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Upon learning Akimoto Ruri's address, Haku felt slightly surprised.
As a member of the Anbu, Ruri should have been able to establish a solid foothold in Kirigakure. Even just on her salary, she could afford to rent a decent place. Yet, Akimoto Ruri only rented a basement, and its location was quite remote.
Being close to the sea, the environment here was indescribably poor.
In winter, the basement would be damp and bitterly cold; in summer, it would feel humid and muggy.
Haku knocked on the door for a full minute without any response, leading him to surmise that Ruri probably wasn't in.
Umoku had only provided this one address, so Haku could only wait.
Finally, early the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, footsteps echoed on the stairs.
Haku tensed, quietly hiding behind the staircase. A female ninja came into view.
Just as he thought she was about to open the door, the woman suddenly waved her hand, sending three kunai flying towards him.
Haku immediately rolled aside. Before he could even look up, a kunai was already pressed against his throat.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" the female ninja demanded.
"Are you Akimoto Ruri?" Haku finally got a clear look at the woman's face.
The woman had tied her long hair into a high ponytail. Her eyes were sharp, devoid of any emotion, forming a stark contrast with her delicate features.
"That's right. Who are you?" Akimoto Ruri asked.
"Haku. Hōzuki Mangetsu sent me," Haku replied.
Ruri stared coldly at Haku. "Who's the mastermind behind this?"
"There isn't one," Haku shook his head. He knew Ruri hadn't lowered her guard.
In Kirigakure, no amount of caution was excessive.
Moreover, if a stranger suddenly popped up uttering the name "Hōzuki Mangetsu," anyone with a healthy dose of wariness wouldn't readily believe it.
Haku took a letter from inside his clothing and handed it to Ruri. "This is from Mangetsu-senpai."
Ruri opened the letter. Seeing the name "Asachi Midorima" written inside, she was slightly taken aback. Then she heard Haku say, "He's alive."
"You've seen him?"
"Yes," Haku nodded.
"How is he?"
Haku shook his head. "He was fine at the time, but no one knows what he's planning. That's not my assessment; it's Zabuza-nii and Mangetsu-senpai's opinion of him."
Ruri waved her hand, destroying the letter. Then she opened the door, and Haku followed her inside.
Ruri looked outside to ensure no one had tailed her before casually closing the door.
"Why have you come?"
"Mangetsu-senpai wanted me to ask you: what was the Anbu's recent mission outside the village?" Haku asked.
"You even know about that?" Ruri was surprised.
"I've been in Kirigakure for nearly a week now," Haku said.
"You're lucky you haven't been discovered," Ruri said with a cold smile.
"Can't be helped. We need more intelligence to formulate our next steps," Haku explained.
"Sigh, you are no match for the Third and Fourth Mizukage," Ruri sighed. She also knew that neither Mangetsu, Zabuza, nor even Haku before her would listen to her advice. So she didn't try to persuade them further, merely reminding him, "If you're surrounded, don't hesitate. Kill yourself immediately... Kirigakure has many methods to make you talk."
"I'm prepared for that," Haku said, narrowing his eyes. "I carry poison with me. If discovered, I will end my life immediately."
Ruri let out another sigh.
Easier said than done. The fear was that when the time came, there might not even be an opportunity for suicide.
"Igawa Bu sent the Anbu to capture the Six-Tails Jinchūriki. And we succeeded. Kirigakure now has two Jinchūriki: the Fourth Mizukage and the Six-Tails Jinchūriki, Utakata. As for what he plans to do with that, it's hard to say," Ruri explained.
A chill ran down Haku's spine, accompanied by a surge of fear.
Dealing with two Mizukage was already immensely difficult. Now, with the addition of the Six-Tails Jinchūriki, their chances of opposing Kirigakure were nearly nonexistent.
They had to make plans quickly.
"Thank you. This intelligence is crucial for us." Haku bowed deeply to Ruri, then turned to leave. But Ruri called him back.
"Wait. There's one more thing... Although the Six-Tails Jinchūriki was captured, he seems to have deep-seated grievances with Kirigakure. Therefore, he might not willingly serve Igawa Bu. So..."
"So, there's still time." Haku nodded seriously, then turned, opened the door, and left.
Ruri sighed, sitting back down on her bed. Her mind, however, dwelled on Haku's initial words—Midorima was alive.
After Midorima's defection, Ruri had constantly tried to find out about his whereabouts. But it was only after joining the Anbu about a year ago that she had any chance to leave Kirigakure.
Yet, in those few, limited missions, she hadn't heard a single word about Asachi Midorima.
Haku's words gave her a slight sense of relief.
After her mother and brother died, she had no family left, nor the heart to make friends. Mei Terumī was under constant surveillance by people Igawa had assigned, so Ruri couldn't speak to her either.
So, for her, Midorima being alive was good news.
She hoped she could see Midorima once more before she died.
Ruri made that wish in her heart.
***
Having obtained the intelligence, Haku didn't rest. Instead, he went to a bar on the main street, placed the vegetables from his basket in the storage room, found a pen, wrote the characters for "Six-Tails" on a slip of paper, inserted it into a wooden peg, changed into the bar staff's uniform, and went to the main hall to wipe down tables and chairs.
By noon, someone loaded the empty barrels onto a cart, drove the wagon out of Kirigakure, delivered the barrels to a halfway-house winery, then returned to Kirigakure with barrels full of wine.
Ayamaru, disguised as a winery worker, placed the barrels in the warehouse and casually peeled off the slip of paper stuck to the bottom of one.
His eyes scanned the contents. Instantly, a chill ran down his spine. He didn't even take the time to remove his work clothes before hurriedly leaving the winery.
The Six-Tails?
Kirigakure's Anbu went after the Six-Tails?
Now that the Anbu had returned, did that mean the Six-Tails had been captured?
Two Mizukage plus a Six-Tails Jinchūriki... How were they supposed to fight Kirigakure now?
No, he had to inform Mangetsu and the others immediately... Otherwise, if they attacked Kirigakure recklessly, it would be nothing short of suicide.
The more Ayamaru thought about it, the more frightened he became, and the faster his steps grew.
Just as he was frantic, wanting to return to the Land of Water as quickly as possible, a masked figure wearing a black cloak embroidered with red clouds stood in the middle of the road ahead.
At first, Ayamaru didn't pay this person much mind. But as the distance between them closed, his gaze was inevitably drawn. A sense of suspicion arose within him—that cloak looked somewhat familiar.
"Hello, could I have a word with you?" the person suddenly spoke.
Ayamaru stopped, perplexed. "Who are you?"
"Me? You can call me Madara Uchiha," Obito said. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you."