Hibari's team had sent the hawk back to deliver intelligence and await the next phase of orders, so they couldn't just casually withdraw from the Land of Hot Water. What if there were more missions requiring their presence?
Thus, the members of their Anbu squad set up camp near the hot spring in the dense forest. At the very least, they needed to recuperate for a couple of days. Although no one was lost this time, some Anbu members were injured; Hibari wasn't the only one who needed rest, right?
While Hibari's team needed to recuperate, the situation was even worse for the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers' squad. Aside from Kinkaku, who barely survived, the other four shinobi in his team were all eliminated by Kagami and his men. Ginkaku, with his deep brotherly bond with Kinkaku, naturally couldn't abandon him.
Furthermore, after this abrupt encounter with Konohagakure's ambush, and facing an expert who used Raikage's secret techniques, the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers, no matter how bold, couldn't possibly continue their advance.
So, they also found a hidden location, left some signals, and then set up camp to recuperate, waiting for their main force to arrive and for the situation to be clarified before planning their next moves.
Two days passed like this, and the situation within the Land of Hot Water became complex. Large numbers of Kumogakure shinobi passed through the Land of Moon's territory, entering the Land of Hot Water.
Hibari had long since fully recovered. He even took the time to 'revive' Hiyoko. However, Hiyoko didn't linger with Hibari after reappearing but quickly returned to the Land of Fire. On one hand, there was no use for him to stay there. Even if there was, Hibari could just summon him.
Given this, his return to Konohagakure allowed him to continue doing many things for Hibari, such as learning the Flying Raijin Technique, the Yin Seal technique, or even researching Edo Tensei.
On the other hand, few people knew the truth about Hiyoko. Many used to regard him as Hibari's Shadow Clone, with no further thoughts. Now, if Hiyoko were to appear frequently in Konohagakure, and if Kumogakure truly had any spies in Konoha, they could convey false intelligence that Hibari was still in Konohagakure, providing even more cover for Hibari's identity here.
Kinkaku's situation was more dire. Even with the Tailed Beast's abilities aiding him, he couldn't recover as quickly as Hibari, and despite having the Sage of Six Paths' bloodline, he couldn't regrow lost limbs.
If he later had the chance to reclaim his severed arm from Hibari, he might be able to reattach it. But if he couldn't, then he would essentially be the 'One-Armed Swordsman' from now on.
Currently, in the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers' camp, Kinkaku, from his appearance, apart from missing an arm and a horn, didn't show any other obvious injuries. However, his face was extremely pale, and his breathing was very weak.
It was clear that he was still in a severely injured state, and this state would likely persist for a long time. He wouldn't recover for at least two or three months.
A hand lifted the tent flap, and Ginkaku entered, carrying a bowl of hot soup. Looking at Kinkaku, who lay on the bed, his breathing still unstable, he said, "Kinkaku, I had someone make a bowl of pheasant soup. It's very nourishing. Hurry, try it."
Kinkaku managed a faint smile upon hearing Ginkaku's words and said, "I didn't expect to see such a scene. It reminds me of when we were children, and I'd make soup for you when you were injured."
Ginkaku smiled and said, "Kinkaku, you don't need to be so melancholic. Winning and losing are common. As long as you didn't lose your life, that's what matters. I think your injuries will heal in about a month or so. Once you've recovered, we'll go find that bastard, eat him alive, and get revenge for you!"
"Indeed, this matter cannot be let go! Damn Konoha!" Kinkaku said with great anger when the mysterious individual was mentioned. His agitation caused his injuries to flare up a bit, and he coughed twice, needing to calm his breathing before he recovered.
Although these two brothers were incredibly cruel and tyrannical, if one looked solely at their brotherly bond, it could be seen that they weren't entirely heartless individuals; they just cared about very few things.
While feeding Kinkaku the chicken soup, Ginkaku asked, "Kinkaku, you said earlier that the techniques that guy used were from the Raikage's lineage?"
"Exactly. How could I be wrong about something like this? Ginkaku, you know, even with our prestige and status in the village, we two brothers aren't allowed to access the Raikage's techniques. For a guy like that to suddenly appear, how can I not be suspicious? I'm telling you, why else would Konohagakure know about our movements? It's probably that bastard Second Raikage having some dealings with Konoha's people. He's been looking down on us for a long time, hasn't he?" Kinkaku said, drinking his soup with some irritation.
Ginkaku frowned upon hearing this, then said, "And at the very end, that guy said he couldn't achieve his expected goal. I think that goal must have been to eliminate you, Kinkaku. If I consider that, perhaps there really is some kind of conspiracy behind this!"
