News of the arrival of guests from the Land of Water spread quickly to Konoha and soon reached Sōgen, who was currently at the Daimyo's residence. This visit from the Mist Shinobi was expected, so it didn't come as a surprise to Sōgen.
It seemed that the death of the Fourth Mizukage hadn't significantly impacted the Mist Village. Sōgen thought they might wait until next year to send emissaries, as internal conflicts were common in the Mist Village. Even without Uchiha Obito stirring things up, there were still plenty of ambitious individuals with designs on power. Fortunately, with Elder Genji watching over things, the village wasn't likely to fall into chaos anytime soon.
This was actually a good thing.
Now that the Mist Village was an ally of Konoha, the sooner they settled their internal affairs, the better. This meant that Mist Village was less likely to once again fall into Uchiha Obito's clutches—though Sōgen wasn't particularly worried about that happening again.
In any case, it was beneficial for Konoha to have another ally rather than another enemy. It would bring a sense of stability to the village.
---
"Lord Hokage, what does this mean?"
"It's about establishing a joint investigation unit with the Mist Shinobi to look into that mysterious person who claims to be Uchiha Madara. It was your proposal, and no one understands this matter better than you. Lord Hokage would like you to lead this effort. So… when do you plan to return to the village?"
Nara Saltwater, the Hokage's secretary, asked cautiously.
Saltwater had been sent as a messenger to deliver the Hokage's message to Sōgen. Recently, the Fifth Hokage had been less involved in handling official matters, leaving daily work to the Jonin Commander, Nara Shikaku, along with two advisors, Hyuga Masayuki and Kiba Mokuda. Together, they had been managing Hokage duties, only alerting him to major issues like this one involving the Mist Shinobi.
As a result, Saltwater had recently found himself with a lighter workload, allowing him to be dispatched as a messenger this time.
"A joint investigation unit, huh?" Sōgen mused.
The proposal had indeed come from him, and the Mist Shinobi had responded positively. However, due to the recent death of the Fourth Mizukage, Mist Village's emissaries had been delayed. "Has Mist Village already reached Konoha?"
"Not yet," Saltwater shook his head.
"The message came from the Eastern Border Defense Unit. It was sent urgently. The Mist Shinobi are currently being escorted by the Eastern Border Defense Unit, and if there are no delays, they should arrive at the village the day after tomorrow at the latest, or possibly even tomorrow."
"Since we still have two days, there's no rush. I'll return after wrapping up things here at the Daimyo's residence. It won't take too long—three or four days at most. The Hokage didn't specifically ask me to rush back, did he?"
"No, he didn't. Lord Hokage just wanted to know when you'd return. The rest is up to you," Saltwater replied respectfully, not only because of Sōgen's immense strength but also because Akimichi Torifū's health had been deteriorating.
With Tsunade's whereabouts still unknown, she'd become famous as a "big spender" in the Land of Fire and surrounding nations, owing vast sums of gambling debt. To evade creditors, she'd honed top-tier escape and concealment skills, often eluding even the Anbu.
So, Nara Saltwater approached Sōgen, one of the Sixth Hokage's strongest candidates, with extra care.
"Alright then, you can go back and inform the Hokage. If the Mist Shinobi arrive at the village before I do, let them rest for two days. I'll handle any issues when I get back."
Sōgen had been staying at the Daimyo's residence for some time, so it was about time he returned to the village. Originally, he'd planned to set out in mid-August, with a few sparring sessions planned with several individuals, which he'd now need to rearrange.
Also, both Riki the Traveler and Daichi were set to leave—Riki was returning to Mount Katsuragi, and Daichi was heading back to the Fire Temple.
"Master Earth Spider, are you sure you don't need someone to escort you?"
Standing at the embassy's entrance, Sōgen was seeing off Riki and the others. Over time, they'd formed a strong bond, putting aside clan and village affiliations to build personal friendships. They'd had many enjoyable conversations centered on ninjutsu.
"No need. If I could walk here from Mount Katsuragi, I can walk back just as easily," Riki replied, smiling as he declined Sōgen's offer. Though weakened with age, he still felt capable of handling things alone.
He had already preemptively dealt with most enemies of his clan, so he didn't expect any trouble while he was alive. It was precisely this confidence that allowed him to bring his granddaughter along on the journey.
Additionally, Daichi would be traveling with him on the return journey. Although they'd part ways halfway, it was still enough for Riki to feel secure.
"Daichi, are you sure you're ready to leave like this?" Sōgen turned to the young monk standing on Riki's left.
"Yes. Since Hama and the others aren't in the Daimyo's residence, I have no reason to stay here. I only joined the Twelve Guardian Ninjas temporarily, and I was always going to return to the Fire Temple. Now I'm just leaving a bit sooner," Daichi responded calmly.
