"Hyūga Yu!"
The three members of Team 10 gasped in collective shock at the figure who had suddenly materialized in the clearing among the palm trees. Ebisu, in particular, felt a chill run down his spine. As the only "all-rounder" ninja in the squad with any semblance of sensory ability, he had been keeping a constant vigil on their surroundings throughout their conversation.
The terrifying reality was that he hadn't detected Hyūga Yu at all.
Yu, meanwhile, seemed to have overheard every single word of their exchange. This meant that with his stealth alone, Yu could have assassinated each of them without them ever realizing he was there—with the possible exception of that muscle-bound freak, Guy.
This single display of skill instantly changed Genma Shiranui and Ebisu's perception of Yu; he was clearly no "ordinary" medical ninja.
Yu took a moment to observe the team, his gaze lingering on Genma. While the analysis Genma had just provided covered things Yu had already deduced a month ago, the fact that he could calmly piece it all together and explain it to his teammates at a time like this was impressive.
It was no wonder that by next year, Minato Namikaze would promote this man to the Hokage Guard and grant him the opportunity to learn the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Yu nodded to Might Guy before turning his attention to Genma. With a single glance, he recognized that while Guy was the nominal captain, the one truly calling the shots was this cool-looking guy with the headscarf and the toothpick dangling from his mouth.
Feeling Yu's gaze, Genma's body tensed involuntarily. For some reason, despite being the same age, he had always felt like Yu belonged to a different generation. It had been that way since the Academy. While everyone else was busy playing ninja, this eccentric was always a ghost—never seen anywhere except the classroom, the training grounds, or the Konoha Hospital. He was never even spotted in the restrooms; he was like a phantom.
Under Yu's intense scrutiny, Genma felt an inexplicable pressure, and he braced himself for whatever profound statement Yu was about to make.
However, Yu's next words caught him completely off guard:
"Nice toothpick. Where'd you buy it?"
"It's a senbon! A senbon! I've told you a thousand times, it's not a toothpick!"
The tense atmosphere evaporated instantly.
Genma breathed a sigh of relief as Yu let out a small chuckle. "So, what's the route for our mission?" Yu asked, getting down to business.
Genma pulled a scroll from his pouch and tossed it to Yu. "From the Crow Forest to the new path carved out on the right side of the Unnamed Forest. Tomorrow at 8:00 AM, a transport convoy from Konoha will be passing through."
"There are four squads in total assigned to escort them, including ours."
"Understood," Yu nodded. He looked at the three of them and adjusted the large bow slung across his back. "You've seen what I can do. I'll follow you from the shadows to avoid causing any complications. With my Byakugan, I'll be able to spot any serious injuries and provide immediate support."
"I believe this is the most conservative approach for now. What do you think?"
Genma pondered for a moment before nodding. "With your stealth capabilities, you're definitely safer operating independently. But, if you run into trouble—"
Yu pulled two smoke bombs from his ninja tool pouch. "Purple ones. If you see them, make sure to come and bail me out."
"Understood," Genma nodded again.
"Then we'll save the catching up for after the mission," Yu said, looking at the three of them. In that moment, he looked more like the squad leader than any of them. He scanned their faces one by one, then leaped backward, his silhouette melting silently into the night.
Having settled the minor interlude with Team 10, Yu sped through the forest. Clad in his full gear, he soon arrived at the entrance of a derelict laboratory on the edge of the Unnamed Forest, on the opposite side of the Kusunami Coast.
Waiting for him were over twenty figures kneeling on the ground, their forms shrouded in pale yellow trench coats and their faces hidden behind various masks. At their head stood a ninja wearing a bird-themed mask with red stripes—Terai, the commander of the Root detachment currently stationed at the Kusunami Coast.
Terai didn't seem surprised by Yu's unannounced arrival. He looked at him and spoke bluntly.
"The ones you want to save... are those three brats from Team 10?"
Yu shook his head and looked at him, slightly exasperated. "Stop calling them brats. You're a brat yourself."
Terai snorted coldly. "We are not like them."
Yu looked back at him. "Time is short, so let's skip the small talk. Give me the intel you have, and... tell me Aburame Ryōma's arrangements!"
Terai stared at Yu, a cold smirk forming beneath his mask. "You're lucky. Originally, Lord Ryōma intended to use you as bait to lure the Hidden Mist into action. However, that old hag in the Medical Corps hid you in the Corpse Processing Unit and kept a tight lid on your information. Because of her, the leak to the enemy spies was delayed."
"This time, the primary target of the Mist's strike force isn't you—it's the shipment of supplies coming from Konoha."
Yu frowned. "Explosive tags?"
"No. Nothing. There's nothing in those crates. Explosive tags have been in short supply for a long time. The Third Shinobi World War has been raging for nearly three years; how could there possibly be enough explosive tags left to destroy a Mist fleet?"
"Then what are you covering up?"
"We are creating an opportunity for Lord Ryōma's operation and the plans that follow."
Yu's frown deepened. "Then what do you plan to do about the eastern front?"
Terai spoke candidly. "Once the explosive tag decoy fails, the second decoy plan will be activated. We have already sold the intel regarding your position within Team 10 to the Mist. It will lure their elite strike force to turn around and capture you."
He paused, his voice turning indifferent. "Of course, things are different now. Lord Ryōma suddenly changed his mind and ordered me to bring men to protect you."
Terai continued coldly:
"You have two choices. First: stay with Team 10, protect those three brats, get surrounded by the Mist elites, and die there along with me and the twenty-two Root ninja behind me. Aside from my mission to protect you, I have orders to kill you to ensure your abilities never leak to another village."
Terai paused again. "Second: Let those three brats die in your place. You survive, and I complete my mission."
Yu took a deep breath, his brow furrowed in a hard line. "In other words, no matter what happens, the high-ups have already decided to abandon everyone on the eastern front and move the battlefield back into the heart of the Land of Fire?"
Terai nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "This is the inevitable price of war. As long as the plan on the other side succeeds, the Mist will naturally withdraw their troops, and we will win back those lands."
Yu couldn't help but marvel inwardly. This was so typical of Danzō's subhuman way of doing things. Furthermore, it would indirectly deal a heavy blow to the Uchiha clan. But why the hell did the collateral damage have to involve his Hyūga clan?
He looked at Terai and asked solemnly, "What is your real plan?"
Terai's answer was chilling:
"Incite a coup in the Village of the Bloody Mist and detonate the Three-Tails in its center!"
Hearing this, Yu connected all the pieces of intel he had gathered. The full scope of the "Mist Collapse Plan" materialized clearly in his mind. He exhaled slowly and asked one final question:
"How can Root possibly guarantee the success of the mission? How do you plan to detonate the Three-Tails?"
Inciting a coup in the Bloody Mist was within Root's capabilities, but controlling and detonating a Tailed Beast sounded like a fairy tale.
Terai chuckled. "I wouldn't know about that. However, I suspect that in the worst-case scenario, the executor of the final task will be... the Third Hokage."
Yu froze, and then the realization hit him like a lightning bolt. Every doubt he had was cleared in an instant.
He had wondered why the notoriously stingy Root was working so hard this time. It turned out Danzō was playing the long game. With a single operation, he could cripple the Uchiha who annoyed him so much, weaken the two great clans of the village, and eliminate his greatest political rival—clearing every obstacle on his path to becoming Hokage.
If it was Danzō, he would certainly do exactly that.
————
Supporting me on Pa-treon to gain early access to advanced chapters and enjoy expedited updates. Your support is greatly appreciated.
pat-reon .c-om/Dragonhair
(Just remove the hyphen - and space, to access Pa-treon normally.)