The rain began in the latter half of the night.
At first, it was only a fine drizzle, pattering softly against the corrugated iron roof of the abandoned warehouse. By dawn, the rain suddenly intensified. Bean-sized drops hammered down, splashing muddy water from the puddles.
Samui leaned against a rusted shelf inside the warehouse, her right hand pressed over the wound on her left arm.
The bleeding had already stopped.
Hidden Cloud's medical ninjutsu was not as developed as Leaf Village's, but as an elite directly under the Raikage, she had mastered enough emergency treatment skills to keep herself alive on the battlefield. Chakra threads had woven a temporary hemostatic net beneath her skin, while her muscles contracted to seal the wound cut open by Wind Release—not deep, but painful enough.
She glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.
4:17 a.m.
A full two hours had passed since the agreed rendezvous time.
Hyuga Xiao had not appeared.
Samui closed her eyes and rapidly reviewed the previous night's movements in her mind. As planned, she had drawn away three Root squads, led them in three wide circles through the alleys of eastern Leaf Village, used Lightning Release: False Darkness to create seven explosions, and finally lost her pursuers in the drainage system beneath Hokage Rock.
The entire operation had been clean and efficient, leaving behind no clues that pointed anywhere.
By all rights, Xiao should have reached this safe point in the abandoned industrial district on Leaf Village's outskirts before her. They had scouted this backup meeting place three days ago. It was less than two kilometers from the house where Hong was hiding, separated by three shopping streets and an old residential area awaiting demolition.
At Xiao's speed, even carrying an unconscious Hong, he should have arrived within twenty