Akira's shadow clones quickly used the Transformation Jutsu, turning themselves into unconscious versions of Hinata, Ino, and Shino.
The reason Akira didn't simply transform himself into every sailor on the ship was simple: he wanted to force these three rookies to get some practice in disguise and infiltration.
Otherwise, with his abilities, he could have solo-cleared this entire mission without any pressure at all.
But this was a squad assignment.
Killing the enemy wasn't the only goal.
Teaching them mattered too.
The three nodded in embarrassment, immediately formed hand seals, and transformed into the rough-looking sailors they'd just seen.
As for Akira, he transformed into the one-armed, thick-necked ship captain with the fleshy face. Of course, to avoid drawing attention, the transformed version had both arms intact.
Looking at Akira's line of shadow clones, Ino couldn't help exclaiming, "Akira, you can make that many shadow clones? Your chakra reserves are insane."
Most jonin, if they wanted to preserve their combat ability, usually only made one or two shadow clones. Splitting chakra too many ways weakened the original body, not to mention the mental strain.
Once everything was ready, the group piloted the passenger ship and headed straight for Shiramizu Village.
Fortunately, the sea chart for the Land of Water had been left right by the wheel. Without that, they really would have been wandering blind out on the ocean.
After another six days of rough sailing, they finally reached their destination.
To Akira's surprise, this so-called Shiramizu Village wasn't on the coast at all. It was hidden deep inside the forest of a small island.
Standing on a slope and looking down, they could just make out a tiny village concealed beneath thick vegetation. Its location was so hidden it was almost absurd.
Ino couldn't help grumbling, "Why would these people choose a middle-of-nowhere dump like this for a handoff? Does this village really look like it can cough up five million ryō?"
That kind of money was equal to the reward from five S-rank missions. Looking at the run-down place below them, Ino seriously doubted the village had that kind of cash.
Akira analyzed the situation calmly. "It's not the villagers paying. This is a rogue-nin staging ground. Remember this, once we go in: act like crude, rough sailors. Don't blow your cover, and don't do anything rash. We need to get to the contact and use him to find Akita's hideout."
Hinata and Shino nodded solemnly.
Ino smiled with confidence. "Don't worry, Akira. Acting is one of my strengths."
Akira shot her a glance and thought to himself, You're the one I'm least confident about.
Of the three, Hinata and Shino were both quieter, but they were steady when it mattered, and their execution was much more reliable.
Still, this counted as training for Ino too, so Akira didn't say anything further. Bringing the shadow-clone "prisoners" along, he swaggered down toward the village.
Out of the three captives, "Hinata" was obviously the most valuable.
As the eldest daughter of the main Hyuga family, those Byakugan eyes were priceless to rogue ninja, especially to someone like Akita, who had once come from Konoha and would understand exactly what they were worth.
After walking through mountain trails for more than ten minutes, the group finally entered the village.
It wasn't large. In total, there were only around thirty run-down wooden houses and maybe a hundred residents.
What surprised Akira most was that there wasn't a single lookout or checkpoint at the village entrance. The lack of caution was almost unbelievable.
He had interrogated the ship captain very thoroughly earlier, so he knew the process inside and out.
Mimicking the captain's arrogant swagger perfectly, Akira led the others straight toward the village tavern.
That was the only contact point.
Along the way, the villagers they passed all looked at them strangely. There was curiosity in their eyes, yes, but mixed with it was a poorly hidden resentment.
Those looks made Ino and the others' nerves fray badly enough that they almost broke character.
At the right moment, Akira turned back and casually clapped a hand on each of their shoulders, giving them a subtle look of reassurance.
Receiving the signal, the three steadied themselves and maintained the savage, foul-tempered image of the sailors.
Still, the heavy, oppressive atmosphere in the village made all of them deeply uncomfortable.
When Akira pushed open the tavern's battered wooden door, dim, muddy light greeted them from within.
There were only around ten customers scattered inside. Behind the counter, the owner had been dozing with his head propped on one hand.
Akira walked straight up and slammed his knuckles hard against the counter.
"Got cargo. Three small ones and one big one."
The owner jolted awake. His cloudy eyes swept over the four tightly bound "prisoners," and he visibly stiffened before plastering on a wrinkled smile.
"Well now, old man, not bad. You actually brought in quality merchandise this time... wait. That little girl is from the Hyuga clan?"
