Chapter 363: Outside the Village

World of Shinobi, Hidden Rain Village

"Hm? An assassination job in our own village?"

Seated on what seemed like a statue, a man with orange hair murmured while reading a small document.

"Yes, this time the client is very generous. They've also provided a lot of information about our target, but there's a problem."

Next to him was a woman with purple hair. She narrowed her eyes as a photo of an Anbu hunter appeared in the document.

"The Devourer of Konoha..."

Recognizing him instantly by his mask, the man opened his eyes in surprise.

After all, there was no village that didn't know this Anbu Hunter. He was the ninja with the highest bounty on his head and ranked number one in the Bingo book.

But despite this, no one had been able to kill this hunter, and his abilities were unknown. The reason for this was that the ninjas who took the mission ended up dead and devoured. No one had returned alive after facing him, turning him into a living legend and the most dangerous ninja, rumored to be more powerful than a Kage.

"This Devourer is very skilled and has a great reputation. It won't be easy to assassinate him. Moreover, there's a rumor that he's immortal."

There were many theories about the Devourer's power. According to the limited information available, he had been burned, crushed, decapitated, drowned, stabbed, poisoned, and sealed. No matter how he was confronted, the Devourer stayed alive. The numbers didn't work against him either. In the past, a group of armed ninjas faced him, and they all ended up dead.

The man narrowed his eyes and simply stared at the document. If the rumors were true, they would be facing an elite ninja who was also immortal. However, the man wasn't afraid, as he trusted in his own power.

"What do you think, Pain? Shall we accept the request?"

"We will. This Devourer is in our way if we want to capture the Kyubi. It's fortunate if he comes to our village."

"I understand. Then we must prepare. We can't face him without some insurance."

Ending the conversation, the woman closed her eyes, and her body split into hundreds of paper butterflies.

On the other hand, the man looked up at the sky where the rain kept falling.

---

Days passed, and several new policies were accepted. With the new Hokage, the Anbu continued their duties, but unlike before, they now obeyed orders, and there was always an Anbu around Tsunade. Internal power struggles among the higher-ups ceased, and the village returned to functioning at 100%.

However, this brought no happiness to Tsunade. At the moment, she was glaring at Yuki, veins bulging on her forehead.

"What the hell is this? How come you're going on a mission? Who the hell authorized this?"

"It's written in the document. I'll simply act according to orders."

Shrugging, Yuki wasn't wearing his usual Anbu attire but a standard ninja vest. He also wore his mask, as he still wasn't comfortable revealing his identity to friends and family.

"That's not what I'm asking! What the hell does this mean? Chunin exams? Moreover, how the hell did the 'Captain' Anbu authorize you? You're the captain; you can't order yourself around. That's my job!"

Slamming her fist on the table, Tsunade wanted to go crazy. This brat was simply using his power as captain to order his other identity to act as an emissary, inviting other villages to participate in the Chunin exams that would soon take place.

Tsunade didn't know what the hell was going on, but she was sure Yuki wasn't planning anything good.

(Here we go again...)

Shizune and Tsubaki, who were also in the room, sighed and shook their heads.

These two, godmother and godson, couldn't behave even at work, especially Yuki, who liked causing trouble.

"Yuki, you better tell me your plan, or don't think of leaving this room."

"Fine, fine..."

Raising both hands in surrender, Yuki explained everything.

Before Tsunade assumed the position of Hokage, Yuki, as the captain of Anbu, had ordered the new Genin to participate in the Chunin exams. He also planned to invite other villages to the event as a sign of peace.

Though it was nonsense, his goal was to showcase Konoha's power to other villages and temper Sasuke and Naruto.

Tsunade understood this. There was no better challenge for those Genin than competing with others of their generation. However...

"But that doesn't explain why you have to act as an emissary. You're in the Bingo book, and your presence can act as a declaration of war instead of proclaiming peace."

"Exactly! This is why I have to go. If the Devourer leaves the village without any guard or ally, it's the greatest proof of our sincerity."

"Cut the crap! What's your real objective?"

"Well, I thought of visiting the Hidden Mist Village. I heard that the reign of terror of the Fourth Mizukage ended, and a new Mizukage has been chosen. Moreover, she's a very beautiful kunoichi."

Clasping his hands together, Yuki smiled beneath his mask, unconsciously revealing his hidden motives. He immediately regretted it, as Tsunade's aura was terrifying, and not only hers, but Tsubaki was also staring at him.

(Danna-sama)

She knew her boyfriend was a womanizer, and there were various reasons for it, but Tsubaki would appreciate it if he at least informed her beforehand if he wanted to pursue another woman.

"You womanizing brat!"

This kid already had a woman, and yet he was bold enough to set his sights on the Fifth Mizukage. Naturally, Tsunade wasn't going to allow it. More veins bulged on her forehead and her plump chest rose and fell with each breath, a sight worth admiring.

"You're not going on that mission! I forbid you to leave the village. That's an order!"

"Ehhh? But, it's too late."

Dropping his head, Yuki acted innocent and played with his fingers, not daring to look at Tsunade. She felt a bad premonition. After all, Yuki would pull off this act every time he got his way.

Suddenly, Tsunade opened her eyes and scrutinized this 'Yuki' carefully.

"Yuki... You..."

"Hehehe, the Original already left the village in the morning. I just came here as a decoy."

"Yukiiiii!"

Just as she thought, Yuki had already gotten his way. Shizune shook her head, and Tsubaki sighed.

No matter how much surveillance they had on Yuki, it was useless since he always looked for openings.

---

"Hm~"

On the other hand, the original Yuki was humming a song while walking without a care in the world.

"Should I go to the Hidden Sand Village first or the Hidden Mist Village?"

Yuki didn't know, but he didn't care. This small trip would be fun, especially after how well his clone did in the Hidden Mist Village.

Besides, he had someone to visit.

*Shhss

Suddenly, a snake emerged from the bushes and slithered to his feet.

"Hm? Well, that was quick."

Seemingly unsurprised, Yuki let the snake crawl up his body, and the snake opened its mouth, revealing a scroll.

"Oh! That's good news. It seems my little plan is progressing."

Smiling, Yuki returned the scroll before quickly writing on it.

"Alright, little one, give this to your master..."

*ShhhSss

Gently stroking its head, the snake narrowed its eyes before descending from Yuki and disappearing.

Yuki smiled and continued his walk.

(Hidden Sand Village, here I come...)

---

*Miauuuuu

"Ugh! I'm fed up with this! When will we get a real mission!?"

At the same time in Konoha, Naruto was fighting a cat in his arms. The cat struggled and scratched his face, leaving Naruto defenseless and dejected.

Beside him, Sasuke sighed, and Sakura lowered her head. After all, Naruto was right; they were Genin, and so far, they had been participating in pointless missions.

However, as ninja trainees, this was what they were supposed to do.

Kakashi was reading his book without commenting. He was too engrossed in his reading to worry about a lost cat. His mission was progressing smoothly, and so far, there were no issues except one—the impatience of his team.

Because of this, Kakashi glanced at his students with his one visible eye. He had to admit they had talent and were stronger than their current generation. Naruto with his massive chakra and Sasuke with his technique and control were an amazing duo. Unfortunately, their rivalry and reluctance to cooperate hindered them.

As for Sakura, Kakashi didn't think much of her. After all, his main focus was Sasuke and Naruto. Besides, Sakura was just an ordinary Genin with nothing outstanding. She seemed more preoccupied with trying to get Sasuke's attention than improving herself.

Moreover, he was busy dealing with the aftermath of Yuki's recent actions.

---

TN: Bro didn't even hesitate to ignore her