Several days later
Yuji, Sasori, and Arai moved swiftly through a dense stretch of forest, their figures flickering between branches as they advanced deeper into unfamiliar territory.
They had already crossed into Amegakure.
Now came the dangerous part: Avoiding detection.
Thanks to Arai's battlefield experience and his familiarity with Amegakure's border defenses, their infiltration had progressed smoothly so far. Even so, none of them allowed their guard to drop. The outer defensive line was still active, and one careless mistake could expose their presence.
Their route was anything but direct.
Instead of moving in a straight line, they were forced to take long detours, weaving through forests and uneven terrain. Speed was essential, but so was stealth. Only by balancing both could they slip past Amegakure's patrol network unnoticed.
Arai suddenly raised his hand.
Their forward momentum broke apart, and their bodies vanished into the surrounding forest as if swallowed by the shadows.
Moments later, a three-man Amegakure patrol squad passed through the area. The shinobi scanned their surroundings carefully, their eyes sharp and alert.
After finding nothing suspicious, they moved on.
Even then, Yuji and Sasori did not emerge immediately.
They waited.
Only after several minutes passed did a faint, bird-like whistle sound from somewhere nearby.
It was Arai's signal.
Yuji stepped out from behind a tree, and Sasori appeared from another direction.
Without exchanging unnecessary words, they resumed their journey.
A day later, after crossing a low mountain ridge, Arai halted them again just as they reached the edge of another forest.
Rain fell steadily from the gray sky above.
Ever since entering Amegakure, the weather had remained like this, cold, damp, and sunless.
It was the complete opposite of the Land of Wind.
The rain never seemed to stop.
The three of them concealed themselves silently among the trees.
Time passed.
Then...
A disturbance appeared.
A shallow puddle on the muddy ground began to ripple.
Slowly, a human head emerged from the water.
The Amegakure shinobi scanned the area cautiously, his movements careful and deliberate.
After confirming that no one was present, he pulled himself completely out of the puddle and departed.
Yuji's eyes narrowed slightly.
This was clearly a concealment technique that allowed the user to merge with their environment.
It reminded him of similar infiltration techniques he had seen before, though this version appeared more refined.
What impressed him more was Arai.
He had detected the hidden shinobi before the man even revealed himself.
That level of chakra perception was not something ordinary ninja possessed.
This was the final border defense line. Beyond this point lay the interior of Amegakure.
Once the enemy shinobi disappeared, Arai gave the signal to move.
They left their hiding place immediately and advanced at full speed.
Although the infiltration had been exhausting, they had succeeded.
After putting sufficient distance between themselves and the defense line, Arai finally allowed them to stop.
"Rest here for a while," he said quietly.
Yuji and Sasori sat down without hesitation.
Both of them closed their eyes, conserving their strength.
Arai remained standing.
He would keep watch.
For a Jōnin of his level, this infiltration had not been especially difficult. Small teams were easier to conceal, and his experience significantly reduced the risk.
If they had been traveling in a larger group, the danger would have increased dramatically.
Several hours later, after recovering their stamina, they resumed their journey.
Time was critical.
The sooner they reached the Land of Grass, the sooner they could complete their mission.
Before continuing, the three of them changed their appearance.
They removed their shinobi equipment and put on ordinary civilian clothing, disguising themselves as travelers from Amegakure.
From this point forward, they would move as merchants.
The three of them walked along the muddy roads of Amegakure, their bodies hidden beneath rain cloaks that shielded them from the constant drizzle. Along the way, they passed through several villages and small settlements, but what they saw left a heavy impression.
Most of the villages had already been destroyed.
Collapsed houses, abandoned farmland, and broken fences stretched as far as the eye could see. In some places, only a handful of civilians remained, struggling to survive in conditions of extreme poverty.
Compared to this, even Sunagakure, despite its economic decline, was in far better shape.
From time to time, they encountered refugees fleeing with whatever possessions they could carry. Their faces were filled with exhaustion and fear.
The reality of war was laid bare before them.
At one point, they saw a group of bandits attacking a caravan of civilians. Not long after, they witnessed two armed factions fighting violently in the rain, their blades flashing as they clashed in a brutal struggle for dominance.
Neither Yuji nor his companions intervened.
They remained focused on their mission.
As they continued forward, Arai spoke.
"Outsiders only remember that Hanzō defeated Konoha's Legendary Sannin," he said. "But they don't see the full picture. At the height of the war, Konoha's forces were strong enough to break through Amegakure's border defenses repeatedly and push deep into its territory. The only reason Amegakure survived was because Konoha was fighting on multiple fronts."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"If Konoha had concentrated all its strength here, Amegakure might not exist today."
Yuji listened quietly.
Arai was right.
It wasn't just Konoha. Sunagakure had also breached Amegakure's defenses during the war. Much of the devastation surrounding them was the result of those invasions.
But external enemies were not the only cause.
Internal corruption had made things worse.
War had stripped away the illusion of order, revealing the darker side of human nature.
Yuji's thoughts turned toward Hanzō.
Amegakure had produced a shinobi powerful enough to earn the title of "Demigod," but even so, the gap between Amegakure and the Five Great Ninja Villages remained enormous.
If Sunagakure had not been forced to divide its forces, it could have overwhelmed Amegakure in a direct confrontation.
Yet Amegakure's decline was not simply the result of military weakness.
It was a failure of leadership.
Yuji spoke calmly.
"The problem isn't just the war," he said. "It's how the country is governed."
Arai and Sasori both looked at him.
Yuji continued.
"Amegakure was built through force. Its foundation was never stable. Power was concentrated in the hands of a single ruler, and everything depended on his authority."
He gestured toward the ruined villages around them.
"When power is maintained through fear alone, corruption becomes inevitable. Those in control exploit the weak, and the system begins to collapse from within."
Arai frowned slightly, listening carefully.
Yuji went on.
"Even if Hanzō wanted to fix things now, it would be difficult. His rule created this system, and that system now sustains itself. Removing him wouldn't solve the problem immediately, because the people beneath him have already adopted the same mindset."
He paused briefly before adding,
"A nation's future isn't decided by war alone. Leadership, belief, and values determine whether it rises or falls."
The rain continued to fall around them.
Neither Arai nor Sasori spoke for several seconds.
They had always seen Amegakure's suffering as a natural result of war.
But Yuji's words suggested something deeper.
Arai finally glanced at him again, his expression complicated.
He had never expected someone so young to possess such insight.
"You…" Arai began, but stopped himself.
Yuji simply smiled beneath his rain cloak.
"I'm just thinking out loud," he said lightly. "I could be wrong."
...
Bonus chapter @200Ps