The moment his eyes landed on the transformed "Hinata," his jaw nearly hit the floor.
The features of the Hyuga were far too obvious. Those white eyes were like a signboard, even without the Byakugan being activated.
That shout instantly silenced the entire tavern. Every customer inside turned to stare.
Akira played the clueless brute perfectly. "What Hyuga, what clan? I don't care who she is. Just hurry up and pay me my damn money!"
Seeing that this "captain" clearly didn't know the true value of what he had captured and wasn't trying to raise the price, the owner nearly burst with joy.
He'd stumbled onto a fortune.
Still, he kept his expression under control. "Five million ryō isn't pocket change. Sit tight for a bit. I need to inform the people above me."
With that, he ducked behind the counter and began fumbling around.
Akira's sensory field expanded at once, and he clearly picked up on the fact that the owner was secretly activating some kind of communication ninjutsu.
At the same time, Akira noticed that most of the customers in the tavern were no ordinary drifters. Chakra was circulating in their bodies too.
This place may have been remote, but it was clearly a crossroads where all kinds of lowlifes and dangerous types gathered.
Feeling the greed and scrutiny in the air, Akira's expression darkened slightly. Lowering his voice, he said to the "sailors" behind him, "Stay sharp. Watch for a second betrayal."
The three immediately understood and formed a triangular formation around the "captives."
And then, among one of the tables in the corner, Akira spotted a familiar face.
Samui of Kumogakure.
A flicker of surprise flashed in his mind.
What is she doing here? Looks like the Land of Water daimyo really panicked. He hired Kumo too. That makes it pretty obvious he doesn't trust Konoha alone.
The old Blood Mist era had turned Kirigakure into a complete cesspool, with rogue ninja crawling all over the place. Kisame himself had once attempted to assassinate the daimyo. That incident had shattered the daimyo's trust in Kirigakure.
Even though Mei Terumī was trying hard to repair the village's reputation now, a crisis of trust like that wasn't something that disappeared overnight.
The daimyo of this world might not interfere in the internal politics of hidden villages, but they held the purse strings.
If a village wanted to thrive, it still had to keep the daimyo satisfied.
This time, for the sake of survival, the daimyo of the Land of Water had clearly gone all in, hiring both Konoha and Kumogakure at once while pointedly leaving his own Kirigakure village out of it.
As an elite jonin of Kumo, Samui was not someone to underestimate in the slightest.
The two teenagers seated beside her, dark-skinned and carrying blades, were clearly Omoi and Karui, probably around twelve or thirteen at this point.
So Kumo sent Samui to lead? Akira thought. That means they're treating this as at least an S-rank mission.
Each village measured mission difficulty a little differently.
Because Konoha was short on people, Tsunade had sent Akira, a Special Jonin, but from the perspective of the Land of Water's daimyo, that might still have looked uncertain.
Samui, on the other hand, was an established jonin in every sense of the word, calm, sharp, and already bordering on elite jonin level. Even in the Fourth Ninja War, she would be capable of exchanging blows with monsters like Kinkaku and Ginkaku.
She was probably around twenty-four now, in her prime.
If Kumogakure had sent her, then their evaluation of the enemy's strength had been spot on.
Akita, being a jonin with a whole pack of followers, really was a troublesome target.
Akira even began to suspect that this so-called assassination attempt might have been a self-inflicted stunt staged by elements inside the Kirigakure, all in the hope of regaining the daimyo's trust.
Who knew the daimyo would refuse to play along and instead hire outsiders.
There were a few Kiri ninjas in the tavern too, but judging by the way they carried themselves, they were only low or mid-level ninja. Most likely freelancers, not official operatives.
A moment later, the tavern owner emerged from behind the counter and crooked a finger.
"Old man. Bring the cargo and come with me."
Akira widened his eyes. "Why not just pay me here? What's the point of going in the back?"
He played the part perfectly, showing exactly the kind of distrust an ordinary civilian would have toward ninja.
The owner grinned even wider. At this point, he was completely convinced the "captain" was genuine.
"Relax. You'll get your money. Our boss just wants to inspect the goods in person. Especially that little Hyuga girl. He needs to make sure she's from the main family."
The moment he said that, Samui, who had been quietly drinking the whole time, sharply furrowed her brow.
