At the same time...
Under the night sky, not far from the small town, a strange insect suddenly emerged from the ground. The creature was about two meters long, with three pairs of sharp legs, its body covered in scales, and two earthy yellow eyes that shone with an unusual intelligence.
The insect looked around, then opened its mouth and spat out a human figure.
As the person appeared, he immediately scanned his surroundings cautiously. After confirming the area was safe, he patted the insect's head and said, "Good job, Chika!"
The insect, clearly pleased, nudged his hand affectionately before laying down, awaiting further orders from Kohara Shuji.
Yes, the person was none other than Kohara Shuji. And this peculiar insect, named Chika, was his summoned beast. Not only could it conceal its presence, but it also had a pocket dimension within its body.
Kohara Shuji had been hiding in this otherworldly space, using Chika's ability to mask his chakra, allowing him to tail Aoming without being detected.
Ever since the battle two days ago, he had been secretly following Aoming, observing his every move from underground. The occasional sensation of being watched that Aoming felt came from Kohara Shuji.
So why hadn't Iwagakure managed to encircle Aoming and his team yet? The answer was simple: Kohara Shuji hadn't relayed his intel to the other Iwa-nin.
It wasn't that Shuji planned to take down Aoming alone, but rather he believed the current Iwa forces weren't sufficient to stop Aoming and his team. Sharing the information with them would only increase his risk of exposure without yielding any real benefit.
But now, things were different.
Not long ago, he received word that a squad of Iwa's elite had arrived on the battlefield. According to his information, while the squad was small, each member was at least a tokubetsu jonin, highly skilled in a particular area. The leader, a man named Han, was a renowned elite jonin known as the "Steam Ninja."
Moreover, Han was not just an ordinary shinobi. Sealed within him was a terrifying beast—the Five-Tails.
With this new information, Shuji had finally passed along his intel to them. Based on his calculations, they should arrive by tomorrow morning.
As these thoughts crossed his mind, Shuji gazed in the direction of the distant town, as if peering through the barriers of the world to see Aoming. He murmured to himself, "It's almost time."
With that, he lightly tapped Chika's head and said, "Chika, let's go."
At his command, the insect gave a slight shake, lifted its head, and with a sharp inhale, sucked Shuji into its body. Then, using its front claws, it dug into the ground, disappearing without a trace. In mere moments, the ground returned to its natural state, leaving no evidence of their presence.
Morning arrived in the blink of an eye.
At dawn, the Konoha shinobi in the town were already awake. They quickly cleaned up, ate some ration pills to replenish their energy, and, under the leadership of their jonin, began moving toward their intended destination.
Aoming walked near the front of the group, protecting Hyuga Rinhwa. His Sharingan was fully activated, scanning the surroundings with intense focus, his expression unusually serious.
Rinhwa glanced at Aoming several times, unable to suppress his curiosity any longer. "Aoming, what's with you today? You're acting way too cautious."
Aoming, hearing the question, gave Rinhwa a brief look. He noticed the rare sense of relaxation on Rinhwa's face.
Not just Rinhwa, but the other surviving members of their squad seemed more at ease compared to the previous days. It was clear that completing their mission and the prospect of meeting up with their allied forces had brought them a sense of relief.
"This won't do," Aoming thought.
His steps suddenly faltered.
Rinhwa, thinking Aoming had noticed something, immediately grew alert, scanning the area with his Byakugan. "What is it?" he asked quietly.
"Oh, nothing," Aoming replied, shaking off his thoughts. He continued, "Just be careful. I need to speak with Nara-sensei for a moment."
Though confused, Rinhwa nodded. "Alright. Go ahead."
After all, as a tokubetsu jonin, Rinhwa didn't need constant protection. Aoming had only been walking with him because Nara Suihito wanted to take extra precautions. Other Hyuga clan members were similarly paired with combat squad members.
Without another word, Aoming acknowledged Rinhwa and prepared to leave. But before he did, he turned back and warned, "Rinhwa, stay vigilant. I have a feeling today won't go as smoothly as expected."
With that, he disappeared in a flash, using the Body Flicker Technique.
Rinhwa was left momentarily frozen, frowning. "Not smoothly? What does that mean? Could there still be enemies nearby? That doesn't make sense…"
As he pondered Aoming's unusual behavior, a creeping sense of unease washed over him. "Could he have really noticed something?"
His heart raced as he looked toward the surrounding forest. Without a second thought, he activated his Byakugan, veins bulging around his eyes as he scanned the area for any threats.
But after a thorough search of the one-kilometer radius, the only people in sight were Aoming, the other scouting Hyuga members, and their Konoha teammates.
Relieved, Rinhwa sighed quietly. Still, he couldn't shake off Aoming's earlier caution. He steeled his resolve, tightening his focus, and resumed his scouting duties with renewed seriousness.
Meanwhile, about twenty to thirty kilometers away, a seven-man Iwa squad was rapidly advancing.
Suddenly, a piercing cry of an eagle echoed through the sky.
The group came to an immediate halt, all of them turning their gaze upward. A majestic eagle descended from the horizon, circling twice before diving down and landing gracefully on one shinobi's outstretched arm.
The man gently stroked the bird's feathers before retrieving a rolled-up note from its leg. After quickly reading the numbers on the note, he mentally decoded them using a cipher.
"What's the message?" one of the Iwa-nin asked.
The man smirked, igniting the note with a small flame and reducing it to ashes. Once the embers scattered, he replied, "Kohara just sent in a report. The Konoha forces have already left the town."
"Based on their direction, the command center believes they're heading to meet up with the group that took the Tiger Mountain base yesterday."
"So, should we intercept them along the way, or head to Tiger Mountain and wait for them to walk into our trap?" another Iwa-nin asked.
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