Upon entering the Land of Rivers, Hoshita Shūichi and his team located a cave on a mountainside based on Konoha's intelligence—a site once inhabited.
"These traces are at least a month old," Uchiha Shisui observed.
Shūichi surveyed the cave, then volunteered, "Minato-sensei, I'll scout the perimeter."
Namikaze Minato nodded. "Sanyō, go with him."
Kurama Sanyō agreed promptly, and the two ventured outside.
Soon, Shūichi reached the mountaintop and gazed southward. He raised an eyebrow, retrieving a monocular telescope from his pack to inspect the village below.
"A sizable village... but the fields look neglected?"
His frown deepened. Only women and the elderly toiled in the fields—no able-bodied men in sight. In the village itself, children played, and a few young men loitered.
Laziness? Or something darker?
After reconvening with Minato and Shisui, Shūichi reported his findings.
Minato studied him. "You suspect the village is involved?"
Shūichi nodded. "The cave's proximity isn't coincidental. This was likely a rogue ninja hideout, now abandoned. Yet the village below would've been an ideal support base."
Sanyō added, "Traces suggest long-term occupation here."
The implications were clear: if bandits or rogue ninjas had used the cave, the village might have supplied them—voluntarily or otherwise.
"A village is an excellent intelligence source," Minato concluded. "We'll start our investigation there."
Sanyō proposed, "The simplest method is to abduct someone for interrogation via genjutsu."
Both he and Shisui possessed that capability.
Brutal but efficient.
Shūichi countered, "A subtler approach might be wiser."
Minato and Shisui understood his concern—the potential involvement of Sunagakure, as previously theorized.
Shisui agreed. "If we're gathering intel covertly, nightfall is optimal."
Daytime infiltration risked exposure, even with Transformation Jutsu. Villagers would notice strangers instantly. Under cover of darkness, genjutsu could masquerade as dreams.
Minato decided, "We'll infiltrate tonight."
Shūichi then suggested, "Minato-sensei, perhaps we could first familiarize ourselves with the village."
As the team turned to him, Shūichi grinned—and transformed into a black cat.
Minato recognized it instantly: the stray from their first mission days prior.
Shisui's eyes lit up. "Brilliant. A stray cat wouldn't raise suspicion here."
Minato smiled approvingly.
Yet internally, Shūichi marveled at the system notification:
[Master of Transformation]
Unlock Condition: Master 100 distinct transformations meeting criteria.
Effect: Shapeshift flawlessly—fly as a bird, swim as a fish.
The benefits were staggering, but the requirements even more so.
Humans counted as one form; cats another. While his human transformation was perfected, his feline mannerisms remained unconvincing. Merely reaching 100 forms seemed impossible.
Dispelling the jutsu, Shūichi turned to Shisui. "You'd make a more convincing cat."
Minato agreed. "Shisui, you're on reconnaissance."
"Understood!"
"Sanyō," Minato added, "provide backup."
The two departed swiftly.
Rather than heading straight for the village, Shisui—now a tanuki—mingled with a wild group of the creatures, masking his scent.
Transformation Jutsu's flaws: chakra signatures, unnatural smells. Shūichi noted the clever workaround, filing it away for future use.
If I'm to unlock [Master of Transformation], animals will be key.
Back in the cave, Shūichi practiced senbon techniques until noon, when Shisui and Sanyō returned.
"Minato-sensei, Shūichi's theory was correct," Shisui announced, visibly shaken.
The intel was damning:
Two rogue ninjas led the bandits. Village men served as their foot soldiers.
Tonight, the rogue ninjas would rendezvous with their informants. Tomorrow, another raid.
Silence gripped the cave.
The village was a bandit den, responsible for atrocities in the Land of Fire.
Retribution was inevitable.
But the moral dilemma loomed:
Slaughter only the combatants? Or eradicate the entire nest?
"This world is fucked up..." Shūichi thought bitterly.
In his past life, such scenarios were abstract horrors. Now, faced with the choice, could he wield the blade without hesitation?
Minato's voice cut through the tension. "The village can wait. For now, we split into two teams—surveillance on the rogue ninjas."
"Yes, Minato-sensei!"
Shūichi paired with Minato; Shisui with Sanyō.
The stakeout began.
Night fell.
The rogue ninjas emerged, heading west.
The teams followed, shadows in the moonlight.
(+20 Chapter ahead)
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