Kapitel 140: Ch.140 Leave No One Alive!
After listening to Kakashi's report, the Third Hokage furrowed his brows deeply.
Recently, due to Danzo keeping a low profile and the village's security forces being stretched thin with the arrival of various delegations from other nations, the Anbu team specifically assigned to monitor Sasuke had been temporarily reassigned.
He hadn't expected a situation to arise so quickly.
The Third Hokage asked, "Have you investigated who is behind this?"
Kakashi shook his head. "We have very little information at the moment. According to eyewitness accounts, the person with Sasuke last night was a wandering doctor named 'Shinnō.'"
"A wandering doctor?"
Kakashi added, "I've already sent someone to investigate this wandering doctor."
Knock, knock.
There was a knock on the door.
Asuma then entered, holding a document. "This is information about that wandering doctor. According to the analysis from the intelligence team, his identity is not simple. He likely has connections with a hidden village and has been involved in espionage activities."
The Third Hokage took the document from Asuma, glanced at it, and sighed, "These are troubled times indeed."
Kakashi said, "Since they went to great lengths to lure Sasuke out of the Hidden Leaf, they probably won't harm him right away. If we pursue them now, we might still catch up."
The Third Hokage handed the document back to Kakashi. "You're in charge of this mission. Choose whoever you need. No matter what, bring Sasuke back to the village!"
"Yes!"
Kakashi saluted and hurried out of the Hokage's office.
...
At the Mist Village Delegation Headquarters.
"What!? Uchiha Sasuke was lured out of the Hidden Leaf?" The Fourth Mizukage stood up abruptly, his face full of surprise and suspicion. "Is the information reliable?"
A Mist shinobi quickly replied, "It should be reliable! The one responsible is a wandering doctor named 'Shinnō,' who is said to be a very skilled spy with a small reputation on the black market."
The Fourth Mizukage narrowed his eyes. "Why now, of all times?"
Currently, the Five Kage were discussing plans to deal with the Akatsuki organization.
As a member of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Sasuke had many connections to the Akatsuki. For someone to lure Sasuke out of the Hidden Leaf at this critical moment was certainly suspicious to the Fourth Mizukage.
Another Mist shinobi suggested, "Mizukage-sama, this could be a golden opportunity for us! If we secretly kill that wandering doctor and then capture Uchiha Sasuke, we could quietly keep him under our control."
The Fourth Mizukage's eyes lit up. "Indeed, regardless of what tricks the Hidden Leaf is playing, as long as we have Uchiha Sasuke in our hands, we'll eventually uncover the secrets of the Uchiha clan!"
He then lowered his voice. "Send Zabuza for the job. Make sure it's done cleanly and thoroughly!"
"Understood!"
...
At the Cloud Village Delegation Headquarters.
When the Fourth Raikage received the news, he burst out laughing. "Looks like the Hidden Leaf is about to make a fool of themselves again!"
An attendant stepped forward and asked, "Raikage-sama, the team is ready."
The Fourth Raikage instructed, "Good, tell them to move quickly! This is the last remaining Sharingan in the Hidden Leaf; make sure they don't damage it!"
There was no doubt.
To the Cloud Village, Sasuke being lured out of the Hidden Leaf was an opportunity delivered right to their doorstep.
The Cloud Village had always been very interested in the Hidden Leaf's dojutsu and bloodline limits. Years ago, their attempt to kidnap the young Hinata had sparked a series of conflicts that eventually led to Neji losing his father at a young age.
With such an opportunity now before him, the Fourth Raikage couldn't possibly ignore it.
...
At the Stone Village Delegation Headquarters.
The Third Tsuchikage ordered, "Deploy the Decapitation Squad!"
A Stone shinobi seemed puzzled. "Tsuchikage-sama, that Shinnō is probably just a spy, and Uchiha Sasuke is just a seven or eight-year-old kid. Do we really need to send the Decapitation Squad?"
The Third Tsuchikage clasped his hands behind his back. "We still don't know who's really pulling the strings behind this. It's better to be cautious! Remember, once you've secured the target, have the Decapitation Squad withdraw immediately without leaving any evidence for the Hidden Leaf."
"Understood!"
...
