Not long after,
a stronghold built against the mountains appeared in Yuu and the others' field of vision.
The Konoha ninja stationed inside had noticed their group long ago. After both sides confirmed each other's identities, the gates were quickly opened. A burly middle-aged jōnin named Gōda Takeshi walked out with several subordinates and welcomed Yuu's group inside.
"…Are you Jōnin Mikami Yuu, the 'White Reaper' who struck such fear into Sunagakure at Mount Kikyo? I've heard your name from others for a long time, but I never expected you to be so young in person. It's truly unbelievable."
Gōda Takeshi curiously examined Yuu several times.
The other Konoha ninja beside him also cast probing gazes toward Yuu, seemingly unable to believe that the "White Reaper" who had captured a Kazekage alive was a child who looked no older than twelve. In all their years in Konoha, they had never seen an elite jōnin of this age.
Facing their praise and stares, Yuu smiled faintly and said casually,
"It's only a little empty reputation, not worth mentioning. Let's talk about the important matter instead. Lord Hokage said you've recently encountered attacks from Kirigakure. What exactly is the situation?"
"It's like this…"
Gōda Takeshi began explaining.
Strictly speaking, the ninja guarding the southeastern border were not certain of the intruders' identity.
The enemy had acted with extreme caution and experience, displaying very strong counter-reconnaissance abilities. The Konoha patrol squads that encountered them directly had all lost contact before they could send back intelligence. The remaining forces only knew that such a group had appeared, but they were unclear about their identities and origins.
However…
There were only a few ninja villages capable of appearing on Konoha's southeastern border with that level of strength. After excluding the Suna ninja, with whom they had already reached a ceasefire, and Iwagakure, which was farther away, the most likely possibility was Kirigakure from the Land of Water.
But to completely confirm it, they still needed sufficient evidence.
"Understood."
Yuu nodded.
"So the only clues we currently have are the last known locations of those missing squads?"
"Yes."
Gōda Takeshi nodded and walked over to a map. He pointed to several regions circled in red.
"We investigated these areas but found no trace of the missing squads or the enemy. Every trace was cleaned up thoroughly, so…"
Gōda Takeshi turned around.
"We can only rely on all of you."
While Yuu and Gōda Takeshi were exchanging information,
Uchiha Fugaku also walked over and looked at the map.
"Yuu, our most urgent task is to determine the enemy's movements and strength as soon as possible. I suggest dividing into two or three groups and heading separately toward these marked locations. We can conduct a carpet search within several kilometers and look for suspicious movements…
"To improve search efficiency and respond to possible crises, each group should include several Uchiha clan members. What do you think?"
"…Fugaku-senpai, please address me by my position during a mission."
Yuu corrected him.
No matter what, Yuu was the commander of this operation, while Uchiha Fugaku was his "subordinate." Although their relationship was decent normally and it did not matter what they called each other, they still needed to be serious in this formal setting and maintain a clear chain of command.
Uchiha Fugaku froze for a moment before reacting. His expression became slightly unnatural.
"…That was careless of me, Captain Yuu."
"No harm done. We'll proceed according to Fugaku-senpai's suggestion."
Yuu pointed to the three connected locations on the map.
"We'll use these three points as the centers and search outward. Keep the range within five kilometers. Focus on searching for abnormal chakra residue, traces of battle, and any possible hidden bases.
"Report any discoveries immediately. Do not alert the enemy."
"Understood."
Soon,
Yuu began assigning personnel.
The thirty-plus ninja were divided into three squads with relatively balanced strength. Each squad included three or four Uchiha, along with one member of the Yamanaka clan.
A mission like this would definitely require interrogation, so Yuu had specifically requested several Yamanaka clan members from Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Fugaku-senpai, Shigure-senpai, I'll leave these two squads to you."
"Stay safe. Prioritize reconnaissance and avoid direct conflict whenever possible."
Yuu gave Uchiha Fugaku and Gekkō Shigure several instructions.
