An Abrupt Unexpected Situation

"Captain, aren't we going to make a move yet? If we wait any longer, that guy is going to leave the Land of Wind."

Following the same standard four-man configuration, four Sunagakure ninjas with headbands and tactical vests were tailing the unsuspecting ninja ahead of them from a distance.

However, unlike the standard veteran-led rookie team of Yuhi Shinku and his group, this Sunagakure squad was clearly an elite unit from within the village.

One elite jonin led three veteran chunin with extensive mission experience.

This squad's composition was a force to be reckoned with on any battlefield, even during the Great Ninja War, provided one ignored the few monsters whose strength defied logic.

Yet, this elite team was currently tailing a mere chunin, a bizarre situation that felt wrong no matter how one looked at it.

The only explanation was that they were playing the long game to catch a bigger fish.

Only such a possibility could grant this team of elite ninjas such patience.

"If I remember correctly, Dahu City is just ahead. Past Dahu City lies the Land of Rivers. If no one is meeting this guy in Dahu City, it's even less likely to happen in the Land of Rivers. Let's endure a little longer. Once we reach Dahu City, if we still don't see anyone coming to meet him, we'll take him down and interrogate him." The elite jonin leading the team made the final call, suppressing the impatience of his three subordinates.

"I hope we actually get something out of this guy. Otherwise, wasting so much time on such a small fry would make it hard to report back."

This elite squad had been dispatched by Sunagakure to station themselves near the border of the Land of Fire, waiting for a war that could break out at any moment.

Who would have thought that while on the road, they would run straight into a spy who had escaped from Sunagakure and was preparing to deliver intelligence back to Konoha.

In truth, the guy was just unlucky. He had already received orders that his undercover mission was over and was ready to return, but unexpectedly, he had stumbled upon shocking intelligence.

The Third Kazekage had mysteriously disappeared from Sunagakure.

This explained why Sunagakure had been acting so strangely and aggressively lately.

Coupled with the rumors circulating in the village—whether true or false—that the village was being completely locked down, the spy could no longer sit still.

The excitement of a long-term mission ending, the shock and surprise of uncovering major intelligence, and the rumors of uncertain veracity all combined to make the spy abandon his original plan to leave the village, opting instead for a high-risk escape route.

Yet, who could have guessed that a spy who managed to slip out under Sunagakure's tight patrols would run into an elite Sunagakure squad on the road?

Having just lost their Kazekage, the atmosphere among Sunagakure ninjas was tense to the breaking point. When a squad on duty encountered a lone ninja who looked anxious and had a clear destination, it was impossible not to be suspicious.

After some tracking, the elite Sunagakure team was certain that they were tailing a bona fide spy from another village.

In this way, the elite squad had essentially stumbled upon a merit.

Furthermore, this elite squad was confident in their own skills and held to the philosophy of playing the long game, hoping to follow the trail and see if they could capture whoever was meeting this guy for interrogation.

As things stood, the identity of this spy was obvious: he was the very target the Yuhi Shinku squad had been sent to meet.

But who could have imagined that this spy would bring such a massive problem along with him?

Kawaki Aoba: Although I didn't expect it, my Observation Haki has clearly captured the movement trajectories of both groups.

Deep in the night, Kawaki Aoba's Observation Haki had already picked up these two groups of ninjas who had yet to reach Dahu City.

This was, of course, no coincidence born of luck, but a habit Kawaki Aoba had developed after maxing out his Observation Haki.

Every so often, as long as he was awake, he would use his Haki to scan the surrounding tens of kilometers for danger.

Thus, detecting the spy arriving earlier than expected, along with the Sunagakure ninjas tailing him, became an inevitability.

Encountering such an unexpected situation during his first mission in the Land of Wind immediately sharpened Kawaki Aoba's focus. After waking Sarutobi Asuma and explaining the situation, the two didn't care about the risk of exposure and went straight to find Yuhi Shinku.

"Shinku-sensei, just now, while using my sensory ninjutsu, I sensed ninjas rapidly approaching Dahu City. It is highly likely to be our mission target, and there is a team of elite Sunagakure ninjas tailing him."

Upon meeting Yuhi Shinku, Kawaki Aoba spilled everything he had sensed like a waterfall.

Yuhi Shinku was truly a veteran jonin; upon receiving the intelligence, he didn't care if the targets were indeed his mission objectives. He treated the situation as the worst-case scenario—that they had already been exposed—and prepared the most appropriate response in a short amount of time.

Shadow Clone Jutsu!

Yuhi Shinku quickly formed hand seals, creating a shadow clone to take his place.

"Kurenai, Asuma, Aoba, my clone will take my place. If that person is truly our target, my clone will draw their attention while my real body launches a surprise attack. If I successfully kill or severely injure their lead jonin, you must seize the opportunity to ambush the remaining three Sunagakure ninjas. We will try to take them all out together."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "But if I fail... if the surprise attack fails and I am no match for their jonin, then even with your help, it will be of no use. So, if it truly comes to that, run. Flee the Land of Wind at top speed. As your teacher, I will buy you time."

Yuhi Shinku then looked at Kawaki Aoba and confirmed once more, "Aoba, are you absolutely certain they are an elite squad?"

"Absolutely certain!" Kawaki Aoba did not hesitate; he had full confidence in his max-level Observation Haki.

"Good. Then our squad will split up. Among you three, Aoba will take the lead. You are permitted to act according to your own judgment as the situation develops. Oh, right, Aoba, how far away are they?"

"About seven kilometers."

Yuhi Shinku: ???

Seven kilometers? Wasn't that sensory range a bit too exaggerated?

Even the Byakugan of the Hyuga Clan couldn't possibly be that absurd.

For a split second, Yuhi Shinku even wondered if he was being played by his most brilliant student.