Meanwhile,
Hyuga Setsuna followed the falcon to the place where that group was hiding!
Looking at the cave hidden amid the mountains and forest, realization flashed through Hyuga Setsuna's eyes.
No wonder he had been unable to find any trace of them. Their temporary base was actually more than ten kilometers from the Royal Capital.
They were quite cautious, this group!
Looking at the cave not far ahead, Hyuga Setsuna leaped forward. At the same time, he directed the Chakra within his body toward his eyes and called out softly.
"Byakugan, activate!"
The veins around his temples immediately bulged one after another.
After activating his Byakugan, Hyuga Setsuna immediately looked into the cave.
The scene within the cave began to reveal itself to Hyuga Setsuna's activated Byakugan.
"Four people? They look like an organization—or rather, a team?"
Hyuga Setsuna saw the falcon land on one of their shoulders.
Looking at Qianhun Qingyu, Hyuga Setsuna understood that this middle-aged man dressed as a samurai was the one controlling the falcon and had been monitoring them for nearly a month.
Through the Byakugan's perception, Hyuga Setsuna could see the Chakra contained within the samurai-clad middle-aged man's body. In terms of quantity, it had already reached Jonin level.
Hyuga Setsuna then turned his gaze toward the other two and analyzed their strength.
A scar-faced man?
The amount of Chakra in his body had also reached Jonin level.
But judging from the katana at his side and his ronin attire, he was probably a ninja skilled with a blade.
Hm? The Chakra in this person's body had only barely reached Jonin level, and he wore nothing more than the usual wandering ninja outfit.
He should be the weakest member of their four-man team, but I should still be careful. After all, ninja Ninjutsu was always strange and unpredictable.
Hyuga Setsuna slowly shifted his gaze toward the last person.
Looking at the last person's Chakra and build, Hyuga Setsuna's brows furrowed deeply.
The Chakra within his body was far greater than that of an ordinary Jonin, though it had yet to reach Kage level.
He was nearly two meters tall. To ordinary people, that was simply enormous.
Moreover, his physique, wounds, and scars all proclaimed that he was not someone to be trifled with.
Looking at the muscular body and nearly two-meter-tall figure within the cave, Hyuga Setsuna wore a thoughtful expression.
This person's strength was clearly beyond what Kakashi could handle. Even the two ninja who had spoken with the Daimyo that night would not be his match.
Only by revealing his own strength could he stop him, but how would he explain it afterward if he exposed his power?
Just as Hyuga Setsuna continued pondering,
Nakamura Shido seemed to sense something. His majestic, terrifying lion-like eyes immediately turned toward the outside of the cave.
Seeing Nakamura Shido suddenly look outside, Tokugawa Koichi and the other two immediately became alert, raising their weapons toward the cave entrance.
Tokugawa Koichi stared outside with his eyes shut, rapidly forming hand seals. Without needing anyone else's reminder, he began sensing the situation and movements outside.
Hyuga Setsuna also saw the scene inside the cave through his Byakugan.
Damn it, did that guy notice my gaze just now?!
Thinking this, Hyuga Setsuna immediately deactivated his Byakugan. He formed hand seals with both hands and used Ninjutsu, doing everything he could to conceal his aura and presence.
Inside the cave, Nakamura Shido slowly withdrew his gaze from outside, then closed his eyes once more.
However, Qianhun Qingyu and Yamada Tetsuya did not lower their guard.
They kept their weapons raised toward the cave entrance while anxiously looking at Tokugawa Koichi.
After a long while, Tokugawa Koichi slowly opened his eyes, lowered his kunai and stopped forming hand seals, then shook his head and said calmly.
"Don't worry, there's no one there!"
"It was probably some wild animal passing by."
Then, Tokugawa Koichi secretly glanced at Nakamura Shido again and grumbled inwardly.
The boss's reaction nearly scared me to death.
But Tokugawa Koichi only dared think such things in his heart. He would never dare say them to Nakamura Shido's face.
If he did, he would definitely be beaten to death with one punch!
After receiving Tokugawa Koichi's answer, Qianhun Qingyu and Yamada Tetsuya relaxed their guard and lowered their kunai and katana.
Yamada Tetsuya looked at Youyun, who was trembling on Qianhun Qingyu's shoulder from fright, and said with a malicious grin.
"Ha, Qingyu, your summoned beast is really easy to scare. Don't tell me it was so frightened that it can't even report the intelligence."
Qianhun Qingyu lightly glanced at Nakamura Shido, who sat on a rock with his eyes closed in quiet meditation, and ignored Yamada Tetsuya's provocation.
He raised his hand and gently placed it on the trembling Youyun, soothing it as he said softly.
"Youyun, did you find anything during today's surveillance?"
With Qianhun Qingyu's reassurance, the trembling Youyun gradually calmed down. A clear voice came from its beak.
"Lord Qingyu, today was the same as usual."
"That brat from the Hyuga Clan took that young lady out for a stroll as usual, then returned to the Daimyo's Mansion."
"The Leaf Village brat secretly protecting them was the same!"
"As for the Daimyo, he received other officials as usual."
Hearing Youyun's report, Qianhun Qingyu nodded and said amicably to it.
"You've worked hard today, Youyun. Go back first."
Upon hearing Qianhun Qingyu's order, Youyun, perched on his shoulder, immediately and eagerly released the Summoning Technique.
"Bang!"
A cloud of white smoke spread out, and Youyun had already returned home.
After seeing Youyun disappear, Qianhun Qingyu turned to Nakamura Shido, who sat cross-legged on the rock, and said respectfully.
"Boss, should we continue observing them, or should we attack tonight and kill them?"
Yamada Tetsuya immediately jumped in, impatience written across his face.
"Of course we're going tonight to kill the Daimyo and his daughter. What are we waiting for?"
"We've already wasted nearly a month!!"
Tokugawa Koichi lay half-reclined on the ground, comfortably leaning against the stone wall. He looked at the others with an unconcerned expression and lazily suggested,
"Boss, I also agree that we should complete the mission tonight."
"After all, based on our observations and surveillance these past few days, those two Leaf Village brats should have both let down their guard."
"The only people we need to watch out for are the Daimyo's subordinates. Leave the two brats to Tetsuya!"
After hearing this, Yamada Tetsuya looked at Tokugawa Koichi, who was half-reclining on the ground, and for the first time found him quite pleasing to the eye!
After hearing Tokugawa Koichi's opinion, Nakamura Shido slowly opened his eyes from atop the rock and said in a heavy voice.
"Then we'll act late tonight. Our employer has been waiting impatiently anyway!"
Upon hearing Boss Nakamura Shido agree, the three men wore different expressions.
Qianhun Qingyu's face was solemn, and no one knew what he was thinking.
A bloodthirsty smile curled across Yamada Tetsuya's lips, while chilling killing intent and excitement ignited in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Tokugawa Koichi lay half-reclined on the ground, staring at the dark stone ceiling above as he kept muttering.
"What a hassle, what a hassle... I have to kill people again..."
Outside, Hyuga Setsuna, who had hidden himself and overheard their plan, wore a warm, infectious smile.
He had indeed come to the right place. This was truly an unexpected gain!!
Second update!!
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The Royal Capital arc in the Land of Fire will be ending soon. Writing this Royal Capital section had felt so exhausting, and I kept getting stuck... It was painful.
Before you continue