After leaving Konoha,
Hoshigaki Kisame glanced sideways at Uchiha Itachi.
"Why retreat so suddenly?"
Itachi's expression hardly shifted. He answered as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Because we had to retreat. I know Might Guy's strength all too well. If we fought seriously here, both of us would likely die in Konoha. Besides…" He paused, his eyes narrowing. "What we're looking for isn't inside the village."
Kisame blinked. "Not in Konoha?"
"I used Tsukuyomi on Hatake Kakashi," Itachi continued. "Even though he said nothing, he showed no trace of worry in his eyes—not even at the very end."
He cast a meaningful glance at his partner. "Which means the one we're after isn't in Konoha at all. Otherwise, Kakashi could never have remained that calm."
Kisame scratched his head with his shark-like grin. "True enough. But if they've taken Jinchūriki out of the village… what happens if the beast goes berserk? Who suppresses it then?"
Every shinobi village treated its Jinchūriki as both weapon and deterrent. Allowing one to leave the village so freely was almost unthinkable.
Itachi's eyes sharpened. "Do you remember the Wood Style user that appeared in Konoha? The one Sunagakure called the Flash Goddess—Nagano Yuichi."
"Wood Style, huh…" Kisame's grin faded slightly.
"Wood Style can suppress tailed beasts. As long as he's there, Jinchūriki can be taken outside the village without fear."
Kisame mulled it over and gave a low chuckle. "Heh. Makes sense. With the Third Hokage gone, Konoha's already unstable. Sending out Nine Tails and their Wood Style child in secret—so long as the Nine Tails remains in their hands, even if the village were destroyed, Konoha would still have power to take revenge."
His grin widened again. "Still, I didn't expect them to play it this way. If Jinchūriki is traveling, he should be surrounded by a guard of strong shinobi."
But Itachi shook his head faintly. "Not many. If it were me arranging this, I'd keep the escort small but powerful. Too many people only draw attention. Fewer numbers mean easier movement."
Kisame frowned. "But Kakashi, Guy, and the others are still in Konoha. Then who's guarding Nine Tails—and that Wood Style brat? Those two are far too valuable. The escorts can't be weak."
Itachi's thoughts flickered. Danzo? Impossible. If he went near Jinchūriki, the Nine Tails' will would never allow it.
Kisame groaned. "Troublesome. If they're not in the village, tracking them down will be a nightmare."
Itachi gave a faint, almost weary smile. "Even so… we have to find them."
"Yeah, yeah. This mission is suicide." Kisame muttered, but his massive sword shifted slightly on his back as if eager for blood.
The two exchanged a glance, then their figures flickered and vanished into the dusk outside Konoha.
The sky deepened toward nightfall.
Yuichi and Naruto pushed forward, arriving before dark at the first location where Tsunade might be found. It was closest to Konoha, but according to Yuichi the chances of finding her here were practically zero.
Even so, this place had been marked on Nara Shikaku's scroll, a testament to just how difficult it would be to track down one of the Legendary Sannin.
While Naruto sat in their small rented room, wrestling furiously with balloons for his training, Yuichi slipped out into the streets to gather information.
If you asked for Tsunade, no one could answer. But if you asked after the "legendary sucker"—the so-called Big Fat Sheep of the gambling world—people's tongues loosened quickly.
Sure enough, he heard plenty of stories. None pointed to Tsunade's exact location, but it was a start. This village was too small for useful leads. Their next stop, a larger town, would surely offer more.
By the time he returned, Naruto was still gritting his teeth at the balloons, so absorbed he didn't even notice Yuichi walk in. With a faint smile, Yuichi dropped onto his cot.
[Daily Selection Open]
Please choose:
Practice swordsmanship for one hour – Reward: Beginner Swordsmanship
Refine Chakra for one hour – Reward: Increased Chakra reserves
Swordsmanship.
Yuichi's eyes lit up. He had already planned to seek out a master swordsman, but perhaps the system would save him the trouble.
He drew the white-sheathed Kusanagi sword, stepping into the empty corner of the room. Moonlight spilled across the floor as the blade whispered free, its dark edge traced with scarlet patterns.
He began to practice, each swing cutting arcs through the air with growing precision.
Outside, the bright moon hung above the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.
On the frontier, Konoha shinobi peered across the sands as a line of torch-bearing figures approached. Shadows resolved into a band of Sunagakure ninja.
"Sand Shinobi…?" one Chūnin stammered. "Enemy attack! Sound the alarm—!"
A Jōnin caught his arm sharply. "Fool. Do raiders announce themselves with torches? Stay sharp, but don't panic."
The Sand shinobi halted twenty meters away, shedding their weapon pouches and standing in neat formation. One stepped forward, scroll in hand.
Not war—parley.
The Konoha Jōnin's eyes narrowed, but he accepted the scroll. "We'll send this to Konoha at once. Wait here until we have word."
The Sand Jōnin inclined his head solemnly. "Sunagakure is willing to accept any terms—so long as we can exchange for our tailed beast."
The Konoha Jōnin's gaze hardened. "Understood."