The two nodded in acknowledgment.
Next,
following Yuu's order, the three squads shot out of the stronghold like arrows leaving the bowstring. Their figures disappeared into the dense forest and rolling mountains as they rushed toward their respective target regions.
On Yuu's side, aside from the four members of Minato's team, there were also three Uchiha—Shisui, Inabi, and Tekka—as well as another four-person squad. Their overall strength was considerable.
After all, aside from Yuu, Kakashi and Shisui also possessed jōnin-level strength. The others were all above the average chūnin level. Even if they encountered a small Kiri force numbering in the dozens, they could guarantee a safe retreat or even wipe the enemy out completely.
However, Yuu remained cautious.
No one knew exactly who Kirigakure had sent. Perhaps Uchiha Madara had also played some role in pushing this operation forward. Under such circumstances, they had to remain as careful as possible to avoid falling into an ambush.
Soon,
the group arrived at the location where the first squad had disappeared.
It was a dense primeval forest. Sunlight was cut into fragments by layers of overlapping branches and leaves. The air carried the scent of rotting leaves and damp earth, giving the atmosphere a somewhat oppressive feeling.
Everyone slowed down. The Uchiha members activated their Sharingan one after another, the tomoe in their pupils rotating like radar as they scanned everything around them.
Yuu activated All-Spirit Perception and reminded Kakashi and Rin beside him,
"Watch the ground, the grass, tree trunks, cracks between rocks… Don't overlook any unnatural traces in these places."
"Mm."
According to Gōda Takeshi, they had already searched this area once and found nothing useful. They suspected that after attacking the Konoha squad, the Kiri ninja had cleaned up every trace at the scene.
Now, Yuu's group had arrived several days after the incident. Searching for evidence under these circumstances was undoubtedly even more difficult.
Even Yuu's All-Spirit Perception was only useful against living creatures. When it came to searching for subtle traces, it was not much more useful than ordinary eyesight.
Time passed slowly.
After the search had continued for more than half an hour, Uchiha Shisui suddenly crouched down and pushed aside several half-withered blades of grass. At the edge of the grass was an extremely faint indentation, almost completely covered by dirt. Its shape was highly irregular.
"Mikami-senpai, look here!"
Shisui called out.
"This mark doesn't look like it was left by a wild animal. It should have been caused by a kunai or shuriken. It was made around one or two days ago, and the direction is… over there!"
"…Could Kirigakure have left it?"
Yuu pondered for a moment, then made a decisive choice.
"No matter what, let's go and take a look first. Everyone spread out your formation and remain alert!"
At once,
the squad adjusted its formation and began following the direction Shisui had indicated.
Along the way, Shisui successively discovered several extremely subtle details that almost no one else noticed, guiding the squad as it repeatedly changed directions.
"Speaking of which… Shisui, how did you train your observation skills to be this sharp?"
Yuu asked curiously.
"This… might be something I was born with."
Shisui scratched his head.
"My eyesight has always been sharper than other people's since I was young. I can notice details others overlook. After awakening the Sharingan, it became even more obvious… But those traces might also have been deliberately left by Kirigakure. We still need to confirm them."
"…Alright."
In the original story, Shisui had displayed the same extraordinary powers of observation and analytical judgment, leaving a deep impression on the young Itachi. It was probably truly an innate talent. Ordinary Uchiha did not possess such an ability.
After traveling for another fifteen minutes or so,
Shisui suddenly stopped.
At the same time, Yuu made a discreet hand signal, indicating for everyone behind him to lower their bodies and hide behind dense bushes and tree roots.
Ahead of them was a depression in the land. In a concealed corner surrounded by mountain rocks and towering ancient trees, a half-person-high cave entrance could clearly be seen. A barrier shielding it from the outside covered its edges. It was obviously an underground bunker excavated by human hands.
"What a hidden place… Could this be those Kiri ninja's base?"
Obito asked quietly.
