The Missing Squad 5

For a week now, Tetsuma buried himself in the investigation. Every morning, he sifted through the countless mission reports, looking for any inconsistencies or irregularities. He meticulously cross-referenced the missing Anbu squads with intelligence from other villages, particularly Kumo and Iwa. He scrutinized every detail, from mission logs to coded communications, trying to connect the dots that might lead to the mastermind behind the leaks.

His mind was sharp, and the pieces were slowly beginning to fit together. He looked at the patterns in the reports from Kumo. The same coded language, the subtle shift in mission details, the strange frequency with which their operatives were involved in bounties that didn't align with the village's interests. It wasn't just coincidence. The more he dug, the more it became clear that certain factions within Kumo had their hands in these operations. But that wasn't all. The leaks were too precise, too well-timed, to be mere coincidence. Tetsuma began to suspect that these actions weren't just about monetary gain or political leverage. They were part of a much larger, more dangerous game.

Iwa's involvement was less obvious, but just as significant. Some of their operatives had been spotted near Konoha during critical mission times, although their presence was often a cover for larger, more subtle actions. Whether it was planting false intel or disrupting Konoha's plans, the traces were undeniable. Tetsuma connected these incidents with the reports of missing Anbu operatives, noting that the same areas where Konoha squads were ambushed or disappeared also aligned with the locations where Iwa's presence was strongest.

But it wasn't just the villages themselves. There were whispers, cryptic messages, and coded parchments hidden within the reports. One message stood out: a strange symbol, nearly identical to those used by Kumo's Anbu. Tetsuma immediately recognized the significance. It was a warning, but it was also a clue. The message pointed to a group within Kumo—factions that had taken up mercenary work, hunting down shinobi from other villages. They were targeting high-value individuals, not just for the bounties but to destabilize the villages themselves. These factions were working outside of Kumo's official channels, and it seemed like they had their own hidden agenda.

Tetsuma was careful with his findings, knowing that speaking out without concrete proof could easily undermine his investigation. Every lead he followed took him deeper into the shadows, and while he gathered more information, the true nature of the enemy still eluded him. The hidden forces behind these operations weren't just targeting Konoha—they were working to systematically weaken the entire shinobi world, one village at a time.

His next step was clear: he needed evidence. Hard evidence that would directly connect the mercenary factions to the leaks and the disappearances. The intel from Kumo and Iwa were critical, but without a clear link to the individuals orchestrating the missions, all he had were scattered pieces of a puzzle that didn't yet fit together.

As the days turned into weeks, Tetsuma felt the pressure mounting. He couldn't let this investigation drag on for much longer. Konoha was vulnerable, and the missing Anbu operatives were just the tip of the iceberg. Something far darker was at play, and he needed to expose it before it was too late.