Yin Xiang's Plan

After two days of sailing, the group finally arrived at the docks of the Land of Honey. They left the boat temporarily moored at the shore, as they would need it for the return trip, but to prevent it from being stolen, Shikaku set up a barrier around it.

"It smells so good." A gentle breeze blew, carrying a fragrant scent into everyone's noses; it was a very pleasant aroma.

"This is the unique scent of the Land of Honey. Because this country specializes in flower nectar, you can find strangely fragrant flowers and plants everywhere. Their scents mingle in the wind, making anyone who smells them feel joyful," Yamashin explained to the group.

"Alright, the mission officially begins now that we've arrived. This mission has no support and no supplies. Our goal is to save a country," Shikaku said, turning back to brief them.

"Yin Xiang, although your plan is excellent, you overlooked one point," Shikaku said, looking at Yin Xiang.

"What is it?" Yin Xiang was puzzled; he didn't think he had missed anything.

"Soldiers. No country is short on ordinary soldiers. While they are powerless against ninjas, they are numerous. If we clash with these commoners, it will be difficult for us to escape easily."

"Soldiers?" Yin Xiang frowned. Because this was the world of ninjas, he had been biased, assuming the enemy's combat strength consisted only of ninjas. He hadn't expected there to be ordinary soldiers, which made things a bit troublesome.

"Actually, even though I overlooked these soldiers, I already thought of a great way on the road to completely avoid these commoners while slowly whittling down the enemy's strength." The corners of Yin Xiang's mouth curled up into a dangerous-looking smile.

"Let's find a place to settle down first," Shikaku nodded, deciding it was best to find shelter before discussing the plan further.

"There is a cave nearby that I saw during the mountain exam. Let's go there," Yamashin suggested. After the others nodded, he led the way, and after a few hours of walking, they reached the entrance of the cave.

"Great, I've been traveling for days and I'm exhausted. Finally, no more traveling," Miji said first upon entering the cave and lighting a fire.

"Indeed, Your Highness." Yamashin nodded and laid out the bedding Miji had been carrying. She had slept like this throughout the journey, while Yin Xiang and the others had made do sleeping in trees or on the ground.

"Yin Xiang, tell us your plan," Shikaku said, leaning against the wall as the others gathered around the fire.

"If the Land of Honey has truly fallen, they must be very short on money, especially regarding ninja supplies. The costs of war—supplies, medical expenses, compensation, and so on—are astronomical. This is true for both large and small nations."

"Even though the Land of Filling has annexed the Land of Honey and now has the resources of both, it's still not enough. Both sides are consuming resources, so they need money. How do they make money? By taking on missions," Yin Xiang said.

"Just like us, ninjas take on missions."

"You kid, are you planning to post missions in the Land of Honey to lure their ninjas out in batches?" Shikaku understood, a smile appearing on his face.

Yin Xiang nodded with a smile. "Just like us. If they receive a mission to wipe out bandits, they'll send a squad—a Jonin leading three Genin. If the mission fails and the squad is wiped out, they'll send someone to investigate. If those investigators also disappear, the higher-ups will eventually get involved."

"We'll lure their ninjas out bit by bit and take them out. Even in the worst-case scenario, we can weaken their numbers by half."

"That is a truly excellent plan," Guy agreed with a nod.

"But in a small country like this, they wouldn't send a Jonin for a simple bandit-clearing mission. After all, they only have three Jonin and eight Chunin, so they would likely send at most one Chunin and three Genin," Neji said, resting his chin on his hand.

"Actually, for a mission like clearing out bandits, they usually send five Genin. In special cases, they might send two Chunin to complete the mission quickly," Yamashin interjected, listening to their conversation.

"Hmm," Yin Xiang nodded, acknowledging this. "Then what we need to do now is enter the village and find out the exact number of enemy ninjas. Normally, Neji would be the best for this, but the Hyuga Clan rejects other ninjutsu, so he can't use the Transformation Technique, and his Byakugan is too conspicuous."

"So, I will go. I'll use the Transformation Technique to enter Honey Flower Village, find a way to scout the situation, and then release the missions. At the same time, we need to secure supplies, as we might be here for a while." Yin Xiang looked at the group around him. Guy's entire team was a Taijutsu squad, making them ill-suited for this, and he didn't want to trouble Shikaku with the scouting.

After weighing his options, he realized he had to go himself.

"If you're going into the village, you must be careful. Even though we are a small country, we still have some sensory ninjas. If they detect that you are using a Transformation Technique, your situation will be very dangerous," Yamashin warned.

"I understand. I'll find a way to blend in successfully," Yin Xiang nodded and stood up.

"Are you going now? Won't you rest for a while?" Tenten asked as she saw him stand.

"No, the sooner I finish the mission, the sooner we can go back. I'm starting to miss Ichiraku Ramen." Yin Xiang stretched, yawned, and walked out of the cave.

"You really did take on a reliable apprentice, Shikaku," Guy said to the man beside him.

"Yes, Yin Xiang is very reliable, but he has his shortcomings. He has never suffered a setback," Shikaku nodded, looking at the spot where Yin Xiang had just departed.

"Never suffered a setback? How is that a shortcoming?" Shikaku's words left Guy bewildered.

"Sigh." Shikaku sighed and shook his head. "It's always good to suffer a few setbacks when you're young."

After leaving the cave, Yin Xiang headed toward Honey Flower Village. He had already asked Yamashin for the route and even drawn a rough map of the village, so he was quite familiar with the path.

Yin Xiang eventually reached the outskirts of Honey Flower Village. It was far inferior to Konoha. The guards at the gate were two ninjas, but they looked young, appearing to be Chunin.