On a cool night, even in the height of summer, the evening wind still carried a faint chill.
In the desolate night, Konoha's bustle had long since gradually settled into silence.
Second Pillar carried a backpack. After giving Konoha one final cold glance, a trace of determination flashed across his face. Then, without hesitation, he stepped out of the village.
"Who goes there?" Sasuke had no idea that Konoha had set up a barrier around its perimeter. Other than entering and leaving through the main gate, anyone passing through elsewhere could be detected.
The instant Sasuke crossed the barrier, an Anbu member noticed him.
"Second Pillar? Why are you leaving the village so late? Do you have permission to leave?" Beneath his mask, confusion flashed across the Anbu member's face, and his brow furrowed slightly.
Konoha—no, all villages—placed extremely strict restrictions on those entering and leaving. Ninja needed permission to leave the village, usually in the form of a permit issued for carrying out missions.
Of course, in the past, for ninja such as Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, and White Fang, their faces themselves were permits.
Sasuke swept the Anbu member with an icy gaze and lowered his head slightly. When he raised it again, his eyes had already turned crimson, bearing two tomoe each. Kunai in hand, he suddenly lunged at the Anbu member.
Though the Anbu member had been caught somewhat off guard and had not expected Sasuke to immediately try to kill him, he had sensed something off from the moment he detected Sasuke, so his body had naturally remained on guard.
He narrowly dodged Sasuke's strike and swiftly pulled something from his clothes. Sasuke's gaze sharpened slightly. It was probably some kind of signal flare. Sasuke had refrained from using ninjutsu and instead engaged in close-quarters taijutsu