Chp-25: Struggle for the Prey

In the capital of the Land of Iron, aside from samurai, there were many civilians and travellers from other countries. After disguising themselves, Hyuga Satoru and Shibi Aburame blended in without attracting attention.

After some investigation, they arrived at an inn.

The young woman innkeeper quickly led them to a secret room after Shibi provided a code.

Once inside the secret room, the innkeeper's demeanour changed. She became serious as she bowed slightly to Shibi.

"ANBU codename 'Red Dove,' reporting in, sir."

"ANBU codename 'Insect'," Shibi responded flatly.

The innkeeper turned her gaze to Satoru, looking puzzled.

Satoru felt awkward when he realized he had no ANBU codename. He wasn't part of the ANBU, after all.

"He's not an ANBU member," Shibi clarified.

Not an ANBU member?

The innkeeper was shocked. The Hokage had sent a non-ANBU member on such an important mission, and someone so young?

Satoru glanced at Shibi, realizing that his teacher held a high position within the ANBU. As a Jonin leading a team, he must have a special status in the ANBU.

"Give me the latest information," Shibi ordered succinctly.

The innkeeper took a deep breath, her eyes flickering. "A few days ago, while investigating the black market for that transaction, we discovered that the buyers are from Iwagakure, and the deal is for stockpiling supplies. The transaction is scheduled for two days from now."

Iwagakure? Stockpiling supplies?

What supplies could be worth over a hundred million Ryo?

Satoru felt a heavy weight in his heart. He remembered his last mission, where Iwa-nin were searching for supplies in the Land of Grass. Now they had extended their reach to the Land of Iron? Such a massive stockpile could only mean they were preparing for war.

Shibi's brow furrowed, realizing the same. "It seems the Hokage's concerns were valid. Iwagakure's large-scale actions are indeed preparations for war."

Satoru pondered for a moment. "Since we know the transaction time, can we disrupt it before it happens?"

"No!"

The innkeeper, Red Dove, shook her head immediately.

"The black market's forces protect transactions in the black market. If someone tries to disrupt a deal before it's completed, they will be attacked by all the black market ninjas."

Is that so... Satoru clicked his tongue. He wasn't just speaking off the cuff. With his Byakugan and electromagnetic sniper jutsu, he was quite good at causing trouble.

The room's atmosphere grew tense.

"Give us the black market's location and related information. We need to investigate on-site," Shibi instructed.

"Yes, sir."

---

On the street.

Satoru and Shibi walked side by side.

"Shibi-sensei, who do you think is selling such a large batch of supplies through the black market?" Satoru asked after some thought.

"In the ninja world, some large merchant groups use the black market for money laundering. Additionally, many nations' daimyos have their channels in the black market. However, transactions of this magnitude are rare," Shibi explained.

Satoru nodded, feeling that something was amiss. The Land of Iron wasn't a ninja country. Why would someone sell such a large amount of supplies in the black market?

They chatted quietly along the way and soon arrived at the black market location.

Finding a good spot in a nearby tavern, they began their surveillance.

Their current cover was that of travellers from another country. It wouldn't be wise to enter the black market directly. Observing from the outside was the best option.

"Satoru, can your Byakugan see inside?" Shibi asked.

Satoru estimated briefly, "At this range, it should be no problem."

He removed his coloured contacts and quietly activated his Byakugan.

Through the Byakugan, what seemed like an ordinary tavern on the outside revealed a vast space inside, bustling with people.

Judging by the chakra feedback, there were many samurai among them.

"No wonder the Land of Iron can sustain such a large black market. Many samurai are mixed in," Satoru thought.

The Byakugan's ability was maximized in the unique environment of the Land of Iron. With so many samurai around, ninjas' chakra stood out like spotlights.

After filtering out some scattered ninjas, Satoru found a group of powerful ninjas in a lodge about 500 meters from the black market.

"Shibi-sensei, in a lodge 500 meters in the 3 o'clock direction, there are seven ninjas gathered. Judging by their chakra levels, five are Chunin, and two are Jonin. One of the Jonins has a particularly large amount of chakra, and it is likely an elite Jonin."

Shibi nodded, "That must be the Iwa-nin group mentioned in the intelligence. We'll observe for now."

Satoru sighed in relief. The Iwa-nin's strength wasn't particularly high, so the mission's danger level seemed manageable.

Just as he was about to deactivate his Byakugan, he made an unexpected discovery.

"Wait! Shibi-sensei, something's wrong!"

"What is it?" Shibi asked urgently.

"About 600 meters from the lodge, there's a hidden Jonin!"

"Also, an Iwa-nin?"

Satoru shook his head seriously. "No, he's definitely not with the Iwa-nin. Judging by his actions, he seems to be monitoring them."

Monitoring?

Shibi took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing. This was not good news. It meant there was a third ninja faction in the capital besides them!

The mission's direction suddenly became much more complicated.

Satoru felt a similar heaviness, the initial joy of discovering the Iwa-nin group vanishing. If he hadn't been cautious and scanned more thoroughly, he might not have found the hidden Jonin. The other party's concealment skills were impressive.

"Can you determine which faction he belongs to?" Shibi asked tentatively.

"No," Satoru shook his head. "His counter-surveillance skills are strong. The Byakugan can only see his chakra flow, not his identity."

"I see," Shibi nodded. "We'll stay here and observe for now. Be ready for anything."

"Understood!"

Satoru took a deep breath, recalling an old saying: "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."

It seemed they were now competing with that mysterious Jonin's faction for the role of the oriole.

As evening approached, the mysterious Jonin moved.

"Shibi-sensei, he's heading out of the city."

"We'll follow!"

---

They trailed the mysterious Jonin carefully, maintaining a significant distance due to his strong counter-surveillance skills.

Satoru's eyes narrowed as they ventured deep into the forest outside the city.

Through his Byakugan, he saw the Jonin's destination.

"The Jonin is heading to a base. I see many strong chakra signals there."

Shibi's eyes narrowed. "Indeed, this mission isn't as simple as it seems."

As they moved towards the base, Shibi suddenly raised his hand to stop Satoru. "Wait, Satoru, there's something up ahead."

Satoru looked ahead and saw a few black insects flying from the forest, landing on Shibi's shoulder. While tracking, Shibi had released his insects to scout as well. His reputation as an all-rounder ninja was well-earned.

After absorbing the information from the insects, Shibi's expression turned grim.

"The insects found a sensory barrier ahead. If we enter, we'll be detected."

Satoru quickly scanned with his Byakugan and confirmed it. Near the base, several ninjas were seated, seemingly maintaining the barrier.

Should they retreat?

Satoru felt a sinking sensation.