In the dim night, Shuimu felt a figure approaching, and the direction was exactly the way he came.
"It's already so late..."
Mizuki had already experienced how boring it was to practice chakra control and perception. Especially for something like perceiving natural energy, a good environment was even more necessary for practice. The reason for hiding from others was not because they couldn't practice together, but because the noise was too loud. It was not difficult for Hyuga Neji and Yamashiro Aoba to sense Mizuki's movements, and the parasitic bugs of Aburame Shino were also extremely sensitive to chakra movements. The first reason for coming to this desolate place was to set traps, and secondly, Mizuki seized every opportunity to practice perceiving natural energy as much as possible. In this quiet environment in the wild, when no one disturbed him, Mizuki felt that the effect of practice was really good.
Seeing someone coming, Shuimu realized that it was getting late and he should go back. Sure enough, not long after, Yamashiro Aoba walked out of the darkness.
"Why haven't you gone back for so long?"
"I'm sorry to have made you worry." Shuimu replied, "This place feels very comfortable. I have been sitting here for such a long time without realizing it..."
"As a captain, you just abandoned your subordinates and came here to admire the moon?" Yamashiro Aoba said jokingly, "Even after becoming a jonin, you haven't changed much..."
"Isn't this a bad idea?" Mizuki also knew that Yamashiro Aoba was not blaming him, it was just a joke between acquaintances.
"It's okay. I know your style. Those two genin didn't know and thought something happened to you, so they didn't get a good rest."
"It's an S-level mission. How can I not be nervous?"
"It's like the first time you put on a forehead protector and become a ninja. I'm excited but also a little nervous." Yamashiro Aoba also came over and sat on the tree trunk with Mizuki to admire the moon. "By the way, Mizuki, do you still remember your first S-rank mission?"
"It's been a while, I can't remember."
"I don't remember either, so we can be considered ninjas who have survived a hundred battles. I wonder if we can finish this well..."
"You don't seem to be a person who thinks too much, so why would you consider this?"
"I didn't want to think about it at first, but I started to think about it recently." Yamashiro Aoba said calmly.
Indeed, too many people have died recently, both familiar and unfamiliar, all of whom have lost their lives in the past month.
"I understand now. You are so sentimental today because of those two Genin, right? Are you worried that they will be too nervous? Or can't stand the pressure?"
"Both of them, right? Those two are rare talents. The village has suffered such a huge loss, and it is time to replenish fresh blood. We can't let them die in vain in a place like this..."
"You still don't trust me, the new captain..." Shuimu said it generously.
"It's not that I don't trust it, I just think the village's decision was a bit too hasty." Yamashiro Aoba shook his head and said a little embarrassedly.
"You think too much, Aoba." In this case, Mizuki had to reveal some specific information to Yamashiro Aoba to reassure him. It is never a good thing for the biggest helper to be worried.
"To be honest, I personally requested this personnel arrangement. I proposed the specific list, and Lady Tsunade finally agreed..."
"It's you? How could that be?" I originally thought that it was a specific arrangement by the Fifth Hokage, but I didn't expect it to be the result of Mizuki's insistence.
"You are right about one thing, Qingye. They are all rare talents and will support the backbone of the village in the future..." Shuimu did not answer directly, "However, you still greatly underestimated their strength. Now they are already rare helpers."
"Do you really think so?" Yamashiro Aoba said suspiciously.
"Of course, although it's hard to find a Jonin in the village right now, it's still possible to find a few Chunin with some fighting power, although it's not easy. Why do you think the village agreed to my request to borrow two Genin? What they need is not encouragement and comfort, but our trust!"
"Hmm..." Yamashiro Aoba pondered for a while, then raised his head and said, "Well, you have a point. Flowers in a greenhouse cannot grow into pillars to support Konoha. Now is indeed a good opportunity to train. However, the two of us have to pay more attention..."
"Don't worry, why do you think the village promoted me to be a jonin?" Shuimu said confidently, "This time, if they are careful, nothing will happen..."
A few Genin will not be the target of the attack. On the contrary, Mizuki should be extra careful, as he may be targeted and is in much more danger than others.
