Chapter 53: The Hunt Begins
An hour passed quickly. After Team Kakashi finished preparations, they arrived early at the logistics department. Here, supplies were piled like small mountains—ninja tools, medicine, food, clothing. In short, everything that could be used on the battlefield could be found here.
"Kakashi-taicho, these are all the supplies you need to deliver to Mount Kinko. Check and verify them now. If there are no problems, I'll arrange for people to help you seal them."
The person in charge led Kakashi and his team into a warehouse, pointing at all the categorically stacked wooden crates on the left half.
Kakashi glanced over and said, "Aika, verify the ninja tools. Rin, you're responsible for verifying the medicine. Akiba, carefully check the food preservation status. I'll handle the rest of the miscellaneous items."
Kakashi quickly assigned tasks to his teammates.
The four split up, taking inventory lists to verify and inspect one by one. After spending roughly twenty minutes confirming the prepared supplies were in full quantity with no quality defects, the person in charge immediately found four chunin to begin sealing work.
They unrolled and spread storage scrolls—one meter wide and ten meters long—on the floor, then sequentially placed crates of ninja tools, medicine, and other supplies on the scrolls, using sealing techniques to store them within.
After about half an hour, all the supplies had been sealed into the scrolls. Sealing these supplies required a total of four of these extra-large storage scrolls.
"Kakashi jonin, please sign here."
The person in charge came before Kakashi with a stack of forms, watching as Kakashi signed all the documents. Only then did he put them away, offering a perfunctory courtesy: "I'll leave the rest to you all. I still have matters to attend to, so I won't accompany you further!"
In the blink of an eye, the person in charge who was so busy he was practically ready to take flight hurried away, leaving only the four of them and the four extra-large scrolls on the ground.
Kakashi stared at the four extra-large storage scrolls arranged in a row and slowly said, "We're four people, so one person each—"
"Rin, let's carry them together!"
Hyuga Akiba proactively spoke up, looking at Nohara Rin with her proposal.
"Okay!"
Nohara Rin quickly agreed.
Kakashi immediately frowned. "Rin, Akiba, the four of us each taking one would be just right."
"But carrying such a large scroll will consume more stamina while traveling, and it will affect movement during combat. Kakashi-taicho, my main role is reconnaissance, and Rin is a medical ninja. If we really encounter enemy attacks, it'll mainly depend on you and Aika to eliminate them. So it's necessary for you two to maintain better condition."
As Hyuga Akiba spoke, she'd already shouldered two of the extra-large scrolls on her back.
Nohara Rin's movements were also quick, tightly binding the remaining two scrolls to her body.
"Alright, Kakashi, let's depart quickly!"
Nohara Rin urged with a smile.
"Rin, Akiba, I appreciate your hard work. I'll definitely protect you both!" Uchiha Aika said with a beaming smile.
She was in good spirits.
Not because she was happy about not having to carry these extra-large scrolls while traveling—Uchiha clan shinobi's common affliction was only arrogant disdain for others, not being pampered nobles who couldn't lift with their shoulders or carry with their hands.
She was happy because she felt very comfortable in Team Kakashi.
Captain Kakashi was young but powerful—an unsmiling iceberg.
Hyuga Akiba was a Branch Family girl from the Hyuga clan—oh right, the Hyuga clan no longer had Main and Branch Family distinctions now. She was full of vitality and boundless energy.
Nohara Rin was gentle and considerate, lively and cheerful—practically the exemplar of the female medical ninja many men imagined.
Most importantly, all three treated her very well, not at all looking at her with that annoying, wary gaze just because she was Uchiha. Setting aside Captain Kakashi who was cold as ice to everyone except Rin. Hyuga Akiba and Nohara Rin were Friend Number One and Friend Number Two that Uchiha Aika had made outside her clan!
"If you get tired on the road, just say so."
Seeing Nohara Rin insist on not changing her mind, Kakashi said sullenly in resignation.
Immediately after, with a command, the four set off, embarking on the journey to Mount Kinko.
Not long after—
"The message arrived!"
At a certain temporary camp hidden in the forest, a man strode over quickly. He had long dark blue hair with such stiff texture that it shot straight up toward the sky like a torch. His complexion was dark, with gill-like marks on both sides of his cheeks. When he opened his mouth to speak, sharp fangs were visible.
He wore standard Mist shinobi combat uniform and carried a long sword on his back. He looked like a shark that had crawled onto land, disguised itself as human, and learned to walk upright.
He came to the center of the camp, stood before Suikazan Fuguki, and handed over the letter he held, saying succinctly, "Fuguki-sama, this is the letter sent from there."
"It's already here? Faster than I expected. These Konoha people are really quite enthusiastic when it comes to eliminating their own." Suikazan Fuguki, sitting on a felled tree trunk, spoke with mockery.
His sarcasm drew several light laughs.
But some didn't laugh. Someone urged impatiently, "Fuguki, stop talking nonsense. Hurry up and see what the letter says."
The speaker was Biwa Juzo, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and wielder of the Executioner's Blade. He was a comrade-in-arms of many years with Suikazan Fuguki.
"Juzo, can't you fix that impatient temper of yours?"
Suikazan Fuguki glared irritably at Biwa Juzo beside him, but still extended his hand, accepted the letter, and muttered to himself, "Let me see how they plan to deliver the prey before us for hunting!"
He opened the letter and quickly finished reading its contents.
"How is it, Fuguki?"
Kirishima Shinya, seated directly across from him, spoke up to ask.
"Everything's going smoothly. The squad commanded by Hatake Kakashi is escorting supplies toward the Mount Kinko defensive position. Meanwhile, Hyuga Ritsu, who's currently tracking and investigating Ao's whereabouts, will depart from Mount Kinko to meet Hatake Kakashi's squad midway."
As he spoke, Suikazan Fuguki passed this secret letter to Kirishima Shinya.
The latter took the letter and skimmed through it. Indeed, the contents recorded matched exactly what Suikazan Fuguki had described. He immediately became excited, extending his tongue to lick his lips, saying:
"Perfect! Fuguki, we can split up. I'll take people to deal with Hatake Kakashi's squad, while you, Fuguki, take people to hunt White Yaksha. Once you've killed White Yaksha, come rendezvous with me. Then we'll go to Konoha together and raise hell!"
Hearing this, the other Mist shinobi also revealed excited, bloodthirsty smiles.
On a tree trunk behind them, a yin-yang face hidden behind branches and leaves also had its corners curve up slightly.
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