Mukai's recent days had not been good.
Being taken in by the Hyuga Clan and then being driven out by them… this kind of thing... With the Konoha's higher-ups keeping related incidents confidential, gossip was rampant among the neighbors.
Mukai himself didn't care about these things.
His elders had long died in the wars. Growing up alone, he developed a carefree and unrestrained personality. His usual attire was extremely sloppy, and he drank and smoked casually regardless of the setting. He was already used to being pointed at and whispered about.
But while he didn't care about himself, he couldn't help but care about his wife.
Especially since his wife had recently become pregnant; he cared even more now.
However, this wasn't the hardest part. The hardest part was that after his failure in leading the Hyuga Branch Family to break free from the Main Family, he became a dangerous individual under close surveillance.
He couldn't leave the village for missions, his movements were restricted, and anyone who conversed with him would later be questioned to understand the situation.
If he hadn't considered the possibility of failure before seeking the Hokage's help and secretly devised signals with his comrades who were also resisting the Main Family's control, he would truly have been left with no way out.
'I wonder if Takeso managed to contact Ryuji, and whether he's developed a method to solve the Caged Bird Seal Cursed Seal!'
Mukai sat in the courtyard with a cigarette in his mouth, his weathered eyes staring blankly outside, his heart tied to his comrades' actions.
This was their only chance.
If even Ryuji failed, then this would be how he'd have to live out the rest of his life.
"Don't worry, everything will be fine."
Hearing the gentle voice of comfort from behind, Mukai snapped out of his thoughts. Forcing a slight smile onto his face, he crushed the cigarette butt underfoot, turned around, and embraced the woman, about twenty-five years old, with black hair tied up at the back of her head. He softly comforted her, "Of course. No matter what happens, I'll make sure you and the child live happily."
"Mhm!"
The woman replied softly, resting her head against Mukai's chest.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Suddenly, four heavy thuds sounded from around them.
Both were startled and looked around. Lying under the trees surrounding the house were the bodies of four Anbu's members. Standing on the trees were three people... Ryuji, Kuro, and Takeso.
Just as the couple looked over, the trio also looked at them.
Ryuji waved at them teasingly, "Haven't seen you in half a year, and the first thing you do is flaunt your affection. You're really something!"
Mukai didn't mind, a smile appearing on his face. "The fact that you're here means our plan succeeded, right?"
As he spoke, he looked at Takeso standing beside Ryuji.
Takeso nodded and removed his forehead protector.
His smooth forehead was clear, with no mark whatsoever.
"It's... it's really gone!?"
Mukai's pupils widened slightly.
Although he knew Ryuji's talent was rare in the world, the Caged Bird Seal was, after all, an advanced Cursed Seal that had existed for centuries without anyone being able to break it.
Therefore, he wasn't entirely certain Ryuji could succeed. He was just trying, thinking things couldn't get worse anyway.
He never expected it to actually succeed.
"Just the Caged Bird Seal, it's nothing much!" Ryuji said, boasting proudly while jumping down from the tree and approaching the two. "Go gather everyone, then we'll leave together."
"How do we leave?"
Ryuji didn't answer, simply opening a space door behind him.
Through the vortex-like space door, Mukai saw the vast space inside. His mouth hung open for a good while before he finally came back to his senses and praised, "... To be able to do something like this... truly befitting of you!"
Even though Ryuji's formidable reputation had spread throughout the Shinobi World, something like carrying a personal dimension was just too overpowering.
"If I couldn't even do something like this, how could I oppose the entire Shinobi World?"
"Seeing you so full of confidence puts me at ease."
Mukai nodded and instructed his wife, "Tamako, go pack our luggage. Only take what's easy to carry. I'll go gather the others."
"Mhm!"
Tamako nodded, turned around, and went into the house to pack.
Meanwhile, Ryuji looked at Mukai. "Is there anything I can help with?"
"No need. Just wait for Tamako to finish packing, put her in your dimension, then wait for me at Training Ground 44."
"Understood!"
"Alright then!"
With that, Mukai left with Takeso.
…
Because of the difference in gender, Ryuji and Kuro didn't enter the house to help.
Better safe than sorry.
What if Mukai suddenly had to return for something and happened to witness a scene easily misunderstood? That would be disastrous.
Although he didn't think such a clichéd plot would happen to him, and theoretically Mukai couldn't return so quickly, it was better to be cautious when it came to major matters.
"Master, someone is coming."
Suddenly, Kuro spoke up.
"How many?"
"Two. Their Chakra feels somewhat familiar. It's Kakashi and Obito."
"Those two..." Ryuji pinched his chin in thought, then after a moment said, "Hide those Anbu inside the house. Also, tell Tamako to stop packing for now, to avoid any suspicion."
"Yes."
Kuro nodded, grabbing two bodies at a time and making two trips to drag the four Anbu into the house.
Then Ryuji used the Transformation Technique to take on Mukai's appearance.
Soon, two figures appeared at the end of the road.
One wore a green flak jacket; the other wore a black bodysuit.
'So he became a Chunin?'
A trace of surprise flashed in Ryuji's eyes.
"Mukai-san!"
Obito and Kakashi didn't conceal themselves, approaching the courtyard gate openly and bowing deeply to Ryuji inside. "We apologize for disturbing you so abruptly."
Ryuji furrowed his brows slightly, replying in Mukai's tone, "What is it?"
"We just have some things we'd like to ask you, Mukai-san."
"Come in."
"Thank you, Mukai-san."
After expressing their thanks, Kakashi and Obito opened the gate and entered.
"It's like this: while we were on a mission outside, we encountered a small team of suspicious Sunagakure's Shinobi. From them, we seized a scroll."
"Oh?"
Ryuji's mind stirred, thinking to himself: 'Could it be a squad sent by the Third Kazekage to gather intelligence was captured?'
"This scroll seems to hold a great secret. That team was willing to risk their lives to prevent it from falling into our hands."
"If it's such an important scroll, why aren't you taking it to the Hokage-sama? Why come to me?"
Ryuji looked at them strangely while thinking to himself: 'If it really is important intelligence that fell into Konoha's hands, I'd have to fight desperately to take it back.'
"Well..."
Obito scratched his head, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Kakashi couldn't stand it anymore and said, "It's nothing shameful. In fact, because of their desperate protection, we only managed to snatch a corner of the scroll. And on that corner was written Mukai-san's name. That's why we specifically came to ask if you might have any clues."
As they spoke, the two stared intently at Ryuji's face.