Suspecting My Own IQ

It was as if they hadn't been discovered at all.

Seeing this, Ye Yuexin calmed down.

Indeed, his perspective had been too narrow. Once he broadened his outlook, he understood why the people inside the house showed no reaction.

Perhaps this was a test. It wasn't testing Ye Yuexin, but the Rock Village. The other party must be a big shot, like the leader of this group of rogue ninjas.

Upon discovering Ye Yuexin, the other party must have already guessed that their collaboration had been exposed to outsiders.

And given their current location and the nature of their cooperation, it didn't take much thought to realize it had to be Konoha ninjas.

During wartime, for these rogue ninjas to collaborate with any major hidden village was akin to negotiating with a tiger for its skin. Without absolute certainty, these rogue ninjas would not act rashly.

They couldn't afford the losses; while the potential benefits were rich, their own safety was far more important.

They needed to develop, but they wouldn't put themselves in danger to do so.

Therefore, whether they could prevent the meeting tomorrow was the prerequisite for whether the collaboration could even happen.

"If you want us to cooperate, you must show us overwhelming strength, let us see the dawn of victory that makes the collaboration possible." This was likely what these rogue ninjas were thinking.

That was why Ye Yuexin felt that a battle was inevitable tomorrow.

He needed to let these rogue ninjas see the power of Konoha clearly. He needed them to understand that if they wanted to survive on someone else's turf, they had to behave themselves.

He glanced at the bridge deck.

I hope these explosive tags can take care of Lin Mu, Ye Yuexin thought indifferently.

He then looked at Itachi Uchiha and said, "There might be a fight later. Be prepared."

Seeming to have anticipated this, Itachi Uchiha said solemnly, "I have been prepared since the moment I came to find you."

"Don't be too nervous, there's also good news." Looking at Itachi Uchiha's serious expression, Ye Yuexin smiled. "Our enemy seems to be only the Rock ninja Lin Mu; this group of rogue ninjas shouldn't be intervening."

He then added, "But don't let your guard down."

Itachi Uchiha didn't speak, but gave a slight nod, as if he understood something.

The early morning light came exceptionally early, especially in the mountains.

Ye Yuexin and his companion didn't wait long before the sky gradually brightened. The trees on the cliffside couldn't compare to those in the forest.

So, Ye Yuexin and Itachi decided to move to a more concealed spot, as two people crouching on sparse branches during the day were far too conspicuous.

Fortunately, there were several dense thickets nearby where they could hide.

It was unknown how much more time passed, but the sun began to rise slowly. Ye Yuexin and Itachi each consumed a military ration pill to quickly replenish their energy.

Slowly, the sound of noisy footsteps approached from afar.

After such a long wait, they had finally appeared. While feeling tense, Ye Yuexin also let out a sigh of relief.

Sure enough, just like Sasori of the Red Sand in the anime, he hated waiting for others.

A total of three people appeared. The one walking in the center must be Lin Mu, because in Ye Yuexin's perception, the person in the middle possessed the most powerful aura.

He wore black ninja attire and had short brown hair; he looked quite young, appearing to be a genius as well.

None of the three wore any insignia.

This was the standard choice for ninjas outside of open warfare, especially when deep within enemy territory.

The remaining two seemed like twins, similar in build and appearance. They wore light blue clothes, both had their hair tied in ponytails, and each carried a katana on their back.

According to intelligence analysis, one person was missing.

It seemed that one must have gone to look for the Bamboo Pole Man.

Ye Yuexin and Itachi were well-hidden. When Lin Mu's group passed by, there was no abnormality at all. They just walked onto the iron chain bridge.

Everything went smoothly.

Seeing this, Ye Yuexin breathed another sigh of relief. With this, more than half of their plan was complete. All that remained was to destroy the iron chain bridge.

As the three of them gradually reached the middle of the bridge, Ye Yuexin began to weave hand seals.

Instantly, chakra surged.

The explosive tags beneath the iron chain bridge suddenly ignited.

The burning of explosive tags made a sound. The three men, experienced in combat, reacted immediately and turned to flee back the way they came.

But it was already too late. "BOOM!!" A massive explosion erupted. The iron chain bridge was instantly engulfed in flames and thick smoke. Caught within it were Lin Mu and his two companions.

Following this, a crisp snapping sound echoed as the iron chain bridge suddenly broke apart.

Ye Yuexin and Itachi immediately jumped out and stood at the edge of the cliff to observe.

The thick smoke had not yet dissipated, and Ye Yuexin didn't know the situation ahead. However, a bad intuition began to stir in his heart.

His gut told him that Lin Mu shouldn't be taken out so easily; the process had been suspiciously smooth.

Since he was assigned this mission, it proved that Lin Mu should be an elite of the Rock Village.

After all, in his past life, missions involving deep infiltration behind enemy lines to commit sabotage were tasks only special forces could handle.

A thick sense of crisis suddenly emerged. Ye Yuexin and Itachi Uchiha retreated from their original positions without a moment's hesitation.

Where the two had been standing just a moment before, a dozen stone spikes erupted from the ground. Infused with earth-style chakra, the spikes glinted with a chilling light.

They looked exceptionally sharp. Had they not dodged in time, they surely would have been run through.

At that moment, footsteps slowly approached from behind them.

Dressed in the same attire and moving with the same gait, Lin Mu and his two companions appeared in the woods once more.

"So this must be your other little teammate."

Lin Mu looked at Itachi Uchiha while speaking to Ye Yuexin, his expression filled with mockery and certainty.

"I didn't believe it when Lord Lin Mu said it, but I never expected you to actually make it this far," one of the twins said calmly.

Watching the three of them appear, Ye Yuexin felt as though his plans had been seen through yet again. He began to doubt his own intelligence.

Before Ye Yuexin could even ask, Lin Mu took the initiative to speak: "Brats will always be brats; all you ever learn at the Ninja Academy are flashy tricks. You didn't actually think your shoddy plan could take us out, did you? Hahaha, based on your experience, you should go back to taking C-rank missions first."

As he spoke, the two rogue ninjas beside Lin Mu drew the katanas from their backs.

"Aren't you afraid of our Konoha ninjas? They are already on their way," Ye Yuexin said, staring at the three of them.

"That is exactly why I say you lack experience." Lin Mu did not seem concerned about the time at all, even taking the moment to explain it to Ye Yuexin.

"How long do you think it takes to negotiate a partnership? The premise of our cooperation changed the moment you arrived."

"Since these rogue ninjas didn't intervene, eliminating you became the prerequisite for our deal. Otherwise, do you think these rogue ninjas would be free of responsibility if you were killed here?"

"Successfully killing you means the deal is struck. By the time the Konoha ninjas arrive, this place will have long since ceased to exist. Hahahaha..."

Watching Lin Mu laugh, Ye Yuexin realized it was time to fight for their lives. He smiled back, "Oh, so you're certain you've got us?"