The Three Great Nations Gather

After shaking off Hatake Kakashi and his team, Hyuuga Nen headed northwest. Upon reaching the border of the Land of Tea, he crossed the sea directly, pushing toward his target: the Land of Rivers.

Hyuuga Nen had actually considered whether he should summon Kuromaru and have him perform a reverse summoning. This would have allowed him to enter the Land of Fire directly, which would have opened up many more options for him.

However, after a moment of reflection, he abandoned the idea. While venturing into the Land of Fire might have allowed him to hide in plain sight, the consequences of being discovered were risks he could not afford to take.

If Hyuuga Nen were exposed in the Land of Fire, not only would he fall into danger, but he would also implicate Kuromaru and his father. Ultimately, he discarded the plan and changed his destination to the Land of Rivers.

Yet, the Land of Rivers was not his final destination. His plan was to reach the Land of Wind after passing through the Land of Rivers, then locate the Dragon Vein within its borders, hoping to harness its power.

Although Hyuuga Nen had previously had no intention of entering the Five Great Nations, the situation had changed, and he could not foresee what might happen next. He was now in urgent need of greater strength to confront these unknown possibilities.

He had pondered extensively on how to acquire such power in a short time, but the Dragon Vein was the only option he could conceive. Thus, he decided to take the risk and enter the Land of Wind.

As he traveled toward the Land of Rivers, Hyuuga Nen began researching the production methods for sealing scrolls. Having already grasped the principles of ninjutsu scrolls, he found the process relatively intuitive.

He had some leftover materials from his previous studies of sealing techniques, which proved perfect for his experiments.

After a few days of effort, he fully mastered the technique for producing ninjutsu scrolls and managed to craft several in the process.

Once he had packed the scrolls away, Hyuuga Nen stood up and began weaving hand signs. As a cloud of smoke dissipated, he had transformed into the appearance of a samurai, and with that, he departed from the small reef.

By now, he was very close to the Land of Rivers; even without using his Byakugan, he could clearly see the coastline.

"Since the ninjutsu scrolls are finished, it's time to move on," Hyuuga Nen whispered to himself before continuing his run toward the Land of Rivers.

Soon, he crossed into the territory of the Land of Rivers. Because the nation lacked its own hidden village, his stealthy infiltration met with no resistance.

Once inside, Hyuuga Nen grew wary. He kept his senses at peak alertness, constantly observing the people and surroundings to ensure nothing seemed amiss.

Should I head to the black market in the Land of Rivers to gather intelligence? he wondered to himself.

Considering that the Land of Rain lay to the north, this area was likely an active zone for members of the Akatsuki. After a brief thought, he decided against visiting the black market; he did not want to linger in the Land of Rivers for too long.

As he walked along the road, he noticed something strange. The citizens of the Land of Rivers wore expressions of worry and fear, and he overheard them whispering to one another.

"These ninjas from other countries have been here for days. What exactly are they planning? When will they leave? Are they going to start a war again?"

Hearing their discussion, Hyuuga Nen remained expressionless, but his heart felt heavy with surprise.

What is going on? Judging by this, they must be here for me. Has my information leaked so quickly? Could Konoha have handed over my intelligence? That shouldn't be possible.

If not Konoha, then who? At that moment, Kakuzu came to mind.

Could it be Kakuzu? But why would he do such a thing?

Through the residents' conversations, he managed to pinpoint the general location of these ninjas.

Hyuuga Nen headed toward the area. From a great distance away, he found a secluded corner and secretly activated his Byakugan, discovering two squads of ninjas locked in a standoff.

From the headbands they wore, he identified them as ninjas from the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth.

Seeing the signal flares they carried, he concluded that they had more teammates nearby.

This is trouble. It looks like the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth have sent quite a few people here. After all, both nations were quite close to the Land of Rivers.

As for why they were here, Hyuuga Nen was not surprised. If his information had leaked, even a simple analysis would allow them to guess his destination.

As for the Land of Lightning and the Land of Water, since they were further away, he guessed they had likely dispatched ninjas to the Land of Sea or other nearby nations.

Hyuuga Nen took a deep breath to steady himself. It seems the ninjas from Konoha have likely arrived as well. Even if they haven't, they will be here soon. I need to leave immediately.

With that thought, he set his course and headed west.

Unable to determine exactly how many ninjas had entered the Land of Rivers, he could not increase his speed, lest he arouse suspicion.

He found a merchant caravan planning to head toward the Land of Wind and joined them under the guise of a guard, slowly making his way out of the Land of Rivers.

Some time after Hyuuga Nen had departed, Kakashi and his team entered the Land of Rivers. In addition to Kakashi and the six members of Shisui Uchiha's squad, nine others followed behind them, totaling fifteen people.

Kakashi and his team made no effort to hide their tracks, so they were quickly discovered by the ninjas of the other two great nations.

Naturally, a standoff ensued.

After blocking Kakashi's path, a man stepped out from the group of Earth Country ninjas. He wore a brownish-yellow vest over a red garment, and his tall, sturdy frame projected an intense sense of pressure.

"Hatake Kakashi, and is that Shisui Uchiha? There are even members of the Hyuga Clan. It seems Konoha takes this matter quite seriously to have sent so many people." Even through his mask, he recognized Kakashi and Shisui.

"You are Kitsuchi of Iwagakure?" Kakashi recognized the man; he was the son of the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, and an elite jonin of the Hidden Stone.

Just as Kakashi and his team were locked in a standoff with Kitsuchi, ninjas from the Hidden Sand of the Land of Wind arrived as well. By then, each of the three factions had gathered over a dozen people.

The three parties watched each other with vigilance, yet none made a move.

Kakashi looked at the people from the Land of Earth and the Land of Wind, saying in a warning tone, "Everyone, this is a matter concerning Konoha and has nothing to do with you! Please leave at once."

"But according to the intelligence we received, he is not one of your Konoha people. Furthermore, this is the Land of Rivers, not Konoha. You have no reason to order us to leave."

The leader of the Hidden Sand ninjas spoke up; she was a woman carrying a massive iron fan on her back.

Before departing, the ninjas of the three nations had all received orders to avoid conflict if possible. Thus, they did not engage. After negotiations failed, they exchanged a few harsh words and went their separate ways.