Three Masks Arrived!

Soon, a campfire was built.

Then, Roy nimbly took out spices, seasonings, and a barbecue grill...

"Big Brother, we're out here on a mission!"

Itachi, standing to the side, had his composure shattered once again.

This wasn't his first time out on a mission, and every other time, he had simply gnawed on Military Ration Pills until the mission ended.

When he had just said he was hungry, it was nothing more than a flimsy excuse.

Yet, just because he said that, Roy was actually preparing to have a BBQ out here in the wild?!

As for Izumi, she didn't have any such reservations at all.

She caught fish and helped gather firewood.

Looking at it this way, it was as if Itachi had become the outsider.

"Itachi, the mission we were sent on has no specific deadline."

"Besides, we aren't afraid of being exposed."

Roy looked up, meeting Itachi's confused gaze, and said softly.

"But... Brother Roy, aren't we being a bit too lax?"

Whether it was Itachi's past experiences or everything he had been taught during his missions, his worldview was taking a serious hit at this moment.

Though he didn't understand, he still joined in.

Roy was the team leader, so he would follow his arrangements.

The barbecue ended up taking nearly two hours.

"Itachi, let's move out."

After packing up their things, the three of them set off once again.

Once the trio had disappeared, three masked ninjas appeared at the spot.

"These are Uchiha ninjas?"

"And one of them is Uchiha Itachi, who once served in the Anbu?"

Looking at the obvious traces on the ground, the ninja wearing the Mandrill Mask hesitated slightly.

He even began to doubt whether these were truly the tracks left behind by their targets.

"The temperature is still there; they left less than an hour ago."

"There are clear signs of a sprint ahead, and all the tracks point in this direction."

"Should we continue the pursuit?"

The ninja on the other side asked, sounding uncertain after his investigation.

As the most elite pursuit ninjas, they were usually able to easily find the right direction regardless of how well their targets tried to cover their tracks.

But now, they were completely baffled.

The tracks were so obvious that it... felt too simple to them.

"Follow three suspicious directions for an hour, and if you don't find any traces, return to this route."

After the leader finished speaking, the three of them split up and headed in three different directions.

Deep into the night, the three of them finally came to a stop.

"Itachi, did you sense anyone following us?"

Roy crouched on a massive tree branch, looking at Itachi with some confusion.

"I didn't find anyone."

"Izumi, did you clear our tracks behind us?"

Itachi also looked at Izumi, puzzled.

Izumi was stunned.

I can barely keep up with the two of you, and you want me to clear the tracks too?

What are you thinking?

"Alright, I doubt anyone will be able to catch up for a while."

"Let's rest for a bit."

After Roy finished speaking, he leaned against the large tree and closed his eyes to doze off.

"Izumi, you rest first; I'll keep watch."

Itachi said softly before vanishing into the canopy.

Izumi nodded, found a spot, and leaned back to take a nap.

Four hours later.

"Itachi, go get some rest. I'll take over from here."

Uchiha Roy landed at the spot where Itachi had been stationed.

"Understood."

Itachi's voice drifted out, though he did not appear.

Roy pulled out a map.

Unlike a standard map of the ninja world, this one displayed every small village surrounding the Land of Fire.

These small villages were all targets of Roy's interest.

The nearest village could be reached by tomorrow before noon.

If they traveled at full speed, it would only take about an hour.

The surrounding villages were all within the territory of Konoha.

"These villages should have information regarding the Satori Organization."

"Given this layout, infiltrating here is the most convenient option!"

Roy locked onto a specific village.

Although it wasn't the next village on their path, he now had his next objective.

The distant sky turned a pale, fish-belly white as the chill of early morning set in.

"Seriously, why did it take you guys so long to catch up to us?"

"Are there only three of you?"

Roy felt the presences appearing nearby and spoke with a helpless expression.

The reason he had chosen to rest here was specifically to deal with the tails first.

He just hadn't expected these guys to take so long to arrive.

Roy hadn't even had Itachi clear their tracks or create any decoys behind them.

He had originally assumed the fight would be over by last night.

"Uchiha Roy, were you waiting for us?"

The masked ninja in the lead sounded somewhat puzzled.

They had assumed this route was a false trail intentionally left by Uchiha Roy, but they hadn't expected... these guys hadn't bothered to cover their tracks at all.

"Ninjas from Root, my apologies."

"You've been following behind us, and it's been quite a nuisance."

"Could I ask you all to just go ahead and die?"

As Roy spoke, flames began to surge from his body.

"As expected, this guy is just like the intel said—someone who has awakened a unique Kekkei Genkai."

"Scorch Style, is it?"

The lead ninja's expression turned grave.

This unknown Kekkei Genkai was a significant problem for them.

However, they had to bring all three of these targets back this time.

"Only three of you?"

"Come at me together."

"Fire Style..."

The moment Roy finished speaking, the three of them braced themselves immediately.

But the next instant, a barrage of kunai shot directly toward them.

"That's not Fire Style?"

"Clang, clang, clang..."

After blocking the kunai, the lead ninja was left bewildered.

They had even been prepared to start weaving hand signs.

If not for their extensive combat experience, they likely would have been tricked by Roy just now.

Had their reaction speed been even a fraction slower, they probably would have been hit.

"Itachi, wait a moment."

"I'll pin them down first; you look for an opening to strike."

"Shadow Clone!"

"Shadowless Step!"

As Roy began to walk slowly, the Phantoms surrounding him started to multiply.

"Watch out for this guy's attacks; they're very powerful."

"Let's go all out to take him down first; we know exactly how strong Itachi is."

The lead ninja immediately began weaving hand signs at high speed.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

Following a surge of chakra, a massive gale of wind struck directly at Roy.

The immense explosion obliterated all the surrounding trees.

The goal was to disrupt Roy's offensive rhythm while forcing anyone hiding nearby to reveal themselves.

"Water Style: Great Swamp!"

"Lightning Style: Lightning Prison!"

The remaining two masked ninjas unleashed a combined ninjutsu technique without hesitation.

The surrounding swamp instantly transformed into a purgatory of lightning.

Roy was forced to retreat rapidly.

The chakra of these three individuals was incredibly dense, and the ninjutsu they unleashed simultaneously were all A-rank techniques.

The destructive power was immense.