Terai and Shin returned with an assortment of makeup and grooming tools.
While the faces of Terai, Shin, and Kinoe had never been exposed, information regarding Hyuga Yu—who had joined the fray midway—was already circulating throughout the shinobi world. Most major intelligence agencies likely knew exactly what he looked like.
If he strolled down the street with his current face, the Kirigakure Anbu would probably have him in for "tea" within ten minutes.
Therefore, his first priority was establishing an identity that could walk openly in the light.
"We are utilizing a route established by Root's Special Operations Unit in the Land of Artisans. It doesn't pass through the Intelligence Department, so..."
"Ten'nin, your current identity is the son of a prominent tool merchant from the Land of Artisans."
"This merchant is named Kamasu, aged forty-three. He has only one son. The trade name is 'Kamasu Trading.' Since he isn't a major figure and hasn't brought his son to the Mist on previous trading trips, the cover holds up from all angles. You can choose a name for yourself."
Without looking up, Yu casually offered a name:
"Aoba."
He pulled down his eyelids and, facing the mirror held by Kinoe, inserted black colored contacts. He tied a white bandana bearing the symbol of the Land of Artisans around his forehead to conceal the Caged Bird seal. It wasn't a forehead protector, as his current identity was not a shinobi of the Takumi Village. The symbol on the bandana was a rectangle divided by a strange pattern of diagonal, horizontal, and vertical lines.
Next, Yu applied two horizontal streaks of green face paint across his cheeks, using a bit of makeup to make himself look slightly less refined. He threw on a black cloak that was a size too large. Without any need for rehearsal, an aura of a wealthy scion naturally emanated from him.
"He looks... really rich," Kinoe remarked, staring at Yu's face and unable to help but sigh.
The reality was that as a member of the Hyuga Branch House, while his status within the clan was technically lower, Yu had never lacked money growing up. When he walked through the village, no matter how much the commoners of Konoha gossiped behind his back, they still had to address him as "Young Master" to his face.
"Very good." Terai looked over Yu's attire with satisfaction and continued, "Then, Master Aoba, the three of us will play the role of the Takumi shinobi guards you've hired."
"Kinoe, put on your forehead protector. Also, don't act too elite. When you're following Master Aoba, make sure to leave some deliberate openings so people can 'detect' you."
"Shin, you stay close to Master Aoba."
Shin nodded, removing his mask to reveal a stoic face that was eighty percent similar to the "Shin" of the future. He silently fell in behind Yu.
Yu looked back at the team and said calmly:
"Then, the mission begins."
"The objective for now is—window shopping. We'll wander from the bustling districts of the Hidden Mist all the way to the harbor. Terai, find an opportunity to exchange information with the Intelligence Department."
"Shin, create openings for me to activate my Byakugan."
"And Yamato... well, you just wander around. Just be careful not to expose your Wood Style."
"Yamato?"
Kinoe blinked, only realizing Yu was speaking to him when he felt the boy's gaze.
"That's right, Yamato. The code name 'Kinoe' is a bit too sensitive. From now on, I'll call you Yamato." Yu spoke with a straight face, preemptively claiming the rights to Yamato's name.
"Fine... alright," Yamato grunted, feeling a bit awkward.
Soon, Yu led his three "bodyguards," swaggering through the streets in the guise of "Master Aoba."
Unlike Konoha, Kirigakure during wartime was not desolate. Trade between the main island, the various islands of the Land of Water, and other seafaring nations remained largely unaffected. Merchant caravans from the mainland, however, had been mostly cut off since the start of the Third Shinobi World War three years prior.
Kirigakure's seafood and ninja tool markets were located on the outskirts of the village, not far from the Mizukage Building. Yu's group didn't attract much attention as they passed. A few Mist ninja performed routine checks on their transit permits and inquired about their merchant association. They even kindly reminded them which areas of the Mist were accessible and which were restricted.
Accessible areas included the various markets and residential zones within the village and the harbor.
Restricted areas were far more numerous: the clan compounds, the Mizukage Building, the Secretariat, the Cryptography Department, the Ancient Archives, and many other zones were strictly off-limits to non-Mist shinobi.
