Chapter 71: Preparing to Infiltrate
Kusagakure presented a desolate scene.
"What's going on in the village lately? Security's gotten so tight all of a sudden," a tall, thin Kusa-nin complained, impatiently flicking aside a vine with his kunai.
His headband hung crookedly on his arm, and his clothes were splattered with mud from patrol.
Normally, he would have been off duty by now, but today, his patrol route had doubled, and he was required to report to the watchtower every half hour.
His partner, a short, stout ninja, grumbled in agreement. "Tell me about it! Yesterday, I went to the west street to buy rice balls, and even the shop owner was interrogated three times. Something about 'screening for suspicious outsiders.' Since when does our village care about that? Rogue ninja wander these alleys all the time."
He spat on the ground, his gaze sweeping over a beggar huddled on the corner—a man in ragged clothes holding a skeletal child, too weak to even lift his head.
The tall ninja suddenly lowered his voice, glancing around. "It's not just that. I heard people have been moving things in the middle of the night, using the village's most secret tunnels. And... the day before yesterday, I saw ninja from Hozuki Castle while on duty."
"Hozuki Castle?" The stout ninja stopped dead, his face draining of color. "You mean the prison for high-level criminals? The place that drains chakra?"
At the mention of Hozuki Castle, every ninja in Kusagakure felt a chill.
Nominally, the prison belonged to Kusagakure, but in reality, it was managed by a coalition of nations to imprison the most heinous criminals and those with dangerous jutsu.
Hozuki Castle wasn't actually in Kusagakure but on an isolated island in the seas southeast of the Land of Grass.
It was perpetually shrouded in fog. Even experienced maritime ninja needed special compasses to find it.
It was said that a special sealing jutsu there suppressed prisoners' chakra, preventing them from using even the most basic techniques.
"Remember that rogue ninja with the Kekkei Genkai who defected last year?" the tall ninja whispered, fear in his eyes. "They say he could manipulate blood and killed three Jonin from Suna. But Hozuki Castle still caught him. A villager delivering supplies said he saw him being dragged out like a dead dog, not a flicker of chakra left in him. His eyes were empty. Rumor has it the seal drained him dry."
The stout ninja swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "I heard the guards are maniacs. They show no mercy. Once, a prisoner tried to resist, and they broke all his limbs and left him in the yard to bake in the sun. Wild dogs dragged the body away. And the rumors about the secret underground labs... they say prisoners are used for experiments and just... vanish."
"And the Warden, Mui," the tall ninja added. "He's technically a Kusa Jonin, but he stopped listening to the village ages ago. He runs Hozuki Castle like his own kingdom. Even the elders can't send anyone to inspect it; he just blocks them with 'interfering with prison order.' Last time the village wanted to question a prisoner, he just said, 'died of illness.' Didn't even show the body."
The stout ninja looked even paler. "If a guy like that, who doesn't answer to the village, is sending his men here... and doing it secretly... something big must be happening."
Just as he finished speaking, the scrawny dog on the corner perked its ears and barked twice at something behind them.
The tall ninja spun around, kunai in hand, scanning the vines. Only the wind rustled the leaves.
"Don't panic. Just a stray dog." He sighed in relief. "Anyway, keep your mouth shut. That loudmouth vendor on East Street talked about Hozuki Castle yesterday, and the patrol took him away last night. He hasn't come back."
The two stopped talking and hurried away, disappearing into the alley.
Outside Kusagakure.
Asuma and his three students sat around a campfire.
The tactical plan was set. Now, they waited.
This was supposed to be a simple reconnaissance mission to pad Naruto and the others' resumes for the Chunin Exams.
They hadn't expected this. Ideally, they should retreat. But Asuma had carefully evaluated their strength and decided they could push forward.
Shikamaru and Hinata might be genin in rank, but inside, they carried the souls of—at the very least—Chunin.
Even if their physical strength was diminished, their combat instincts were intact.
Add in the surprisingly powerful Naruto, and taking down a minor village like Kusagakure should be a walk in the park.
As for Asuma... knowing his future death made him more cautious on missions, but it also made him more determined to protect these kids.
He watched Shikamaru drawing tactical diagrams in the dirt and remembered the first time he met the boy at the Nara compound. Back then, Shikamaru's catchphrase was "what a drag," and his first reaction to anything was to find a way to slack off.
Now, he was incredibly steady, scrutinizing every detail.
Asuma knew it wasn't just sudden maturity. It was the memories of the future forcing him to bear a caution that didn't belong to his age.
"That kid... he used to hate using his brain," Asuma thought with a soft sigh.
His gaze drifted to Hinata.
She sat quietly, hands folded in her lap, but her knuckles were white from gripping her hem. She was nervous. Not because the enemy was strong, but because she feared her current strength couldn't keep up with her memories of combat. She was afraid of dragging everyone down.
But the one he worried about most was Naruto.
The boy was happily munching on a rice ball, his face full of anticipation for the fight, completely oblivious to the heavy atmosphere.
Asuma knew Naruto didn't have future memories. His hot-bloodedness was genuine. But because it was genuine, he didn't understand the price of underestimating an enemy, or the dangers hidden behind "accidents."
He thought of his future self, failing to protect his comrades, failing to see Shikamaru truly come into his own, failing to see Naruto become Hokage.
That regret was a thorn in his heart. It made him look at these children with a heavier sense of responsibility.
"This time is different," Asuma vowed silently. "I know the future. I know where the traps are. And I know how to protect you."