If you ask why the Mist Ninja are here, the answer is actually simple. They're just passing by. The shortest route from the port they landed at to Konoha happens to pass close to the Daimyo's residence, and today's sun is particularly harsh. To be honest, the Mist Ninja, coming from the Land of Water, aren't used to such blazing sunlight, so by midday, they really didn't want to keep traveling under the scorching sun. So, they decided to take a break.
In fact, for the past couple of days, they've been stopping frequently, significantly slowing down their progress. If they had been pushing forward, they'd likely already be in Konoha, relaxing in the Hokage's office or waiting room rather than cooling off in the shade of this forest.
"It's so hot!"
Suigetsu Hozuki complained, squatting under a tree while gulping down water. His canteen was emptied in seconds.
Around him, the Mist Ninjas were scattered in groups, finding shade wherever they could—squatting, leaning, sitting. None of them dared to lay down completely relaxed, as it was still the wilderness, and an excellent ninja is always on guard, prepared for battle at any moment.
"Suigetsu, shut up! It's already hot enough. Just give my ears a break," his older brother, Mangetsu Hozuki, weakly scolded.
Mangetsu was also exhausted, leaning against a tree with an empty canteen, looking as if he could dissolve into a puddle at any second. This wasn't just an impression—the heat was indeed brutal today.
Most of the Mist Ninjas were managing fine as long as they stayed out of direct sunlight, but for Mangetsu and Suigetsu, members of the Hozuki clan, it was different. Their clan's secret techniques were powerful but had certain unavoidable weaknesses, such as being vulnerable to lightning techniques—and intense heat!
Yes, the Hozuki clan members are very susceptible to heat. High temperatures can cause them to lose water rapidly, and in severe cases, it can be fatal. In the Warring States period, before they crossed the ocean to the Land of Water, the Hozuki clan had a brutal punishment called "sun exposure," where wrongdoers were locked in a transparent, heat-absorbing container and left in the sun. Prolonged exposure would be torturous, and those who feared heat suffered the most, with some even succumbing to it.
"This Land of Fire is too hot! Big Brother, you never mentioned that the Land of Fire's weather is so unbearable."
"Hah! It's not like I forced you to come, so don't blame me."
"What kind of attitude is that, Big Brother? I'm your own brother!" Suigetsu was clearly unhappy with his brother's hostile tone, glaring at him. He didn't dare swing at him, though—not in this heat; it was too draining.
"So what?" Mangetsu's attitude only worsened.
Were it not for the heat, he'd probably have already taught his pesky little brother a lesson about respecting his elders.
"…Big Brother, do you have any water left?" Suigetsu, who had just been grumbling, now reluctantly begged for water.
"Take a look for yourself." Mangetsu shook his empty canteen.
Suigetsu's expression fell as he looked around at the other Mist Ninjas, hoping someone still had water. But just then, the scout ninja stationed in the trees spoke up: "Lord Mangetsu, there's a strong chakra presence coming toward us from seven o'clock, and it's moving fast."
"What's going on?"
Before Mangetsu could react, the four Konoha ninjas escorting them—members of Hayama Shirakumo's team from the Eastern Border Guard—jumped up. Team Captain Hayama quickly moved to the base of the tree where the sensor ninja was stationed and looked up. "Can you confirm the identity? Is it a Konoha ninja, or… someone else?"
Hayama Shirakumo had earned enough merit in last year's battles with the Cloud Village to be promoted to Jonin. After the war, he served in the northeastern border guard for three months before being reassigned to the eastern border guard, and now he'd been tasked with escorting the Mist Ninjas to Konoha.
The assignment was called "escort," but their actual duties were twofold: first, to guide the Mist Ninjas so they wouldn't wander freely around the country; even if they couldn't gather important intel, precautions were essential. Second, they were to prevent any conflicts with fellow Konoha ninja who might be unaware of the Mist delegation's presence, which could lead to misunderstandings.
In summary, no one expected the Mist Ninjas to encounter anything unexpected along the way, nor did they suspect any hidden motives. This was why Hayama Shirakumo's team alone was assigned to escort over thirty Mist Ninjas, and they didn't even have a specialized sensor ninja with them—after all, even Konoha couldn't assign sensor ninjas to every single team.
Konoha has a number of sensory ninjas, like the Hyuga clan, the Yamanaka clan, the Aburame clan, and the Inuzuka clan—all with top-tier sensory abilities. However, Konoha has a huge number of ninjas overall, especially with the rise of many civilian-born ninjas. With so many ninja squads, some inevitably end up without a sensory ninja.
Hayama Shirakumo happened to be one of the unlucky ones.
It wasn't that anyone was targeting him; he just had a streak of bad luck.
Originally part of the northeastern border defense squad, he was reassigned to the eastern border. But due to some family issues, he arrived about a week late. By then, the squads in the eastern defense unit had mostly formed, and positions for sensory and medical ninjas were already filled. All that was left for him were rough types who were good at fighting but not much else.
As a result, he was now left with no choice but to consult the Mist Village's sensory ninja for information.
"If you find anything, report it immediately."
Suigetsu Hozuki walked over to Hayama Shirakumo.
The sensory ninja crouching in the trees flinched. Shirakumo's questions could be ignored, but not Suigetsu's—ignoring him would be as reckless as tempting fate. In Mist Village, out of all five great villages, they were the least hesitant about taking down their own people.
