While everyone in Konoha High Command was speculating about the dinner gathering of the four great clan heads, Madara Uchiha met up with Guy, and the two set off for the Land of Lightning.
Not long after they departed, Six Shadows emerged outside Konoha through Root's secret passage and began tracking them.
Unlike Konoha, with its fertile soil and dense forests, the Land of Lightning was filled with towering mountains. When thunder struck, its rumble echoed among the peaks, which was how the country had earned its name.
After crossing the border into the Land of Lightning, Madara and Guy inevitably had to traverse mountains and rivers. To avoid having their movements discovered, they also had to choose deserted routes. The journey alone already made this mission a grueling one.
When they reached the Land of Lightning's Capital, they found it protected by a Barrier, just like those of other countries. Getting inside remained their first obstacle.
"Something's off. I've been to the Land of Lightning's Capital before, and security wasn't this tight. Could your previous assassinations have put their nobles on guard?"
Unlike the unprepared Land of Wind, Land of Earth, and Land of Water, the Land of Lightning actually had shinobi assisting the guards at the Capital's gates.
Everyone entering through the gates had to be touched by one of the Land of Lightning's shinobi guards before being admitted. It was easy to guess that the two shinobi stationed there were sensory types.
If Madara tried to enter using genjutsu or the Transformation Technique again, he would inevitably be detected.
"It's not that the nobles are on guard against us. Our movements on this mission have already been leaked."
Even Kumogakure, the strongest village, could only have a finite number of shinobi.
Assigning shinobi to guard gates was