On the sixth day, the gates of the Kumogakure village were wide open, with only two Anbu shinobi stationed at the entrance to verify identities.
One of them was the Anbu captain, Darui. He stood with his arms crossed. Thanks to the trust of the Fourth Raikage and his own decisiveness, he had become the Anbu captain, a favored subordinate of the Fourth Raikage, A.
After observing him over these past few days, the Fourth Raikage felt Darui was highly capable. Therefore, the task of welcoming the Kage and envoys from other villages was entrusted to him.
Darui had arrived early in the morning, gazing into the distance, waiting for the envoys from the various villages to arrive.
After an unknown amount of time, he saw a figure wearing the blue Mizukage's robes appear, surrounded by seven shinobi who all seemed exceptionally strong. Based on intelligence, Darui quickly identified him as the Mizukage of Kirigakure, Yagura.
His originally stiff face forced out a smile. "Anbu Captain of Kumogakure, welcome Mizukage-sama of Kirigakure and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist." As he spoke, he gestured with an open hand toward the village interior.
Yagura stopped. "Who are you? Where is the Fourth Raikage, A?" Mizukage Yagura was somewhat puzzled. According to protocol, when a Kage-level figure arrives in a village, the village's Kage or successor should come out to greet them. Why was the Fourth Raikage, A, not present?
Darui smiled slightly. "Lord Raikage is currently paying respects to the Third Raikage. He will not be finished until tomorrow. Therefore, he has asked me to receive the esteemed Kage and powerful guests in his stead."
The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, was momentarily taken aback, then nodded. After all, the deceased should be honored. Given the circumstances, he couldn't find fault with this arrangement.
"If that is the case, then please lead the way." The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, said gently.
"Please follow me." After saying this, Darui waved, and another Anbu member came to take his place at the gate.
After doing this, Darui walked ahead, beginning to introduce the sights and specialties of Kumogakure to the Mizukage's group. The group chatted and laughed along the way.
After about thirty minutes of touring, Darui led them to a hotel. It looked very upscale and was spacious inside.
Darui spoke a few words with the manager, then took ten keys and handed them to Fuguki Suikazan.
"These ten rooms will be your accommodations during your stay in Kumogakure. I hope you all have an enjoyable and fulfilling time." After saying this, Darui prepared to leave.
At that moment, Yagura called out to Darui. "What is your name?" Yagura's question immediately drew everyone's attention.
Only now did the Seven Ninja Swordsmen realize that this guy hadn't actually given his name. He had only identified himself as the Anbu Captain, representing the Fourth Raikage, A.
Darui paused, then turned around and said formally, "Kumogakure's Storm Release shinobi, Darui." After speaking, he turned and left.
The Fourth Mizukage, Yagura, was first surprised, then the corners of his mouth turned up. No wonder. No wonder this young man had become the Anbu captain. No wonder the chakra aura within him was so steady. No wonder he could represent the Raikage in receiving them.
This guy has the special Kekkei Genkai, Storm Release. That explains everything.
"That guy…" Zabuza Momochi gritted his teeth. He seemed to feel this Darui fellow didn't know how to respect senior shinobi.
"Zabuza, you are not his match." Jinin Akebino said calmly. Although he wore a mask, his voice carried a heavy tone.
"Correct. Jinin Akebino's intuition is right. This guy… even I find him somewhat troublesome." The ever-present 'nice guy' image of Fuguki Suikazan spoke up.
When the strongest among the Seven spoke, everyone present looked serious. However, Ringo Ameyuri's lips curled into a smile. In her heart, she shouted, 'Interesting! So interesting! I must find a chance to spar with him!'
She loved dueling with the strong. But she loved even more defeating the strong, then taking their heads, admiring the look of terror on their faces before death.
She began to tremble all over. Her eyes fixed tightly on Darui's retreating back. Suddenly, Darui's figure halted. Then his head turned slightly, his gaze falling upon Ringo Ameyuri.
This look! Ringo Ameyuri shuddered. She began panting hot air through her mouth. Her eyes grew unfocused, staring at Darui. A voice echoed incessantly in her mind: 'Kill you, kill you, kill you!'
Her eyes began to redden. A look of madness surfaced. Yagura sensed something was wrong. He called out, "Ringo!"
Ringo Ameyuri jolted. Her consciousness returned to her body. She stopped staring at Darui and lowered her head.
Only after feeling the burning gaze disappear from his back did Darui turn around again and leave the hotel as if nothing had happened.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. That momentary look had even made Fuguki Suikabi feel threatened. Samehada had automatically loosened its bandages, preparing for battle.
All these reactions indicated one thing: Darui's strength was formidable!
"Ringo Ameyuri, are you having another episode?" Fuguki Suikazan clicked his tongue, sighing inwardly. This madwoman.
Ringo Ameyuri was silent for a moment, then bowed to everyone. "My apologies, everyone. When I encounter strong opponents, I can't help but get… excited."
