Ryuta advanced calmly, his breathing so low it was almost inaudible, his steps following suit, his body moving through the darkness via blind spots, his hearing and chakra sense working at their peak.
He entered with surprising ease, which didn't cheer Ryuta up, on the contrary, it made him feel like something was wrong.
It was very easy, so easy that Ryuta felt there was something he couldn't figure out, as if he were entering the web of an invisible spider.
This was Ryuta's psychological state, as he had not yet adjusted to his own strength and the level of power in the world.
His first major battle was a Chunin Exam full of monsters where he had to walk on eggshells to survive, and now?
Now he was breaking into a nobleman's mansion as if he were going to a fair.
Even when Ryuta stood beside the fat nobleman's body, embracing a woman on either side and snoring like a tractor, he remained silent.
He looked around several times before finally approaching, he finally confirmed that there was no mistake, this was indeed the target.
Ryuta hadn't finished him off yet, he circled around again and confirmed everything once more. Finally, quickly making hand seals and focusing on the fat man, Ryuta turned the fat man's brain into jelly. His breathing stopped as he twitched, completely immobilizing him.
Ryuta observed the fat man's body once more, confirming that the target was neutralized, though it still felt unreal.
Shaking his head, he placed his hand on the wall and used a jutsu to send sound waves through the subsoil, something only a trained Oto ninja would perceive, it was a message for Nanami informing her that the mission was complete and she should leave.
Ryuta left without letting his guard down, and even when he met Nanami and Kenta again, he still seemed quiet, incredibly quiet, leaving the pair worried.
When Dosu appeared, Ryuta raised his head and opened his mouth, but for a moment, he didn't know what to say.
Dosu observed Ryuta's figure, understanding what he was thinking, but he didn't say anything there, instead, he spoke. - Mission accomplished, let's go.
The road was silent for a while, Kenta and Nanami realizing that something seemed wrong with Ryuta, but since Dosu didn't say anything, they just kept going, glancing at Ryuta from time to time with concern.
Ryuta finally couldn't take it anymore and asked. -Dosu-sensei, did you deal with the real guards before we went in?
This made Kenta and Nanami look at Dosu in surprise. Could this have been just another test?
-No, I literally didn't do anything.- Dosu didn't turn his face away, just continuing to run forward.
-So how...- Ryuta asked, confused.
-They were weak, that's the correct answer.- Dosu explained.
For a moment, Ryuta couldn't accept that answer. Dosu finally turned his one eye back, looking at him and speaking. -You've faced monsters so far, but that doesn't mean you'll find monsters everywhere you go.
The group fell silent, Dosu looked ahead again as he continued. - Even so, this mission was perfectly executed, next time you can do the same, even if the enemy is even weaker, because there's no way to know if every time the enemies will be as weak as this one, remember, you are ninja.
The group fell silent again, Kenta and Nanami deep in thought, but it was Ryuta, who had experienced the murder firsthand, who finally seemed to have understood something.
They grew stronger.
Even so, he understood Dosu-sensei's advice, because they had already experienced the monsters, he knew that he shouldn't underestimate the weak, because on the day that there are monsters among the weak, one of them might die.
Ryuta kept this lesson in mind, and the group continued advancing into the dark night, returning to Otogakure.
//-//
Sasori and Deidara had flown to the Land of Rivers, the location where the sealing of the Ichibi would take place.
Outside the Akatsuki hideout in that place, the pair descended, Gaara, unconscious and held by the tail of the clay bird, was released, he fell to the ground, Deidara caught him and took him inside, followed by Sasori.
Inside, the giant statue was already prepared. Pain was already standing on one of the statue's fingers, just a projection. He looked at the figures of Deidara and Sasori, then at Gaara, saying. -Let's begin. I'll summon the others.
//-//
On the other side, Orochimaru, flanked by Sasuke and Karin, had just arrived at the Sand Village led by Temari. As soon as they arrived, they encountered a complicated problem, Kankuro had fainted.
Among them, both Karin and Orochimaru could save Kankuro, however, Orochimaru didn't want to worry about it, leaving it entirely up to Karin. Karin then used her own method to heal Kankuro.
Unlike Sakura, she used seals, which took her time to assemble the formation. Once assembled, the process was much simpler, Kankuro was placed in the center, and the next moment, Karin made a cut on his chest and placed her hand there, using her free hand to make a hand seal. The entire formation then lit up.
Under the worried gaze of Temari, the Sand Village group, Orochimaru, and Sasuke, the seals converged, submerging Kankuro's body. Karin, with her hand, began to pull, and a black mass was drawn directly out of his body. When it was all over, Kankuro's breathing finally returned to normal.
Having saved Kankuro, it was time to pursue the Akatsuki group.
Chiyo stepped between them, although it wasn't Kakashi who came this time. Orochimaru had fought many battles against Chiyo during the war, so the old woman didn't have a good opinion of him either. Even so, because of Sasori, she wouldn't take no for an answer.
Orochimaru shrugged, summoning a large snake, and the group climbed up while pursuing Gaara's trail.