It was as if they hadn't noticed the two of them at all.
Seeing this, Ye Yuexin calmed down.
As expected, he'd been looking at things too narrowly. Once he broadened his perspective, he understood why no one inside the house had reacted.
Perhaps this was a test. Not a test for Ye Yuexin, but for the Rock Ninjas. The other party had to be an important figure, probably the leader of these rogue ninjas.
After discovering Ye Yuexin, the other party must have guessed that outsiders had learned about their cooperation.
And judging by their location and the matter they were discussing, it could only be Konoha Ninja.
During wartime, cooperating with any of the great ninja villages was like making a deal with a tiger. These rogue ninjas wouldn't act rashly without some certainty.
They couldn't afford the losses. The rewards might be substantial, but their own safety mattered more.
They needed to grow, but they wouldn't drag themselves into danger to do it.
So whether they could stop the two sides from meeting tomorrow was a prerequisite for cooperation.
"If you want us to cooperate, you'll have to show us your strength and let us see that this alliance can succeed." That was probably what these rogue ninjas were thinking.
So Ye Yuexin felt that they were bound to fight tomorrow.
They needed to show these rogue ninjas Konoha's strength and make them understand that if they wanted to live on someone else's turf, they had to know their place.
He glanced at the bridge.
Hopefully these Explosive Tags will be enough to deal with Lin Mu. Ye Yuexin thought calmly.
Then he looked at Itachi Uchiha and said, "A fight might break out soon. Be ready."
As if he'd expected this, Itachi Uchiha replied solemnly, "I've been ready since I came to find you."
"Don't be too nervous. There's good news, too." Seeing Itachi Uchiha's serious expression, Ye Yuexin smiled. "It seems our only enemy is Lin Mu of Iwagakure. These rogue ninjas probably won't get involved."
Then he added, "But don't let your guard down."
Itachi Uchiha said nothing, only nodding slightly, as if he understood as well.
Dawn came unusually early, especially in the mountains.
Ye Yuexin and the others hadn't waited long before the sky gradually brightened. The trees on the cliff weren't as dense as those in the forest.
So they decided to change hiding spots. Two people perched among the sparse branches would stand out too much in daylight.
Luckily, there were several patches of dense woodland nearby where they could hide.
After an unknown amount of time, the sun began to rise. Ye Yuexin and the others ate a Military Ration Pill to replenish their energy.
Several noisy footsteps gradually approached from far away.
After such a long wait, they had finally arrived. The tension remained, but Ye Yuexin also breathed a sigh of relief.
As expected, he hated waiting for people, just like Sasori of the Red Sand in the anime.
Three people appeared. The one walking in the middle had to be Lin Mu, since he gave off the strongest presence in Ye Yuexin's perception.
He wore black ninja clothes and had short, chestnut-brown hair. He looked young, and seemed to be a prodigy.
None of the three wore any identifying insignia.
That was what most ninjas chose to do outside of wartime, especially when infiltrating enemy territory.
The other two looked like twins, with similar builds and faces. They wore pale blue clothes, each with a ponytail, and carried a katana on their back.
According to the intelligence, one person was missing.
He was probably the one who'd gone to look for Bamboo Pole Man.
Ye Yuexin and the others had hidden themselves fairly well. When Lin Mu's group passed by, they showed no sign of noticing anything. They simply stepped onto the rope bridge.
So far, so good.
Seeing that, Ye Yuexin breathed another sigh of relief. Their plan was already more than halfway complete. All that remained was to blow up the rope bridge.
As Lin Mu and the other two reached the middle of the bridge, Ye Yuexin began weaving hand signs.
Chakra surged.
The Explosive Tags beneath the rope bridge suddenly ignited.
The tags made a sound as they burned. The three, all seasoned fighters, reacted at once and tried to escape back the way they had come.
But it was already too late. Boom!! A massive explosion engulfed the bridge in flames and smoke—and swallowed Lin Mu and the other two as well.
A sharp cracking sound followed, and the rope bridge snapped apart.
Ye Yuexin and Itachi Uchiha immediately sprang out and went to the edge of the cliff to observe.
The smoke hadn't cleared yet, and Ye Yuexin couldn't tell what had happened. Still, he had a bad feeling.
His instincts told him Lin Mu wouldn't be taken out so easily. Everything had gone suspiciously smoothly.
If Lin Mu had been assigned this mission, he had to be one of Iwagakure's elite.
In Ye Yuexin's previous life, missions involving sabotage deep behind enemy lines were always given to special forces.
A sudden, intense sense of danger washed over them. Without hesitation, Ye Yuexin and Itachi Uchiha abandoned their positions.
Dozens of earthen spikes erupted from the ground where they had been standing. Infused with Earth-Style chakra, the spikes gleamed faintly.
They looked extremely sharp. If the two of them hadn't dodged, they'd have been impaled.
Just then—
Footsteps slowly approached again. This time, they came from behind Ye Yuexin and the others.
The same outfits, the same footsteps. Lin Mu and the other two had appeared in the forest once more.
"That must be your other little teammate, right?" Lin Mu said to Itachi Uchiha, looking at Ye Yuexin.
His expression was both mocking and confident.
"Lord Lin Mu said so, but I didn't believe him. I never thought you'd really make it here," one of the twins said calmly.
Looking at Lin Mu and the others, Ye Yuexin felt as if his plan had been seen through yet again. He was starting to doubt his own intelligence.
Before Ye Yuexin could ask anything, Lin Mu spoke up. "You're just a kid. The Ninja Academy only teaches you flashy tricks. Did you really think that shoddy plan of yours could take us out? Hahaha! With your experience, you should stick 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 Konoha's reinforcements? They're already on their way," Ye Yuexin said, looking at the three of them.
"That's exactly why I said you lack experience." Lin Mu didn't seem concerned about time at all. He even explained it to Ye Yuexin.
"How long do you think it takes to negotiate a partnership? The moment you showed up, the terms changed."
"Since these rogue ninjas didn't get involved, killing you became a condition of our cooperation. Otherwise, do you think they'd have no responsibility if you were killed here?"
"If we kill you without a hitch, the deal is done. By the time Konoha Ninja arrive, this place will be gone. Hahahaha!"
Watching Lin Mu laugh, Ye Yuexin realized they were in for a fight. He laughed too and said, "Oh? So you're sure you've got us beat?"
[New book out... Please add it to your collection and let it build up before reading. Your support means a lot... Thank you, everyone!] The next chapter is even better.
Before you continue