Chapter 47: Three Missions
This time, Yugito nodded, offering no rebuttal. She took a deep breath, her brow furrowed. "The Land of Water has been in a state of isolation for years. The two groups of spies the village sent to Kirigakure... we never heard from them again. Something must have happened there."
"Is that so?" Neji feigned a look of surprise. "It seems the waters of the Hidden Mist run deep."
"They do," Yugito agreed.
That evening, Yugito, Neji, and C were summoned to the Raikage's office.
BOOM!
The Fourth Raikage, after reading the investigation report, slammed his fist on the table, shattering it. "Kirigakure!" he roared. "It was Kirigakure!"
"Lord Raikage," Dodai said, stepping forward, "we don't yet know what connection this mysterious space-time ninja has to the Hidden Mist, or if their leadership was involved in Yotsuki Rin's death..."
"Are you trying to convince me to let this go, Dodai?" the Raikage interrupted, his voice a low growl.
"..."
Dodai's face stiffened. Yugito's investigation was based mostly on speculation; there was no concrete evidence. Even if the mysterious ninja was hiding in Kirigakure, they had no grounds to accuse them. He wanted to advise the Raikage to be patient, but he knew it would be a futile effort. The Fourth Raikage was not a man who tolerated insults, and this was a grave one. The most promising genius of the Yotsuki's younger generation had been killed. The honor of the clan and the dignity of the Kage were at stake.
"Lord Raikage," Neji said, his voice firm, "the search for this mysterious ninja should not be a large-scale operation. Leave this mission to my team."
"To your team?" The Raikage's brow furrowed.
Seeing his hesitation, Neji took a step forward. "Without me, it will be impossible to find him. And..."
"Yotsuki Rin was my friend. I will avenge him. Please, allow me this."
His resolve was absolute. The Raikage's expression softened.
Seizing the opportunity, Dodai added, "Lord Raikage, Konoha is our greatest enemy."
The Raikage dropped the dumbbell he was holding and sighed. "If it weren't for the two of you, I'd be marching on the Land of Water right now!"
Dodai let out a breath of relief. He couldn't have swayed the Raikage on his own. He was glad Neji was there.
The Raikage picked up Rin's chakra blade and handed it to Neji. "Rin was killed in our village. I don't have the face to see the clan head. This blade is yours for now. Return it to him after you've killed the one responsible."
"Alright. From now on, it will be my weapon."
A half-month later, the Hidden Cloud had returned to normal. For the first few days, the ANBU had scoured the village for any suspicious individuals. But the Root ninja were hidden too well, and they found nothing. Dodai suspected they were hiding among the civilian population. Without using their chakra, a ninja was indistinguishable from an ordinary person. If they were determined to stay hidden, they would be almost impossible to find. And the large-scale search had only served to create a sense of panic among the villagers.
On the advice of Neji and Dodai, the Fourth Raikage had called off the search.
On this quiet, peaceful day, Neji, with a direct order from the Raikage, accepted a B-rank mission from the mission assignment desk, an exception to the usual protocol.
The mission was to deliver the sword of a ninja named Kyuzo to General Mifune in the Land of Iron.
Kyuzo was in the Hidden Cloud, a man in his late forties or early fifties, who had been bedridden with a serious illness for three years. He didn't have much time left. He had been a samurai in the Land of Iron in his youth, but had become a ninja and, by chance, had settled in the Hidden Cloud, never to return to his homeland.
"Young man," he rasped from his bed, "I'm counting on you. You must get this sword to Mifune."
"I will do my best."
In a dark, underground room.
Aburame Torune glanced at the man sitting before him, the Patrol Corps Captain, Aoyama Hideomi. "He's gone to the Land of Iron?"
"I saw him leave with my own eyes," Aoyama confirmed with a firm nod.
Torune took a deep breath. "Lord Danzō has been pressing us. We don't have any more time. Even if it's a trap, we have to take the risk."
"That was my thought as well."
Torune's gaze fell on Aoyama's left arm. "Is that arm still working for you?"
Click.
Aoyama slowly raised his left arm, the faint sound of gears grinding audible. It was a mechanical prosthetic.
"No matter how good it is, it's not the same as a real arm."
A deep darkness filled Aoyama's eyes. Losing his arm had not only greatly reduced his strength and increased his risk of exposure, but it also meant he could no longer work as a spy. He was, in effect, half-crippled. He was pessimistic about his future. He knew what had happened to Nōno. Once Danzō decided you were no longer useful, death was the only outcome.
"Don't worry," Torune said, pushing up his sunglasses, his eyes hidden in the shadow. "After this mission is complete, you can return to Konoha. This time, we're going all out. We will not fail."
Aoyama let out a self-deprecating laugh. "Perhaps."
Torune ignored him and called out into the darkness. "Have Kabuto come and see me."
"Yes, sir," a voice replied from the shadows.
A few moments later, a short, silver-haired boy appeared.
"You wanted to see me, Captain?" Yakushi Kabuto asked, pushing up his glasses as he peered at Torune's indistinct face in the dim light.
"Kabuto, I have a very important mission for you."
"Understood."
Kabuto immediately nodded respectfully. He thought he saw a flicker of a malicious smile on Torune's face, but he quickly dismissed it. Torune's face was a permanent, emotionless mask. He must have been mistaken.
Torune took a scroll from his pouch and handed it to him. "The mission details are in here. This is a test from Lord Danzō. If you pass, you'll be able to see the Director you've been so eager to see."
"The Director..." Kabuto whispered, his heart pounding.
After Torune and Aoyama had left, Kabuto eagerly opened the scroll.
[August 10th, 12:00 AM]
[Red Maple Izakaya. Assassinate the proprietress.]
Kabuto breathed a sigh of relief. An assassination mission was not too difficult for him. Although he was a medical-nin, he trained diligently and was no weaker than an ordinary Root ninja.
He read the mission details twice to make sure he hadn't missed anything, then burned the scroll.