Zabuza Momochi shivered, the corner of his mouth twitching. Then Ringo Ameyuri glanced at him. "Oh, you don't count." These words were like shards of ice in the depths of winter, piercing straight into Zabuza Momochi's heart.
The others burst into laughter. Indeed, the original Zabuza Momochi was already weak. Having lost both the Kubikiribōchō and his illusions, he was the weakest of the seven.
Yagura sighed. "Alright, everyone, go get some rest. We've been traveling for two days. If you're not tired, you can go look around the streets. Be careful not to start any conflicts."
"Yes!" Seven voices responded. Yagura waved his hand, then turned and walked upstairs. He wasn't interested in the economic conditions of other villages.
Therefore, he only wanted to rest now. Fuguki Suikazan's eyes shifted. "Everyone, you've worked hard. Go have some fun. I will stay here, so you can rest assured."
Fuguki Suikazan jogged a few steps to catch up with Yagura, then followed him upstairs. The two chatted and laughed.
The others looked at each other, then decided to go out together. However, Ringo Ameyuri spoke up. "I'll go out for a walk alone." After saying this, she headed for the door.
Zabuza Momochi wanted to say, 'You're sick!' The others thought the same. But in the blink of an eye, Ringo Ameyuri transformed into a bolt of lightning and disappeared from everyone's sight.
The remaining five had no choice but to go out and play, hoping to maybe find Ringo Ameyuri and bring her back. If she lost control and no one died, it would be fine. But if someone died, that would be a big problem!
Ringo Ameyuri walked out, looking at the food stalls on the street. She opened a scroll, took out some silver, and went to buy something.
The shopkeeper's wife, seeing Ringo Ameyuri's forehead protector, knew she was a shinobi, and a female one at that. So she prepared the food much faster.
"Your yak skewer." The shopkeeper's wife handed a grilled yak skewer to Ringo Ameyuri. Ringo Ameyuri took it, said thank you, and paid.
She then walked along the road, observing the local customs and culture of Kumogakure while savoring the delicious yak meat.
A gentle bite. The fragrant taste rushed straight to the top of her head. Biting down, it was tender and juicy. Chewing it left a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth!
This made Ringo Ameyuri's eyes light up. In Kirigakure, beef was a rarity, let alone this higher quality yak!
"Delicious!" Ringo Ameyuri's smiling face was slightly flushed. She exclaimed with feeling. Such delicious beef was a first in her life!
Walking and walking, she arrived at the main gate. By now, many more people had gathered at the entrance.
Ringo Ameyuri loved watching excitement. An idea struck her. She moved quickly, landing on a pillar, then crouched down. She ate her beef while watching the village entrance.
"Hokage of Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf Village of the Land of Fire, Uchiha Ryun, has arrived!" Uchiha Obito shouted loudly, as if he were shouting his own name!
At this moment, Uchiha Ryun and Namikaze Minato exchanged wry smiles. Originally, they had planned for Minato and the envoys to exchange a few words and enter the village quietly. Who knew Uchiha Obito suddenly spoke up, wanting to handle on behalf of his teacher?
Uchiha Ryun also became interested, so he agreed. He hadn't expected Uchiha Obito's idea to be like this. It was really a bit…
Hearing the shout, Darui immediately tensed his body, his face full of gravity as he stared at the approaching group.
A total of six people. One young girl, two with white hair, one with blond hair, and two with black hair now arrived at the village entrance.
They had heard about the white-haired ones. One was Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang of Konoha. The other was his son, Hatake Kakashi.
The blond one was the rumored top disciple of Uchiha Ryun, the future Hokage successor, Namikaze Minato.
The kunoichi was Tsunade's disciple, Nohara Rin. As for the two with black hair, one was Hokage Uchiha Ryun, and the other was likely the recently famous 'Black Reaper,' Uchiha Obito.
This loud and shouting one definitely wasn't Uchiha Ryun. That must be Uchiha Obito. With his Flying Thunder God and mysterious abilities, he was elusive and hard to guard against.
"Anbu Captain of Kumogakure, Darui, here to respectfully welcome the shinobi of Konohagakure!" Darui bowed, showing utmost humility at this moment.
Uchiha Ryun looked at Darui and smiled. "You are Kumogakure's Storm Release shinobi, Darui, correct? Not bad. You're just one step away from being a Kage-level powerhouse!"
"I dare not accept such praise, Hokage-sama. This way, please." Darui remained respectful, leading the group into the village.
Crouched on the pillar, Ringo Ameyuri's eyes lit up. Uchiha Ryun! That legendary powerhouse! The one who fought against four nations alone!
And the White Fang of Konoha! His sword technique also incorporated Lightning Release chakra. She really wanted to compare sword skills with him!
Ringo Ameyuri's fighting spirit ignited. She stared at Hatake Sakumo, the White Fang of Konoha. Then, she vanished from sight, closely following them, wanting to see where Uchiha Ryun's group would be staying.
One hour later.
In a clearly more luxurious hotel, Uchiha Obito, having seen off the envoy, walked back inside.
After Darui left, Ringo Ameyuri's lips curled upwards.
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