mysterious woman

Upon reaching the gate, Yami perched atop a nearby building, listening to Shinsuke's team that was already assembled and waiting.

Asuma bit down on the stick in his mouth, arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently on the ground. "That guy... He's late, right? Could it be that he didn't get your message?"

Shinsuke, who had his arms crossed and eyes closed, opened one eye and glanced at Asuma. "Unless he used his skills to sneak out of the Hokage Tower, the guard would have definitely given him the note. If he chose to ignore it, that's a different matter."

"Huh, why would he ignore your note? We'll be teammates, after all, and need to get to know each other before the mission," Asuma said.

"Asuma, don't tell me you don't know who our new teammate is?" Kurenai chimed in.

"Should I? Is he famous or something?" Asuma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you should. How could you be so clueless?" Kurenai replied. "There were some bad rumors about this Yami guy a while back."

"What kind of rumors?" Asuma asked curiously.

"Well, for starters, when he was a Genin and went on missions, none of his teammates ever came back. He was always the only one to return. Rumors spread that he either killed his companions or abandoned them," Kurenai explained.

"What?" Asuma opened his eyes in surprise before snorting. "That's bullcrap. If that were true, he'd have been apprehended by now."

Asuma couldn't believe that Yami wouldn't be investigated if such rumors were circulating about him. The fact that Yami was still around, talking to his father like everything was normal, and even getting assigned special missions, was proof enough that these rumors were just baseless nonsense—probably spread by the families of those who had died on missions.

Kurenai raised an eyebrow at Asuma's rebuttal and asked, "Did you forget about Shinobi Code 4?"

Asuma found himself unable to respond immediately. How could he forget the code? A shinobi must put the mission above their own life.

But there were always a few who ignored this rule, valuing their lives or their comrades more than the mission. Asuma understood what Kurenai was implying. If the rumors were true, Yami was likely the type who put the mission above the lives of his teammates, which unsettled him.

"So what…?" Asuma trailed off, trying to brush off the thought.

Listening to their conversation, Yami didn't care much about their opinions. However, since these were going to be his "teammates" for the next few days, he needed to make a better impression to ensure they wouldn't slack off or become a burden during the mission.

Dropping from the building, Yami silently approached the trio, canceling his stealth mode just before reaching them.

"It's rude to talk about someone behind their back, you know," he remarked.

The trio immediately tensed at the sudden appearance of Yami. Asuma's hand instinctively moved toward the hilt of his kunai pouch, while Kurenai narrowed her eyes, her gaze sharp. Shinsuke, however, simply opened his eyes and smiled slightly, as if he had been expecting Yami all along.

"Looks like you're finally here," Shinsuke said, uncrossing his arms. "We were starting to wonder if you were going to show up."

Yami smirked. "I'm not the type to skip out on a mission. Just wanted to make sure I got a good look at my new teammates first and see what they think about me."

Asuma relaxed his grip on his weapon but still looked annoyed. "Sneaking up on us like that… not cool, man."

Yami shrugged nonchalantly. "You wanted to know my skills and specialty better right, this is why you called a meeting before the agreed time, so Consider it a demonstration of my skills. Better you know what I can do now than find out in the middle of the mission."

Kurenai's expression still looked wary. "You certainly live up to the rumors."

"Which ones?" Yami asked. He was curious to see how they would respond.

Kurenai hesitated before speaking. "The rumors about you always being the only one to survive after missions. Whether that's because you're skilled or… something else, I guess we'll find out."

She didn't mean to be harsh, but she couldn't help herself. Her attitude stemmed from seeing her friend Rin's current state. Rin had never fully recovered from Obito's death and hadn't gone on another mission since. Although Kurenai didn't know the full details since it was classified, she knew Yami had been part of Rin's squad. The bad rumors she'd heard about him only fueled her suspicion that he had something to do with Obito's death. Deep down, she knew she was being unfair, but seeing Rin suffer clouded her judgment.

