Leaning on a cane, Danzo Shimura emerged from the shadows. His narrow, cold eyes examined Hizashi Hyuga. "No, perhaps I should call you Hizashi Hyuga?"
"I do not understand what you mean," Hizashi Hyuga said coldly. "May I ask why Lord Danzo Shimura is here?"
He showed no fear. He knew Shadow was nearby.
That calm only made Danzo Shimura more certain that the man before him was not Hiashi Hyuga. He had only sent people to gather intelligence out of habit, yet the irregularities of "Hiashi Hyuga" quickly stood out.
In the early days of Hizashi Hyuga's disguise, there had been many small flaws. Any one alone meant nothing, but together they revealed the truth.
For Danzo Shimura, suspicion alone was enough.
"Do not worry. I will treat you as Hiashi Hyuga," Danzo Shimura said hoarsely with a squint. "Our goals may be the same."
From deeper in the shadows, Shadow watched in silence. This meeting was something he had guided into place.
There was no one better than Danzo Shimura to handle such matters.
The fading light of the sunset was like melted gold leaf, slipping through layers of broad leaves and casting mottled shadows across the forest path.
Three figures moved swiftly through the branches, each leap landing on the strongest limbs. Their movements were fast and light, making no sound at all.
Those three figures were Hiruzen Sarutobi, Yunchuan Hyuga, and Kakashi Hatake.
All three wore gray cloaks, their faces hidden beneath the shadows of their hoods.
Their departure from the village and their journey were kept deliberately low profile. They avoided all villages and outposts along the way, even steering clear of main roads and populated areas.
The news of attending the Five Kage Summit could not be hidden, but Konoha had just suffered a heavy blow and its high level combat power was stretched thin. The later their exact departure time leaked out, the better.
The route, timing, and destination for this trip to the Five Kage Summit were all top level secrets.
As the three crossed a relatively open clearing in the forest, a voice broke the silence of their rapid movement.
"Third Hokage." Yunchuan Hyuga spoke calmly. "About the route and method for going to Land of Demons this time…"
Hearing this, Kakashi Hatake also looked over, because even the two of them did not yet know the specific path.
Land of Demons lay beyond the northwestern border of the Land of Fire, far away and surrounded by complex terrain. To reach Land of Demons, there were only two possible choices.
One could travel by land through Land of Rain, Land of Birds, and Land of Bears, or through Land of Grass and Land of Earth. The other option was to go by sea and head straight for Land of Demons.
No matter which method was chosen, neither was simple.
"Land of Demons is very special."
Hiruzen Sarutobi did not turn back, his voice carrying from the front. "Its territory lies roughly northwest of the Land of Fire, bordering the southwest of Land of Earth, but it is cut off by dangerous mountain ranges."
"The borders of Land of Demons are full of mountains, lakes, and swamps. The terrain is rough and complex, the climate is humid and rainy, and it is covered in thin mist and miasma year round. Maps show very little detail of its interior."
"So this time, we will take the sea route. After entering Land of Waves, a ship will naturally appear to guide us."
Land of Waves was an island nation located in the southeastern seas of the Land of Fire. Its territory consisted mainly of one main island and several smaller surrounding islands, completely surrounded by the sea and relatively isolated.
Its land area was small, and it had no ninja village or military forces of its own. It possessed several natural harbors, had a relatively backward economy, and relied mainly on fishing and shipping trade with the Land of Fire.
Hiruzen Sarutobi chose to pass through Land of Waves by sea on the way to Land of Demons because of the convenience of its ports. This allowed them to avoid as many land based eyes as possible.
In addition, the mixed composition of travelers and relatively loose intelligence control made it easier for them to move quietly and avoid exposing their trail too early.
"Understood." Yunchuan Hyuga nodded and did not ask further.
With the abilities of the three of them, they were unlikely to encounter trouble before entering Land of Demons. The real problems would begin only after they arrived.
Soon, the last trace of sunset sank completely below the horizon, and dusk fell like a vast curtain over the land.
The forest grew dark quickly as shadows deepened. Various nocturnal creatures began to stir, filling the air with faint rustling sounds.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at the sky and spoke. "It is getting late. There is a hidden cave ahead, we will rest there for the night and continue tomorrow."
The three figures silently changed direction and vanished toward where Hiruzen Sarutobi indicated.
As Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other two quietly left Konoha, the hidden undercurrents within the village also began to move.
At the same time, it was not only Hiruzen Sarutobi and his group who departed from Konoha. The other members of the Four Kage had already left their own villages, and the undercurrents spread across the entire Ninja World.
A low and drawn out ship horn echoed over the sea far from the jurisdiction of the Five Great Nations.
The sea wind carried a cold, salty stench as it howled across the surface. Waves slammed into the rust stained hulls with dull, continuous impacts.
Several massive warships cut through the calm sea, leaving behind elongated ripples.
Their strange designs were not the sleek shapes of merchant vessels. Complex gun barrels and rails crisscrossed the decks, along with many structures of unknown purpose.
Clearly, these were not civilian ships but vessels meant for military use.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi were here, he would recognize these familiar ships. They belonged to the Sky Ninja Village that had once tried to attack the Land of Fire during the Second Shinobi World War.
The Sky Ninja Village relied on its unique flying Ninja Tool and technology to seize control of the skies.
During the Second Shinobi World War, they posed a serious threat to the Land of Fire and caused enormous damage to Konoha by exploiting their aerial advantage.
However, they were wiped out during the Second Shinobi World War, and even Hiruzen Sarutobi did not know there were still remnants left.
Because of their defeat in the Second Shinobi World War, the remaining forces of the Sky Ninja Village nearly collapsed. They only operated in remote seas far from the mainland or in desolate areas without people.
According to the original course of events, they would not regain strength until Tsunade took office. Only then would they find a chance to launch a retaliatory attack against Konoha.
In the end, their leader, Shinno, who created the Zero Tails, would be defeated by Naruto Uzumaki.
But now, their recovery seemed far too early. At present, they were clearly practicing the use of flying Ninja Tool again.
On the wide deck of the lead flagship, signal lights along the edge of the runway flickered.
Two Sky Ninja, carrying strange metal flight devices shaped like bat wings, crouched low on two launch rails.
Inside the control tower above, another Sky Ninja watched the wind direction and prepared to give the launch order.
Across the entire deck, only the roar of the wind and the charging hum of the devices could be heard.
"Launch." The order came from the tower.