Shisui was still peeking out to observe.
Yuu made a silencing gesture, then closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and activated All-Spirit Perception.
Buzz—
At that moment, invisible sensory ripples silently spread outward from Yuu like waves across water, probing inside the bunker.
An underground space resembling an ant nest, though somewhat irregular, appeared within Yuu's "vision." Inside were chakra fluctuations of varying strengths. Some were deep inside the bunker, while others guarded the entrance.
"One, two, three… eleven people."
"Judging from their chakra intensity, they should all be at least chūnin. Three of them may be jōnin."
Yuu exhaled softly and reported his discovery.
"Huh? So Mikami-senpai is also highly skilled in sensory ninjutsu? That's amazing!"
Shisui was somewhat surprised.
After all, it was Shisui's first time teaming up with Yuu. He did not know that Yuu also possessed a sensory ninjutsu. And judging from the data Yuu had reported, his sensory technique was extremely precise, nearly comparable to the Hyūga clan's Byakugan. He could even determine the exact number of people.
On the other side,
Obito had already known this, so he merely looked eager to fight.
"Only three jōnin? Then what are we waiting for? Let's charge in and slaughter them all!"
"Don't rush."
Yuu glanced coldly at Obito.
"I can only sense their numbers. I don't know the internal layout of that cave. They might have already prepared traps and be waiting for us to walk into them. And… the people inside may not be all of them. There could be others outside."
That last point was the most important.
Even if Kirigakure's Bloody Mist policy had caused its ninja population to decline sharply, it was impossible that they had sent only a dozen or a few dozen people to participate in the war. There had to be at least over a hundred.
Simply killing the dozen or so people inside this bunker would be easy for Yuu's group, but doing so would be meaningless. It would be best to wait for the enemy to gather, then catch them all in one net. Before that, they should not alert the enemy.
"Then what are we supposed to do? We can't just sit here and watch, can we?"
Obito became anxious again.
Yuu did not answer. Instead, he rapidly formed seals and created a shadow clone.
Then he looked at Shisui.
"Shisui, please create a shadow clone as well. Have it find Fugaku-senpai and the others, inform them of the situation here, and bring back the intelligence from their side.
"Kakashi, Rin, the two of you come with me to take a closer look. Everyone else, spread out and observe the surrounding area. Stay hidden and don't expose yourselves."
"Understood."
Shisui immediately followed the order.
After the two shadow clones departed,
Yuu led the others and began acting according to the plan.
…
At this moment,
inside the bunker, several ninja wearing Kirigakure forehead protectors sat beneath dim oil lamps, examining the scrolls before them. They organized and analyzed the intelligence gathered by different squads, recording each piece one by one.
Before a larger decisive battle could begin, this preparation was essential and far more important than killing a handful of Konoha ninja.
Suddenly,
one of the Kiri ninja seemed to sense something. He abruptly raised his head and looked toward a certain direction through the soil above him, vigilance appearing on his face.
"Takashi, what is it?"
A companion beside him noticed his abnormal behavior and asked.
The Kiri ninja called Takashi frowned. After carefully sensing the situation outside, he said uncertainly,
"Just now… I think I sensed someone approaching this place."
"?"
The Kiri ninja exchanged glances. They froze briefly, then became alarmed.
Takashi was one of the few sensory ninja among their group. Although his sensory ability did not come from a kekkei genkai, it was still excellent, and he had earned merit through it many times during past operations.
So after hearing his words, the other Kiri ninja stood up almost simultaneously and rushed toward the outside.
"Everyone, go on alert! Konoha may have found us… activate the barrier immediately!"
"Stop sleeping! Get up and prepare for battle! Enemy attack!"
…
At the same time the Kirigakure ninja inside the bunker began moving,
Yuu, who was aboveground, also detected something unusual from the rapid movements of their chakra.
"Not good. These guys are… We may already have been exposed!"
Since that was the case…
"Change of plans! We're charging straight in!"
~~~
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