"I have no choice but to believe you..." Anyway, under the current circumstances, it is impossible to give up halfway, and I have to carry out the mission anyway.
"Let's go back, it's getting late..." Mizuki looked at the parasites flying by not far away, and also felt the feeling of being spied on twice not long ago. He knew that Aburame Shino and Hyuga Neji were worried and came to investigate.
"Yeah." Yamashiro Aoba followed Mizuki and started walking back. "It seems that you have become more and more talkative since you became a jonin..."
"No, you are too weak. You never said anything about me."
…
The next morning, the entire team was still moving slowly along the planned route. For a team of ninjas, this was incredibly slow, as if they were blatantly demonstrating to the enemy who was eyeing them from behind: "We are right here, come over if you have the guts..."
Such a scene is quite rare in ninja missions. For a profession developed from assassins, assassins and lurkers who act in secret, stealth and rapid mobility have become a major label of ninjas. Although there are ninjas with some characteristics that do not meet the label of mainstream ninjas, the development direction of ninjas has never changed. Even after the birth of chakra, which greatly improved the role of ninjas and gradually moved from behind the scenes to the front stage, and even directly replaced the mainstream combat profession of samurai, its basic style has never changed.
"Shuimu, is this okay?" Yamashiro Aoba looked at the messy situation of the team and was also worried, "Should we do something?"
"No need." Mizuki shook his head, "Let Shino's bugs keep reconnaissance within a certain range, and don't do anything else."
Mizuki had actually anticipated this situation. In essence, this operation was a game between the three ninja villages and the Akatsuki organization to see who was stupider. And each side thought the other was stupider than itself, so this strange scene occurred.
"This strange situation caused by the mismatch in information, the only variable is actually me..."
Shuimu, the only one with intelligence advantage, may be the one who can truly dominate the rhythm of this mission, especially when his own hard power has risen to the point where he can participate in this level of competition, it will be even more obvious.
Konoha Village believed that they had an insider in Uchiha Itachi, information about Jiraiya, and information about two combat encounters. Iwagakure believed that the enemy was foolish to send an insider to rescue Deidara, so they wanted to take advantage of the situation. Sand Village was even more foolish to try to take advantage of the situation.
The Akatsuki organization is even more confident in its intelligence capabilities. It has the all-pervasive Zetsu, as well as countless peripheral organizations and internal supporters that have been developed over many years. The Red Sand Scorpion is likely to be involved, and Yura has infiltrated the action team. None of these people think that they will fall into the enemy's trap, but will only use the intelligence at hand to arrange their own actions.
The consequences of the three major ninja villages and the Akatsuki organization believing that they had an intelligence advantage have clearly manifested themselves. Then the encounter that was originally expected to be very likely will become an accident that will definitely happen. A fierce battle is inevitable.
Although he was a little confused about Mizuki's arrangement, Yamashiro Aoba still arranged the tasks of the two Genin according to Mizuki's requirements.
"Is the situation serious? Mizuki?" Yamashiro Aoba asked in a low voice.
"Be prepared." Shuimu nodded calmly, "I don't know when I will be back, but I will definitely come, and the time won't be too far away."
According to this situation, as long as the other party finds out the specific information here, they will definitely take action. I just don't know how many people will come and who will come.
…
In this dawdling atmosphere, the team walked for two days, but the distance they walked was not much more than the distance that the team led by Hyuga Hiashi walked last time. Mizuki even had the mood to look at the place that was razed to the ground by the Chibaku Tensei. It can be clearly felt that the soil layer under the ground is quite soft, and some puppet-like fragments can be clearly seen in it. Even though a layer of grass and trees have grown on the ground in the past few days, it has not been completely covered.
"Is this the place where you fought? Such traces are too scary. How did you escape?" Such a scene made Yamashiro Aoba surprised that Hinata Hiashi and his group were able to escape without losing a single person.
"It's a long story, but it's enough for you to know that we might encounter opponents of this level."
"That's really going to kill us." Shancheng Qingye said with a wry smile: "According to what you said, there may be more than one such person. How can we defeat them?"
