So you've found new teammates, Uchiha Itachi.
Able to detect that I was watching. That person, who is he...
A long-haired man with face covered by a tiger-striped single-eye mask, wearing a dark robe, hand resting on a long blade, seemingly casually paced through the forest.
When his figure touched thick tree trunks, it passed through without obstruction like a phantom, as if that solid wood were merely illusion.
"Zetsu, where are they?" A low voice came from behind the mask.
"Just ahead," a strange voice seemed to seep from underground.
Immediately after, a half-black half-white figure like a twisted fusion of plant and human body slowly grew from the tree trunk beside Obito.
"Most of Konoha's escort forces have been diverted by outer harassment. Now around the Cloud envoy encampment, only their own escorts and extremely few Konoha sentries remain. The gap... three minutes maximum."
"Enough." Uchiha Obito's voice held no ripples.
He glanced at Zetsu's bizarre face. "Iwagakure is willing to spend capital this time. Where did they recruit so much trash?"
"Hehehe," Zetsu emitted a low, viscous laugh. "War is ending. Many missing-nin and wandering shinobi can't survive in the gaps between great nations. They're all fleeing west."
"That old man Ōnoki just needs to hold the checkpoints and not let them through. These people can only be used as cannon fodder. This 'big business' is a rare lifeline for them."
"Hmph."
"With or without this commission, I wouldn't miss this opportunity."
Akatsuki's reputation had gradually spread. This commission came that way, with him personally acting.
But even without commission, this had to be done.
Let Konoha so easily gain breathing room and reach alliance with Cloud? That had no benefit for future plans.
No village could be strong. Waiting for the perfect world's arrival amid chaos was this world's salvation.
His figure became illusory again, soundlessly flowing into the seemingly heavily guarded Cloud temporary encampment ahead.
"You..."
A vigilant Cloud escort just detected a trace of air's abnormal distortion. He only managed to utter one syllable.
The sound stopped abruptly.
Two escorts collapsed like sacks with bones removed, soundlessly going limp on the ground. Only an almost invisible fine line at their throats.
The mission leader Akai was now firmly grasped at the neck by a hand reaching from the void!
Akai's pupils contracted sharply from suffocation and shock. In the eye not covered by his forehead protector, that crimson Sharingan behind the mask's hole was clearly reflected!
"Find a chance... sabotage negotiations..."
"...Yes..."
Akai's gaze rapidly lost focus, becoming hollow and obedient. A vague response squeezed from his throat.
Simultaneously, two milky white, humanoid slime-like creatures quietly seeped from the ground, rapidly covering the two escort corpses that had just stopped breathing.
They squirmed, greedily absorbing residual chakra from the bodies. Their body forms twisted and changed accordingly, transforming into appearances, clothing, even subtle expressions identical to the previous escorts.
White Zetsu cleaned traces at the scene efficiently. When all this was completed, the confusion in Cloud leader Akai's eyes also faded, returning to normal clarity.
Just then, a Konoha squad responsible for perimeter patrol arrived following the noise the escorts made before falling.
"What happened? Any situation?" The lead Konoha jōnin vigilantly swept the camp.
"Nothing," Akai's expression was normal, even carrying a trace of impatience at being disturbed.
"Just some annoying rats. Already dealt with by us. Hasn't it been like this the whole time? Your village's defense efficiency seems merely so-so."
He waved his hand, indicating the other side could leave.
The Konoha shinobi looked at several patches of newly turned earth and some fight traces on the ground, then at Akai and his two expressionless but stable-aura escorts behind him.
Recalling the harassers of varying levels encountered these days, though he had doubts, he also felt it made sense. The Cloud delegation's escorts were indeed not weak. Solving a few harassers was not difficult.
"Please be careful, honored envoy." The Konoha chūnin gave a formulaic reminder and led his team away.
Behind where he could not see, the corner of Akai's mouth pulled up extremely slightly.
Under Konoha's dense coordination of many jōnin and chūnin, the Cloud delegation's final stretch entering Konoha proceeded basically smoothly without obstruction.
Team Five also received latest orders: the Cloud envoy party had been temporarily settled at a safe farmstead outside Konoha Village. Team Five should immediately return to the village and stand by.
Mission complete. Temporarily assigned Might Guy naturally had to leave.
"Shuji-kun! Itachi-kun! Anko-san!"
Before parting, Guy again ignited his signature youth. Both hands' thumbs raised high. White teeth gleamed brilliantly in sunlight.
"Every moment fighting alongside you made my youth burn hotter! Brief parting is for more dazzling reunion!"
"Let us promise that next mission, we must bloom even more brilliant youth!"
Shuji nodded without changing expression. "Guy-senpai, good work."
Itachi bowed slightly, maintaining courtesy toward seniors. "Thank you for Guy-senpai's care."
Anko smiled awkwardly. "Then, goodbye, Guy-senpai."
Watching Guy's departing back, Shuji's heart still felt something was wrong. Those interceptors made such a big commotion. What was it all for?
And that footprint. That footprint that made them more vigilant during night rotations. Who did it belong to?
Shuji forced himself to stop meaningless speculation. Not all conspiracies in the world could succeed. Maybe whoever arranged this incident could only seek opportunities through such behavior.
This was not impossible.
Instead it was Cloud's envoy. If he remembered correctly, in the vaguely remaining plot impressions, this person seemed rather impolite.
Of course, this fit Shuji's stereotype of Kumogakure.
Pretty strong on battlefields. Diplomatic volume also large. Yet always liked petty theft, giving people a subtle feeling.
The most ridiculous incident was the Third Raikage's death in battle.
A village's Kage, to cover subordinates' retreat, fought ten thousand Iwa shinobi for three days and nights.
Three days and nights. Even the Fourth Shinobi World War finished fighting. Kumogakure just let the Third Raikage be worn to death.
Of course, what the actual situation was, the previous life had no accurate information. This life also had none.
Whether Cloud or Iwa, both kept intelligence about this matter sealed tight.
Also irrelevant to the current situation.
Shuji planned to return and remind the village to watch Cloud's envoy. With credentials from fighting three years at the Cloud border, proposing some views targeting Kumogakure was acceptable.
Wasn't this the meaning of becoming jōnin? Even special jōnin could directly reach the Hokage's office anytime.
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild