At the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Hot Water, a Konoha detachment was stationed.
Due to the camp's proximity to the sea, the rainfall in this area was even heavier than the drizzling rain within the Land of Fire.
Raindrops smashed into the ground, creating countless splashes, making it seem as though it was raining both above and below.
A fierce wind carrying sudden squalls blew continuously, whipping the Konoha flag taut within the camp and making the tents flap loudly in the storm.
Whoosh!
Inside one tent, a stove burned warmly, dispelling not only the night's darkness but also the chill in the air, bringing a trace of comfortable warmth.
Two figures lay on beds by the stove, eyes closed, peacefully resting in slumber. Two other figures sat by the window, keeping watch.
When Danzo had originally brought four squads of Root ninjas to the border camp, he had taken two squads back to Konoha, leaving only two behind.
The two ninjas on watch lifted the heated sake from the stove and poured it into bowls, producing a gurgling sound.
As the steam rose and they caught the mellow aroma of the sake, their eyes narrowed slightly.
"Good Sake," the female Root ninja remarked after taking a sip.
"This is a specialty bought from the Land of Hot Water. If not for Lord Danzo's letter saying we can return to the village tomorrow morning, I wouldn't have brought it out to share with you," the other, more outgoing male Root ninja joked.
In truth, Konoha ninjas had three prohibitions: first against luxury, second against lust, and third against alcohol.
However, ninjas were also human and needed to release stress. Most would inevitably brush against one of these three prohibitions at some point.
If there were no demand, establishments like the Fun Fun Avenue pleasure district wouldn't have been built not far from Konoha. Even Hiruzen had been a frequent visitor to such places in his youth.
This was especially true for Root ninjas. Without an outlet for the negative emotions pent up inside, their mental state would gradually crumble.
Of course, even while secretly drinking, the two hadn't neglected their vigilance.
Given the current tension between Kumogakure and Konoha, they wouldn't risk their lives.
"Drink less," the female Root ninja said.
"It's fine. The sensory barrier is still active."
The male ninja seemed thoroughly tired of the harsh border life and, knowing they could return to the village tomorrow, couldn't quite contain his excitement.
Hearing this, the female ninja didn't admonish him further but also put down her sake bowl.
Plip... plop...
The sound of what seemed like raindrops sliding off the eaves and shattering on the ground reached their ears.
The sound wasn't unusual in itself.
But the female ninja felt an inexplicable unease. She unconsciously frowned and carefully peered outside the tent.
All she could see was the raging wind and rain, a hazy blur of mist. However, the sensory barrier hadn't issued any warning.
'What was going on? Where was this uneasy feeling coming from?'
'Was something missing?'
'Or was something present that shouldn't be?'
"..."
After a moment of silence, the female ninja scanned the area outside the tent, then reached out and nudged her companion. "Hoshi, something feels wrong."
But the moment she applied slight pressure, she suddenly felt her push meet empty air.
Thud... thud, thud...
She instinctively turned her head and saw her companion topple sideways. His head, still wearing a joyful expression, slid from his neck, producing a series of crisp thuds like a bouncing ball as it rolled across the ground, leaving a trail of blood.
In that instant, the female ninja realized what was wrong.
The breathing was missing. It was too faint. There were four people in the tent, and now only she remained.
There was also a faint scent of blood, growing stronger with the wind.
It wasn't coming from outside the tent, but from within.
But realizing it now was too late.
Shlorp.
A gleam of light flashed across a cold blade. Inside the translucent tent, a few drops of blood splattered onto the canvas.
Arata, clad in his black robe, hung upside down above the two. He withdrew his index and middle fingers, held together, from the female ninja's head. A thin layer of chakra blades coated his fingers.
"Root ninjas really aren't as sharp as Anbu, are they?"
Arata's peripheral vision glanced at the two figures on the beds behind him, their heads also pierced by him, now lifeless.
The raindrops the female ninja had heard earlier were actually the sound of these two's blood dripping.
If they hadn't trusted the sensory barrier so much, they might have noticed the anomaly sooner.
But who would have thought Arata could block perception? Even Pain had to circumvent Konoha's barriers.
On the way here, Arata had spent another thousand points to further enhance his Shadow Robe's ability to block perception.
In terms of infiltration skills, probably only a handful of people could rival him now.
"What a pity, wasting one 'puppet.'"
Arata glanced regretfully at the headless corpse, sealed it into a scroll, then used his Puppet Technique to control the other three bodies.
This ability couldn't prevent bodily decay. If he didn't turn them into human puppets, these three corpses would rot soon enough.
Moreover, without Toneri Otsutsuki's massive Tenseigan, his current ability couldn't control nearly a hundred puppets like Toneri could. His current limit was ten puppets.
And Hyuga Hizashi was still alive. Controlling a living person took up five "slots."
"Still, it's enough."
Arata looked at the three puppets kneeling before him, then instructed them to mimic their former behaviors and await further orders.
Then, he silently recited in his mind, 'Materialize, Otsutsuki Ruins.'
[Please input coordinates.]
'Coordinates - 1000 meters underground, 119°17'13.202" East longitude, 54°12'12.115" North latitude...' Arata recited the coordinates agreed upon between Kumogakure and Konoha.
[Please input layout.]
'Layout – A five-story underground structure, impervious to sensory perception. Each level requires absorbing chakra to open. The deeper the level, the more chakra needed. At the entrance, leave a Ten-Tails stone statue. On its base, inscribe a stele left by 'Otsutsuki Arata Style.' The inscription's content...'
As Arata pondered, roughly sketching the imagined underground ruins in his mind, and after several supplements, the system's voice finally stopped asking for various details.
[Cost: 13,000 Reality Points. Materialize?]
"..." The corner of Arata's eye twitched. 'How much did you say?'
This was the first time he had materialized such a large-scale "project."
[Cost: 13,000 Reality Points. Materialize?]
'You're aiming to drain me dry, aren't you?' Arata sucked in a breath. After a moment of silence, he asked in his mind, 'What if I only materialize the overall structure and entrance of the underground palace, along with the entrance details I mentioned, and along with the chakra-draining mechanism to open it?'
[Cost: 3,000 Reality Points. Materialize?]
Hearing this, Arata's gaze flickered slightly.
He thought it over for a long time, considering his Shadow Robe. Every time, although the system was a ripoff, it seemed to deliver value for money, perfectly matching his needs, and even adding some details...
'You can't catch a wolf without sacrificing the bait.'
Having made up his mind, Arata's pupils condensed, and he said solemnly, "Materialize!"
[3000 Reality Points deducted. Remaining Reality Points: 10651]
The moment the notification sounded in his mind, Arata felt a tremor beneath his feet.