A family crest is the hallmark of a clan. Historical records show that the history of family crests is essentially the history of heraldry itself. Within the ruling families of the Five Great Nations—the oldest powers in this world—there naturally exist corresponding crests.
For example, the crest of the Land of Lightning is the "Cloud Horn," the Land of Earth uses the "Stone Tile," the Land of Water features the "Mist Wheel," the Land of Wind has the "Desert Well," and the Land of Fire uses the "Wisteria."
The "Wisteria" crest of each generation of the Fire Daimyo differs slightly. The first Daimyo used the "Single-Leaf Wisteria," but the current Daimyo is the third of his line, so the crest has been changed to the "Three-Leaf Wisteria" to symbolize the succession of power.
In other words, judging by the mark left on that strip of cloth, this incident most likely involves the most powerful man in the Land of Fire—at least on the surface—Daimyo Madoka Hidemitsu!
"The Daimyo... Speaking of which, is the Fire Daimyo actually that big of a deal? I've never really paid him much attention," Kiba muttered.
Upon learning this, Kurenai-sensei, Yuki, and Shino fell into a heavy silence. Only Kiba remained looking a bit dazed; after all, he truly had no interest in the power structure of the Land of Fire—he just knew the Daimyo existed.
To be fair, this was common. Most people in the Hidden Leaf Village only truly recognized the Hokage. While the Daimyo was technically the leader of the Land of Fire, in reality, whenever trouble arose, people looked to the Hokage to solve it.
"Madoka Hidemitsu, huh... If it really involves the Daimyo, then this could be either a minor issue or a massive scandal, hehe." Yuki's face took on a strangely excited expression, as if he found the whole situation fascinating.
"Exactly," Kurenai added. "If the Daimyo is involved, Konoha cannot make too big of a scene. Otherwise... the people captured on that island will be in grave danger."
"Huh? If Konoha finds out, they'll send a stronger team to investigate. Why would that make the captives' situation more dangerous?" Kiba asked, still not quite grasping the situation after hearing Noriaki's words.
Shino, unable to watch Kiba struggle any longer, covered his forehead and explained: "Kiba, it seems Konoha has no idea who is conducting activities on that isolated island. Therefore, whatever they are doing is definitely outside of official regulations."
"I know that! But because things are irregular, shouldn't Konoha intervene?"
"But consider the fact that we were targeted for assassination only a day after leaving the village," Shino continued. "The mastermind likely has an intelligence network within Konoha. If Konoha sends a high-level team, the enemy will almost certainly notice beforehand."
"It doesn't necessarily mean they have a mole in Konoha," Yuki chimed in. "Couldn't they have just followed us from the moment we left the village?"
Yuki then corrected himself: "No, I had my Byakugan active when we set out this morning. If someone were tailing us, I would have noticed. Given how well those assassins knew our route and our team composition tonight, they almost certainly have someone inside Konoha."
"Uh, so you mean if Konoha moves recklessly, it'll 'startle the snake'? They'll just pack up and run?"
"No, it's worse than that," Kurenai said gravely. "If they realize Konoha is watching closely, they won't just run—they'll likely destroy all evidence before they leave."
"For example... killing everyone they kidnapped and burying them in a hole," Yuki finished.
Under the glow of the campfire, Yuki's final words cast a sudden chill through the dry cavern.
Trouble. Nothing but trouble. Since the enemy likely had an intelligence network in Konoha, the village couldn't even bypass them to send high-ranking ninja. But if they left it alone...
After a moment, Noriaki spoke slowly: "This conclusion isn't set in stone yet. I posted the C-rank mission because I intended to scout the island with you, nothing more. Of course, if you aren't willing to go on, the mission is cancelled. I'll have to find another way to save them."
"Another way? Like what?"
"That... I haven't thought of yet." Noriaki scratched his head with a bitter smile—one that looked more painful than crying to those who understood his plight.
Sigh. This is a mess. What should we do? Terminate the mission and return to Konoha? Or...?
Kurenai, as the lead Jōnin, felt a headache coming on. This was the most troublesome situation she had ever faced, especially since the opponent might be the Daimyo of the Land of Fire.
No, it likely wasn't just Madoka Hidemitsu. In that moment, an image flashed through Kurenai's mind: an old man leaning on a cane, his eye covered by bandages.
Judging by the skill and discipline of the attackers, Kurenai didn't believe the Daimyo could train a group of rogue ninja to that level on his own. Combined with the lethal "Cursed Seal" design, the shadow of a supposedly disbanded organization loomed over the situation: "Root."
Furthermore, for Konoha's intel to leak so easily... that was beyond the Daimyo's reach. But Kurenai had heard rumors that the leader of Root, Danzo, had been getting close to Madoka Hidemitsu in recent years. That would explain how the Daimyo knew the movements of Konoha ninja.
Danzo. The name was half-taboo in Konoha. Most ninja who knew of him wouldn't dare mention him, as his methods and "glorious" history were the polar opposite of the Third Hokage's.
Yet, Danzo still held massive influence. That was what Kurenai feared.
If we return to Konoha, we'll be safe. But knowing Danzo, once the assassination fails, he will immediately move the secret base and 'dispose' of all the villagers being used for experiments...
"Kurenai-sensei, you're thinking about that one-eyed old man too, aren't you?" Yuki suddenly spoke up.
Yuki? Right, he's the heir to the Hyuga clan. It's not strange for him to know about Danzo.
"If you know about Danzo, you should know his style," Kurenai replied.
"I do. That's why we should strike now. If we wait any longer, all the clues will vanish."
"Wh... what? Strike now?" Kurenai's eyes widened, looking at him as if he were a reckless monster.
"Yes. We should leave immediately and reach that island before morning. They just failed an assassination attempt; they won't expect the roles of hunter and prey to flip so quickly. They won't be fully prepared."
Yuki clenched his fist. He could already imagine the look of shock on the enemy's face—that was exactly the result he wanted.
Danzo, the darkness of Konoha, the mastermind behind countless hidden conspiracies. Yuki had heard his father, Hiashi, mention that name frequently when discussing Konoha's political landscape. He knew how terrifying the man was.
"You mean... infiltrate the island, save the people, and gather intel? But with our current manpower, it's a bit..."
To be honest, Yuki's plan matched what Kurenai had initially considered: a lightning strike to rescue hostages and uncover the truth. But Kurenai wasn't leading a professional Jōnin squad; she was leading the rookie Team 8.
Taking a group of novices into a mission where even a Jōnin could perish was incredibly risky.
"Kurenai-sensei! Let's do it! We can't let those bastards get away!"
Kiba's signature shout echoed through the cave. His expression was uncharacteristically serious, and his eyes burned with rage.