Secretly Crossing Chencang

Uchiha Yatsuhashi and Anko Mitarashi sped through the white mist.

The mud underfoot gradually gave way to a lake that stretched as far as the eye could see.

Anko Mitarashi panted, "Which way should we go?"

Uchiha Yatsuhashi also looked out at the vast, mist-shrouded lake before them.

He felt an overwhelming sense of insignificance.

"I don't know either."

He answered honestly, then looked at Anko beside him.

"You choose. I trust your judgment."

Anko Mitarashi froze, turning to look at him.

On this death mission, where they could be abandoned as pawns at any moment, those words, "I trust your judgment,"

were like a small stone dropped into still water, sending out a subtle yet real ripple across her cold, numb heart.

Who wouldn't long for a teammate they could trust with their back, a teammate they could rely on completely?

Especially in this desperate situation.

"...Okay."

Anko Mitarashi suppressed the complex emotions churning within her.

She moved forward, guided only by her near-instinctive intuition, towards the center of the lake.

Uchiha Yatsuhashi slowly exhaled. Life or death, it all depended on this.

In the distance, Murata Masasuke and others were locked in an increasingly fierce battle with Kirigakure.

This had drawn away most of the remaining Kirigakure ninja around the lake.

This, in turn, had temporarily made their situation safer.

Just as Yatsuhashi and Anko were feeling their way through the lake based on intuition.

On the other side of the lake, the true Konoha elite squad had also begun their operation.

Several figures, like phantoms, instantly infiltrated the lake.

They skillfully bypassed the combat zone led by Murata Masasuke.

Like surgical scalpels, they precisely cut towards the deep center of the lake.

Along the way, scattered Kirigakure patrol or sentry ninja didn't even have time to sound an alarm.

They were instantly killed in the white mist, their bodies quickly dragged into the water without leaving any trace.

Their movements were clean and efficient.

They exuded the cold ruthlessness of a Jonin.

"Faster,"

the voice of the leader came through his mask.

"Those decoys won't last long.

We must get the intel and withdraw before alerting Kirigakure's higher-tier forces!"

"Understood."

They were the true core of this S-rank intelligence mission.

An elite squad composed entirely of Jonin, specializing in infiltration, reconnaissance, and assassination.

And those Chunin and Genin led by Murata Masasuke, who were connected to Orochimaru, had, from the very beginning, merely been "expendables" to attract Kirigakure's attention and create chaos.

Using potential "hidden dangers."

to exchange vital Bijuu intelligence for Konoha, while also "purifying" the village internally.

In Root's logic, this was a most profitable transaction.

As for whether those decoys would try to escape? They weren't worried.

Because the three Root Jonin, Murata Masasuke, would naturally "handle" those disobedient pawns.

However, they had underestimated Kirigakure's defenses in their own core territory.

As they moved at extreme speed through the outer perimeter of the lake area and into its depths, they unknowingly triggered a barrier Kirigakure had set up in the lake region.

A short, small figure with sharp purple pupils stood quietly by the water in the white mist.

He looked young, but the aura emanating from him was as deep and still as an abyss, completely unlike his tender appearance.

Karatachi Yagura closed his eyes, as if listening to the whispers of the lake water and mist.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and a cold glint flashed in his purple pupils.

"The barrier is reacting... a Konoha rat has infiltrated."

Karatachi Yagura sensed two different teams within the barrier, both of whom had already broken through the outer Kirigakure ninja.

And both were advancing towards the resurrection site of the Three-Tails Isobu in the center of the lake.

With the barrier set up by Kirigakure, he could clearly perceive the chakra strength of these individuals.

One team was clearly a Konoha elite squad, faster and stronger.

The other team, however, consisted of only two people, one of whom he didn't even consider a ninja.

Because the chakra content was simply too low...

Thus, he merely glanced in the direction of Yatsuhashi and Anko, and quickly locked onto the Konoha elite squad.

Then, his body slowly sank, melting away as if dissolving, and silently submerged into the icy lake water beneath his feet.

Almost simultaneously with Karatachi Yagura's disappearance, the Konoha elite squad stopped in the center of a seemingly ordinary lake area, where the water-attribute natural energy was exceptionally dense.

"This is it!"

A sensor-type Jonin exclaimed, "The concentration of water-attribute chakra beneath our feet is abnormal, and it's continuously, slowly increasing! This perfectly matches the prelude to a Tailed Beast's rebirth as recorded in the scrolls!"

Another person quickly formed several hand seals, confirming.

"That's right, that large mass of water-attribute chakra is about a hundred meters below."

"Quickly record it with the scroll..."

The captain spoke at an extremely rapid pace.

A Jonin immediately pulled a specially crafted sealing scroll from his robes.

This time, the intelligence obtained not only revealed the exact location of the Three-Tails Isobu's revival.

It also revealed its approximate revival time.

This would undoubtedly provide immense help for Konoha's future actions against Kirigakure.

A moment later, the recording was complete.

The Jonin quickly resealed the scroll and stored it close to his body.

"Mission accomplished, withdraw—" Before the captain's words could finish.

A young yet icy voice, without any warning, sounded from behind them.

"Hey, Konoha rats!"

"Don't underestimate our Village of the Bloody Mist."

"Wait a moment!"

Uchiha Yatsuhashi, who had been moving forward, suddenly felt a sense of unease.

He grabbed Anko Mitarashi, who was about to continue advancing.

