In the canyon of towering peaks, the howling wind echoed like thunder, deafeningly loud.
Within the canyon, four figures walked.
Two men, two women.
Leading was a youth with reddish-brown short hair, handsome with sharp features, tall and slender, wearing cloth armor.
The other man had black hair and eyes, ordinary appearance, calm demeanor, indifferent gaze.
Both women looked like teenagers.
One had silver short hair, exquisite beauty, tall and slender figure, cold expression.
The other had pink long hair tied in twin tails, a chubby, baby-faced appearance, giving a cute impression.
They were Ryuji, Kuro, Gin, and Kana.
After summarizing the current situation and arranging follow-up plans, Ryuji took them to Kumogakure.
Objective: Destroy Kumogakure's Chakra Cannon.
Although a fully equipped Mechanical City wouldn't fear the Chakra Cannon, wasn't it not fully built yet?
If struck by the Chakra Cannon before completion, it would be troublesome.
Thus, the best approach was to seize or destroy the Chakra Cannon.
This operation didn't include Aka.
With the Shinobi World secretly allied, enemies might attempt a surprise attack on their headquarters.
Aka, a super-Kage level combatant, needed to stay at Sunagakure as a precaution.
Well, mainly against Pain.
Various factions in the Shinobi World, bearing grudges against each other, uniting so quickly without external pressure... If someone wasn't pushing behind the scenes, Ryuji wouldn't believe it even if beaten to death.
And who could achieve this? After thinking, only Black Zetsu came to mind.
Possessing stealth abilities even Six Paths-level experts couldn't detect, knowing secrets from ancient times to now... He had enough cards to persuade the Four Great Shinobi Villages, even the entire Shinobi Alliance.
Also, considering a trump weapon like the Chakra Cannon, even Kumogakure, filled with reckless warriors, wouldn't place it carelessly.
Locating it was also a challenge.
Therefore, Sensor-type Shinobi Kuro and Kana were essential.
Finally, as combat strength, Ryuji alone wasn't enough. Bringing Gin was also necessary.
...
"This damn place is too noisy!" Kana couldn't help but complain.
The wind howled like thunder, incessantly.
For a girl who once lived deep in secluded mountains and forests, it was somewhat unbearable.
"Endure it!" Ryuji walked ahead, sighing. "I also find it too noisy. But precisely because of that, we must be cautious of other sounds hidden within the wind. A slight lapse could mean ambush, as we're very close to Kumogakure now."
"I know." Kana sighed. "I'm just venting."
"Master, people ahead."
Suddenly, Kuro reminded.
Hearing this, everyone perked up, looking forward. The narrow path ahead was blocked by winding rock walls.
Clearly, Kuro's 'ahead' referred to the sensed location, not within line of sight.
After a moment's silence, Ryuji asked, "...How far?"
"One kilometer. Four people."
Hearing the answer, Ryuji took out a map for comparison. "That should be Kumogakure's outpost."
Except for Sunagakure, with its flat, wide-open desert terrain outside the village, every Shinobi Village had many outposts to prevent enemy infiltration and surprise attacks.
In the original work, when Pain attacked Konoha, he first targeted their outposts.
Ryuji pondered briefly. "The echo here is strong, so combat movements must be minimal, and no one can escape. Therefore..."
"Leave it to me."
Before Ryuji finished, Kana patted her chest, taking on the task.
Ryuji was momentarily stunned, then nodded.
"Alright, I leave it to you."
This situation best suited Kana's abilities. Even if she hadn't volunteered, Ryuji would have assigned her.
...
This outpost was built on the highest nearby peak, offering a wide view of all routes leading to Kumogakure.
Ryuji's team stealthily approached through water, closing in on a mountain near the outpost, then sneaked to the summit.
Though not as high as the outpost's mountain, it was comparable and downwind.
Kana nodded, signaling Gin and Kuro to cover their noses and mouths, then formed hand seals. "Ninja Art: Alien Land Disorientation!"
A faint mist emanated from her body, drifting with the wind toward the opposite side.
Soon, successive thuds of heavy objects falling were heard.
Ryuji looked at Kuro.
Understanding, Kuro nodded, closed his eyes to sense.
Moments later, he opened his eyes. "Chakra has calmed. They've fallen asleep."
"Let's check it out."
As he spoke, the Personal Space's gate opened. A mechanical bird flew out.
Ryuji's team leaped onto it, riding the mechanical bird to the opposite outpost.
Before two wooden huts, four Shinobi lay on the ground, wearing single-shoulder white armor, skin tones either dark or pale.
Ryuji said calmly, "Though unlikely they'd know, let's still check their memories."
The Personal Space's gate opened again. Each person dragged one inside.
...
Half an hour later.
Using machines, Ryuji examined all four's memories.
As expected, no information on the Chakra Cannon was found.
But several heavily guarded locations were identified.
Besides institutions like the Anbu archives, there were several secret areas never explained externally.
Those places might hold the Chakra Cannon.
Additionally, he obtained crucial intelligence.
In half an hour, another team would come for shift change.
Sharing the intelligence with the other three, Ryuji decided, "Disguise as these four Kumogakure's Shinobi, rotate with the incoming shift, then infiltrate Kumogakure to investigate those secret areas."
"Yes!"
Everyone nodded, then transformed into the appearances of those four Kumogakure's Shinobi based on assignments.
...
"We leave this to you!"
"Rest assured, leave it to me!"
"Mhm!"
Ryuji nodded, bidding farewell to the incoming Kumogakure's shift team.
Imitating the original owners' memories, they chatted and laughed along the way. Even when encountering acquaintances going out or returning, greeting them, they didn't slip up.
After about an hour, they finally reached Kumogakure.
A village built on mountainsides.
Many structures were built into cliff faces, reminiscent of the Hanging Temple from his previous world, though architectural style and ethnic atmosphere differed entirely.
Entering the village, Ryuji ordered, "Gin and Kuro as one team; Kana and I as another. Split up to investigate!"
Gin and Kuro could communicate remotely via the Sea of Consciousness. Even if something unexpected happened, they could adjust promptly.
But Kana couldn't.
Moreover, both Kana and Kuro possessed sensory abilities, so this division was logical.
"Yes!"
Both responded softly, then parted ways at a fork, heading toward their respective targets.