Chapter 158: Through the Waves [ Part 1]
- - - Two weeks earlier - - - Land of Waves
DAY 1.
The waves crashed against the pier, accompanied by the constant creaking of anchored boats. In a small independent nation without a true military force, people lived off trade and maritime activities. But that night, in the shadows, something far more dangerous was taking shape.
Three figures moved silently across the wooden rooftops near the port, making not the slightest sound. The white masks of Kirigakure's ANBU barely reflected the lantern light from below.
Kagerō was the first to stop, crouching into an observation position. Borei mimicked him, silent as a ghost.
Hokujin moved just behind them, his body sliding with an unnatural fluidity.
Before them, the port was still alive despite the late hour. Merchants, smugglers, fishermen, and more questionable figures moved between crates and lanterns, speaking in hushed voices.
At the center of it all, seated at a table inside a teahouse, was their target.
Isuke Watanabe.
A well-dressed, middle-aged merchant with a refined appearance and the posture of someone who had spent a lifetime dealing with dangerous men. He was no warrior, but he knew how to navigate a world of blood and money.
Next to him sat a man in his thirties, his slightly graying hair pulled back, sharp eyes observing the conversation intently. He wasn't just a passive spectator.
Gato.
Borei studied him with greater interest. He wasn't merely an assistant. He already knew how to maneuver, how to assess a deal. He wasn't yet a criminal, but he could recognize opportunities.
But he wasn't the real problem.
Kagerō lightly brushed Borei's arm with the tip of his fingers. A signal.
Borei shifted his gaze.
Sitting relaxed next to Watanabe was a man wrapped in a dark traveling cloak, its wide sleeves and lowered hood concealing much of him. Unlike the others present, he did not have the air of a merchant.
His face was sharp, with angular features and amber-colored eyes that scrutinized every detail of the room with unnatural calm. His dark gray hair, tied back with a simple band, swayed slightly in the night breeze filtering through the window.
His arms were wrapped in worn leather gloves, clear signs of burns on his fingers and forearms.
Not a simple businessman.
Kagerō made a subtle gesture.
Borei understood immediately.
Not a civilian.
Hokujin shifted to the side with silent movements, taking position on a nearby rooftop.
Borei didn't turn but took note.
Kagerō observed the man carefully.
Maybe a mercenary… or something more.
It was difficult to say for certain, but the way he sat—relaxed yet perfectly balanced, his eyes scanning the room without lingering too long on any single point…
Too controlled.
Borei tilted his head slightly.
A ninja?
Kagerō remained still, but the tension in his body shifted slightly. He had noticed it too.
Borei examined the man's cloak more closely, noticing the slight ripples in the fabric. He was hiding something underneath.
Armor? Weapons?
Then he noticed another detail.
The burns on his hands.
They weren't accidental injuries. They were marks of electrical discharges.
At that moment, the connection became clear.
Borei exchanged a quick glance with Kagerō.
Both had reached the same conclusion.
Kumogakure.
No definitive proof, but too many details aligned. His demeanor, the scars on his hands, his fighter's posture.
If merchant Watanabe was doing business with a ninja from Kumo, their mission had just become more complicated.
Kagerō gave another signal.
Borei understood the message.
If there was one Kumo ninja, there could be more.
He didn't like that idea.
Kumogakure's men weren't just any shinobi.
And if they weren't there just for a deal?
Maybe they wanted something more.
- - -
Kagerō stood still to Borei's right, his eyes keenly focused. Hokujin moved lightly over the wooden beams.
None of them spoke.
There was no need.
Isuke Watanabe's teahouse was still illuminated by lanterns, the nerve center of deals and information.
But the merchant wasn't the problem.
The man with him was.
Noriaki Kuroba.
For now, he appeared to be just a well-dressed traveler, but the details told a different story.
Borei watched him closely. Something was off about the way he moved.
Most merchants had unconscious nervous gestures: they checked if they were being followed, glanced around suspiciously, always ready to cut a deal short and flee at the first sign of danger.
Not him.
Every movement was precise and calculated.
He smiled at Watanabe when necessary, sipped his sake with the calm of a man without fear, but his eyes never stayed still. They scanned. Studied.
He wasn't just a businessman.
Borei felt his skin prickle slightly.
Not just instinct. It was his danger sense.
Noriaki was waiting for something.
- Inside the Teahouse -
The wood of the table was well-polished, the aroma of sake mingling with the scent of burning tobacco from a lit pipe in the corner of the room.
Isuke Watanabe poured a glass of liquor for Noriaki.
Noriakii took the glass calmly, brought it to his lips, and took a small sip.
"The hospitality of this land never ceases to amaze me," he said in a tranquil voice.
Watanabe barely smiled. He didn't trust this man.
He never had.
But the money Kumogakure was putting into the deal was enough for him to overlook any suspicions.
"You know hospitality here is never free," the merchant replied, intertwining his fingers and studying him intently. "Have you read the documents?"
Noriaki nodded.
"Yes."
"And?"
The Kumo man took a few seconds before responding.
A dangerous habit in a negotiation.
