Chapter 34: Missing

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After a full day of searching, Naruto's team had little to show for their efforts. 

He instructed the ninja at their base not to patrol that night, as he didn't want to give the enemy any opportunities to strike. 

That evening, Naruto and Hinata hid inside a fishing boat again, watching for any signs of movement outside. 

It seemed that after their previous encounter, the enemy had grown cautious and dared not act recklessly. 

The entire night passed without any sign of the Mist Ninjas making a move. 

Naruto concluded that the enemy, like him, would not act unless they were sure of their chances. 

They had to place their hopes on what they could find during the day.

The second day of operations also yielded no results, but Naruto wasn't worried. 

Both sides were in a stalemate, and any discovery would likely come down to luck. He figured he could use this time to help Hinata improve her skills.

On the third day, after another fruitless search, Yamato reported, "We've searched almost every part of the port. It's possible the enemy isn't here." 

Naruto nodded. He had also sent out his shadow clones to search, but they hadn't found anything. 

If the enemy was in the port, they were hiding extremely well. 

The experienced Yamato added, "I'm fairly certain that the Mist Ninjas aren't hiding in the port." 

"If there were only a few of them, we might miss them, but with a large force, it's unlikely there'd be no traces." 

"I believe the enemy is stationed outside the port and only sends a small number of shinobi into the port each time."

Yamato's observation gave Naruto an important clue. No wonder they hadn't found anything during the day. 

Naruto gathered everyone to discuss their next steps based on this idea. 

He shared Yamato's theory with the group, and everyone nodded in agreement. 

Naruto continued, "If that's the case, our previous search efforts were largely pointless. Let's now focus on planning our next course of action." 

He then pulled out a detailed map of the port that the base's ninja regularly used. Everyone gathered around to examine it. 

Naruto said, "If the enemy isn't in the port, our search area will expand significantly. Looking at the map, we can't know their hiding spot."

Suiko, a team member specialising in Water Release, said, "Water Release users tend to stay near water, as it gives them an advantage in unexpected situations." 

"The enemy is likely hiding somewhere close to water." Ashika, a close friend of Suiko, joked, 

"Isn't that obvious? We're at the seaside, so finding places near water won't narrow things down much." 

"What are we going to do? Search the entire ocean?" Though said in jest, Ashika's point was valid, and Suiko could not respond. 

Naruto intervened, "No, Suiko's observation is useful. The enemy could be hiding on one of the ships out at sea, using some method to enter the port when needed."

Looking at the map, Yamato said, "There's only one entrance to the port from the sea." 

"While we can't search the ocean directly, we could set up a blockade at the entrance." 

"By guarding it, we might intercept the enemy and trace them back to their base."

Hinata quietly added, "But even with the Byakugan, we can't search every ship that enters the port." 

"There are too many each day, and if we try to inspect all of them, we risk exposing ourselves," Naruto replied, 

"Most ships enter the port during the day, but the enemy operates at night. We only need to focus on what happens after dark." 

"Ships rarely come into the port at night, and I doubt the enemy is using them." 

"Ships aren't exactly stealthy, and Water Release users wouldn't need them to move in and out of the port, given the distance involved. They could easily use other means."

With this plan in mind, Naruto's team quickly took action, heading to the port's entrance and finding a hidden spot to set up an ambush. 

Yamato used his Wood Release to create small underground bunkers, which allowed the team members to hide while keeping their heads above ground to monitor the area—like makeshift bunkers.

Naruto asked Yamato to build several of these bunkers so the team could spread out and observe different areas. 

The others could use binoculars to watch the ships, but Hinata was the key player. This kind of mission was perfect for her Byakugan. 

However, her limited chakra was a concern—she couldn't keep her Byakugan activated indefinitely and needed to rest periodically. 

This meant the enemy might slip through when Hinata couldn't watch, but Naruto looked at her and knew they had no better options for now.

