In the forest.
Root ninjas are having a meal.
Akihara Kagura, this supervisor, actively catches ingredients for his subordinates, sitting on a rock by the river, holding a fishing rod in his hand, enjoying the pleasure of fishing.
Karin stands behind Akihara Kagura, quietly reporting the information she's sensed: "Three kilometers away, there are two lurking ninjas. I'm worried they might disturb Lord Kagura's enjoyment. How about I go handle them..."
"They're not our enemy."
Akihara Kagura watches the bobber sink into the water, quickly lifts the rod, and retrieves a fish hanging on the hook: "We'll stay here for a while, just to see who their target is. Consider it a bit of amusement."
"..."
Karin feels a vague sense of unease.
This amusement...
Could it be Team 7's amusement?
Because Karin also sensed the traces of Team 7, and their destination was the same as theirs. Those two lurking enemies wouldn't be attacking Team 7, would they?
Sure enough.
Karin's prediction unfortunately came true.
When Kakashi Hatake led Team 7 to escort Dazna, they were attacked by two Hidden Mist Ninjas. Experiencing ninja battles for the first time, Naruto Uzumaki and Haruno Sakura were completely too scared to fight, while Uchiha Sasuke's performance was somewhat impressive!
Luckily...
Kakashi Hatake, being a Jonin, solved the crisis and easily knocked out the two Hidden Mist Ninjas. Just as he planned to interrogate these ninjas from an allied village, he suddenly smelled the scent of grilled fish and heard the rustling sound of people walking nearby.
"This is..."
Kakashi Hatake immediately became alert!
But before he could take any action, a familiar voice appeared by his ear: "Team 7 attacking ninjas from an allied village is a serious mistake, according to the village's rules, it means being stripped of your ninja status..."
With the appearance of this voice, Akihara Kagura, holding a skewer of grilled fish, leisurely walked out of the forest, clearly just here to watch the fun.
"You..."
Kakashi Hatake looked speechlessly at Akihara Kagura: "Have you been watching us fight from the shadows all along? Or were these two people sent by you?"
"They clearly attacked us!"
Naruto Uzumaki immediately reacted, complaining discontentedly: "Kagura, you really are too insensitive! Watching beside us secretly and not helping!"
"It wasn't me. I wouldn't recklessly attack an ally..."
Akihara Kagura shrugged. The wooden skewer of grilled fish in his hand was suddenly flicked, impaling a Hidden Mist Ninja's shoulder, making him instantly wake up in pain!
"Ahhhhh..."
Intense pain immediately made this Hidden Mist Ninja cry out!
"Stop shouting."
Akihara Kagura walked to his side, lifted his finger, placed it on the skewer, and the skewer began to slowly grow inside this Hidden Mist Ninja's body.
"Ahhhhh, Wood Release Ninja..."
The Hidden Mist Ninja looked at Akihara Kagura with a pained expression, remembering that terrifying enemy that once appeared in The Hidden Mist Village: "You are... you are Akihara Kagura!"
"That's me."
Akihara Kagura nodded, not denying his identity, and continued to ask: "According to the alliance between The Hidden Mist Village and Konoha, The Hidden Mist Village must not undertake guardian missions conflicting with Konoha, nor can they attack Konoha ninjas. Your actions have broken the alliance between our villages, are you trying to start a war between The Hidden Mist Village and Konoha?"
"No... no..."
This Hidden Mist Ninja dared not admit this matter at all, quickly shook his head: "We don't want to attack Konoha ninjas, I can't tell what our mission is!"
"Then you have no value."
Akihara Kagura's fingers rose.
The wooden skewer impaled in the Hidden Mist Ninja suddenly grew, sprouting branches from his body, and he immediately fell silent!
"..."
Team 7's little brats were all frightened.
Even though Uchiha Sasuke was brave enough, he could still feel the horror of those branches piercing through his body, sweat unwillingly dripped down his forehead!
The three little ones from Team 7 all showed a trace of fearful unease on their faces. For the first time, they witnessed the style of Akihara Kagura, even Naruto Uzumaki, who was used to Akihara Kagura, saw Kagura's work style for the first time!
"Karin."
Akihara Kagura looked at the other Hidden Mist Ninja still in a coma, giving an order: "Help me wake up the other one."
"Yes."
Karin pulled out a ninja sword from behind her, slashed a fierce cut on the chest of the comatose Hidden Mist Ninja, and blood splattered out!
As peers of Team 7, seeing Karin act so decisively inevitably filled them with mixed emotions, even Kakashi Hatake couldn't help but start missing the timid little red-haired girl who followed behind Akihara Kagura...
"..."
The other Hidden Mist Ninja was instantly awakened by the pain!
"Why attack Konoha ninjas?"
Akihara Kagura did not hesitate, standing before the other Hidden Mist Ninja, asking in a soft voice: "He is dead, now you speak. If none of you say anything, I won't ask again and will directly destroy The Hidden Mist Village and The Land of Water. I have no patience to interrogate a third person."
"I'll speak..."
This Hidden Mist Ninja trembled as he glanced at Dazna in the crowd, having no choice but to reveal his mission: "We were ordered to kill that bridge builder Dazna."
"..."
Everyone's gaze turned to Dazna in the crowd.