"Thirty-two corpses, all killed by kunai strikes."
"That's nearly the entire bandit gang."
Kakashi and Aono Unkan swiftly inspected the bodies strewn across the camp, confirming no survivors remained to provide intelligence.
"The strikes were precise, with no signs of resistance. Clearly, someone targeted these bandits for death," Kakashi observed.
"Could it have been Shinko Aburame's team?" Aono Unkan flicked a spider off his shoulder, his voice tinged with speculation.
Kakashi hoped to glean answers from the scene, but with only corpses left, he turned to the bodies themselves for clues.
The wounds, though aimed at vital points, were shallow—some barely broke the skin. By experience, such cuts shouldn't have been fatal.
Stranger still, the camp showed no blood splatter.
And if Shinko's team had killed these bandits, why hadn't the bodies decayed after two days?
The corpses themselves were the greatest enigma, hairless scalps, blurred features, pale skin like fish scales, and pools of viscous slime beneath them.
Kakashi sensed this was no simple matter.
"Press deeper."
He and Aono Unkan moved through the camp, heading toward the back mountain.
Earlier, Kakashi's search of the camp had uncovered no valuables or supplies, suggesting the bandits had a secondary base nearby to stash their loot.
A cunning rabbit has three burrows, after all.
Cautiously advancing through the night, they soon found the bandits' second "burrow."
A cave, its entrance crudely concealed with branches and stones, yet it have no match for a ninja's keen eyes.
The clumsy cover seemed almost an invitation, as if proclaiming something worth finding within.
Kakashi and Aono Unkan leapt down from the canopy, approaching the cave mouth. Suddenly, dark figures dropped from the towering trees ahead.
Silhouetted against the moonlight, Kakashi discerned their forms.
Mist Village assassins.
Six ninjas clad in the Mist's distinctive Anbu combat gear, their masks bearing the emblem of the Hidden Mist Village.
A miscalculation.
Kakashi had anticipated a bandit gang with a skilled genjutsu user, not the involvement of the Mist Village.
Another raid on Konoha?
His mind raced, but the situation was dire.
Six Mist assassins stood in plain sight, with unknown numbers lurking in the shadows.
Direct combat was unwise. They needed to fight and retreat, then report to the Hokage.
Kakashi exchanged a glance with Aono Unkan. Both reached for the short blades at their backs, ready for an attack.
But then, one masked Mist ninja stepped forward, arms spread. "Relax. You're not our target."
In ninja custom, open arms signaled non-hostility, a rule to avoid unnecessary conflict and protect mission objectives.
Wary but outnumbered, Kakashi knew action would have to wait until Daisuke's team arrived from the rear.
"This is the Land of Fire. What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked, releasing his blade but staying alert.
The lead Mist ninja paused, then answered, "We're hunting a Mist renegade. Once we capture them, we'll leave the Land of Fire."
The Mist leader considered eliminating the two Konoha Anbu to avenge four Mist ninjas killed by Konoha genin two years ago. But the Fourth Mizukage's orders were clear.
Handle the renegade discreetly, retrieve that object, and prioritize the mission above all.
The Mizukage's will was absolute, so the Mist ninja held back—for now.
But once the mission was complete, "discreet" could mean otherwise.
Kakashi scanned the six visible Mist ninjas. Their goal was to guard the cave, suggesting more of their comrades were inside.
After a moment's thought, he decided to probe for information before acting.
"Did you kill the bandits in the camp?" Kakashi asked.
The Mist leader didn't conceal the truth. "That was your mission, wasn't it? They were already dead when we arrived."
Outnumbering the Konoha ninjas, the Mist had no reason to lie.
So, Shinko Aburame's team had likely killed the bandits. But while searching for others, they'd encountered the Mist renegade and been defeated.
That renegade was now hiding in this cave.
Kakashi's only task was to uncover their identity.
As he opened his mouth to press further, a terrified scream echoed from within the cave.
Instantly, the six Mist ninjas drew their weapons.
The leader turned to the others. "We're going in."
With that, they vanished into the cave, leaving Kakashi and Aono Unkan outside.
"What now?" Aono Unkan asked.
Kakashi considered. "We wait."
They didn't linger at the entrance but leapt to a tree with a clear view of the cave mouth, ready to retreat if the Mist ninjas emerged.
A quarter-hour passed, yet the cave remained silent, the forest sinking into an unnatural stillness.
"Why's it taking so long?" Aono Unkan muttered, swatting at a spider crawling toward his head.
Kakashi glanced at the time. Six Mist assassins against one renegade? It was too slow.
"Let's investigate," he said.
The cave could be dangerous, but the Hokage's orders were to gather all possible intelligence. Returning with half the story wouldn't suffice.
Inside, Kakashi and Aono Unkan suppressed their presence, creeping cautiously through the darkness.
After a stretch of shadowed passage, a glow flickered around a corner.
They pressed against the stone wall, using small mirrors to peer into the chamber.
Scattered ninja tools—shuriken, kunai—littered the floor, glinting under the cave's oil lamps.
Their owners, the Mist ninjas, moved like hollow shells, arms limp, shambling toward a raised platform at the chamber's center.
There, atop the platform, stood a statue—one glance at it enthralled their heart.
(End of Chapter)