"Why are you in such a hurry? This time, we have an ally. Also, you have to have faith in me. I'm a winner in life who will soon get a promotion, a raise, and get married. I will never die in a hellhole like this."
"Shuimu, you don't have to show off your fiancée all the time, we all know it!"
"I'm reminding you." Shuimu glanced at Yamashiro Aoba and said, "When you go back this time, hurry up and treat us. I've already contacted the guests. Also, you need to start preparing gifts."
Mizuki and Yamashiro Aoba were chatting and laughing while enjoying the leisure time. Suddenly, they saw Maki with Yura and Akato with Kurotsuchi coming over from a distance, as if they had something to discuss.
When a few people walked in, Shuimu clearly saw that they had unhappy expressions on their faces.
"Ladies and gentlemen, is there anything you want to talk to me about?" Shuimu asked first.
"Regarding this operation, we want to withdraw from the joint team and return to the Sand Village first." Maki said seriously, which surprised Mizuki.
"What's going on?" Shuimu asked.
"We think that this place is not far from the village. If we travel at full speed, we can return home in less than a day, so there is no need to move so slowly." The senior ninja Yura replied.
"This is currently the consensus of the Sand Ninjas." Maki nodded in confirmation.
"You guys were so persistent in wanting to join us in the first place, but now you're just quitting without any explanation? Are all the people in the Sand Village so rude?" The young Kurotsuchi couldn't stand the Sand Ninja's fickleness the most, and he started to ridicule them directly.
"Things change, and we don't need to be so rigid. Ninjas are not something that stay the same. Besides, isn't this a good thing for you? You can get to the Iwagakure Village faster without having to take a detour."
Mizuki took a deep look at Yura who seemed serious, and was extremely angry. It was very likely that this guy had passed on some false information, causing Maki to make a very wrong judgment.
Then, Mizuki said seriously: "Maki Jonin, regarding the question of your village suddenly wanting to withdraw, I don't know the reason, and I don't want to know. These are all irrelevant things. I just want to ask one question. Has the Sand Village found something more valuable than becoming an ally of Konoha?"
Mizuki's words were no longer in the tone of negotiation, but a naked threat. The situation was pressing, and Mizuki couldn't figure out what the Red Sand Scorpion had ordered Yura to do. In this case, the possibility of any exhortation or persuasion being effective was very small, and it would be more effective to threaten directly. The reason why Mizuki did this was that compared to Konoha needing the Sand Village as an ally to temporarily take a breath, the Sand Village needed the tiger skin of Konoha's ally more to bluff. If they really fell out with Konoha, the first to attack the Sand Village would definitely be the Iwagakure Village, which was watching covetously from the side.
"Mizuki Jonin, what do you mean by that?" Maki asked with a frown after hearing what Mizuki said.
"It's just like what it says, Maki Jounin. Please consider what I said carefully."
"I want to confirm again, can what you just said represent Konoha and the Fifth Hokage?"
"I'm sure the Sand Village will know the inside story of this mission. At this moment, no matter for what reason, I think Konoha will only make the same voice as me." Mizuki was extremely thankful that Konoha Village was at least the nominal overlord of the ninja world, and he himself was also a jonin whose words carried weight, no longer a dispensable chuunin. In this case, what he said on behalf of Konoha, even if there were some deviations in the end, as long as the general direction was good, the village would definitely endorse what they said.
"In that case, we'll think about it again." After saying that, Maki led Yura away with an even gloomier expression.
Seeing Maki leave, Mizuki finally breathed a sigh of relief. Considering it was just a polite remark for the sake of face, but in fact it was a concession. If the three jonin of Sand Village, especially the strongest Maki, left, it would be a great loss.
"In that case, we'll leave first. Mizuki Jounin, Konoha's words are still reliable." The sturdy Akagi spoke very politely.
Watching the two teams leave one after another, Yamashiro Aoba on the side breathed a sigh of relief and said, "The talks almost broke down just now, Shuimu, you are really brave."
"It's impossible to reason with these Sand Ninjas who are full of tricks. This is the only way." Mizuki continued, "Keep an eye on Yura. If he makes any special moves, tell me immediately."