Chapter 98: Footprints in the Swamp
"Sensei Minato, shouldn't we be heading back to the village? Why are we here?"
The swamp stretched before them—a bleak, sodden expanse exuding a foul, decaying atmosphere. Team 7 and Liumu had made a wide detour to this place. They surveyed the desolate, treacherous landscape, but their expressions held a grim determination.
Mountains, forests… the Land of Grass was now seeded with the scouts and traps of every major village. For the earlier Kirigakure ninja to have bypassed Konoha's defensive line and appeared in the deep forest, they must have traversed this place—deemed impassable by conventional logic.
The swamp gases were highly toxic. While a shinobi's chakra-enhanced physique could resist sinking in the mud, the poisonous miasma could slowly corrode the body. Moreover, to truly circumvent Konoha's front, anyone crossing here would need to travel through the swamp for at least three days. Add to that the time needed for stealth and evasion of patrols, their journey through this hell would have been protracted.
"Before we entered Grass Country, I heard from the Hyūga chūnin that a severe thunderstorm passed through this region," Minato stated, scanning the murky water and twisted trees.
"A thunderstorm?" Liumu's expression fell slightly.
A swamp was a fluid, unforgiving recorder. Heavy objects were swallowed quickly, but subtle traces could remain. However, a powerful storm would scour the landscape, washing away even those faint clues. If the Kiri ninja had truly come this way, they would have left some sign, but the storm could have erased it all.
"Nevertheless, we must investigate," Minato said, his resolve firm. He turned to Kakashi and the others. "Wait here. Stay alert. I'll scout the perimeter for any useful traces."
"I think… that won't be necessary."
The voice came from Liumu, who had already ventured a short way into the swamp's edge, a cloth covering his mouth and nose. He was crouched, using a kunai to carefully part a thicket of reeds. "Over here. Look at this."
The group hurried over. Liumu pointed at the ground near the waterline with his blade.
"Footprints?" Minato immediately crouched, his eyes sharpening.
"That's right. And judging by their condition, they likely belong to the group that appeared in the forest."
"How can you be so sure?" Obito asked, baffled. Even Kakashi looked curious.
Liumu glanced up. "Never forget, ninja are still human. And all humans share a common weakness: a lapse in vigilance after sustained tension."
He laid out his reasoning. "First, the Kiri ninja would have been intensely focused while navigating the swamp to avoid Konoha's line. They'd have been meticulous in covering their tracks. Combined with the storm's erosion, it would make finding traces nearly impossible."
"However," he continued, tapping the faint impression in the mud, "human nature means they'd let their guard down the moment they reached solid ground—the border between swamp and forest. It's like finishing a difficult exam; you start strong, but by the end, you might miss a decimal point or make a careless error. The moment they saw normal earth, someone relaxed. This," he indicated the footprint, "is that error."
"Second point: the depth." Liumu gestured to the impression. "Swamp ground isn't like solid earth, especially after rain. Normally, footprints would sink and blur quickly from ground vibration and water seepage. But the Land of Grass has a uniquely humid, warm climate. Organic matter decays here three to four times faster than in the Land of Fire."
He pointed to the reeds around the print. Their leaves were gone, the stalks a grayish-brown. "See this vegetation? In Konoha, grass in this state would be at least three days dead. Here, nourished by constant damp and recent rain, it would take longer to reach this state. These prints have been here awhile, undisturbed."
The knowledge Liumu drew upon was classic anti-tracking and reconnaissance theory, a subject he'd studied avidly in his previous life as a military enthusiast.
"Look closer," he said, standing and gesturing along a faint trail. "The prints are uneven in depth. Only a few are deep and clear, and they're incomplete."
He formed his conclusion. "So, people did pass through here. And based on the prints, at least two separate groups. The first group's numbers roughly match the Kiri squad we encountered. As for the second group..."
"How many?" Obito asked, his head spinning from the analysis. Only Minato and Kakashi were fully following the logic.
"Two," Liumu said definitively. "At a minimum. There could be more."
...
In a Ravine, Land of Grass.
Two figures materialized, standing at the edge of the colossal, glass-smooth crater that now scarred the land. Their voices were low, chilling.
"It seems your plans are being shattered, one by one," said the first, his form cloaked in deep shadow, his tone carrying a strange mix of disdain and deference.
"What of the Hidden Mist team?" asked the second.
"They have successfully infiltrated the Land of Fire. However… it seems they have detected my presence. Or rather, the presence I left behind."
The shadowy figure finished speaking. His companion took a step forward, allowing the sunlight to fall across half his face. He appeared elderly, his skin pallid, his expression one of supreme arrogance. Though his eyes were closed, the scorn in his voice was palpable.
Creak.
A soft, metallic friction sound came from near their feet.
The shadowed figure glanced at a metal stand holding an IV bag, the tube running to his companion's arm. "How much longer can you maintain this?"
"Not long," the pale man replied. He sniffed the air slightly, a cruel smile twisting his lips. "Such a nostalgic scent of blood. But do not worry. The new vessel is prepared. I will return… soon."
...
The Battle for the Land of Grass was effectively over. If Liumu's deductions were correct, Iwagakure, now aware that Minato and a new, monstrously powerful Konoha shinobi were present, would not dare mount another major offensive on this front soon. The remaining Konoha garrison could monitor the border and report any movement.
On the journey back to Konoha, the mood was lighter.
"Obito, congratulations," Minato said warmly, clapping the boy on the shoulder.
Obito flushed, a mixture of embarrassment and fierce pride blooming on his face. For an Uchiha, truly awakening the Sharingan was the real beginning of their shinobi path.
Kakashi's own miraculous recovery remained a secret known only to Liumu.
But for this outcome—Team 7 tested, tempered, and intact—Liumu was deeply satisfied. They had survived the fire, and were stronger for it.
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