"Anything else you would like to ask? If not, you can rest in the place we prepared and then leave after resting. We will be switching our locations since we are done here," the Captain said, his eyes scanning their expressions for any hints of suspicion or dissatisfaction.
Tsunade gave a small nod, her expression unreadable. Orochimaru's thin smile hinted at a thousand unspoken thoughts, while Akane simply adjusted his cloak, his gaze lingering on the rain-soaked fabric of the tent for a moment.
"That will be all," Tsunade replied and stepped outside, her footsteps muffled by the wet ground.
Orochimaru followed, his pale face catching the dim light filtering through the leaves. Akane was the last to leave, his eyes briefly locking with the captain's. There was a flicker of something unreadable in the older shinobi's gaze, but Akane ignored it, stepping into the rain-soaked forest without another glance.
The camp they were led to was a small makeshift hideout tucked beneath the a jagged cliff, partially hidden by a thick layer of underbrush and twisted roots.
Akane took a seat on a flat stone, his back to the rough cliff wall. Orochimaru leaned against a tree nearby, his golden eyes fixed on the narrow path leading to their hideout. Tsunade sat cross-legged across from Akane, her arms crossed as she considered their situation.
Once the distant rustle of footsteps faded, Orochimaru let out a quiet chuckle. "He doesn't want to take any chances," he said, his voice dripping with amusement.
Tsunade sighed, leaning back slightly. "It is Danzo's way. Keep everyone on edge, make them feel replaceable, and they'll never question his orders."
Akane, who had been listening quietly, glanced around the small clearing. He had spread Zetsu around a thin area, their silent forms watching for any sign of approaching enemies. He felt a faint pulse of information from one of them but chose to ignore it for now, focusing on the conversation at hand.
"We need to be careful about what we say around him," Akane said, his voice low but clear. "Since we are speaking of Danzo, he might have other spies nearby."
Orochimaru gave a slight nod, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Akane. "Indeed. We should assume that everything said here might reach his ears sooner or later."
A few minutes passed in silence, the only sounds being the constant patter of rain and the occasional rustle of leaves as the wind swept through the dense trees.
Tsunade shifted slightly, her eyes flicking to Akane. "The thought from before, it was about that masked guy, wasn't it?"
Akane didn't respond immediately, his fingers idly tracing the rough edge of the stone he sat on. He then looked up, his eyes meeting hers. "Yes. I think we should investigate him separately. Orochimaru can handle the main mission while we try to uncover his role in this chaos. If he's as dangerous as we suspect, he could be a bigger problem than the Iwa forces."
Orochimaru's smirk widened. "Ah, so you are interested in more than just the main mission. I suspected as much."
Akane shrugged, his eyes flicking to the distant shadows. "It's just a precaution. We don't want any surprises when we move deeper into the Rain."
As they settled into a tense, thoughtful silence, Akane felt a sudden, sharp pulse from one of his Zetsu. His eyes narrowed, and he shifted slightly, his fingers tightening around the kunai in his pouch.
"What is it?" Tsunade asked, noticing his change in posture.
Akane's eyes grew colder, his mind quickly processing the information he had just received. "We have a problem," he whispered, his voice carrying a sharp edge. "Multiple squads are moving toward us. At least two full teams, heavily armed, and moving fast. They'll reach us in less than ten minutes."
Orochimaru's grin turned predatory, his tongue flicking out briefly as if tasting the tension in the air. "Ah, it seems Danzo really had other plans, or maybe it's our host who betrayed us."
Tsunade's fists clenched, the tendons in her forearms standing out as her chakra flared for a brief moment. "Danzo..."
Akane rose to his feet, his cloak fluttering slightly as he turned to face the direction of the approaching squads. "We should move. We can run away, but that would still be bad. After all, Danzo can use this to point fingers at us."
Orochimaru's chuckle was low and dangerous, his fingers already forming a series of rapid hand seals. "I get what you mean. It seems more things are going to be added as your achievement. Since Danzo has prepared the path for you, let's not disappoint him, shall we?"
Tsunade's expression hardened, her eyes flicking to Akane. "Stick close. We'll cut through them before they can surround us. It will be better to take them by surprise instead of attacking them head-on."
Akane nodded at her words. He had already used Sensory Technique to check movements of the remaining Ninjas in camp. It seems they haven't noticed the Rain Ninjas since they were busy packing the leftover things.