If he dared to act recklessly here, Suigetsu would make sure he really ended up dead!
"There are three people approaching… Only one of them seems strong, and another appears to be a child, as their chakra is very faint. The third isn't weak, but not as strong as the first. As for their identities… I'm sorry, but I don't have the Byakugan or any visual jutsu. I can only sense nearby chakra, so I can't determine who they are," the sensory ninja reported quickly.
"A child?"
Shirakumo felt a bit confused, though his tense expression softened slightly.
The child was unexpected, but at least it didn't seem like anyone had come here just to cause trouble for the Mist ninjas. As long as they didn't interfere with his mission, he didn't particularly care what was happening.
Just as Shirakumo began to relax a bit,
"Wait—no, there are more people behind them! One, two, three… four powerful chakras. They're likely all Jonin-level. It looks like… they're chasing the three people in front!"
The Mist sensory ninja, though more skilled than most Chunin, was only a Special Jonin by Mist standards, specializing in sensory techniques. However, compared to geniuses like Tenmu with his clan's secret techniques, he was lacking.
As a result, he hadn't detected the pursuing enemies as quickly as Tenmu and others.
When he finally sensed them, it was already too late; he could clearly see the oncoming figures of Dairoku and his companion from his vantage point.
"A monk, an elderly man, and a child—none of them appear to be Konoha ninjas. It looks like some dispute between other ninja clans. Ambassador Suigetsu, there's no need for us to get involved," Hayama Shirakumo said.
"As long as they don't bother me, I won't cause any trouble here in the Land of Fire," Suigetsu responded with a straight face, adhering strictly to the principle of 'if you don't provoke me, I won't provoke you.'
Before setting out for the Land of Fire, his mentor had given him a serious talk about not acting recklessly. Mist Village was currently in a downturn, while Konoha was on the rise again, like a new dawn after a dark night.
Mistakenly causing a conflict with Konoha was the last thing they wanted.
Suigetsu understood this well, even if he was slightly annoyed that his mentor had treated him like a child. Out of respect, however, he kept his mentor's words in mind, reminding himself not to let emotions cloud his judgment.
The Mist ninjas had all gathered and taken up defensive positions.
Hearing Suigetsu's response and seeing the Mist ninjas ready for defense, Hayama Shirakumo felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, the Mist Village prodigy was reasonable and not as difficult to work with as he'd feared. Now that he had communicated with Suigetsu, the next step was to deal with the trouble approaching them.
Thoughts raced through his mind, coming and going as he tried to think of the best way to make this 'trouble' turn away on its own.
Just as he opened his mouth to shout,
The monk running toward them suddenly called out, "To the Mist ninjas—are you allies of Konoha?"
This question caught Suigetsu off guard, and even Shirakumo was briefly at a loss. His prepared response vanished instantly. What kind of question was that? Asking Mist ninjas if they're allies of Konoha? Did this monk, old man, and child have some connection to Konoha?
Suigetsu grinned; things were getting interesting.
Shirakumo, on the other hand, was less amused, his face as grim as a debt collector.
Meanwhile, Dairoku was also feeling the pressure, his heart pounding anxiously as he waited for the Mist ninjas' response.
He had assumed that such a large chakra presence would be Konoha ninjas, but as he got closer, he was baffled to see so many Mist ninjas here instead. Why would so many of them be in the heart of the Land of Fire? It was hard to understand.
But as Tenmu and the others closed in from behind, undeterred by the presence of the Mist ninjas, Dairoku had no choice but to take a gamble and call out to them, hoping that their presence here meant they were somehow connected to Konoha.
If he guessed right, he might have a chance to appeal to these Mist ninjas for aid.
If he guessed wrong and these Mist ninjas were in the Land of Fire for some covert mission… well, either way, he had nothing to lose. Maybe it would even spark a conflict between Tenmu and the Mist ninjas, so either way, he had nothing to lose!
Incidentally, Dairoku hadn't noticed Shirakumo's squad.
It wasn't due to poor vision; it was simply that Shirakumo's team members were blending in perfectly with the environment, and the large group of Mist ninjas was drawing all his attention. Tenmu and his pursuers hadn't spotted Shirakumo's squad either.
"What now, Shirakumo?" Suigetsu asked, noticing the sweat on Hayama Shirakumo's forehead.
"…I'll ask them a few questions first," Shirakumo replied reluctantly. Like many Konoha ninjas, he believed in the 'mission above all' principle—even if it meant abandoning comrades. However, if the mission didn't warrant such sacrifice, then a comrade's safety took priority.
The times had changed, and ninja principles were no longer so rigid.
Especially after the passing of the Third Hokage and Danzo, the White Fang incident had been reevaluated and spread as evidence of their wrongdoings. During this time, many long-held ninja rules had begun to waver, sparking debates on the importance of mission versus comrades.
And Hayama Shirakumo,
was a middle-ground thinker who believed the importance of mission versus comrades depended on the circumstances. If a mission involved the village's safety, then it took priority; otherwise, comrades' lives were also important.
Because of this belief, he hadn't immediately dismissed Dairoku and his group but decided to hear them out first and determine his course of action based on their response.
"I am Hayama Shirakumo, a Jonin of Konoha. What business do you have with Konoha?"
Shirakumo leapt down from the tree, standing in front of the Mist ninjas with his drawn sword, ready to drive them off if Dairoku's response didn't satisfy him.