After that, on the road to Kirigakure Village in the Land of Water, every member of Konoha's exchange team, young and old alike, sank into an infinitely spreading silence.
It was not that they had not known from the beginning that Kirigakure had ulterior motives. Nor was it that they had failed to strengthen their own mental defenses through various bonds and concerns before setting out.
But when Anko Mitarashi, a former Konoha missing-nin, appeared before them so openly and revealed that fact without the slightest care, they still felt waves of oppression and unease rise from the depths of their hearts.
And when this silent team boarded a large ship accelerated by several Water Release and Wind Release shinobi working together, crossed mountains and seas, arrived at the large island where Kirigakure proper was located, and finally saw the legendary village itself—
That unease and oppression unexpectedly dissipated quite a bit.
In their imagination, even if the social atmosphere of Kirigakure did not reach the point where the smell of blood permeated the very air, it should at least have had a gloomy, oppressive, cold-toned foundation.
Yet what appeared before their eyes now was a town filled with clamorous human voices, bustling crowds, liveliness, and heat. It looked even more peaceful, open, and even prosperous than Konoha before half of it had been destroyed.
The contrast and gap were so intense that the Konoha shinobi in the exchange team could not help wondering whether they had lost their way while sailing through the thick fog at sea and accidentally arrived at some unknown paradise beyond the world.
"Hey, hey, hey. Why are all of you standing there in a daze? After sitting on that ship for so long, don't you feel tired and hungry?"
Anko Mitarashi's voice came from beside the dumbfounded Konoha shinobi.
Everyone turned to look, only to see her casually greeting the shinobi and civilians passing by on the street with practiced familiarity while saying offhandedly,
"I checked the time. It's almost just before dinner. How about I take you to eat first, then send you to the study-tour inn we reserved for you in advance? If we're lucky, we might even run into the Fourth and his secretary during dinner…"
"You're that relaxed… about us, Anko?"
Looking at Anko Mitarashi, whose personality seemed even more cheerful than before, Kakashi Hatake lightly pinched his own thigh. After confirming that he was not dreaming, he asked softly,
"After all, we are Konoha shinobi. Outsiders in Kirigakure Village…"
"If you think your ability to hide your aura and movements is stronger than Lord Fourth's, then go ahead and try."
Anko Mitarashi shrugged with a face full of indifference.
She casually took some change from her pocket and threw it into a street vendor's collection box, then took a stick of candied hawthorn from the stall. After biting one piece off, she narrowed her eyes in happiness and spoke unclearly,
"Don't blame me for not reminding you. The reason Kirigakure Village is called Kirigakure Village is because it is covered year-round by a layer of mist that never disperses, whether thick or thin. And Lord Fourth is not only a perfect Sage of Ryuchi Cave, he also possesses the Byakugan."
"Running around and playing infiltration under his eyelids… aside from seeking death, I honestly can't think of any other phrase to describe that level of stupidity."
"Byakugan?"
Hearing that term, the two branch family shinobi of the Hyuga clan reacted at the same time.
"Did Lord Mizukage take Makoto's eyes?"
"Makoto? Oh, you mean Hyuga Makoto…"
Hearing the two of them mention her former prison-mate, Anko Mitarashi took clear pleasure in his misfortune without the slightest empathy.
"Not exactly. Although he has had a rather tiring time over the past few years, he has rarely suffered much physical injury… In the eyes of many Kirigakure shinobi, his health is quite important."
"He didn't take Makoto's eyes!? Then his Byakugan—"
The special jonin from the Hyuga branch family was about to continue questioning her when, from the corner of his eye, he saw two young Kirigakure women holding infants and chatting happily as they passed by not far from the exchange team.
And the eyes of the infants they held were pure white, no different from his own.
The special jonin of the Hyuga clan froze.
The other Konoha shinobi in the team who noticed this also froze.
"As you can see, because Hyuga Makoto's talent was insufficient and his knowledge was also quite limited, Lord Fourth did not give him preferential treatment like he did to Shisui Uchiha."
Anko Mitarashi bit off another candied hawthorn, narrowed her eyes, and smiled.
"As a descendant of the Hyuga main family, properly passing on his bloodline is unquestionably his duty, isn't it?"
"You… What exactly do you people take our Hyuga clan's treasured Kekkei Genkai for!?"
The special jonin from the Hyuga branch family gritted his teeth and growled at Anko Mitarashi while forcibly suppressing his anger.
After hearing his words, Anko Mitarashi simply tossed the finished candied hawthorn stick into a roadside trash can, then said calmly,
"A privilege that makes one superior to others. But nothing more than that…"
"In the past, a pair of Byakugan wandering outside might have been worth fierce contention from various nations and shinobi villages. But that kind of thing exists only in the past."
"I know you're anxious, but calm down first… Over the next three months, you will see many more things that shatter your common sense and understanding. The publicization and popularization of the Byakugan in Kirigakure is only one of the less important ones."
"If you cannot even endure something like this, then I will have to doubt the judgment of whoever chose you to come as envoys to Kirigakure."
Anko Mitarashi's words carried an indistinct aggressiveness.
The special jonin of the Hyuga clan originally wanted to continue arguing with her, but another jonin traveling with them from the Nara clan pressed him back and shook his head firmly.
"She has a point. This is only the tip of the iceberg among the information Kirigakure wants us to see. If you lose control and cause a scene at a time like this, it will not be good for your Hyuga clan…"
"And even if you do cause a scene, it won't change anything, will it?"
As soon as those words came out, the branch family special jonin, who had still been trying to break free, immediately quieted down.
That was right.
This was not Konoha.
This was Kirigakure.
A Kirigakure that even the entire Hyuga clan combined could not shake in the slightest. A Kirigakure that even if every Konoha shinobi were mobilized, there would still be no confidence of victory.
Let alone him, a mere special jonin from the Hyuga branch family. Even if the head of the Hyuga clan personally came forward, there was no way he could make that Mizukage from the Kaguya clan change a decision he had already made.
Since that was the case, why should he argue and quarrel with those people in Kirigakure who would soon become another main family, all for the sake of the main family's interests?
Seeing the special jonin from the branch family quiet down again, the Nara jonin gently let out a breath and released the Shadow Possession Technique binding him.
Seeing this, Anko Mitarashi also did not continue pressing the issue. Instead, she put on an expression as if nothing had happened and said to the exchange team,
"All right, all right. Since no one has raised any objections to my suggestion just now, let's go eat dinner first, then I'll take you to the study-tour inn."
"Does anyone have any dietary restrictions? Or if there is something you especially want to eat, you can tell me too. I'll collect everyone's needs and concerns, then decide where to take you for dinner."
"Then let's go to the restaurant where we're most likely to meet Rei Kaguya."
While the members of Konoha's exchange team looked at one another, Jiraiya, who had been watching from the side for quite some time, took the initiative to speak and presented his request to Anko Mitarashi.
"I know that as Mizukage, he must have many things to handle. But as Konoha's exchange team, no matter how you put it, he should spare some time to meet us."
"The restaurant where you're most likely to meet Lord Fourth? Then I know where to go…"
Anko Mitarashi shrugged, then brought these dozens of people wearing Konoha forehead protectors and dressed somewhat out of place compared to their surroundings toward their destination with clear purpose.
"Everyone, keep up. If you fall behind, who knows when we'll be able to find you again."
Join my Patreon to read public release chapters and get 1 chapter ahead for free.
Unlock 60 chapters ahead + daily advanced chapter updates with just $10 Premium Access membership.
Continue reading here
patreon.com/Inkveil_