Chapter 39: Intelligence and Difficulty

Having confirmed the details of the mission, Mochizuki Hui and Lightning gathered the necessary supplies for the task ahead and set out immediately.

This mission was clearly centred around Hui—his stealth and assassination skills were crucial for success.

Lightning's role, on the other hand, was to provide support, ensuring Hui's safe extraction, whether the assassination succeeded or failed.

It took them three days of hard travel to reach their destination, a nation far from the Land of Fire and its hidden village, Konoha.

The town they arrived at was vastly different from the ninja villages they were used to. There were hardly any shinobi here, only regular soldiers.

However, the town itself was bustling, filled with life. The streets were crowded with merchants, vendors, and townspeople, the atmosphere more vibrant than even Konoha's busiest districts.

Mochizuki Hui, now disguised as a dirty-faced street urchin, blended seamlessly into the crowd. His clothes were filthy and his face smudged with grime—anyone who saw him would think he was just another war orphan, completely harmless.

No one would ever associate this small, ragged boy with the elite ANBU of Konoha, feared throughout the ninja world.

And more importantly, his young appearance and the lack of chakra fluctuations from his body made him invisible even to sensory-type ninjas.

Even if the two skilled sensory ninjas were standing right next to him, they wouldn't suspect a thing.

Upon arriving in the town, Hui didn't rush into action. As always, he believed in careful planning before execution.

For the first day, he wandered the streets like any other beggar, observing the town's layout, getting a feel for the place. He noted the position of key locations, potential escape routes, and began formulating a plan.

He then took a casual walk around the minister's estate, memorizing the patrol patterns of the guards, and looking for possible points of entry and exits.

With the general layout in mind, Hui shifted focus to his target—the minister who was pushing for a military campaign against the Land of Fire.

The man was cautious.

After two days of careful observation, Hui noticed that the minister rarely left the daimyo's side during the day. Only at night did he return to his estate, and even then, his movements were highly regimented.

He would spend his evenings reading, occasionally losing his temper and breaking objects before retiring to bed in frustration.

From this behavior, Hui concluded that the minister had a volatile temper and was likely being pressured by external forces to remain cautious.

This suggested that the daimyo had anticipated a potential assassination attempt, possibly expecting shinobi from Konoha to come after the minister.

It was also clear that the decision to wage war on the Land of Fire likely came from the daimyo himself, not just the minister.

Still, the minister was heavily guarded.

At all times, he was flanked by a dozen or more bodyguards, both visible and hidden.

Hui sensed the presence of seven shinobi in the shadows, including a skilled sensory ninja, who was constantly on alert.

These seven shinobi worked in shifts. Four of them—three chunin and one jonin—formed one group. The sensory ninja, a special jonin, was paired with two other chunin, forming the second group.

Altogether, the minister was protected by two jonin and five chunin at all times.

But that wasn't all. Hui also realized that this wasn't just the minister's personal guard.

There were two distinct factions protecting both the daimyo and the minister. The sensory ninja and three of the chunin belonged to this country's forces.

However, the other jonin and three additional chunin appeared to be outsiders.

Given the intelligence gathered by Tobirama, Hui realized that these extra shinobi were likely sent by another great nation to protect the minister and the daimyo.

The geographical location of this country, positioned between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind, made it highly likely that these shinobi were from Sunagakure, the Hidden Sand Village.

If this country declared war on the Land of Fire, it would ease the pressure on Sunagakure, which was struggling in its battles against Konoha.

A shift in this small nation's allegiance could turn the tide of the war back in Sunagakure's favour.

The two sensory ninjas were well aware of the Sand shinobi's presence but had chosen to ignore them, likely understanding their shared goals.

After carefully analyzing the situation, Hui's heart grew heavy.

Assassinating the minister itself wasn't impossible. He was confident in his ability to infiltrate the minister's estate without being detected.

But the real challenge lay in completing the assassination without being discovered, and more importantly, escaping unnoticed.

If he were discovered during or after the assassination, the Sand shinobi would descend on him with full force. Hui didn't stand a chance against them in a direct confrontation, especially given their numbers.

Risking his life in a one-for-one exchange?

That wasn't an option.

He needed a flawless plan, one that would allow him to eliminate the target and disappear without a trace.

Hui took a deep breath. It was time to formulate the perfect strategy.

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