Compared to the flat plains of the Land of Grass, the Land of Waterfalls has more mountains, forests, and rivers. Upon reaching the Land of Rice Fields, the most noticeable environmental changes... are the Terraced Fields and Hills.
This country gave Yubi a feeling... of great comfort.
Everywhere had a touch of idyllic scenery.
It was evident that the overall economy was more backward... the farming methods of some households were also quite primitive.
Some places also appeared dilapidated.
Although the clashes between Konoha and Kumogakure did not involve the civilian level, when the war that had lasted for several years reached its most intense stages, talk of 'the calamity not reaching the common people' was just something to be taken with a grain of salt.
Just look at the actions of Konoha Ninja towards Nagato's family in the Land of Rain to see the signs.
After arriving in the Land of Rice Fields, their three-person team, like intelligence teams from other Ninja Villages, maneuvered around various frontlines and areas where Kumogakure or Konoha forces remained, conducting observations.
Since the primary objective was intelligence gathering, this mission did not necessitate frequent battles and actual combat... only occasionally capturing one or two Konoha or Kumogakure Ninja for interrogation, followed by silencing them afterwards.
"No wonder Kumogakure withdrew its troops. As soon as the fighting between Konoha and Iwagakure ended... Orochimaru was dispatched here."
"Based on the intelligence currently in hand, the difficulties caused for Kumogakure by the assault team led by Sakumo Hatake on the battlefield were something the latter simply couldn't resolve... Konoha had been consistently severing Kumogakure's logistical support routes... and even launched a covert decapitation operation against a Kumogakure commander, and... succeeded."
"The White Fang of Konoha..."
A few days later, in the Land of Rice Fields, inside an abandoned house, Yubi was conversing with Arai.
This was their temporary base.
It was originally a Village, but now it lay in ruins.
Arai spoke of Sakumo Hatake's title that shook the Ninja World, his tone somewhat heavy.
Konoha simply had too many top-tier combatants capable of influencing the battlefield... "I captured a Kumogakure Ninja and learned from him that their Jinchuriki also participated in the war, along with the Raikage's son... though not on the front lines," Arai added.
It was clear that even with Kumogakure's military reserves, they couldn't afford to clash head-on with Konoha to the bitter end.
Although Konoha had been worn down by several major Ninja Villages in turn, and in terms of remaining troop numbers, Kumogakure actually held an absolute advantage... yet, Konoha, relying on its top-tier combat power and excellent strategic decisions, had forced Kumogakure to stand down.
"Although large-scale warfare has ceased, Kumogakure will definitely not let the matter rest..."
Yubi spoke up.
Currently, Kumogakure's Jinchuriki is not yet Killer Bee.
Killer Bee is merely following the future Fourth Raikage's actions. Currently, the 'A-B' brothers refer to a person named B who is the Fourth Raikage's cousin.
Previously, the intelligence shown to him and Scorpion by the Village had also specifically highlighted the identity of this Jinchuriki.
If Yubi remembered correctly, this guy was later killed when Orochimaru infiltrated Kumogakure Village.
This led to the Eight-Tails going on a rampage, causing heavy losses to Kumogakure Village, which subsequently led to Killer Bee taking over as Jinchuriki... It's also evident that the major Villages were all seizing opportunities to nurture the next generation.
"The intelligence has already been sent back. Let's leave first... The situation here is quite complex. Although both sides have withdrawn their troops, they've still stationed some key units. Iwagakure and Hidden Mist, including Amegakure... we've seen plenty of them these past few days. I suspect... they might not just be here to gather battlefield information; they could have other intentions."
After a moment of thought, Arai said.
"Alright."
Yubi nodded.
Anyway, they had already gathered a fairly comprehensive picture of the overall conflict situation between Konoha and Kumogakure, including both sides' basic combat strength and key figures. There was no need to take further risks to probe deeper.
Moreover, besides the intelligence they had sent back, Sunagakure was also active in this area, supplementing information from other aspects.
Subsequently, the three of them immediately set off to return to the Land of Wind.
This mission seemed simple on the surface, but its difficulty remained considerable... it just didn't involve fighting people anymore. When encountering certain situations, the priority was concealment and evasion.
This was the operational principle of intelligence Ninja.
However, because the entire Ninja World's attention was now focused on Kumogakure and Konoha, the flow of forces and personnel in this area remained quite chaotic.
Unexpected incidents could occur at any time... However, Yubi hadn't anticipated.
That as their trio was withdrawing from the Land of Rice Fields.
On their way back, they would unexpectedly stumble upon an interesting scene.
"That's... a Konoha squad."
As Arai landed on a high tree branch, Yubi and Scorpion simultaneously appeared beside him, gazing into the distance.
They had heard commotion and took a look along the way.
A Konoha squad led by a middle-aged Ninja was engaged in combat with several Hidden Mist Ninja.
On the field, there were nine people in total.
The fight was quite intense.
Within the Konoha team were three youths, about the same age as him and Scorpion.
The middle-aged man was fighting against two Hidden Mist Ninja.
The three students behind him were each engaged with one Hidden Mist Ninja.
However, judging from the battle situation, among these three students, only two could barely hold off the Hidden Mist attacks for the time being, buying some time.
The remaining one... was already injured.
He was about to be finished off.
"Probably an intelligence-gathering squad. Coming here is also partly for training... didn't expect to be discovered by Hidden Mist personnel," Arai observed, then said.
Their squad was able to infiltrate the heart of the battlefield and retreat unscathed because Yubi and Scorpion were sufficiently outstanding.
Not just anyone at their age could possess such skills.
The three Konoha Genin before them were an example.
Moreover, this opposing squad was likely operating on the fringes of the battlefield.
Because their current location was extremely far from the nearest minor front line.
"Probably got caught on their way back... haha..."
"Three Genin, one... Special Jonin?"
Yubi tilted his head slightly; he felt that middle-aged man was quite strong.
As expected of Konoha's product.
Quality guaranteed.
On the field, as a Hidden Mist Ninja formed hand seals, a patch of white mist suddenly gathered and rapidly spread, obscuring vision.
"The Hidden Mist's Assassination Techniques, huh..."
Yubi focused intently, sharpening his perception.
What made Hidden Mist Ninja most feared on the battlefield was their 'assassination' methods.
These Assassination Techniques referred to a series of means and skills cultivated for 'assassination'... such as disguise, tracking, concealing presence, etc.
In terms of Ninjutsu, typical examples were the Hidden Mist Technique before them, and Zabuza's Silent Killing Technique... when used in combination, relying solely on sight and hearing made it impossible to lock onto a target.
Moreover, this Hidden Mist Technique could be performed jointly by multiple people, cooperating with troops to cause large-scale interference on the battlefield.
Quite formidable.
Putting other aspects aside, at least in terms of 'assassination,' the Hidden Mist was acknowledged as strong.
The spreading mist, in a short time, began to drift towards the three of them.
"Impressive... indeed, can't see anyone now."
Yubi chuckled.
"We've been noticed."
At that moment, Scorpion beside him spoke expressionlessly.
"Mhm."
Yubi's expression didn't change in the slightest. "Thought we'd watch some excitement... should have just left directly."
Whoosh!
As soon as the words were spoken, several Shuriken suddenly shot out from the forest.
Aimed at his head.
Without Yubi making any visible movement, as the projectiles neared, the Shuriken in mid-air abruptly scattered apart, as if knocked away by something invisible.
"Quite a skillful technique..."
Yubi smiled faintly, turning his gaze towards a direction in the forest where faint mist was swirling.
Although he was smiling, a cold glint had already appeared in his eyes.
"Don't be shy, everyone come out... let's be friends