Kumo and Konoha had nearly gone to war over the Byakugan in the past, yes, but the two villages were technically at peace now.
As a Kumo jonin, Samui had no intention of letting a strategic asset like the Byakugan fall into the hands of a bunch of wandering rogue ninja.
Just as her hand moved to her sword hilt, ready to act, Akira gave an irritated cough.
"Then bring her in and check. Why do we have to go too?"
The owner smiled even more brightly, silently mocking this old fool for not realizing he was already dead.
"Our boss doesn't come out often. He wants to see the 'hero' who managed to bring down a bunch of shinobi too. He's curious how you pulled it off."
In reality, they had no intention of paying a single ryō.
They planned to take the captured Konoha ninja, collect the bounty, and then kill the "captain" as well so they could keep the entire five million for themselves.
The Land of Water daimyo really had gone all out to protect himself.
He already had a few jonin from minor villages guarding him, but he still didn't trust the situation.
This world's ninja were still people, and every person had a price.
Akira pretended to think it over, as though weighing the risks. Then he slapped a hand down decisively.
"Fine. Everyone, move!"
The owner's smile sharpened into something cruel. In his mind, this old fool really thought that bringing more people with him meant he could stand up to real ninja.
As the "captain" and his group followed the owner toward the back, Samui's eyes flickered with uncertainty.
They passed through a dim hallway, and the yard beyond turned out to be surprisingly refined, a small but elegant Japanese-style courtyard hidden behind the shabby tavern.
Akira led Hinata and the others in with long, confident strides.
Back in the main room, meanwhile, the atmosphere turned sharp.
Karui and Omoi leaned toward Samui, speaking urgently.
"Captain, the Konoha group really got taken inside. Are we just going to sit here? There's a Hyuga in there!"
Although Kumogakure still hadn't succeeded in obtaining the Byakugan, if the Fourth Raikage ever learned they'd watched the chance slip away, they could guess the kind of fury waiting for them back home.
And beyond that, the enemy of your enemy was at least a temporary ally. Letting rogue ninja get their hands on the Byakugan was bad news for everyone.
The Kumo squad didn't actually intend to abduct Hinata themselves.
Compared to kidnapping, what mattered more to them was making sure a pair of Byakugan eyes didn't fall into the hands of rogue ninja.
Samui's cool eyes narrowed, deep thought locking in her expression.
She put a hand out, stopping the restless Karui and Omoi.
"Don't rush. Stay calm. We need to find where the people behind this operation are hiding first."
Their earlier intelligence had been correct. The tavern owner really was in league with the rogue ninja.
Karui gritted her teeth, making the hilt of her sword creak.
"But Captain, if we keep waiting and they actually succeed—"
Omoi, lollipop still between his lips, also looked troubled.
Samui didn't answer. She simply kept staring ahead, the air around her seeming to freeze.
Three long minutes passed.
Then her eyes sharpened, and she gave the slightest nod.
"Move."
The next instant, the three of them vanished like specters and shot toward the rear of the tavern.
At that same moment, in the tavern courtyard, Akira followed silently behind the owner.
The owner pushed open a heavy wooden door and slipped inside respectfully.
Within the room sat a man cross-legged, his eyes dark and predatory.
What drew the eye immediately was the vicious scar over one eye, and the slashed rogue-nin mark carved across the metal plate of his forehead protector.
Though he was a missing-nin, the design of that protector clearly belonged to Kirigakure.
The tavern owner stepped forward and murmured a few words in the man's ear.
The one-eyed rogue looked up sharply, and his greedy gaze locked at once onto "Hinata."
"No mistake. That pure eye color... definitely Byakugan."
He licked his dry lips, his voice hoarse and ugly.
"The only question is whether this brat's from the main family... or the branch."
The man was already getting impatient. He waved sharply.
"Go. Pull her bangs back. I want to inspect the goods."
The owner hurried over and did as ordered.
The moment the hair over "Hinata's" forehead was yanked up, her forehead was revealed.
Smooth.
Clean.
No Caged Bird seal.
The one-eyed rogue shot to his feet as if struck by lightning.
He crossed the room in two steps, leaned in, and checked over and over again.
Still nothing.
No mark.
"HA! The heavens are feeding me today!"
His roar shook dust down from the ceiling.
"A main-family Hyuga girl, delivered right into my hands! If I hand this over to the boss, it'll count as a massive contribution!"