In general, it wasn't much different from the current state of Konoha.
After wandering the village all morning and enjoying a lavish seafood meal, Terai, who had gone out to exchange intelligence, returned to the group with a frown. He brought back news that was neither entirely good nor bad.
Inside a seafood restaurant in the Hidden Mist:
"The Intelligence Department was cooperative. They provided the intel gathered over the past week."
"However..." Terai frowned, sitting across from Yu. "The Intelligence Department refuses to follow 'Ten'nin's' command. They're willing to exchange info, but they won't dispatch personnel to assist us. Their excuse is that intelligence officers aren't suited for combat. The only person they've put at our disposal is an informant responsible for gathering low-level street intel. This man has lived in the Mist for over twenty years; he's just a civilian uncle who makes a living selling seafood."
"The guy isn't even a ninja..."
"Hmm." Hearing this, Yu wasn't surprised at all. He simply nodded calmly and continued to lift a piece of sashimi into his mouth.
By now, a stack of plates over ten layers high had accumulated beside him. This was despite Yamato having already cleared away more than half to avoid drawing too much attention.
"Ten—Aoba, what do you think?" Terai asked, seeking Yu's advice.
While Yu was theoretically the supreme commander of Root operations in the Mist, a problem had quickly surfaced: aside from Terai's trio, he had virtually no one to command.
Yu had known for a long time that "factions" existed within Root. The Special Operations Unit, the Intelligence Department, and the Research Institution each belonged to three different systems.
They were managed respectively by Aburame Ryōma, the "Walking Maiden" Yakushi Nono'u, and Orochimaru. Among them, Ryōma was a cross-disciplinary talent. Not only was he exceptionally powerful and capable of leading teams, but he also came from a spy background and excelled at infiltration. Relying on his old subordinates and past prestige, Ryōma was barely able to coordinate the different departments to act in unison as a regional commander.
Now, Ryōma was missing and had yielded command. If the successor had been Orochimaru, there would be no issue. After all, Orochimaru was the Hokage's disciple and the apparent future leader of Root after Danzo. But who was "Ten'nin"?
Why should a fourteen-year-old child, dropped in from nowhere, stick his hand into a field that wasn't his specialty? If the mission failed and caused massive losses because of him, who would take the blame?
Yu understood the Intelligence Department's concerns and their current mindset perfectly. He had seen this kind of thing many times in his previous life. Thus, he wasn't in the least bit worried.
Furthermore, Yu wasn't just an ordinary spy; he was tasked with the coordination and deployment of all departments in an entire region. More accurately, his current role was that of an intelligence commander deep behind enemy lines.
As a competent commander, his primary task now was to establish a foothold and understand the chessboard. In the first few days or even weeks, survival and establishing credibility were the overriding goals. Any radical reforms or actions could lead to disaster.
So, in response to Terai's question, Yu simply looked up and asked calmly, "Aren't you hungry? You've been running around all night; you must be tired."
"Let's eat first."
"No, look at the time! How can you think about eating? We still have no word from Lord Ryōma, the village hasn't sent instructions, and—look at this!"
Terai had no appetite. With a look of extreme frustration, he pulled a scroll from his pouch and slammed it onto the table, sliding it over.
Yu took the scroll and unfurled it. It contained intelligence gathered by Konoha's operatives within the Mist, covering various departments: the Secretariat, Cryptography, Interrogation, and even movements of the Mist's "Hunter-nin." Just by looking at the content, one could tell that the person who gathered this was a master among spies. Except for the Mizukage's office and the core Elder Council, the report was so detailed it could practically serve as a reference book for an invasion plan.
Yu raised an eyebrow. "Isn't this quite good?"
Terai shook his head, gritting his teeth. "It's all fluff! What's so good about it? If you dig up any past report, the similarity is nearly ninety percent."
"This kind of info? We could investigate it ourselves using your Byakugan."
"I'll tell you straight, Yu."
"The person in charge of the intelligence side for the 'Mist Collapse Plan' is the Walking Maiden!"
"With her ability, she's likely already penetrated the Elder Council!"
"The truly critical intel? She hasn't given it to us at all. What she's giving us now is an attempt to trap us in an information cocoon!"
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