At the Sand Village Delegation Headquarters.
Chiyo lamented, "The Hidden Leaf has truly weakened!"
"Isn't that a good thing? We can finally breathe easier!" The Fourth Kazekage paused, looking out the window at the streets of the Hidden Leaf. "The Land of Fire's territory is too fertile. If we want to develop, we have to take a bite out of it!"
The Fourth Kazekage had risen to power due to the sudden disappearance of the Third Kazekage.
To suppress the dissent within the village, the Fourth Kazekage had always wanted to achieve something significant.
This was also the motivation behind his decision to ally with Orochimaru in the original timeline and launch the 'Konoha Crush' plan.
And now, the Hidden Leaf had shown a weakness.
As an ambitious leader, he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip away.
So, just moments after Shinji and his team rushed out of the village...
Various pieces of information were being exchanged among the delegations, and orders of all kinds were being sent out of the Hidden Leaf through different channels.
...
In the Forest.
Shinji's team was racing through the trees.
At the front of the team were Shino and Kiba.
Shino's Parasitic Insects spread out, searching for any trace of Sasuke, while Kiba's Akamaru followed Sasuke's scent.
In the middle of the team were Shinji, Neji, and Kimimaro.
Neji had activated his Byakugan, scanning for any clues along the way.
At the rear of the team were Haku and Karin.
They trailed behind, whispering to each other.
Karin kept her eyes on the surroundings while asking Haku, "What should we do if we encounter enemies?"
"Enemies…"
Haku frowned.
Their situation was indeed complicated.
To be honest, they genuinely wanted to bring Sasuke back safely. But both of them were spies, with Haku working for the Mist and Karin for the Grass Village, and both had secretly joined the Akatsuki.
If they ran into people from the Mist, the Grass, or the Akatsuki, they wouldn't know what to do.
After a moment of hesitation, Haku asked Karin, "Do you want to save Sasuke?"
Karin nodded. "Of course, we're classmates!"
Haku immediately said, "Then don't think too much about it. We'll just follow Shinji's lead and bring Sasuke back!"
Karin instinctively touched her eyes. "But what if we have to fight? If we engage, we might blow our cover!"
Haku thought for a moment. "When we get the chance, we'll use the Shadow Clone Jutsu to replace ourselves in the team."
Karin glanced at Haku. "You want to act as members of the Akatsuki?"
Haku nodded slightly. "Yes, only as members of the Akatsuki can we fight at full strength. I have a feeling this situation isn't simple. If we don't go all out, we might not just fail to bring Sasuke back—we might not even be able to protect ourselves."
Karin agreed. "You're right. If anything goes wrong, we need to at least make sure Shinji stays safe."
Even among classmates, there were varying degrees of closeness.
While they were worried about Sasuke, he had already been lured out of the village, and his chances didn't look good. Therefore, in their minds, ensuring Shinji's safety was the priority.
As if struck by another thought, Karin hesitated. "But…"
Haku took a deep breath. "If the leader blames us, just say it was my idea!"
Karin quickly said, "That's not fair! If the leader blames us, we'll take the responsibility together!"
Haku smiled. "Alright!"
Karin looked ahead at Shinji. "We have to be careful this time. We must not expose ourselves in front of Shinji; otherwise, we'd be putting him in danger."
Haku said solemnly, "Yes, we must not let anything happen to Shinji!"
Both Haku and Karin were well aware of Shinji's precarious position as the last remaining Uchiha in the Hidden Leaf. If their identities as spies were exposed, Shinji, being close to them, would undoubtedly be implicated.
A long while later.
The team stopped in front of an extinguished campfire.
Neji knelt by the campfire, examining it. "There's still a bit of warmth left in the ashes. This fire was probably lit last night and only went out this morning."
Shinji glanced at Kiba.
At Kiba's feet, Akamaru barked twice.
Kiba nodded at Akamaru and then turned to Shinji. "I can smell Sasuke here. This must be where they camped."
Kimimaro said, "It looks like we're on the right track."
Neji scanned the chaotic footprints around them. "These footprints were likely made by Sasuke while he was gathering firewood last night."
The disordered footprints left by Sasuke while gathering firewood made it difficult for the team to determine which direction he had taken this morning.