Since the death of Kitane and others, and with the exposure of Hama's wrongdoings, Daichi's motivation to stay had dwindled. He'd initially remained in the Daimyo's residence to avenge Kitane and others, but after searching the area with the Onmitsu Squad for over a month without finding any trace of Hama, his anger had subsided.
Realizing that he would only find Hama if the rogue ninja revealed himself, Daichi felt it was pointless to stay. He could neither remain at the Daimyo's residence nor stay in one place any longer.
"Then I wish you both a safe journey."
Sōgen didn't insist on sending someone to accompany them. Honestly, he didn't have many capable people at his disposal in Daming Prefecture. Unless he personally stepped in, his subordinates weren't nearly as skilled as Dilu.
"Thank you for the good wishes."
Dilu clasped his hands in a respectful gesture.
The elderly Yizhi Traveler casually waved his hand, turned around, and left with his granddaughter, accompanied closely by the loyal Tonbei.
Just like that, Yizhi Traveler, his granddaughter Tsuchigumo Hotaru, and their attendant Tonbei, along with Dilu, departed from Daming Prefecture.
However—
No one noticed that, as they left, a grayish-brown sparrow hawk took flight from a nearby grove. It circled once in the air, determined its direction, and flew deeper into the forest.
...
In an abandoned, desolate village in the forest—
Hema and his group had been waiting there for days. Except for a fox spirit who liked to complain, everyone was quite patient. Even the fox spirit's grumbling was just a habit; he remained disciplined and didn't act out.
Finally, the messenger sparrow hawk landed on Hema's arm, cawing.
"They've finally set off?"
Hema read the secret message brought by the sparrow hawk and a cold smile appeared on his face.
He called out, "Kama no Suke, Tenme! Gather everyone! It's time to work."
In response, the more aggressive members of the original Guardian Twelve Shinobi quickly assembled. The fox spirit entered swiftly, carrying a blood-stained sword, his bloodthirsty intent making the sparrow hawk tremble.
"Hema, is it finally time for action?"
"Pretty much. Our target has left Daming Prefecture and is heading northwest." Hema shook the short message scroll in his hand. "But, there's a slight complication."
"What's wrong?"
Kama no Suke frowned.
"Dilu is with our target."
"Dilu? That bald guy?"
"What's he doing with the target?" Kama no Suke, Shiko, and Tenme were surprised but showed little emotion. After killing Kitane and the others, any lingering ties from the past meant nothing to them. And, for just Dilu, they felt no fear.
"Hema, what's the plan? Take care of them all?"
Kama no Suke asked. Being an old rival of Dilu, he knew how troublesome the Sennin could be. Unlike Kitane, who was aggressive but lacking in defense, Dilu was balanced in both. Unless they used special techniques or overwhelming force, dealing with Dilu wouldn't be easy.
"Of course we'll take out that bald monk!" The fox spirit shouted, exuding killing intent. "We let him go last time, but this time he's walked right into us."
"We'll play it by ear," Hema replied. "The main priority is still capturing Yizhi Traveler. As for Dilu…his life isn't critical. If it's convenient, we'll deal with him, but if not, stick to the original plan and prioritize Yizhi Traveler. No one is to act recklessly."
He gave a warning look at the fox spirit, specifically cautioning him not to mess things up.
"Ugh," the fox spirit grumbled but didn't argue further, only glaring at Hema.
With Hema's command, the group set off. Tenme, a sensor ninja, led the way, tracking Yizhi Traveler's group. Since they didn't know if Yizhi Traveler still possessed hidden techniques, Hema's subordinates only dared to secretly monitor them from the crowd when they were in Daming Prefecture.
Outside the city, however, they lacked the courage to pursue a former legend openly—especially with a young monk of the Fire Temple, like Dilu, accompanying him.
Hema's men had only reported the composition of Yizhi Traveler's group and the direction they left the city in. Whether they changed routes afterward would be up to Hema and his team to track down.
Fortunately, Tenme's sensory range was extensive. As long as Yizhi Traveler's group didn't return to Daming Prefecture or use space-time techniques to escape—both of which were unlikely—they would catch up to them before they reached Mount Katsuragi.
They began searching along the main road, planning to enter the forest if needed.
Their luck held. After setting out in the morning, by noon Tenme finally spotted the targets. Yizhi Traveler and Dilu had taken no hidden paths, traveling along the main road. Tenme, crouched on a treetop, opened his eyes, breaking his hand signs.
"What's their position?" Hema asked.
"About 600 meters away, to our eight o'clock, by a creek. Yizhi Traveler and his group are resting there," Tenme answered quickly. Though Hema appeared calm, Tenme, a sensor, could sense his excitement.
"They're resting?"
Hema took a deep breath, adjusted the four-bladed claw on his hand, and ordered, "Begin the operation."