By the time the three of them arrived at the Hidden Mist Village, it was already dawn, but the thick clouds in the sky showed no sign of dispersing, and the mist grew even denser. This kind of weather was perfect for their operation.
"How should we proceed?"
The three sat inside a dumpling shop, having already changed into the civilian clothes they carried with them. With their strength, sneaking in was incredibly easy.
"No rush."
Ren held a cup of hot tea and said unhurriedly.
"I've been here before. The target location is pretty much locked down. We just need to confirm it later."
"Mhm."
Seeing that Ren already had a plan, Pakura didn't ask further. She picked up a daifuku from the table in front of her and began eating it in small bites, while Ryufeng, beside her, maintained a blank expression from start to finish, tightly gripping his teacup and staring motionless at the surface of the tea.
Suddenly, a plate of pastries appeared before him. Ryufeng was startled for a moment, then his gaze followed the arm to see Pakura looking at him with a slight smile.
"Want some?"
"Uh…"
Ryufeng blinked twice before he reacted, somewhat unnaturally taking the plate and whispering, "Thank, thank you."
"What did you say?"
Because Ryufeng's voice was too low, Pakura only saw his mouth move but didn't catch what he said.
Ryufeng's face immediately flushed red, and he raised his voice slightly. "I said… thank you!"
Pakura was startled by Ryufeng's sudden increase in volume but quickly reacted and replied, "You're, you're welcome."
"…"
Ren, across from them, held his forehead with both hands, looking at the two with a helpless expression.
God, how did they manage such an awkward conversation? If they were to get together, it would be a long and arduous journey.
The brief rest period passed in such a subtle atmosphere. After eating their fill and resting, the group, led by Ren, began to wander through the Hidden Mist Village.
After fifteen minutes, looking at the nearby gate and tall courtyard walls, Ren couldn't help but exclaim, "Tsk, as expected of the Hōzuki Clan. Their clan grounds are comparable to those of the Hyuga and Uchiha."
Such clan grounds, even in Konoha, would only be surpassed in scale by the Hyuga and Uchiha clans.
"That's normal."
Pakura, standing beside him, looked at the guards stationed on both sides of the gate and nodded. "The Hōzuki Clan is the strongest among the many bloodline families in the Hidden Mist Village. Not only are their bloodline abilities powerful, but the Second Mizukage, Hōzuki Gengetsu, also came from this clan, and they possess the Scroll of Summoning Ninja Blades.
Other clans, like the Kaguya Clan, are also quite strong, but they are still slightly inferior to the Hōzuki Clan."
"Thanks for the info."
After Ren finished speaking, he walked into a nearby alley. After sensing his surroundings and confirming no one was present, he took the curled-up Samehada from his cape behind him and whispered, "Samehada, stop playing dead. Quickly help me see if it's here."
The intelligence they received mentioned that the ninja sword scroll for the Ninja Swords had always been kept in the Hōzuki Clan grounds throughout history. Ren asked Samehada for assurance, as it had surely been summoned by the Scroll of Summoning Ninja Blades more than once or twice, and there must be some connection between them.
Samehada's hilt swayed in the air for a moment before pointing directly at the Hōzuki Clan outside the alley. Its mouth opened and closed, making strange sounds, seemingly trying to express something.
"Got it. Remember to guide me later."
After Ren finished speaking, he tucked it back into his cape, then walked out of the alley and returned to the two, saying softly, "Later, act as quickly as possible to find the ninja sword scroll and retreat. Do not waste any time."
Although most of the Hidden Mist Village's elites, including the Mizukage, were not present, there were still some strong individuals guarding it. If they were trapped here, they would be like turtles in a jar.
"Mhm. X2"
After the three finished their discussion, they began to act.
Ren and Ryufeng first walked into the alley. When he reappeared, several more figures followed him, then dispersed, disappearing into the crowd along several streets in the blink of an eye.
The three stood still and waited. Not long after, a roar echoed in the distance, and everyone on the street turned their gaze towards it. Black smoke suddenly rose from a place three or four streets away, standing out prominently against the open sky.
A sharp-eyed passerby immediately recognized it and exclaimed, "That's the Kaguya Clan grounds! What's going on? How dare someone provoke that bunch of lunatics!"
No sooner had the passerby finished speaking than another familiar roar echoed from a different direction.
"That's… Kirigakure Hospital!"
Immediately following, as if a chain reaction had begun, roars continuously erupted from all directions. Rolling black smoke soared into the sky, and exclamations of surprise on the streets were endless.
"Oh my god, the Yuhi Clan is in trouble too!"
"What's that? The Water Shadow Building is on fire!"
In the blink of an eye, the previously orderly street instantly became chaotic. Ren, in the crowd, formed hand seals, and the Chakra in his body began to surge.
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"
All at once, the already dense fog around them became even thicker, which instantly triggered panic among the civilians. They began to run, wanting to leave the area.
But their panicked emotions combined with being in the thick fog meant that a slight movement would cause them to collide with those around them. If they accidentally fell, it would be disastrous, as they would be trampled back and forth by the crowd. Screams continuously rang out, which only made the surrounding people more frantic and their steps more chaotic, thus forming a vicious cycle.
"Quiet!"
Suddenly, a loud shout came from the sky, followed by a strong gust of wind that instantly thinned the dense mist considerably. Then, several masked Anbu landed on nearby rooftops and began to maintain order.
What they didn't notice was that beneath the tall walls of the Hōzuki Clan behind them, the three figures who had been standing there earlier had disappeared at some unknown point…
Inside the Hōzuki Clan grounds, three figures continuously moved through the houses. A house door in front of them suddenly opened, and a man wearing a Hidden Mist forehead protector stepped out. After looking left and right, he walked away along the path. Ren and the two others emerged from their hiding spot and continued to advance.
Thanks to his sensory abilities, they successfully avoided most Ninja and entered the Hōzuki Clan Inner Circle. Upon reaching this point, Ren also slowed his pace.
It was different from the outer circle; those who lived here were all elder-level figures of the Hōzuki Clan, and the patrol intensity was not on the same level as the outer perimeter.
The three hadn't walked far when Ren suddenly stopped, his expression somewhat grim.
There were also patrol teams here, and because the Inner Circle was not large, there was no gap for them to exploit. It seemed these guys really valued the Scroll of Summoning Ninja Blades.
Since that's the case, there's nothing else to do.
A hint of killing intent appeared in Ren's eyes as he looked at the two behind him and said in a deep voice, "Get ready. Go all out."
The danger of this operation was not much lower than being surrounded by a large army last time, but for Ren, those two guys inside him were his confidence for a complete retreat.