And just as the one-eyed rogue reached out, ready to seize her—
Everything changed.
Crash!
A window exploded inward, spraying splinters through the room.
Several dark figures swept in with the force of a storm.
Thud!
The wet sound of steel going through flesh made the whole room flinch.
The tavern owner barely had time to react before a blade tip burst out through his chest from behind.
Blood sprayed everywhere, painting the floor red.
The Kiri chunin reacted fast. The instant he realized something had gone wrong, he turned to use Body Flicker and escape.
But a blade colder than ice was already pressed against his carotid artery.
Samui held a short sword at his throat, her voice colder than the metal.
"Move, and your head comes off."
The entire situation inside the room reversed in an instant.
The ones who had smashed through the window were Samui's team.
The one who had killed the tavern owner in a single strike was the hot-blooded Karui.
At the same time, Omoi swung his sword straight at Akira, who appeared completely unguarded.
Yet at the very moment the blade was about to land, "Hinata" exploded into a puff of white smoke.
The apparently helpless girl instantly became one of Akira's shadow clones.
At the same time, Ino and Shino dropped their disguises and moved in.
Shino's face remained expressionless as both hands shot forward.
Bzzzzzz—
A dense tide of black kikaichū poured out in a living wave, flooding toward Omoi.
Meanwhile, the real Akira hadn't even lifted an eyelid.
Startled by the sudden swarm, Omoi instinctively jumped backward, widening the distance.
At that point, Akira's remaining shadow clones all dispelled themselves, dissolving into drifting white smoke.
In a matter of seconds, the dust had settled.
Samui looked at the scene before her, her brow furrowing further.
"You..."
Karui and Omoi both stared in disbelief.
"What the hell? You weren't captured at all?"
The Kiri chunin with a blade at his throat was even more terrified, his entire body shaking.
"That... that's impossible! We checked the merchandise ourselves!"
Ino put her hands on her hips and snorted proudly.
"Captured? Please. I was acting. Did you really think Konoha shinobi were that stupid?"
Samui ignored the taunt completely. Her sharp gaze remained fixed on Akira.
"You're a jonin from Konoha?"
There was skepticism in her voice.
The boy in front of her was simply too young. He was built like someone around sixteen or seventeen, but his face still carried traces of youth.
If someone that young were already a jonin, Kumogakure's intelligence network should have heard of him.
Akira smiled calmly and gave a polite nod.
"Konoha Special Jonin, Akira Hane. And I haven't had the honor of learning your name."
Samui.
Akira.
She searched her memory, but that name brought up nothing.
Even though her suspicion remained, she answered with the proper courtesy of a shinobi.
"Kumogakure jonin. Samui."
The two behind her immediately introduced themselves as well.
"Omoi."
"Karui."
At the moment, Kumo and Konoha weren't at war. The two villages had friction, yes, but they weren't enemies in the strict sense.
Akira went straight to the point.
"Our target is the same. I need to know where this group of rogue ninja is hiding."
Samui lowered her blade and replied evenly, "Convenient. That's my mission too."
Akira looked at her and made the obvious suggestion.
"Then why not work together?"
The words had barely left his mouth before Karui bristled.
"Why should we? The prisoner's in our hands now. That means the intel belongs to us."
Akira hadn't even replied yet when Ino's temper exploded first.
"Excuse me? What exactly did you just say, Miss Grumpy?"
"That man came out because we baited him. If we hadn't set this up, you'd still be sitting in the front room breathing stale air!"
"And let's be honest, you didn't even know for sure the owner was the contact. So don't come in at the last second and act like you did all the work."
Karui's face flushed at the direct hit. She pointed at Ino and snapped, "Who are you calling shameless? He's under my blade right now. If you want him, come take him!"
The two girls looked seconds away from tearing into each other, and the room descended instantly into chaos.
In terms of raw strength, Karui and Omoi really were impressive for their age, each of them already close to jonin territory.
They were Killer B's students, after all. Young, but not weak.
If it came to a fight, Ino would definitely be the one at a disadvantage.
Still, Hinata and Shino weren't helpless either, and then there was Akira himself, who was practically an unknown abyss.
As the leaders of the two groups, Akira and Samui didn't step in immediately. Instead, they simply watched their subordinates bicker.
After a while, Karui was left red-faced and speechless under Ino's sharp tongue.