Shinji quickly said, "Everyone, spread out and search for clues!"
The team members spread out in search of Sasuke's tracks.
Meanwhile, Haku and Karin used the Shadow Clone Jutsu to replace themselves, with their real bodies hanging back at a distance.
Shinji, of course, noticed all of this.
In fact, to cover for Haku and Karin's actions, he deliberately distracted Neji, ensuring that the Byakugan user didn't catch onto their switch.
Soon, the team regrouped.
Shino had traced one set of footprints, while Kiba had traced another.
Neji asked, "Why are there two different sets of footprints leading in different directions?"
Shinji smirked. "Hmph, it seems the person who lured Sasuke is trying to mislead us. That guy must be enjoying this game!"
From the current situation, it appeared that the other party hadn't yet harmed Sasuke. This meant they were still playing a role, deceiving Sasuke.
Kimimaro walked over to the set of footprints Kiba had traced. "These footprints lead toward the Land of Rice Fields."
Neji examined the set Shino had traced. "These lead toward the Land of Hot Water."
The group then turned to Shinji, awaiting his decision.
Shinji looked at Shino. "Any results?"
Shino calmly replied, "Please wait a moment."
A few moments later.
A Parasitic Insect flew back to Shino, landing on his hand.
Shino immediately said to the group, "The footprints leading toward the Land of Rice Fields disappear after about ten miles in a forest."
"The Land of Hot Water is the correct direction!"
Everyone quickly understood.
Shinji felt relieved. It was a good thing he had brought both Shino and Kiba. Otherwise, who knows how much time they might have wasted trying to figure out the deception.
"Move out!"
Having confirmed the correct direction, Shinji didn't hesitate and led the team onward.
Time passed slowly.
The setting sun cast long shadows behind the team as they moved.
Suddenly, Neji, who had his Byakugan activated, pointed ahead and shouted, "Sasuke is just up ahead!"
The team perked up, quickening their pace!
In no time.
The team finally caught up with Sasuke and the disguised wandering doctor, Shinnō, in a small forest clearing.
Seeing Shinji's team arrive, Sasuke looked surprised. "Shinji, what are you guys doing here?"
Shinji glanced at Shinnō, who was standing beside Sasuke, then said to Sasuke, "Sasuke, come back with us!"
Neji urged, "Yes, hurry and come back with us!"
Sasuke shook his head. "You don't understand! This is my best chance for revenge. If I miss this, who knows when the next opportunity will come!"
As Sasuke spoke with the group, Shinnō's expression darkened.
He had put in a lot of effort to maintain his disguise.
In his estimation, even the fastest Hidden Leaf pursuers would need at least two days to catch up, but he hadn't expected them to find him in just one day—and it was a group of kids at that!
Seeing that Sasuke was being stubborn, Neji raised his voice. "Don't be foolish! Your brother has the Mangekyō Sharingan. You know what those eyes mean! Going after him now is nothing short of suicide!"
Sasuke pointed at Shinnō beside him. "He's injured. This doctor saw it with his own eyes!"
Kimimaro coldly retorted, "Idiot, you actually believe that?"
Sasuke resolutely said, "No matter what, I have to try. You guys go back! Don't worry about me!"
**Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!**
At that moment, in a flurry of wind, a group of masked Mist shinobi appeared, surrounding them.
The leader glanced at Sasuke, then casually looked at Haku within the team, before speaking in a raspy voice, "Leave no one alive except Uchiha Sasuke!"
Shinnō immediately grabbed Sasuke and fled into the nearby woods.
Shinji let out a slight snort and then leaped after them.
The other team members followed closely behind Shinji, rushing into the small forest.
As the Mist shinobi prepared to follow them into the forest and kill everyone, a figure in an Akatsuki cloak with a hood and mask descended from above, blocking their path.
"Akatsuki!?" The leader of the Mist shinobi first frowned but then sneered. "Do you think you alone can stop all of us? Hmph, let's see just how strong you Akatsuki members really are!"
...
In the Forest.
Shinnō and Sasuke were intercepted once again.
But this time, it wasn't the Mist shinobi who blocked their path—it was a group of well-equipped Stone shinobi!
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein