"My lord, allow me to escort you out of Amegakure immediately."
After a brief internal struggle, Hoshigaki Kisame finally voiced his thoughts. From his perspective, Mizuki Ryosuke was the absolute core of Kirigakure's strength and must not be endangered in this hostile environment.
However, Mizuki Ryosuke merely chuckled and shook his head.
He understood Kisame's concerns but remained completely unfazed.
From Kisame's standpoint, the violent confrontation at the gambling den had already turned Amegakure's shinobi into their enemies. To him, there was no doubt that the entire village would soon be hunting them down.
Kisame's thinking was reasonable. The blood of Amegakure shinobi was still fresh on his hands, and to a warrior like him, those who stood against him were naturally enemies.
However, Ryosuke saw things from a completely different angle.
After all, when he arrived in Amegakure, his intent was never to become an enemy of Hanzo the Salamander.
On the contrary—he planned to be Hanzo's guest.
"Well, if we can't gather intelligence in the shadows," Ryosuke said with a faint smile, "then we'll take the direct route instead."
His tone was light, but his words carried an unsettling confidence, leaving Kisame momentarily perplexed.
Kisame was certain that Ryosuke had never set foot in Amegakure before, so what exactly was this "direct route" he spoke of?
Could it be that Ryosuke had access to an intelligence source that even he wasn't aware of?
But before he could speculate further, Ryosuke spoke again—this time with words that truly shocked him.
"Take me to Hanzo's residence."
Kisame's eyes widened.
What was this? Suicide?
Was Ryosuke actually planning to march straight into the stronghold of Hanzo the Salamander, the legendary shinobi feared across the Five Great Nations?
For a moment, Kisame thought Ryosuke was joking. But when he saw the unshakable calm in Ryosuke's expression, he knew this was no jest.
Whenever Ryosuke spoke in this tone, it meant that his decision was absolute.
"…Yes, my lord."
Suppressing the unease in his heart, Kisame responded without hesitation.
"Sir, let me take you through the underground sewer system," Kisame suggested.
He knew that within minutes, the streets of Amegakure would be swarming with patrolling shinobi.
Amegakure's underground drainage system was vast and interconnected, designed to prevent the village's constant rainfall from causing floods. This intricate network of tunnels provided an ideal means of evasion.
However, Ryosuke waved his hand dismissively.
"No need."
What kind of shinobi crawled through sewers like a rat? He wasn't about to degrade himself with such an undignified escape route.
Instead, he had a much better way.
With a single-handed seal, a subtle yet chilling aura filled the air.
Countless ice prisms materialized in the surroundings, their surfaces reflecting an eerie light.
Within moments, the mirrors surrounded Ryosuke and Kisame, forming a closed domain.
Then, the two figures vanished completely.
It was the long-unseen Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals—the signature technique of the Yuki Clan, once wielded by Haku.
Kisame barely had time to process what had happened. But as Ryosuke urged him forward, he could only push his thoughts aside and lead the way to Hanzo's estate.
Meanwhile, Tsunade had successfully left Amegakure's immediate vicinity.
Yet, instead of feeling relief, an unsettling sensation lingered in her heart.
Her escape had only been possible thanks to Mizuki Ryosuke and Kisame drawing the enemy's attention.
And that realization… stirred something deep within her.
But now was not the time to dwell on such thoughts.
Years of battle-honed instincts told Tsunade that this was the best window of opportunity to leave Amegakure entirely.
If she delayed any longer, the village would enter full lockdown.
However, despite knowing this, Tsunade hesitated.
After all, the Rain Shinobi she had encountered so far had been weak—far weaker than expected.
That realization gave rise to an idea.
The chaos unfolding within Amegakure would soon divert a significant portion of the village's forces toward martial law and security sweeps.
Even Hanzo himself might be mobilized.
This meant that some highly sensitive areas would be left vulnerable.
And the most important of them all?
Hanzo's estate.
Tsunade had already concluded that Amegakure had purged every Konoha spy within its borders.
However, before execution, those captured spies would have been interrogated and tortured for intelligence.
If any of them were still alive, there was a slim chance they could be rescued.
Even if rescuing them proved impossible, infiltrating Hanzo's estate could still yield top-secret information about Amegakure's plans—intelligence far more valuable than a few captured agents.
Furthermore, the Rain Shinobi would never expect anyone to head toward Hanzo's residence at a time like this.
If worst came to worst, Tsunade could always fight her way out.
Her resolve solidified.
The young Tsunade, fearless and brimming with confidence, had made her decision.
Without hesitation, she altered her course.
Aware that the streets were soon to be flooded with guards, she opted to navigate through Amegakure's underground drainage system instead.
Surprisingly, the tunnels weren't as filthy as one might expect.
However, she was certain that Rain Shinobi were stationed at key junctions.
Choosing a longer, less direct route, she carefully made her way toward Hanzo's estate.
Above ground, under the concealment of Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals, Ryosuke and Kisame moved freely through the streets of Amegakure.
For Kisame, this was an entirely new experience.
Shinobi squads passed right by them, completely oblivious to their presence.
This feeling—walking undetected in plain sight—was almost surreal.
Kisame glanced toward a patrol of Rain Shinobi that had just moved past them.
They were standing right in front of them, yet not a single one had noticed.
For the first time, Kisame truly understood the power of "invisibility."
A deep sense of admiration welled up in his heart.
Ryosuke always exuded an aura of unfathomable depth.
His power resembled an endless abyss—just when one thought they had reached its bottom, they would find it stretching even further.
It was a power that was simply impossible to measure.
Moving effortlessly, Kisame guided Ryosuke toward Hanzo's estate.
Before long, they arrived.
Standing before them was a grand, imposing mansion spanning at least ten acres.
Under the dark night sky, the building appeared eerily silent—almost as if it were abandoned.
But Ryosuke knew better.
"Interesting," he murmured, eyes glinting with amusement.
With a subtle motion, his gaze sharpened.
A faint, ice-blue light flickered in his pupils.
It was thermal vision, allowing him to perceive heat signatures within the estate.
After a quick scan, he smirked.
The estate was heavily guarded, with nearly thirty Rain Shinobi stationed inside.
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