Chapter 159: Through the Waves [ Part 2]

DAY 3.

Rain.

A fine, almost imperceptible drizzle, but enough to make the rooftops slippery and the port streets even quieter than usual.

Borei and his team had not slept.

After the meeting at the teahouse, they had followed the two Kumo ninjas from a distance, observing them from afar as they moved through the port.

Noriaki Kuroba was the last to leave the teahouse.

He walked calmly through the damp streets of the port, slipping between alleys with the air of someone who knew the territory perfectly, as if he had always lived there.

The second Kumo man had disappeared immediately after the meeting, taking a side road and vanishing into the mist.

The ANBU had not tried to follow him.

Too risky.

If that ninja had been sent in a different direction, it meant that Kumo wanted to protect him.

The objective was clear: understand who the main contact was and what they were doing.

And for now, everything pointed to Noriaki.

Borei moved quickly along a rooftop, keeping low.

On the ground, Noriaki walked without any hurry, wrapped in his dark cloak.

Every now and then, he stopped, exchanged a few words with merchants, but never lingered too long.

No clear path.

As if he were waiting for something.

Or someone.

After nearly an hour of silent pursuit, Noriaki entered a small warehouse near the port.

The building was old and run-down, with splintered wooden planks and the smell of salt embedded in its walls.

Borei and the others moved carefully.

They hid in three different positions:

Borei remained on the roof, ready to intervene. Kagerō took position near a side wall, prepared to intercept. Hokujin positioned himself behind the building, cutting off any escape routes.

And then they listened.

Voices rose from inside.

Not just Noriaki's.

Someone else was with him.

A man with a rough, impatient tone.

"Do you have any idea how long you're taking?"

Silence.

Then Noriaki's voice, calm as always.

"You shouldn't worry about my timing. You should worry about yours."

A dull sound. A glass placed on a table.

The man on the other side didn't seem satisfied with the answer.

"This isn't the Land of Lightning," he growled. "Things work differently here."

Noriaki remained silent for a moment.

Then he spoke, his tone just slightly lower.

"And yet, here we are, still talking."

The mercenary scoffed.

"Damn Kumo ninjas… always convinced they're superior."

A metallic sound.

Something being placed on the table.

Borei sharpened his senses.

Weapons? Money? Documents?

He couldn't see, but he could imagine.

The mercenary's tone changed just slightly.

"Fine. If you want our support, you'll need more money."

Another silence.

Then, finally, Noriaki spoke again.

"I don't need your support."

A sharp noise.

The mercenary jumped to his feet.

"What—?"

The sound of shattering glass.

Then the thud of a body hitting the ground.

From their position, the ANBU couldn't see what was happening.

But they heard the sound of a body collapsing.

And then, silence.

Borei tightened his grip around the handle of his kunai.

He had seen silent kills many times before.

But this?

This wasn't a simple elimination.

It was a message.

Noriaki Kuroba didn't negotiate with those he didn't need.

Borei's heart pounded harder.

Kumo isn't looking for allies. They're looking for control.

He had to decide.

Go in now and reveal their presence?

Or wait and see what happened next?

From his position, Kagerō made an imperceptible signal.

"We wait."

Hokujin did not move.

Borei closed his eyes for a moment, slowing his breathing.

Then he crouched lower on the roof, disappearing into the mist.

They had to wait.

Because the hunt had only just begun.

Day 4.

The rain continued to fall in thin streaks, merging with the mist of the port.

The sound of raindrops was the only constant noise in this endless night.

On one of the highest rooftops, three shadows barely moved, hidden among the damp wooden beams and the nighttime fog.

Borei, Kagerō, and Hokujin had been motionless for hours, watching every movement of Noriaki Kuroba and the second Kumo ninja.

The situation had become much bigger than expected.

And Kagerō was the first to say it out loud.

"This mission is much harder than expected."

There was no frustration in his voice.

Just cold, calculated recognition.

"The informants underestimated the problem."

Hokujin remained still for a moment.

Then, without even turning, he responded with his usual calm.

"It doesn't matter how hard it is."

"We have to complete it."

Kagerō crossed his arms, his black cloak sticking to his skin from the humidity.

"I know."

A brief silence followed.

Then, without warning, Kagerō turned toward Borei.

Rain dripped down his mask, and his tone was slow, almost measured.

"What would you do, Borei?"

The question was direct.

But it wasn't just a request for an opinion.

It was a test.

"After all, this mission is for you."

Borei didn't answer immediately.

His eyes remained locked on the two Kumo ninjas.

Kagerō didn't explain the implication.

But Hokujin tilted his head slightly, as if he had understood something.

Borei took a deep breath.

Every muscle in his body was tense, but his mind was sharper than ever, then he spoke:

"Confirmed Data: Two Kumo ninja, at least jōnin-level. "

"There could be other Kumo shinobi scattered in the Land of Waves. Unknown abilities."

"Hypothetical Data: The second Kumo ninja has yet to reveal his skills. Kumo is planning something bigger, but they don't know what. Noriaki Kuroba has acted with strategic precision until now. Other people might be involved, even unknowingly."

Borei narrowed his eyes.

Under normal conditions, the most logical choice would be to withdraw.

A ninja must know when to retreat and reconsider the mission.

They should have had more men.They should have had more resources.They should have had more information.

Alerting the Mizukage would have been the safest move.

But the truth was—they didn't have time.

If they lost sight of the Kumo ninja now, the opportunity would vanish.

And if there was one thing Borei was sure of…

It was that he, Kagerō, and Hokujin could handle it.

With the right tactics.

When Borei finally spoke, his voice was low and precise.

"There are two things we must do."

Kagerō listened attentively.

Hokujin turned slightly, finally showing interest.

Borei raised a hand slightly, pointing toward the Kumo ninja in the port.

"First, we have to separate them."

"Fighting them together would reduce our chances of victory."

Kagerō nodded slowly.

"And the second?"

Borei lowered his hand.

"We must not alert them."

Hokujin turned just slightly.

"You mean we should strike before they even realize it?"

Borei remained silent for a moment.

Then he nodded.

"If we attack at the wrong moment, we have no way of knowing how Kumo will react."

"We must be invisible."

"And we must do it now."

Kagerō and Hokujin remained completely still.

It was rare for something to surprise them.

But at that moment, they were.

Because Borei was the youngest, and yet he wasn't talking about a simple attack plan.

He was constructing a perfect strategy.

And for the first time, Kagerō and Hokujin truly understood why this mission had been entrusted to Borei.

Then, Borei finished explaining the plan.

Kagerō didn't speak immediately, but there was a strange expression in his gaze.

Hokujin instead, made an unusual movement , seeming to not to have fully understood the plan.

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