A ruthless glint flashed across Kinkaku's face as he said, "That's why I told you to stop and wait for the others to catch up before acting. We need to clarify this matter with that Second Raikage!"
Although Kinkaku said this, he also understood that even if he truly questioned the Second Raikage, the Raikage wouldn't actually admit to anything. Regardless of whether there was a misunderstanding behind this incident, or what the truth was, the outcome was already predetermined.
Moreover, he had no evidence in hand for this matter. The four shinobi who could have testified for him were already dead beyond recovery. Ginkaku, as his brother, his words wouldn't hold much weight, and others wouldn't consider them 'evidence.'
So, Kinkaku just wanted to know the Raikage's stance. If the Second Raikage had no intention of stopping the war and continued to escalate it, then Kinkaku would temporarily believe it was a conspiracy against Konoha and seek revenge on them. But if the Second Raikage changed his mind, then this war might very well be a conspiracy targeting the Kinkaku and Ginkaku brothers themselves.
Perhaps the old fox, the Second Raikage, wanted to use Konohagakure's hand to clear out those in Kumogakure who didn't quite obey him.
"If it truly comes to that, Second Raikage, don't blame me, Kinkaku, for acting ruthlessly!" A cold glint flashed in Kinkaku's eyes as he whispered to himself.
On the other side, Hibari and his Anbu shinobi were gathered around a campfire, roasting a whole wild goat. They looked quite at ease.
"Deputy Commander, if we light a fire like this, the smoke could expose our position at any time. Isn't this somewhat inappropriate?" Hitenn asked.
Hibari, while bending over to sprinkle seasoning on the roasted goat, replied, "Mr. Serious, don't always worry about this and that. First, in these past years, the economy has been sluggish, and the Land of Hot Water is no exception. There are many missing-nin and mountain bandits in these wild mountains. It's perfectly normal for someone to light a fire. Even if someone sees it, they won't think too much of it. And second, think about it, normally, would shinobi light a campfire and make smoke like us when on a mission?"
Ever since Hitenn mentioned that he already knew Hibari and Hiruzen secretly called him 'Mr. Serious,' Hibari had made no attempt to conceal it anymore. There was no need for secrecy; he called him that openly, right to Hitenn's face.
Fortunately, Hitenn knew that Hibari had no ill intentions, and their relationship had progressed by leaps and bounds over the past three years, becoming very close, so he wasn't angry or bothered by it.
After hearing Hibari's words, Hitenn shook his head and said, "Generally, shinobi with common sense wouldn't do such a thing when on a mission."
"Exactly! That's just force of habit, isn't it? Look, if you suddenly saw a fire like this below, do you think it's more likely to be shinobi or bandits?" Hibari flipped the roasted goat, asking with a grin.
Hitenn thought seriously for a moment, then said, "Bandits..."
"That's right! Therefore, our current actions not only won't expose our identity but can also effectively provide some cover. So stop worrying about all that nonsense and quickly come use your Byakugan to see if this wild goat is cooked through," Hibari said, beckoning to Hitenn.
"Deputy Commander, my Byakugan is for reconnaissance and combat, not for..." Hitenn began, very earnestly, upon hearing Hibari's words.
"See? There you go again. Why so serious? We're all comrades; no one's going to laugh at you. The Byakugan needs to come from life and go back into life. Don't always treat it as just a combat aid. It's perfectly normal to occasionally use it for a massage or to cook. Come on, take a look, otherwise, if you eat something undercooked later, don't blame my cooking!" Hibari said nonchalantly.
His words completely disarmed Hitenn, who shook his head helplessly. Then, the meridians around his eyes surged as he observed the roasted goat with his Byakugan, then said, "Deputy Commander, it's cooked. It's perfectly crispy on the outside and tender on the inside."
Upon hearing this, Hibari grinned and said, "Your Byakugan is truly practical. I'm actually quite envious."
As he spoke, Hibari grabbed the roasted goat by the spit. Then, two Anbu members who had been sitting nearby stood up. One took out many plates and bowls and arranged them on the flat ground. The other reached for the short blade strapped to his back.
The next second, cold light flashed as the blade was drawn. The Anbu member's hand, shimmering with sharp, cold light, expertly dismembered the roasted wild goat in a few swift motions. The meat chunks landed precisely on the waiting plates.
Seeing this, Hibari smiled and said, "Sakumo, your Hatake clan's kenjutsu is truly sharp..."
A youthful smile spread across the Anbu member's face beneath his mask. He replied, "I can't compare to you, Commander. You even took off Kinkaku's arm just like that..."
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