Trusting Yatsuhashi, Anko reacted almost instantly.

A kunai was already thrown like lightning towards the direction Yatsuhashi's gaze had warned!

"Clang!"

A crisp metallic impact sound came from the dense fog ahead.

"Interesting, how did you discover me?"

A small figure slowly emerged from the white mist.

He had brown hair and purple eyes, a youthful face, yet he exuded a terrifying pressure completely different from his appearance.

With just one glance, Uchiha Yatsuhashi inwardly knew it was bad.

This child was likely Kirigakure's future Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura!

Seeing that Uchiha Yatsuhashi did not answer his question.

Karatachi Yagura continued speaking to himself, "Are you a natural sensor-type ninja?"

"What a pity, your aptitude is too poor to become an excellent ninja..."

Facing a Chunin and a Genin whose strength was far below normal levels.

Karatachi Yagura was confident he could easily take them down.

He might even be able to seal them both and hand them over to the village's interrogators.

Perhaps he could obtain a lot of valuable intelligence about Konoha.

"Yatsuhashi."

Anko Mitarashi looked at the bloodstained scroll in Karatachi Yagura's hand.

Coupled with the clear Root symbol on it, Anko immediately guessed that this was the target of their mission.

"Be careful, he..."

Uchiha Yatsuhashi was about to warn Anko about the opponent's terrifying strength, but before he could finish.

Karatachi Yagura had already lunged forward, appearing before him.

Too fast!

So fast that Anko Mitarashi's eyes couldn't keep up with his movements at all.

However, Uchiha Yatsuhashi, facing Karatachi Yagura directly, did not choose to simply retreat.

Instead, he relied on his years of sparring experience with Might Guy.

Uchiha Yatsuhashi's body reacted instinctively, almost subconsciously.

He ducked to evade the attack, then used the momentum of his rising body to counterattack fiercely.

"Bang!"

A dull thud.

Karatachi Yagura, who had suddenly pressed forward, was sent flying by Uchiha Yatsuhashi with a look of utter shock on his face.

In that instant!

Anko Mitarashi quickly formed hand seals and reacted.

"Ninjutsu: Shadow Snake Hands!"

A purple-scaled snake, as thick as a bowl, shot out from her sleeve.

Its mouth wide open, it accurately bit down on the bloodstained scroll in Karatachi Yagura's hand as he was sent flying.

Then, with a fierce tug!

"Screech--"

The scroll flew out of his hand, arcing through the air.

Finally, it landed steadily in Anko's hand.

After Karatachi Yagura regained his balance, his purple pupils suddenly contracted.

A cold killing intent permeated the air like a tangible substance.

He had actually had the scroll snatched from his hand by these two?!

This was simply a deep humiliation!

"Heh!"

Karatachi Yagura let out a low, unreadable chuckle, "What a surprise..."

Just as he was about to erupt in rage and attack.

Uchiha Yatsuhashi on the opposite side let out a low roar, and a powerful aura suddenly erupted from his body.

Seeing this, Anko Mitarashi was shocked.

She hadn't expected that Uchiha Yatsuhashi, a genin, could unleash such immense power.

"Eight Inner Gates: Gate of Opening, Open!"

Sensing the frantic flow of chakra within Uchiha Yatsuhashi.

Karatachi Yagura was also surprised by the genin before him.

"Interesting ninjutsu, come, let me see what you're made of!"

However, Uchiha Yatsuhashi, who had been full of imposing energy just a moment ago, did not hesitate for even half a second.

He turned and pulled Anko Mitarashi, who was preparing to form hand seals to assist his attack, and began a tactical retreat.

Karatachi Yagura watched the two escape and finally realized he had been tricked.

"Tsk."

With a contemptuous sound, Karatachi Yagura immediately gave chase.

Anko Mitarashi felt Uchiha Yatsuhashi's terrifying speed and was once again astonished.

After all, this was a far cry from the Uchiha Yatsuhashi she had to support, who was extremely weak, within the Land of Fire.

Uchiha Yatsuhashi took the scroll, "Is this it?"

"Mm."

Hearing this, Uchiha Yatsuhashi didn't waste any words and stuffed the intelligence scroll into his embrace.

Sensing Karatachi Yagura getting closer behind him.

A cold sweat instantly broke out on Uchiha Yatsuhashi's forehead.

However, just as he was contemplating countermeasures, three extremely familiar figures suddenly appeared ahead.

They were the Jonin of Root, Murata Masasuke and the others.

When that group of Chunin were slaughtered by the Kirigakure ninja.

Murata Masasuke, to ensure Uchiha Yatsuhashi and Anko Mitarashi, that the two of them would not also perish.

He then led the remaining two Jonin, And pursued in the direction they had come from.

For the first time, Uchiha Yatsuhashi felt that Murata Masasuke before him was so dear.

"Captain, catch!"

With that said, Uchiha Yatsuhashi threw the scroll to Murata Masasuke.

"Captain Murata, this is top-secret intelligence about the Three-Tails Isobu.

Even if you die, don't let the Kirigakure ninja snatch it away!"

Hearing this, Murata Masasuke no longer cared about the lives of Uchiha Yatsuhashi and Anko Mitarashi.

He took the scroll in mid-air as soon as possible.

It was just that he didn't have time to confirm it.

Karatachi Yagura had already killed his way to him.

"Water Style: Water Mirror Technique!"