With two Jonin, Uchiha Makoto and Uchiha Kiyoshi, escorting them, the journey should have seemed safe and uneventful. In reality, however, Root's pursuit had never truly stopped.
Over the past few days, as the squad ventured deep into the border region of the Land of Fire, danger had dogged their every step. Ambushes and covert attacks, large and small, came one after another without pause.
When they camped for the night, there were explosive tags buried underground, slow-acting poison mixed into mountain spring water, and paralyzing powder smeared on tree trunks and in the grass. The tricks were endless and nearly impossible to guard against.
As they traveled, Yuta wiped the thin sheen of sweat from his forehead, brought on by his constant vigilance, and murmured with lingering unease:
"Root just won't let up! They chase us by day and play dirty at night. We barely finish fighting off an ambush before we have to watch out for poison. They don't give us a moment to breathe."
Beside him, Naoki knitted his brows and picked up the conversation, his tone grave:
"This is probably what the Shinobi World is really like. Real killing isn't about facing each other head-on. Ambushes, poison, dirty tricks, exhausting your opponents-they'll use anything. That earlier frontal attack was just a miscalculation because they didn't know how strong we were..."
Over the past few days, everyone had grown exhausted from dealing with it all.
Last night, someone had laced the camp's drinking water with a strength-sapping poison. Had Uchiha Kiyoshi's keen senses not detected something wrong with the water beforehand, the entire squad might have been poisoned and lost their strength.
The afternoon before, while they were passing through a dense forest, dozens of planted explosive tags had detonated in succession. Had the two Jonin not raised chakra barriers in time, the squad would certainly have suffered casualties.
Uchiha Makoto walked slowly along the outside of the group, his wary gaze sweeping their surroundings as he added in a low voice:
"Root never stops until its target is dead. Losing three elite Jonin did deal them a serious blow, but they'll still deploy low-ranking operatives willing to die, using poison and covert scouts to harass us continuously. Their aim isn't to kill us head-on, but to wear us down and wait for an opening to deliver a finishing blow."
His words did nothing to ease their minds. Instead, everyone grew even more tense.
The scattered skirmishes and repeated vigilance of the past several days had given the squad a true taste of Root's terror and the brutal dangers of combat in the Shinobi World.
No one dared let down their guard. As they traveled, their eyes and ears remained alert to every slight disturbance around them.
And so, with danger at every step and their guard up day and night, the group traveled for several days, finally gritting their teeth and reaching the destination marked in their deployment orders.
It was a remote, quiet little village on the edge of the Land of Fire, surrounded by mountains and sparsely populated, far from the clamor and strife of the Shinobi World.
After days of strenuous travel, on top of the earlier fight to the death, every member of the squad was exhausted in both body and mind.
Zongyan looked over the group and suggested, "Let's rest here for a day, get ourselves back into shape, and treat our injuries. We'll move once we're fully recovered."
"No problem." Uchiha Kiyoshi and Uchiha Makoto both nodded in agreement.
Takuma rubbed the faint scar on his arm and let out a long breath. "Finally, a chance to catch our breath. If we didn't stop to rest, I'd be completely done for."
The three immediately dispersed to rest, tend to their minor injuries, and ease the tension lingering after the fierce battle. The village's peaceful atmosphere soothed the aggression and exhaustion in everyone's hearts.
The day of rest passed in a flash. Everyone had fully recovered, their spirits and energy refreshed.
Zongyan surveyed the group and said in a low voice, "Rest is over. The target is in this village. Let's move."
Everyone answered in unison, gathered their gear, and followed Zongyan slowly toward the target's location marked in the intelligence.
According to the intelligence, the rogue ninja the squad was tracking had been hiding in this overlooked little village all along.
They walked along the village paths, passing scattered homes with wisps of cooking smoke rising above them. The villagers going about their business were gentle and simple, painting a picture of peaceful everyday life that showed none of the Shinobi World's cruelty.
"Is there really a rogue ninja wanted by Konoha hiding here?" Yuta could not help asking quietly, his face full of doubt. "It looks way too peaceful."
"The most dangerous place is often the safest," Zongyan said slowly, his gaze calm. "Anyone Root is wary of and Konoha is making a priority of tracking down is definitely no pushover. He's most likely skilled at concealment and disguise. We can't let our guard down."
Yet when they reached the target location and saw the man for themselves, Zongyan paused slightly.
A clean, simple little eatery stood open beside the street. Inside, a middle-aged man in plain cloth clothes was busy working with his head lowered.
His clothes were neat, his features gentle, and his bearing steady and honest. There was not a trace of a ninja's deadly aura about him. He looked like an ordinary rural shopkeeper, so mild he seemed almost harmless.
Cooking smoke curled through the shop, and the aroma of food filled the air. Its warm, homey atmosphere diluted the group's killing intent.
The man stood at the stove, his wrists moving deftly as he skillfully prepared the food. Golden egg enveloped plump grains of rice, and a steaming serving of omelet rice gradually took shape, its fragrance wafting toward them.
Hearing clear footsteps at the entrance, he spoke without lifting his head, with the warmth of an ordinary townsman. "What would you folks like to eat? There's a menu on the table. We've got a full selection, so take your pick."
Only after speaking did he instinctively look up, ready to give his visitors his full attention.
But when his eyes swept over the bright Konoha forehead protectors on their brows and their standard ninja attire, his gentle, smiling expression abruptly froze.
That distinctive Konoha emblem was like an icy brand, instantly shattering the peaceful disguise he had maintained for years.
His pupils contracted sharply, alarm bells ringing in his mind. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned almost instinctively to flee.
After years of concealing his identity and scraping by, he knew better than anyone what it meant for Konoha ninja to come knocking.
But Zongyan and his group were already on guard.
The instant he began to move, the two Jonin stepped sideways simultaneously, cutting off his escape routes on either side of the shop.
Takuma and the other two swiftly retreated into position, blocking the front entrance and completely cutting off every route of escape.
"Don't move!" Uchiha Kiyoshi warned coldly.
At the sight, the man's heart sank completely. Still unwilling to give up, he gritted his teeth and stirred his chakra, trying to force his way out.
But his strength was only at the Chunin level. Against two proper Uchiha Jonin, along with Zongyan's exceptional fighting prowess, he had no chance of winning.
All three struck at once, their attacks crisp and decisive, subduing him within moments.
After only a few exchanges, the rogue ninja who had spent years in disguise was utterly subdued. His chakra was completely sealed, and his limbs were pinned firmly to the ground, leaving him unable to move an inch.
With the situation fully under control, the shop's initial warmth was gone, leaving only a bone-chilling killing intent.
Zongyan walked slowly forward and looked down at the man lying motionless on the ground, beginning his interrogation in an unhurried voice:
"Kawano Shinji, you deserted Konoha years ago and have been hiding here ever since. Tell me, why were you so determined to desert the village? And as a rogue ninja from Konoha, why did you choose to live in seclusion here and lie low?"
Kawano Shinji lay on the floor, unable to move. At those words, he gave a derisive laugh, his tone carrying a measure of self-mockery and indifference:
"The reason I deserted-isn't it all spelled out in the files, in Root's records? If you've come to arrest me, you already know the answer. Why bother asking me again?"
At his words, a cold smile curled Zongyan's lips:
"The reason Root gave? I don't trust Danzo one bit."
Before you continue