They were about to enter the Land of Lightning.
He looked at Hideki.
Actually, this was the best chance to strike—just like last time when Uchiha Shisui attacked the people of the Land of Lightning.
But Hideki seemed unfazed. He just smiled softly and didn't react.
After a long moment, Hideki finally spoke slowly, looking calmly at Uchiha Genya. "My body has already decayed. Are you young ninjas not going to escort me back to the Hidden Cloud Village?"
When he said this, his wrinkled face still carried a smile. But to Genya, that smile felt like a weasel wishing you a happy new year—insincere and filled with ill intent.
"How could that be? Our mission is to safely escort you home. Since your home is the Hidden Cloud Village, we will naturally see you there safely." Genya gave a faint, ambiguous smile. He was, of course, following his employer's orders.
Besides, he himself hadn't been to the Hidden Cloud Village before.
And so, they continued on their journey.
The group entered the Land of Lightning directly.
"Hey, why haven't they made a move? The people sent by the Hokage are tempting enough, yet the Land of Lightning's forces haven't acted?"
After the group entered the Land of Lightning, several figures suddenly appeared in the forest behind them, watching Genya's retreating figure and whispering.
"Heh. Looks like they plan to strike here in the Land of Lightning," one of them squinted. "Seems like their scouts want to make sure none of these people return."
"Should we follow them?" someone asked.
"No need," the lead figure shook his head. "This is their only way back. If they manage to leave the Land of Lightning alive—hmph—"
He didn't finish the sentence, but everyone knew what he meant.
That meant death.
Even if Uchiha Genya dared to return, they would move to eliminate all of them.
Just like that, a few people were on the main route outside the Land of Lightning but did not enter the country itself.
"Not following me in? Are they too afraid to come in, or are they trying to block me there?" Genya's eyes narrowed, a playful yet serious look spreading across his face.
From the moment he left, he already knew someone was tailing him.
It was the Sarutobi clan.
It seemed Hiruzen hadn't suffered enough yet—daring to send people to kill him. After returning from the Land of Lightning, Genya planned to clean up those pesky tails once and for all.
Hideki glanced back, his brow furrowing deeply.
No one had followed them into the Land of Lightning? Could it be that those people dared not enter? Or perhaps they were hiding even better?
He assumed those people were Genya's guards.
Of course, Kurenai, Shino Aburame, and Hinata also noticed something off about the people tailing them.
All three were scout ninjas—Kurenai needed no introduction, and Shino's bugs hadn't stopped crawling all day. Hinata's Byakugan wasn't just for show.
Everyone sensed something unusual, but none dared to mention it, as if silently agreeing to keep it to themselves.
And so, the group continued onward.
The Village Hidden in the Clouds was perched high atop a mountain, surrounded by swirling mist, like a scene from a fairy tale.
No dangers greeted them as they entered the village directly.
"Lord Hideki!" Just as they stepped into the Cloud Village, a white-haired man waited outside, carrying a large sword on his back, exuding a commanding presence.
His expression was stiff—he looked exactly like Itachi and Sasuke, which made Genya dislike him instantly.
Darui. Genya had long heard of him—the man who might one day become the next Raikage.
As Genya and the others sized him up, Darui studied them in return. But when he saw that Genya's small group was escorting Hideki back, a look of disdain crossed his face.
He thought that Konoha would stop Hideki Moku's return, but unexpectedly, they let him through directly.
Wait—Byakugan?
As Darui was lost in thought, his gaze suddenly fixed on Hinata, especially drawn to her Byakugan.
Moreover, this Byakugan belonged to someone without the "caged bird seal".
That meant this person's eyes could really be taken out for experiments. The wish that the Raikage and others had years ago was finally becoming possible.
Thinking of this, Darui looked at Hinata's eyes with even more intensity.
Kurenai and Shino frowned upon seeing his expression. Hinata even stepped back, hiding behind Genya.
"I say, White Hair, isn't staring at someone like that a bit too much?" Genya stepped forward to block Darui's attempt and spoke slowly.
Though his posture was lazy, his eyes were sharp and clear. The meaning was obvious—if Darui dared to make a move, Genya wouldn't hesitate to kill him right here.
"Hehe. He means no harm, just wants to express his thanks!" Hideki Moku saw the tension between the two and quickly tried to smooth things over. "Thanks for bringing this old man back this time!"
"No need to thank me. Since our mission is complete, please sign your name on this task paper as proof we finished it!" Genya calmly handed Hideki Moku the mission form.
This mission affected their performance scores, and after all the hard work bringing someone back, he didn't want to fail the task in the end.
"Alright!" Hideki Moku smiled, taking the paper and pen, signing while casually asking, "So, when are you all planning to return?"
He asked like that to gauge what Genya and the others were planning next.
If they intended to leave the village overnight, he would immediately send someone to intercept them.
"Heh. We finally made it to the Cloud Village, so of course, we want to have some fun!"
Genya took the mission scroll and put it away, but his eyes glanced toward the hidden ninja behind them with curiosity.
"I wonder, does the Cloud Village have any good food?"
"Oh~~ The Cloud Village indeed has two kinds of delicious dishes. How about I have someone take you around the village for a bit?"
Hideki smiled widely, speaking in a very understanding tone.
"No need."
Genya gave Hideki a sideways glance, his tone carrying a hint of annoyance.
"We can explore by ourselves!"
Genya rejected Hideki's offer outright and, together with Hinata and the others, bypassed them to head deeper into the Cloud Village.
Hideki watched their backs and immediately wiped the smile off his face.
His gaze toward Genya gradually grew colder.
"Should I follow them?"
Darui's eyes were dark and heavy with a sharp intensity.
"Take care of these few."
As members of the Cloud Village, everything must be done with the village's interest in mind.
Hyuga Hinata, the Byakugan wielder, was exactly what the Cloud Village had long desired.
Now that she was right in front of them, how could they let her go so easily?
"No need!"
Hideki shook his head.
"Not yet. Let's first go meet the Raikage-sama and decide what to do next."
****
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