Seika's train of thought. "Now that you mention it, Master, that does seem possible, meow! But I didn't detect any ninja controlling the bugs. Either he's outside my range, or that Aburame ninja is really strong, meow!"
Shiba Seika nodded, his expression turning somewhat grave.
After days of working together, he had a good understanding of his cat's abilities. Tama's sensory range was quite large, so the odds that the Aburame ninja just happened to be outside it were, to be honest, rather slim.
Besides, when making a decision, it was best not to rely on such wishful thinking.
"Let's sum up what we know. The enemy is a team of more than ten, and at least one of them is an exceptionally skilled Aburame Jonin," Shiba Seika concluded.
His position was now crystal clear: he had directly classified this group as enemies!
Not one of the team members present objected.
Karasuba asked bluntly, "Captain, what should we do?"
Shiba Seika tapped the table lightly, considered the matter for a moment, then gave his orders. "The enemy's numbers and strength are not to be underestimated. There's no need to rush into a fight. Keep watching them for now, and monitor the main routes up and down the mountain at all times. We need to see whether they have any other support or reinforcements.
"Ajisai, your role hasn't become obsolete, either. Keep your flock patrolling the entire forest, but remember: never let them land in the woods, no matter what. We don't want the bugs to find them!"
Seeing that she hadn't been completely replaced, Ajisai nodded emphatically. "Understood. I'll complete the mission!"
For the next few days, Shiba Seika kept a close watch on the movements of Yūno Ryōma's team.
During that time, a reply from Hanzo the Salamander arrived.
In his letter, Hanzo first confirmed the information Akatsuki had sent him. He said that no one from Konoha had notified him of any entry into the country. The rest of the letter, however, was rather interesting.
Masuda Ikki scratched his head with a puzzled look. "What does the Demi-God mean, exactly? He praises us for doing well and says we haven't tarnished his reputation, but then he says Konoha is powerful and that the Sannin and Minato Namikaze are not to be trifled with. Does he want us to fight or not?"
Shiba Seika chuckled softly, seemingly unsurprised.
"That's normal. Hanzo's old. Old people tend to be indecisive and fret over everything.
"He doesn't want to lose face or damage his reputation as the Demi-God, but he no longer has the courage and resolve to stand up to a Great Ninja Village the way he did when he was young.
"He's conflicted himself. How could he possibly give us a clear answer in a letter?"
Shiba Seika had said it deliberately.
With that scathing assessment, he meant to chip away at the awe his teammates felt for the Demi-God of the Land of Rain.
No matter what Hanzo had written in reply, it wouldn't shake his resolve to carry out this mission.
Root was going to get beaten up, no matter what!
The only value the letter held for him was that it had eased one of his concerns—
Hanzo was still willing to reply to them normally. That suggested he hadn't yet joined forces with Danzo at this point in time.
Shiba Seika no longer needed to worry about being attacked from both sides.
Their surveillance had not been interrupted by the letter.
By now, they had accurately determined the Root squad's numbers: Root had brought a total of twelve people this time!
Tama and Ajisai's flock of birds had also picked up one of them!
So that night, their first probing attack began!
The Root ninja they had marked had no idea he was being watched.
He'd spent the whole day making inquiries around the Land of Rain, gathering intelligence on the Akatsuki Organization and asking about the mysterious "Shimura Taiga."
He thought he'd learned quite a lot. Beneath the moonlight, a faint smile showed on the face hidden behind his white mask.
Perhaps he was dreaming of a promotion and a raise, or an early vacation.
He walked on for a while, when suddenly a flock of birds burst into flight beside the road on his left.
The Root ninja, alone on the night road, jumped in fright. He instinctively tightened his grip on a kunai, spun around to face the left side as if confronting an enemy, and crouched into a guarded stance.
"Phew, they're just birds."
Seeing that nothing was wrong, he let out a breath of relief.
But just as he thought the scare was over and his nerves were at their most relaxed, a fierce gust of wind suddenly roared from the right side of the road behind him!
"Wind Release: Gale Palm!"
The one using Wind Release was Masuda Ikki, and the technique he used was one Shiba Seika had traded for from the Uchiha Clan.
The Root ninja whipped around in alarm, only to see blazing orange-red fire ignite in the wind the moment he turned.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Since this was a deal with the Uchiha Clan, this classic Fire Release technique had naturally been part of it!
Karasuba exhaled a fireball, coordinating with the Wind Release Masuda Ikki had used in advance. In an instant, the wind fed the flames, and scorching heat blasted straight into the Root ninja's face!
His mask shattered at once, and the gale swept his hair back into a slicked-back style.
The young Root ninja could no longer worry about his face being fully exposed. Amid the sudden blaze, he seemed to glimpse a pair of scarlet eyes, filled with malice and locked onto him with murderous intent!
The Uchiha!
In that instant, fear, panic, hatred, and resentment surged over him like a tide. Unable to control himself, the young Root ninja let out a furious roar.
"Uchiha! You naturally evil clan! So it was you again, plotting against Lord Danzo from the shadows! You lot are a blight on Konoha!"
At the same time, Ajisai, perched on a branch some distance away, watched the scene unfold. She couldn't help turning to look at the man beside her, who hadn't moved an inch yet had orchestrated it all. Her voice was full of admiration and awe as she murmured,
"Seika, your Genjutsu has improved again."
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