Three days later, at dusk, an old wooden sailing ship lay quietly anchored in a hidden bay along the southern coast of the Land of Fire. Several seagulls rested leisurely atop the mast, occasionally letting out crisp cries.
In the distance, a small metal vessel sped toward the bay before slowly docking beside the wooden sailing ship.
Two black-clad figures leaped from the metal vessel, then ran and jumped across the sea as if it were level ground. After a few bounds, they boarded the wooden sailing ship.
"Flap, flap, flap..." The seagulls resting on the mast were startled away by the two unexpected intruders, beating their wings desperately as they vanished into the sky.
"It seems the Kirigakure delegation has all disembarked. Not a single person was left behind!" A silver-haired youth wearing a mask glanced at the departing seagulls, then carefully surveyed the deck before speaking.
The short-haired youth beside him frowned. "That's too strange! Normally, they should have left some people behind to guard the ship. This is their only way back. Could Kirigakure be so certain that the peace talks will succeed?"
"My view is exactly the opposite." The silver-haired youth frowned. "If they truly had confidence in the negotiations, they should be even more likely to leave people behind to guard the ship. Negotiations aren't something that can be solved by having more people. If the delegation had to ask Konoha for help afterward because they lost their ship, it would only damage Kirigakure's reputation. A diplomatic delegation couldn't possibly have failed to consider that.
"So the Kirigakure delegation may very well be carrying out some special mission with the resolve to die. They never intended to return to Kirigakure!"
"What?" The short-haired youth looked shocked after hearing his companion's analysis. "You mean Kirigakure never