Chapter 92: Sand Ninja Spy
Along the way, Sasuke used his high-precision ultrasonic radar to observe carefully, preventing assassinations and sneak attacks. He knew that returning to base camp could sometimes be more dangerous than the patrol itself.
Soon after, a small incident occurred.
His radar detected an almost imperceptible chakra fluctuation coming from inside a small shop. It was so weak and obscure that it seemed like a child condensing chakra for the first time. He grew curious and, perceiving it better, discovered that it came from two adults who appeared to be ordinary civilians. He quickly switched to infrasonic radar, which had greater penetration.
He discovered that both had chakra, and in large quantities. One of them reached the level of a special jonin, and the other, a chunin. They concealed their energy so carefully that they must have some secret.
"Tekudo, it's been a long time since I've had tempura," Sasuke said aloud.
"Captain, look, there's a tempura stand over there, and behind it there's an izakaya," Tekudo responded, understanding instantly. Back in Shinano Castle, he acted as a generous host, ready to organize a full holiday service for the team.
"Yes," Sasuke nodded, and they swaggered into the izakaya.
He continued using his sonic ninjutsu to perceive, and soon discovered that these two people were actually Sunagakure spies. And not common spies; the rice shop owner was a "Sandfall" clan sleeper agent, infiltrated in Shinano Castle for generations.
The other spy had arrived to investigate the disappearance of the Taki clan's smuggling team. He wanted to recover the goods and, at the same time, warn Konoha's Mitokado clan not to cheat. Sasuke realized that this spy was the source of the smuggling rumors; the Taki clan had leaked the news to pressure the Mitokado, suspecting they had been betrayed.
They had already reached a new agreement: future transactions would take place in Sunagakure territory. Now, the Mitokado had to worry about the Taki clan stealing from them.
'It seems I have to quickly retrieve that ledger,' Sasuke thought.
Taking advantage of an excuse to wash his hands, he created two shadow clones. One went to retrieve the smuggling ledger, while the other continued to watch the spies. The book was not difficult to find; it was in an iron box at the bottom of a pond, just as the tortured smuggler had confessed. As soon as the clone found it, he took it.
Meanwhile, the Sunagakure spy left the rice shop, disguised as a weathered farmer. Sasuke quickly ordered his first clone to hide the ledger in a secret corner of the spy's own rice shop. 'The best place to hide a tree is in a forest. And the best place to plant evidence is in the culprit's own home.'
"Tekudo, we're almost done eating. Go to the logistics department to submit the report," Sasuke said, leading his team away from that spot.
At that moment, the spy, followed by the second clone, was queuing to cross the city gate. The distress he showed when paying the entry tax was a masterful performance. The clone waited for the perfect moment. Just as a Uchiha patrol passed through the upper arch of the gate, he unleashed the infrasonic discharge.
An invisible wave struck the spy. For an instant, his control faltered, and his painstakingly suppressed chakra overflowed.
"Stop! Routine inspection!" shouted the gate guards, Hayabusa and Sengoku, perceiving the fluctuation.
The spy realized he had been discovered. He stopped pretending, threw down the sack of rice he was carrying, and ran towards the gate, knocking down one of the guards in his attempt to escape.
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