That night, they didn't find anything unusual. Naruto knew the enemy would be more cautious now that some of their members had gone missing. 

After staying up all night, he ordered the team to rest in place. When the next night came, Naruto instructed them to be extra vigilant. 

Late into the night, Hinata's Byakugan finally detected something—chakra waves moving underwater. 

It seemed the enemy was using a jutsu to enter the port from beneath the water, which explained why they hadn't been able to find them earlier.

As soon as Kengo, another team member, heard this, he drew his sword and said, "Why don't we rush them now?" 

"Just like last time, we can capture them before they know what's happening. They won't expect us to be lying in wait." 

Naruto stopped him, "Don't act too hastily. Let's wait for the right moment." He then turned to Hinata and asked, "How many of them are there, and how strong do they seem?"

Hinata observed momentarily before replying, "There are four of them underwater." 

"Judging by their chakra levels, they're all Jōnin, but none of them has chakra as strong as the Mist Ninja we fought last time." 

"They're moving slowly, probably because they're being cautious. But with our strength, we should be able to capture them without much trouble."

Naruto nodded and said, "You guys stay here and keep watching. Hinata, come with me." 

He and Hinata stealthily followed the enemy as they made their way closer to the port. 

It became clear that the Mist Ninjas were just scouting the area. 

The four of them slowly surfaced, barely showing their heads above water, clearly being extremely cautious. 

But to the Byakugan, their efforts at stealth were useless. No wonder other villages coveted the Byakugan so much; even Naruto was slightly impressed.

Naruto and Hinata carefully concealed themselves at the water's edge. 

Unless someone had a dōjutsu like the Byakugan or was an exceptionally skilled sensory ninja, there was no way they'd be detected.

Just as the four Mist Ninjas poked their heads out of the water, a flash of lightning appeared, and a powerful blow struck one of them directly in the head. 

The attack was so fast that the target had no time to react. 

The hit left the Mist Ninja dazed. His ability to control his chakra rapidly weakened, causing him to start sinking back into the water.

The other three, shocked by Naruto's sudden appearance, realized how formidable he was. Armed with kunai, they jumped onto the water's surface, ready to face him in battle.

The three remaining Mist ninjas were all at the level of a typical jōnin, and they quickly used Water Release to attack Naruto. 

However, the proximity and Naruto's immense speed disadvantaged them, especially since they lacked powerful close-combat skills. 

Another flash of lightning, and before one of the Mist ninja could even use a substitution jutsu, he was sliced in half by Naruto's Thunder God Sword, staining the sea red with his blood.

Seeing this, the other two quickly used Water Release to disappear into the water. 

While their decision was sound, the difference in power between them and Naruto was undeniable. 

Naruto focused his chakra into his hand and slammed it onto the water's surface, sending powerful electric currents radiating outward. 

Naruto's powerful Lightning Release struck the two Mist ninjas swimming below. 

Using Water Release, Naruto brought their lifeless bodies to the surface.

As the blood spread in the water, the one Mist ninja who had been knocked into the depths realized the situation was dire. 

He swiftly began moving through the water, hoping to escape unnoticed. 

Using her Byakugan, Hinata spotted the fleeing enemy and called out to Naruto, "Captain, the enemy is escaping underwater!"

Naruto smiled. "Let him go. Our goal isn't to wipe them out. And from what we've seen, capturing them won't give us any valuable information. Let's regroup with Yamato and the others."

Leading the way, Naruto ran toward Yamato's position, with Hinata following closely behind, though unsure of his reasoning. 

After reuniting with the team, Naruto asked Hinata to use her Byakugan to observe again. 

This time, she saw the fleeing enemy leaving through the port's mouth. Once informed of this, Shuangguang remarked, "Captain, you're so smart! Now we can tail him back to their hideout."

He was about to pursue it when Naruto stopped him. "Chasing them now could get us killed." 

"The Mist ninjas are very cautious in this operation. They've prepared for a situation like this."

