Departure

This was the route jointly discussed by both sides. After careful consideration from all parties, elite jonin would personally lead the team. However, because there were so many supplies, their speed would be rather slow.

"It will take about three days. And that's assuming nothing unexpected happens. If we run into any accidents along the way, it will take even longer."

The village's jonin came from a prominent clan. He was a member of the Aburame Clan and had been assigned to protect Uchiha Yū.

The Aburame Clan was considered one of Konoha's great clans, known as insect masters.

Wrapped in a black cloak, he stood beside Uchiha Yū. If not for his proximity to You, no one would have noticed him. He seemed more like an outsider detached from the group.

"If we encounter danger, stay by my side. I will ensure your safety."

He was not good with words, but his actions showed that he would do everything he could to protect You during this mission.

"Thank you, Aburame jonin."

Aburame Hanfeng nodded lightly. Two insects crawled out from his body and settled on Uchiha Yū's shoulders, invisible to the naked eye.

"These two insects can track your location."

Once everything was prepared, Aburame Hanfeng returned to the group.

With the creaking of carts hauling supplies, they began traveling through the night.

It was easy to sense that the group had split into two factions. Although this was a joint mission, formal cooperation between the two sides had yet to be established. No one dared entrust their backs to the other.

The Konoha jonin gathered the remaining ninja and had them guard the supplies from behind, while the Sand Village elite jonin led from the front.

There was also a group of elite chunin. Rather than staying around the carts, they spread out at the sides according to their orders, allowing them to detect enemies in advance.

With so many supplies, losing them would be no small loss for either side.

They had already left Konoha's patrol zone and entered the border region, where all kinds of uncertain dangers lurked.

Within the group, Uchiha Shuiyun did not remain with the main force. He had moved to the rear, staring ahead with jealous eyes at the person being personally protected by a jonin.

"Just wait! After defeating me back then, did you ever imagine this day would come? I'll torture you mercilessly!"

After saying that, his body melted into the darkness.

Ahead of their carts was another group of ninja, which was also Uchiha Shuiyun's destination. Their leader stood atop a tree. Upon hearing movement nearby, he immediately raised a hand to stop the ninja beside him from acting.

That jonin used the Body Flicker Technique and appeared beside Uchiha Shuiyun. He looked down on this kind of traitor from the bottom of his heart, but his words still carried a trace of concern.

"You're much slower than I expected. Looks like there are plenty of goods."

"The battle will proceed as we discussed. We'll intercept the supplies, and as for what you requested, I'll handle it personally."

They were ninja from the Rain Village. Their purpose in coming to the Land of Fire this time was to intercept and kill the convoy.

They were a squad directly under Hanzō, including four jonin. Salamander Pufferfish was even an elite jonin.

A cruel expression appeared on his face as he gestured for the ninja beside him to move closer.

Only after they left did Uchiha Shuiyun reveal a wild grin. His eyes overflowed with venom as he said with a sickly smile:

"Uchiha Yū! And that damned Uchiha Clan! Since you think I no longer have any value, I'll make you pay the price!"

Shuiyun's eyes were changing. His original one-tomoe Sharingan was transforming into a two-tomoe Sharingan due to this spiritual metamorphosis!

Uchiha in this state were the most dangerous, trapped in a terrifying obsession.

At that moment, however, Uchiha Shuiyun felt endless power surging into his body. The darkness within his heart was being infinitely magnified.

The group still traveling onward had yet to notice anything wrong.

As they passed through a forest, the Sand Village elite jonin stopped. He looked around, then raised a hand to halt the group's advance.

"What happened?"

The Konoha ninja in the rear looked at him in confusion.

"Jiro hasn't reported in."

The chunin scattered around the perimeter were supposed to return every ten minutes to report on the surrounding safety conditions.

Yet this time, he was one minute late, making the Sand Village jonin hesitate.

There could be no negligence in a mission like this. If there was any, it could only mean enemies had appeared.

The ninja present immediately drew their kunai and pressed close together, watching the surroundings warily.

Sure enough, the moment after his warning, a pale white mist began spreading through the forest.

"Mist Concealment Technique!"

Aburame Hanfeng recognized the nature of the mist. To prevent assassins from suddenly attacking, countless insects crawled out from his body, forming a black barrier around himself and Uchiha Yū.

Because of his mission, Hanfeng had no intention of supporting his comrades.

A kunai shot straight out of the mist, aimed directly at Uchiha Yū.

Clack!

The insects blocked the kunai and flung it forward, where it lodged in a tree.

Boom!

"That was close..."

Uchiha Yū's pupils contracted. This was no ordinary kunai. An explosive tag had been attached to it, clearly meant to deliver a killing blow.

The commotion drew the attention of the surrounding ninja. After they identified the direction from which the kunai had been thrown, the enemy no longer remained hidden.

"There's actually a jonin protecting you. Killing you won't be so easy."

A ninja wearing a straw raincoat slowly emerged from the mist, deep eyes visible beneath his conical hat.

"Rain ninja!"

No one had expected people from the Rain Village to appear along their supply route. They did not know who had leaked the information, but now was not the time to investigate.

A fierce battle was likely unavoidable today.

Since the enemy had dared to step out of hiding, their visible forces were at least not inferior to the alliance of the two villages.

"Does the Rain Village intend to bear the wrath of two great ninja villages? I wonder whether that Hanzō has the strength for it."

The Sand ninja elite jonin used a summoning scroll to release two puppets. Judging from his fighting style, he was a puppeteer.

"Lord Hanzō can naturally deal with two great ninja villages. The Sand Village has always been the weakest village. If not for the One-Tail, what right would you have to call yourselves one of the Five Great Ninja Villages?"

The effects brought by an empty reputation in the ninja world far exceeded imagination.

Many merchants chose major villages for their missions, leaving the remaining villages to take only minor jobs. Without money and resources, naturally, training ninja became difficult.

Now, under Hanzō's leadership, the Rain Village was confident that it could become one of the new Five Great Ninja Villages!