But Noriaki didn't conduct business in the traditional way.
He calmly set down the glass.
"Kumogakure is not interested in a simple transaction," he finally said.
Watanabe raised an eyebrow.
"Oh no?"
Noriaki leaned slightly forward, interlacing his fingers.
"We want direct access. No intermediaries. No exchanges of hands."
A heavy silence fell over the table.
Watanabe took his time studying the request.
Then he smiled.
"You're in a hurry, then."
"No." Noriaki barely shook his head. "We are patient."
The second man, who had remained silent until now, spoke for the first time.
"And security?"
His voice was deep, slightly hoarse, as if worn by time.
"You're asking for something far riskier than usual."
Noriaki turned to him as if he had been expecting that question.
"Security is not a problem."
Watanabe tapped a finger on the table, thoughtful.
"You know discretion in these matters is not easy."
Noriaki smiled, but this time, it was not a reassuring smile.
"That's why we have no intention of doing business with just anyone."
- Outside, in the Shadows -
Borei continued to watch.
The meeting lasted several more minutes before the men inside the teahouse began to leave, one by one.
The second Kumo ninja was the first to stand, discreetly exiting through a side door. A clear message.
No one should know he was there.
A few moments later, Watanabe also rose to his feet.
Noriaki was the last to leave the room.
He rolled his neck, as if shaking off an invisible tension, then adjusted his cloak over his shoulders.
But before crossing the threshold, he paused for a moment.
His eyes scanned the darkness.
As if he had sensed something.
Then, without a word, he walked down the street, disappearing into the city's shadows.
Borei crouched lower, minimizing his presence.
Slowly, the ANBU retreated.
The first day was over.
But the mission had just begun.
Day 2.
The moon hung high above the sea, casting an eerie glow over the mist-covered port. The smell of salt and damp wood filled the air as Borei and Kagerō leaped silently across the rooftops, their movements synchronized.
Noriaki and Watanabe walked through the dimly lit streets, the merchant glancing around nervously, while the ninja from Kumo strode with a calm and deliberate pace.
They weren't heading toward a warehouse or a hidden dock, as one might expect for an illicit deal.
Instead, they entered a small, well-maintained building near the center of the town.
Another tea house—but not just any.
Borei recognized it instantly.
It was a neutral meeting ground for spies and informants.
"This just got more interesting," he whispered under his breath.
Kagerō didn't reply.
But his slight shift in posture told Borei he was thinking the same thing.
They had expected contraband. Maybe weapons.
But this?
This smelled of something deeper.
- Inside the Tea House -
The room was dimly lit, the scent of herbal tea mingling with that of old parchment and ink.
Isuke Watanabe took a seat at a low wooden table, his fingers tapping against the polished surface.
Noriaki remained standing.
His amber eyes scanned the room, noting every entry point, every possible hiding spot.
A moment later, a new figure stepped inside.
A man draped in dark robes, his hair shaved close, eyes sharp and calculating.
No insignia. No marks of affiliation.
But Watanabe's expression tensed the moment he saw him.
"You came," the merchant said, forcing a smile.
The man nodded but didn't sit down.
"Let's get straight to business," he said. "The package?"
Noriaki, still silent, reached into his cloak and pulled out a small, reinforced scroll.
He placed it on the table.
The air in the room changed instantly.
Even Watanabe, a seasoned dealer, shifted slightly, his fingers hesitating before touching it.
"Do you even know what you're transporting?" he asked Noriaki, his voice quieter than before.
The Kumo ninja gave a half-smile.
"Do you?"
A brief silence.
Then, the robed man took the scroll and tucked it inside his own sleeve.
"The deal is sealed," he said. "You'll receive confirmation at the usual place."
Without another word, he turned and walked out.
Watanabe let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"This had better not bring me trouble, Kuroba."
Noriaki chuckled.
"You should know by now, Watanabe." He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Every deal brings trouble. The only question is… whose trouble will it be?"
And with that, he turned and left.
High above, watching through the cracks of the wooden ceiling, Borei and Kagerō exchanged glances.
"Did you see that?" Hokujin whispered.
Kagerō nodded.
The scroll.
That wasn't an ordinary trade.
It was a sealed document—a high-level transmission.
And if Kumogakure was secretly passing encrypted messages in the Land of Waves, it meant only one thing:
Something big was happening.
Borei tensed, his fingers instinctively reaching for the kunai at his side.
If Watanabe was involved with Kumo intelligence, then…
The mission parameters had just changed, but Kagerō signaled for retreat.
They couldn't act yet—not without more information.
They needed to follow the scroll.
As the figures below dispersed into the night, the ANBU melted into the mist, moving like ghosts across the rooftops.
Watching. Waiting.
Their mission had shifted from surveillance to interception.
And soon…
Blood would stain the waves.
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Sorry if i forgot someone, and Enjoy! ^.^
Yesterday i said i would release three chapter, i ended up releasing only two, so in a few hours i'll release another chapter too :)
Sincerely Thanks and remember about the Power Stones, these are the motivation for my work :)