"But if we don't follow now, it'll be even harder to find them later," Shuangguang protested.

Naruto smiled. "I have a plan. For now, we're done for the day. Let's return to the base and discuss our next move there."

While Shuangguang and the others didn't fully understand Naruto's plan, they followed his lead and returned to their base. 

Meanwhile, the fleeing Mist ninja had barely escaped the port's waters and surfaced, drenched in cold sweat and relieved that Naruto hadn't detected him. 

After resting briefly, he figured out his bearings and swiftly moved across the water's surface.

After a while, he spotted a small boat—the same one they had used earlier. 

With his chakra depleted from the long chase, finding the boat gave him a much-needed break. 

A large ship finally appeared as the small boat drifted and changed directions on the sea. 

The large vessel was anchored far off the usual routes where few other ships passed. It was big enough to hold hundreds of people.

The Mist ninja approached the large ship, using a secret passphrase to gain access. 

Once aboard, it was clear that this wasn't just a ship full of ninjas; there were also many sailors and enough supplies for long-term living. 

The ship's rooms were arranged in an orderly fashion. Still shaken from his narrow escape, the Mist ninja didn't waste time resting. 

He hurried toward the largest room on the ship, where two masked ANBU guards stood watch.

After hearing a voice from inside say, "Come in," the door slowly opened, and the Mist ninja walked in solemnly. 

A heavy voice greeted him from within: "Why are you the only one who came back? Where's your squad leader and the others?"

The Mist ninja's heart filled with dread as he cautiously looked toward the source of the voice. 

A tall, imposing man was sitting before him, casually dressed in old, tattered clothes with two obvious sword marks across the fabric. 

The clothing looked like it had never been washed, and the man's weathered face, combined with his muscular build, exuded a unique sense of pressure. 

This was the leader of the Mist's operation. Beside him stood two other men who seemed more approachable but were not as physically imposing. 

They each carried a long sword and wore cloaks. One stood to the left and the other to the leader's right, almost like shadow clones. 

The only notable difference between the two was a special mark on the back of their hands—the one on the left had the mark on his right hand, while the one on the right had it on his left.

Sensing the Mist ninja's fear, the man on the left said, "Brother, don't be so serious. Look how scared he is. It's just a game, after all. We don't want to scare him to death, do we?"

The leader ignored him and addressed the Mist ninja, "Since you made it back, report what happened." 

"Don't leave out any important details. I hope you brought back something useful this time."

The Mist ninja cautiously replied, "Sir, we followed your orders and infiltrated the port." 

"At first, everything was quiet, but as soon as we surfaced, we were attacked fiercely." 

"I was knocked underwater by a single blow, and by the time I recovered, the other three were dead." 

"The enemy was incredibly fast—I couldn't even see what they looked like. All I know is that they used Lightning Release jutsu." 

"Since they didn't notice me, I escaped underwater."

The leader slammed his hand on the table. "That's all you have to report? No important information at all?"

The Mist ninja, still kneeling, remained silent, trembling. Frustrated, the leader banged the table again. 

"Fool! Not only did you fail to gather any intelligence, but there's a high chance the enemy followed you. Our location might be compromised!" 

"If we weren't short on manpower, I'd have killed you already. Now get out of my sight!"

The Mist ninja, relieved, quickly left the room, only relaxing once outside the door.

The man standing on the leader's right then remarked, "Brother, even though the game's gotten harder, it would've been more fun to kill him."

The leader ignored him, giving orders instead. "Send word to everyone: increase the security." 

"The enemy might already be following us. Set traps around the area. No matter how many come, none of them leaves alive."

With a flash, the man on the right vanished from the room, and soon, the entire crew of Mist Ninja began moving into action. 

Although the ship appeared unchanged from the outside, it was now filled with traps. 

Yet, despite their careful preparations, their efforts were doomed to fail.

<End Chapter>

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