By this time, the reconnaissance personnel had been arranged.
The team was split into three groups: the vice-captain in a group of his own, and the other two groups with three people each.
Once everything was ready, they quickly dispersed, speeding off in different directions and vanishing into the thick undergrowth in the blink of an eye.
The remaining team members waited quietly in place, the air filled with a mixture of tension and anticipation.
Miki, sitting cross-legged on the ground, stared calmly at the map spread out before him, his fingers occasionally tracing across it, a thoughtful expression on his face.
At this moment, a colorful butterfly appeared above their temporary base. It flapped its brilliant wings, slowly circling down before finally coming to rest on a branch of a large tree, its thin wings shimmering with a strange luster in the light.
This incidental scene happened to be caught by Mamoru. He narrowed his eyes and stared at the unusually vibrant butterfly, a hint of alertness gradually appearing in his gaze.
The butterfly's wings were covered with complex red and yellow patterns, trembling slightly in the breeze, looking unnaturally beautiful.
"Hey, you three!"
The sudden voice made Mamoru snap back to his senses.
He then laughed self-mockingly, thinking to himself, 'Am I being too paranoid? Isn't it normal for there to be butterflies around here? It's just that the colors are a bit bright and memorable.'
Daichi stepped out from the crowd and walked over to them with steady steps.
He put his hands on his hips and said in a deep voice, "After the scouting ninjas return, you will follow me. Don't go running off on your own. Otherwise, if something happens, no one will be able to save you. This is about being responsible for your own lives, understood?"
"Yes!"
Except for Mamoru, the other two immediately responded loudly.
Mamoru only nodded slightly, his gaze unconsciously drifting back to where the butterfly had landed.
Yoko nervously gripped the corner of her clothes and asked in a low voice, "Um... are we going to participate in the battle too?"
Daichi answered steadily, "No, we are only responsible for providing support to injured team members in the rear and performing simple bandaging."
Noticing Yoko's uneasy expression, his tone softened slightly. "Of course, we can't be one hundred percent sure we won't be attacked. Therefore, even if we are in charge of logistics in the rear, we must stay alert to prevent the enemy from finding an opening."
After Daichi finished speaking, Teruhito and Yoko responded in unison again.
Teruhito stole a glance at Yoko. Seeing that her face was still tense, he couldn't help but straighten his back, trying to look brave.
—
At the foot of the mountain, a cave entrance completely hidden by thick weeds and vines looked like a forgotten scar.
The path inside the cave was pitted, and water droplets constantly seeped from the damp rock walls.
After traveling about thirty meters in the darkness and turning a sharp bend, the end of the path suddenly opened up—it was a massive limestone cave with a high ceiling and stalactites hanging down like sharp swords.
Countless braziers were scattered across the floor of the cave, their blazing fire illuminating the place as bright as day and casting numerous flickering shadows.
A large group of diverse people gathered in the central clearing, with the occasional sound of boisterous shouting and the clatter of dice being thrown into bowls.
At the deepest part of the cave stood a wide stone platform, upon which sat a sandalwood table. Two people stood before the table, their eyes fixed on a basin of water placed atop it. This very basin of water held a profound secret.
If Mamoru were here, he would certainly be extremely surprised and would likely boast about his keen intuition.
At this moment, the water clearly displayed images of the personnel Miki had arranged for reconnaissance. Aside from the lack of sound, it was no different from being on the scene.
"Yazi, your 'Butterfly Scouting Technique' is truly wonderful." The burly figure standing before the sandalwood table praised, his voice strange and piercing, unlike a normal person's tone. "To be able to do this so stealthily."
The 'man' called Yazi had a slender and elongated figure, his face painted with the pale makeup used by geishas, and his eyelids smeared with striking purple eyeshadow.
He pinched his throat in an affected manner and said coquettishly, "Mm~ Big brother, didn't we agree not to use that name anymore? My name now is Yako."
This "Big Brother" was burly and had a terrifying appearance. His face was covered in crisscrossing scars, and half of his upper lip was missing, leaving half of his teeth exposed, which looked exceptionally creepy.
If one were to count the scars on this man's face carefully, there were exactly seven, no more and no less. His identity was self-evident: he was Shichikon himself.
Shichikon forcibly suppressed the churning in his stomach and opened his incomplete mouth, letting out that abnormal voice. "Uh... sorry, I'm not used to your new identity yet. I'll be sure to pay attention next time."
"Honestly, I've reminded you so many times. If you keep this up, I'm really going to get angry, mm~"
Yazi or rather Yako grabbed Shichikon's sleeve and kept shaking his body. The powder on his face visibly drifted down, making Shichikon click his tongue inwardly.
"Alright, alright, I get it."
Shichikon calmly brushed the hand off his sleeve and then wiped his hand on his pants.
"Hmph!"
Seeing this, Yako pouted, gave a coquettish huff, and turned his(?) back.
"Ya... Yako."
Shichikon gulped, suppressing his discomfort, and forced a laugh. "You continue to monitor them. I'll send someone to notify the mountain now, the fortress must be held at all costs."
"I know already." Yako crossed her arms, raised her fingers, and nodded reluctantly.
After hearing the reply, Shichikon strode down the stone platform, a terrifying cold light flashing in his eyes as he whispered to himself, "Since these Konoha ninjas have come... they shall never return."