Tsunade looked in the direction of the camp with a flicker in her eyes, and she created a Shadow Clone. The Shadow Clone disappeared from the place to inform the captain about Rain Ninjas' movements. It doesn't matter if he was on their side or Danzo's, she did this to be clear about everything and make sure that nothing could be used against them.
Orochimaru nodded at her actions and, with a chuckle, he mentioned, "Tsunade, it seems you have started to use your brain."
Tsunade rolled at his playful words in the current situation, but his words did defuse some of the serious atmosphere they had. Even if Orochimaru was curious as to how Akane knew of Rain Ninjas' movements, he didn't question him at the moment and decided to find out about it on his own.
With a final glance at their temporary hideout, the trio slipped into the dense shadows of the forest, the rain masking their footsteps as they moved to intercept the approaching enemy.
....
Dense clouds hung low over the Land of Rain; they lit intermittently by the faint, crackling flashes of distant lightning.
Amidst the storm, two squads of Rain ninjas moved swiftly, their footsteps muffled by the soaked earth and the steady hiss of falling rain.
At the front of the formation, a tall, wiry man with short, ash-gray hair led the group. His eyes, sharp and unblinking, scanned the terrain. He raised his hand, and the squads slowed their pace, their breaths barely audible beneath their masks.
"Keep your senses sharp," the squad leader whispered, his voice harsh and low. "The base isn't far. Our informant was clear. Eliminate everyone, leave no survivors. We are not here to take prisoners, only to leave a message."
A younger, stockier ninja with a jagged scar running down his left cheek nodded, adjusting the blade strapped to his back. "But why hit them now? This base has been here for weeks. Why risk provoking Konoha this close to the border?"
The leader's eyes flicked back to the younger ninja, his gaze hardening. "Don't question orders. If the information is solid, it means something changed. Either they found something important, or their numbers are low enough to make this a worthwhile strike."
Another ninja, a lithe woman with short, dark hair and sharp, green eyes, muttered, "If this goes sideways, we'll have both Konoha and Iwa breathing down our necks. I hope the informant knows what he's doing."
The leader let out a low, humorless chuckle. "He's been reliable before. Besides, if the intel is wrong, we can always make it look like a rogue attack. Konoha and Iwa already have enough reasons to hate each other. We just need to add fuel to the fire."
The squads continued their advance, moving in staggered formations through the dense undergrowth, their breath misting in the cold, damp air.
"Remember the orders," the leader added, his voice barely more than a growl. "Kill everyone. If they flee, cut them down. Don't let a single one escape. We make this look like a slaughter, leaving nothing but bodies and burned tents. Once we've dealt with them, we report back directly to the main base."
The scarred ninja tightened his grip on his blade, his eyes glinting with anticipation. "Heh, it's been a while since we've had a proper bloodbath. I hope the information was right about their numbers being low."
The woman beside him scoffed, pulling a pair of kunai from the pouch at her thigh. "Don't get cocky. This isn't a skirmish with bandits. We're hitting a trained Konoha camp. One mistake, and you'll be the one left bleeding in the mud."
The leader gave a sharp, silent signal, and the squads shifted their formation, spreading out as they neared the edge of the thick forest. The rain had intensified, masking their movements but also limiting their visibility.
As they crested a small ridge, the faint glow of chakra barriers flickered in the distance, partially obscured by the mist and rain. The outlines of makeshift tents and scattered equipment became visible through the shifting shadows.
The leader crouched, his hand raised again as he silently counted the figures moving through the camp. He could see the shapes of Konoha shinobi, their outlines blurred by the rain but distinct enough for him to count.
"Four... no, five," he whispered to the woman beside him. "If our contact was right, that's the main force left. The rest must have already left or moved to another location."
The woman nodded, her eyes narrowing as she counted the same figures. "They are packing up. Looks like they got a warning, but not enough to escape in time."
The leader's lips curled into a thin, predatory smile beneath his mask. "Perfect. We hit them hard, fast, and leave no trace. Once we break their line, the rest will scatter. Just make sure at least one or two are left alive long enough to scream."
He motioned to the squad behind him, signaling for a final approach.
"Move," he hissed, his chakra flaring briefly as he prepared for the first strike. The Rain ninjas slipped through the underbrush like shadows, their weapons drawn, their eyes sharp and unblinking as they closed in on the 'unsuspecting' Konoha camp.