Continuing the Journey

Inside the inn room.

"Ah-choo! Am I catching a cold?" Yang Xing rubbed his nose and muttered, "Or is some beauty thinking about me? I don't know who you are, but don't worry, gorgeous, I'm thinking about you too. Hahaha!"

"Yang Xing, I hate to remind you, but it's getting late. Can we set off first and laugh later?"

Yang Xing: "..."

Damn, that wasn't just a laugh. It needed a modifier—an obscene laugh!

Yang Xing glanced at Kakashi, then realized Obito was no longer in the room. "By the way, where did Obito go?"

"Mm, he left earlier."

Why did Kakashi's expression seem a little off?

Had something happened to Obito?

Or was there something going on between those two?

"Mm, I never would've guessed." Yang Xing stroked his chin, deep in thought.

Kakashi couldn't take any more of his nonsense. "What are you mumbling about? The others are waiting for us."

"Oh, right. I'm coming." Yang Xing slung the big backpack over his shoulders and headed out.

The two left the room and soon reached the village square, where the others had gathered.

It was already morning. The small village was bustling, with travelers coming and going and merchants wandering about, selling all sorts of unusual things.

In this inconspicuous corner, Anko and the others were keeping a low profile.

Everyone was gathered now. What caught Yang Xing's attention was Obito's expression. He seemed to have a grudge against Yang Xing, and had even glared at him a few times.

Yang Xing put that out of his mind and asked the jōnin instructor, who was checking the map, "So, where to next?"

"The next village. We'll need to be even more careful there, especially since Orochimaru has arrived as well. From now on, we must be cautious with every step." The jōnin instructor studied the map before addressing the group. "Kakashi will handle reconnaissance. The rest of you, stay alert."

"Understood." Kakashi acknowledged her, and the group set off.

It was a long journey. They stocked up on provisions in the small village before continuing on.

For once, Yang Xing didn't bring any seasonings to make a campfire barbecue.

To make better time, they didn't follow the main road. Instead, they traveled along a path through the woods.

According to the jōnin instructor, it was a route known only to the Anbu.

By afternoon, the weather had turned cool, and the sky was so dark it looked ready to rain at any moment.

Yang Xing hadn't expected that they'd have to travel by water as well as by land.

This journey really was unusually long.

Yang Xing sat listlessly in the boat, looking around, until the jōnin instructor's words caught his attention.

"The waterside village isn't far ahead. The area is very remote, and there are few people there. We've always had little information about it." The jōnin instructor pointed toward the distance.

A small village was clearly visible through the mist over the water.

But it was already late afternoon, and there wasn't a trace of life in the village, making everyone wary.

"This is strange. Why can't I see a single person?" Anko complained after peering into the distance and confirming that the village was deserted.

The jōnin instructor furrowed her brow and glanced at Kakashi.

"Understood. Leave it to me." Kakashi nodded knowingly, formed a hand seal, and performed a simple ninjutsu. "Water Style: Water Clone Technique."

A copy of Kakashi appeared on the water. The clone quickly ran ahead and soon disappeared into the mist.

"Until Kakashi's clone returns, we'll wait here on the boats. Don't let your guard down."

The two small boats were spacious enough to hold several people each.

Still, the sight of the water stretching down into unfathomable depths made everyone uneasy.

The eerie atmosphere made it hard to stay calm.

Yang Xing was wondering whether he should secretly use his Sharingan to examine the lake when someone tugged at his sleeve.

He turned and saw Anko. He looked at her irritably. "What?"

"Why don't you send a clone to scout too? Your Water Clone Technique is clearly much better than his." Anko leaned closer and whispered in his ear.

The girl had drawn close, carrying a faint, unique fragrance, and was deliberately pressing herself against him.

Yang Xing was torn inside. He glared at Anko and said irritably, "Kakashi's plenty capable. For something like this, it's better to leave it to someone with more experience."

"Oh?" Anko looked puzzled. His expression didn't make her change hers in the slightest. Instead, she asked, genuinely confused, "You're such a strange guy. Everyone else wants to prove themselves and show off everything they can do. Why are you hiding your abilities?"

"You wouldn't understand, little girl." Yang Xing gave her another sidelong glance and said calmly, "A tree that towers above the forest is the first to be battered by the wind."

Anko froze. She was about to say something when someone interrupted them.

"Um, you two, Kakashi's clone is back." Rin Nohara spoke at just the right moment, ending their conversation.

Kakashi's clone had indeed returned. It nodded to show that all was well, then disappeared.

"All right. The road ahead should be safe. Let's head ashore."

"Understood!"

They rowed toward the shore.

The two small boats drifted like leaves across the lake, gliding into the mist.

"This is strange. Has anyone else noticed that the mist is getting thicker?" one of Anko's teammates said.

The warning immediately put the jōnin instructor on alert. Yang Xing and Kakashi tensed as well.

"What's going on? Was the mist this thick before?" Anko looked confused, leaning against Yang Xing as she tried to peer into the distance. "I can't see anything ahead."

Yang Xing: "..."

He wasn't happy about the girl pressing her head against him, but given how well-endowed she was, he'd let it go this time. Just this once.

The air around them had grown oppressive. They could no longer see the path ahead—or even the way behind them.

The Konoha jōnin instructor, realizing something was wrong, finally lost her composure.

"No... it can't be." Her face turned deathly pale, all color draining from it. Gritting her teeth, she looked around at the people in both boats and said, "Everyone, stay calm and listen. We're caught in a genjutsu, and whoever cast it may be as strong as I am."

"What?"

At the jōnin instructor's words, the two groups exchanged bewildered looks.

Even Yang Xing frowned. Without activating his Sharingan, it really was difficult to detect the genjutsu. And since it had been cast by a jōnin, it was no wonder they hadn't noticed it at first.

They'd completely fallen for their enemies' trick.