Shota moved quickly through the dark streets on the edge of the city. His camouflage jutsu faded as he reached a small, broken-looking shack. He knocked in a special pattern: three fast, two slow, one fast.
A small window in the door slid open. A pair of eyes looked out.
"Password," a low voice said.
"If you find sand in your shoes, clothes, wallet, and even your food, congratulations… you're home," Shota answered in his flat ANBU voice.
The door opened at once.
Inside, five shinobi stood ready with weapons drawn. Kunai, tanto, and one man even held a short spear. Their eyes were sharp and nervous.
Shota had appeared out of nowhere right at their door. And since they had no sensor, they could not have sensed him because of his camouflage jutsu. Anyone would be scared. Shinobi or not.
This was a Suna outpost that was present in all cities and major towns in the land of Wind.
Although the nobles were not aware of them. They were there in case the city is under siege my enemy villages and the enemy village takes control of the city, these shinobi in this outpost would be able to gather intel and also sabotage the actions of the enemy village while inside the city.
They can also do urgent missions requested by the village if they are near to some target or location.
And Suna anbu or some shinobi can come here if they are in need of assistance just like Shota.
The man who opened the door lowered his tanto and bowed slightly. "ANBU-san. How can we help you?"
Shota stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "Call me Raven. I am on a mission in this city. I need information."
The leader of the outpost nodded. "We are only chūnin at best in skill, but we will do everything we can."
Shota pulled out a small scroll and began listing what he needed.
"I want to know where the new gate guards of the city lord came from. Which country they came from. Where they eat. Where they sleep. When they change shifts. I need the names and faces of every new servant hired in the last month. I need to know if the estate is receiving shipments from outside the country. I need the exact times the garbage collectors arrive and leave. I need the schedule of the cooks and maids. I need to know which market stalls the estate buys food from and who delivers water. I need the routes the night patrols take around the walls. I need to know if any new shinobi have entered the city in the last two weeks. I need everything."
The five shinobi listened carefully. When Shota finished, they looked at each other and nodded.
"We already know some of this," the leader said. "We have lived here for years and had gathered this information already. The new guards and servants will take time, but we will get the information. We know how to stay quiet."
Shota gave a small nod. "Be careful. Do not let anyone see you watching or gathering this information so do it discretely. This mission must stay secret."
They bowed again and slipped out into the night in different directions. In seconds the shack was empty except for Shota and a cage with three sand hawks sleeping on perches.
Shota sat at the small table and took out a blank scroll. He wrote a short message to Spider.
"Target is prepared. External shinobi protection confirmed. Mission will take longer. Do not send search party. Raven."
He tied the message to the leg of the largest hawk and opened the cage. The bird shot into the dark sky like a brown arrow heading for Suna.
Shota watched it disappear and snorted. Suna could be very protective of their favourite weapon. If he was late by even one day, they would probably send half the ANBU to find him. Spider would never let him forget it.
He locked the door and sat on the floor with his back against the wall. His mind started working again.
'Where were the shinobi at the gate from?' Shota thought and the answer to that question was all major shinobi villages except Iwa and Suna themselves.
A new war between Suna and Iwa would help almost every major village. Konoha, Kiri, and Kumo were all fighting Iwa on different fronts. If Suna jumped back in, Iwa would be attacked from another side and crushed faster.
Kumo was unlikely. The Third Raikage hated sneaky plans. He preferred to punch problems in the face.
Kiri was strange right now. Most people did not know it yet, but Shota knew that Madara was pulling strings behind the scenes. But it was unlikely, he would be involved in this.
He was busy looking for a perfect successor afterall. Starting trouble in Wind might not be worth his time.
That left Konoha.
Konoha was officially at peace with Suna. The Third Hokage always talked about friendship and protection.
'As far as I know Hiruzen, he would not use this tactics. But he is the professor and a Kage for so many years, he can always use these tactics and then there is also Danzo.'
Shota rubbed his mask. He was guessing too much. He needed facts.
Until the outpost shinobi came back with real information, he could only wait and plan.
He leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes behind the mask.
'I am not getting anywhere with this. Let's wait for the information which would confirm my suspicions.'
---------Author Notes--------
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