Yami's smirk faded slightly at her words. 'Alright, forget trying to leave a good impression. If this is how they want to play it, then fine.'

Before things could escalate, Shinsuke intervened. "That's enough," he said, cutting through the tension. "We're a team now. Whatever rumors or opinions you have don't matter. What matters is that we work together and complete this mission."

Kurenai glanced away, guilt flickering in her eyes. She knew Shinsuke was right, but the weight of her emotions still clung to her. She sighed quietly, nodding in acknowledgment. "Understood."

Yami remained silent, his expression neutral, though inwardly, he was already recalculating his approach. If they were going to hold preconceived notions against him, then he would let his actions do the talking. He didn't need their approval or cooperation anyway as his mission was different from theirs.

Shinsuke looked at both of them, ensuring the message had gotten through, then took a knee and spread an open scroll on the ground. " Alright, gather up. I'll explain the mission details, before the envoy gets here."

Yami quietly approached the group, his eyes scanning the scroll Shinsuke had laid out. It was a detailed map of the Land of Fire and surrounding territories, with a few locations marked in red.

Shinsuke cleared his throat and began explaining. "The primary mission is straightforward: escort the Tsuchigumo Clan's envoy back to their village and ensure their safety. They've been neutral for years, but now they're choosing to align with us. Given our current situation, their support would be beneficial to Konoha."

He paused, making sure everyone was paying attention. "However, there are concerns that other villages, whether large or small, might try to intercept them. They could even hire mercenaries to do the job. Our task is to ensure that doesn't happen. No matter what, we must deliver the envoy safely. Failing to do so could weaken our position in negotiations and might even make it fall apart."

Yami nodded along, though his mind was more focused on the second part of his mission—investigating the Tsuchigumo village. Shinsuke hadn't mentioned it, which suggested that either the Hokage had kept it off the record or Shinsuke was pretending to be unaware.

Yami knew he couldn't carry out his investigation effectively if Shinsuke was kept in the dark, as he was technically the mission's captain. Yami would need to move freely to gather information, but Shinsuke might question his actions if he didn't know the full story.

'Should I just tell him?' Yami thought, but then questioned whether Shinsuke would believe him. He decided to wait and assess the situation before making a move.

Shinsuke continued, pointing to different locations on the map. "The trip will take a few days, and we'll be passing through areas that might harbor enemies. Stay alert. Any questions?"

Asuma shook his head, and Kurenai remained silent. Yami, keeping his thoughts to himself, waited for the next instructions.

"Good," Shinsuke said, rolling up the scroll. He paused, glancing to the side. "Speaking of which, it looks like the envoy is here. Be ready to move out."

Yami glanced in the direction Shinsuke was looking.

Three figures were approaching—two men flanking a young woman in the middle. They all wore traditional kimonos instead of typical ninja attire, setting them apart immediately. The men carried themselves with a formal demeanor, but it was the woman who caught Yami's attention.

She had long, flowing black hair that framed her delicate face. Her skin was pale, almost porcelain-like, with sharp yet graceful features. Her eyes were a striking shade of violet. Despite her youthful appearance, her demeanor was as though she carried a wisdom far beyond her age.

Out of habit, Yami activated his soul perception to assess the newcomers.

"W-What?" His eyes widened in shock. The sheer amount of energy radiating from the woman was immense—overwhelming even. It pulsed like a massive aura surrounding her, unlike anything he had ever seen, except perhaps Kushina Uzumaki, who had similarly powerful energy due to her role as the Nine-Tails' jinchuriki.

But this... this was different. It wasn't just soul power or spiritual energy; there was something else mixed in, something otherworldly that made Yami instinctively wary. He quickly masked his reaction, not wanting to draw any attention to himself, but the discovery left him uneasy.

'Who is she… and what kind of power does she possess?' Yami thought to himself, his mind racing to remember if there was ever a character like her in the series, but he found none.

He couldn't help but smile. 'it looks like this mission will be more interesting and rewarding than I thought.'

***

Thank you very much for your support!!!