Chapter 102: Someone Actually Dared to Hide in the Bushes in Front of the Hyuga
After the meal, Hinata seemed to have regained some of her confidence. A relaxed smile lingered on her face.
Although the dinner drained most of Ryosuke's pocket money, he felt it was worth every coin.
As they stepped out of the private room, they happened to spot Uchiha Sasuke and Mizuki entering another one.
Only their backs were visible, but there was no mistaking Sasuke—he was the only one in Konoha who still wore the Uchiha clan emblem so openly.
"When did those two… get together?" Ryosuke asked, glancing at Hinata in confusion.
He'd originally wanted to say "hook up," but the phrase didn't seem appropriate—especially since it was Mizuki and Sasuke. Creepy, frankly.
Hinata paused to think. "Since the day they fought, Mizuki-sensei has been meeting with Sasuke regularly. You took a day off and didn't see it, but Sasuke seemed really upset."
She added, "Later, Mizuki-sensei sought him out. Since then, they've been training together a lot. It's like… Mizuki-sensei started coaching him personally."
Ryosuke nodded slowly, memories returning.
Sasuke had looked a little roughed up earlier—clothes torn, small wounds and dried blood. He must've just come from some intense training or even a real fight.
Maybe…
That's why he's graduating early.
Mizuki might not be a top-tier talent, but he was still a seasoned Chunin. With his guidance, and given Sasuke's own raw talent and Uchiha lineage, it wouldn't be hard for him to pass the genin exam ahead of schedule.
Still, Ryosuke didn't dwell too long on it.
Destiny wasn't so easy to decipher. What his Byakugan had shown him—the sight of Sasuke merging with Susanoo and laying waste to Konoha—still haunted him. Everything about Sasuke made his instincts twitch.
But for now, it was all just a possibility.
Fate could shift.
---
The next morning, before the sun had even risen, Hyuga Hizashi assembled his team at the village gates.
Their destination: the Land of Waves.
Ryosuke, however, didn't join the team openly. He left the village quietly, under the worried gaze of Hinata's father, Hiashi.
He wasn't on the travel list. He wasn't even supposed to be there.
But Ryosuke followed them in secret.
There wasn't much danger of being discovered. Just as every true food lover ends up a decent cook, every sensor-type ninja ends up learning how to hide from sensors.
Ryosuke had a deep mastery of perception, and over time, that had naturally translated into equally strong anti-reconnaissance and stealth techniques.
Hyuga was the team's best perception-type ninja. Since they are one of his people, there was no need to assign another sensor to the team.
Some members had learned basic perception techniques, but none of them were specialists.
And with Ryosuke keeping a good distance behind, staying out of range was easy.
---
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—
Figures moved like shadows through the dense forest, darting between the trees like bats.
Everyone in the group was at least Chunin-level, so the Konoha delegation was moving at a steady clip.
Their first stop was to rendezvous with the delegation from the Land of Fire, and then head together to the Land of Waves.
Before long, more figures appeared in the trees—masked, armored, silent.
Konoha's Anbu.
They were the hidden protection detail assigned to watch over the team from the shadows.
Right behind them came another group.
They dressed like Anbu—but their masks were different. No village insignias. No identifying marks.
The Root.
Ryosuke, bringing up the rear, observed everything with his Byakugan.
Though his combat experience was still lacking and his official rank only Chunin, the second evolution of his Byakugan had given him strength that far exceeded most Jonin.
Bloodline talent really did matter. Reincarnation, across worlds or timelines, was clearly a technical skill.
A good background could let you stomp 90% of the competition right from the start.
Still, seeing the Anbu and the Root working together was a surprise.
According to Hyuga's intelligence reports, Danzo Shimura had always held onto the Root tightly. He hadn't handed it over to the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, despite being removed as its official leader.
Technically, Sarutobi could strip Danzo of the title. But the Root operatives didn't care about titles. They answered only to Danzo.
So the fact that the Anbu and Root were cooperating here…
It could only mean one thing: Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo had struck some kind of deal for this mission.
Ryosuke narrowed his eyes.
Looks like war really is inevitable this time.
Just from Konoha alone, there were four moving forces:
The official delegation
The Anbu
The Root
And himself
Together, their number passed a hundred—all of them Chunin or above. Over a dozen were senior Jonin.
That kind of force wasn't here for negotiations.
No small or mid-sized hidden village could stand against a team like that.
And that wasn't even counting the delegation from the Fire Nation.
When they reached the Land of Waves, other nations would send their own teams too. If they couldn't come to an agreement…
A war could break out right there. The Land of Waves might end up submerged in blood.
And if some outside force decided to intervene… things would get even uglier.
---
As Ryosuke followed silently, deep in thought, the team up ahead came to a halt.
They'd only been traveling for a few hours.
At a narrow mountain path—one they had to pass through—Hyuga Hizashi raised a hand and stopped the entire group.
The Anbu and Root, moving ahead of them, immediately took a detour and began to circle around.
"Byakugan—open."
Ryosuke hadn't kept his Byakugan activated the whole time. The early part of the journey had been smooth, and he didn't want to waste chakra.
But now… something was definitely wrong.
The moment he activated his Byakugan, Ryosuke saw it clearly.
At the far end of the mountain trail, hidden in the rock crevices and bushes, were masked figures in Hidden Mist Village Anbu gear.
They were lying in wait, ready to launch an ambush.
Seriously?
You're gonna try to ambush a group with a Hyuga on the team?
Ryosuke raised an eyebrow, scratching his chin thoughtfully.
Based on all the intel he'd gathered—including old war records—it was rare for enemy nations to attempt ambushes against Hyuga-led teams.
Usually, they'd go for fast, direct attacks—try to overwhelm before the Byakugan could detect them.
A sneak attack? That just felt wrong.
What the hell is the Mist thinking?
He leaned back against a tree trunk, arms folded across his chest, watching the scene unfold with quiet amusement.
From his position, he had a clear view as the Anbu and Root operatives moved swiftly into position.
Moments later, they launched a sudden, coordinated assault on the Mist Anbu who were lying in wait.
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