Although the Land of Stone has the word 'stone' in its s main poputed regions were covered with loess.

  Oher hand, the Land of Earth to the north, despite havih' in its name, predominantly featured rodscapes.

  This was Masashi's first time ing to the Land of Stohe reports weren't exaggerating about the atmosphere. Even the air feels heavier here.

  Previously, he had only heard about this try's situation.

  The try stretched in a curved, elongated shape, b the Lands of Earth, Wind, and Rain.

  The northerories are primarily wind-eroded ndscapes, arid with little rainfall and vast deserts. The southern parts were loess-covered, with more rainfall, but the loose soil leads to severe erosion—definitely not an ideal enviro.

  Such was the world of shinobi. Drawing a line across the Lands of Rain, Waterfall, River, and Kusa the further west you go, the harsher it became.

  Masashi ehe Land of Stone from the Land of Rain, arriving at one of the rare areas in this try with retively pleasant ditions. His chakra sensiended outward, mapping the terrain against the intelligence reports he'd memorized.

  Border security is ughable here. Then again, who'd want to ihis wastend?

  This regioher experiehe stant rain of the Land of Rain nor suffered the severe soil erosion of the westerories. The Land of Stone primarily relied on this small area to produce crops.

  After entering the first town, he began searg for the rendezvous point, his movements deliberately awkward—just another wandering missing-nin.

  Upon arriving in this town, he gained a deeper uanding of why Root looked down on ANBU. Even though they were nominally part of the same group, there were differences.

  Both dealt with intelligehering, but ANBU enjoyed far superior w ditions. While they did operate abroad, their activities were limited to nations b the Land of Fire, which were all allies of the Fire Nation.

  This allowed ANBU operatives to freely parkour and show off.

  Root, oher hand, operated in hostile territories. Showboating? That was a surefire way to get yourself killed.

  The Land of Stone was a battleground for the Lands of Earth and Wind. Aempting to show off here would either be an Iwa or Suna ninja. Or a dead ninja.

  Thus, Masashi refrained from wearing the standard bat attire of a Konoha ninja. Instead, he disguised himself as a rogue ninja, which was a on sight in the Land of Stone.

  Dressing as a civilian, oddly enough, might have raised more suspi.

  The tact he was meeting was described as a teahouse owner ielligence report.

  It was worth mentioning that this was a legitimate teahouse—nothing shady about it.

  Masashi quickly found the teahouse, his trained eyes sing the surroundings. Maybe I try some tea?

  The pce was small but bustling.

  Patrons could drink tea on-site or buy loose leaves to take home. If the shinobi world had apps, the owner would probably have started a delivery service too.

  However, the atmosphere couldn't pare to the shops on Konoha's ercial streets. The natural enviro of the Land of Stone was far from fortable.

  Winds blowing from the northwest carried plenty of sand and dust, and spending even a short time outdoors left one lookihered and dusty.

  Entering the teahouse, he removed his cloak and shook off a cloud of dust at the entrance before hanging it on a rack. He then walked to the ter, ordered a cup of hot tea, and found a seat in the hall to wait.

  Looking around, the pce was filled with ers, though few were ordinary civilians. Most were rough and tough individuals, part of the vibrant underworld unity.

  The Land of Stone was a try ue ninjas without a hidden vilge. It was overrun with renegades and bounty hunters from various nations, making it a haven for criminal activities and local gangs.

  As Masashi observed others, he also found himself scrutinized by the local thugs with unfriendly gazes. Their stares are as subtle as a drunk Inuzuka...

  Of course, no oright fronted him with a "Who are you with?" After all, everyone here was in it for business and khe value of keeping things peaceful.

  Besides, there was no bounty for him in the exge markets yet. Even if someone wao post ohey wouldn't know what he looked like.

  Kiri certainly wasn't sharing their intel with the mainnd bounty works.

  After a while, a staff member brought Masashi's tea to his table.

  Slowly sipping his tea and sitting for a bit longer, he finally went to the ter to settle his bill, paying with currency issued by the Land of Wind. The tea's horrible.

  During this process, he had already pleted the information exge with his tact.

  As he put his cloak ba a, the people ieahouse no longer paid him any attention.

  This pce is even less pleasant than the Land of Raihought with a sigh before heading to a local inn to rent a room.

  He po stay here for a few days.

  W for Root wasn't easy, primarily because of the oppressive atmosphere. But being so btantly scrutinized by weaklings was something he could endure.

  ---

  Over the few days, Masashi acted like a regur traveler, staying low-key iown.

  On the designated day, he checked out of his room at night and headed to the rendezvous point. Predictably, someone followed him.

  With a casual sweep of his sensory abilities, Masashi firmed that none of his pursuers even had chakra levels parable to a in.

  Clearly, his disguise had worked too well—they truly believed he was just a low-level rogue ninja.

  Appreciating once again how rare chakra sensing was in the ninja world, he stopped and waited for his followers to appear.

  Soon, several bounty hunters surrounded him, emerging from the shadows with exaggerated stealth.

  "Just you guys?" Masashi sed them with his chakra sensing again and firmed there were no reinforts. They didn't even bother setting up proper ambush positions.

  "First time in the Land of Stone, huh, kid?" The bounty hunters grinned openly. "We're running low on cash, so we'll o borrow some from you."

  He met the leader's eyes for just a fra of a sed.

  They always start with that line. What a disappoi. Masashi had hoped for spies or something more iing, only to enter this rabble.

  The first attacker came low, bde aimed at his knees.

  Masashi leaped back, but steel cut into his shoulder—someone had gotten behind him. He grabbed the bde with his bare hand, blood running down his arm as he yahe attacker forward, throwing him into his panion.

  Three more rushed in.

  He ducked under a wild swing, sweeping the attacker's legs. As the man fell, Masashi grabbed a handful of dust, flinging it into another's eyes.

  The blinded man stumbled back, catg a kunai meant for Masashi with his throat.

  The leader hurled a broken branch.

  Masashi deflected it with his forearm, but the distra cost him. A bde sliced through his left hand, taking two fingers with it. Masashi kicked off the ground, backward handspring putting distaween him and his attackers.

  Blood dripped from his mutited hand.

  "Not so tough now," the leader growled, signaling his men to spread out.

  Masashi pulled a kunai with his good hand.

  A thug charged, sword raised high. Masashi feinted left, then drove his kunai up through the man's jaw. Using the dying body as a shield, he pushed forward into atacker, both of them crashing into a building.

  The impaocked the wind from his lungs.

  A bde found his ribs, scraping bone. He twisted, snapping his attacker's wrist and stealing his on iion. The stolen bde opehe man's throat.

  Two down. Four to go.

  The leader attacked from above, leaping off the boulder. Masashi rolled, but not fast enough. The sword carved a deep gash across his back.

  He staggered, nearly falling.

  Ahug rushed in.

  Masashi grabbed a handful of sand, throwing it up. The man raised his arm to shield his eyes. In that split sed, Masashi rushed forward, his front kick ramming into the man's kh a siing crack. As the thug screamed, Masashi drove a kunai into his chest.

  Before the body hit the ground, a bde struck his shoulder, sinking deep into muscle. He ya out, blood spraying, and threw it ba oion. It took the thrower in the eye.

  The leader and his st man attacked together.

  Masashi caught a bde between his palms, but the leader's kick sent him sprawling. He rolled to his feet, spitting blood.

  "It's over," the leader charged, bde aimed at his enemy's heart.

  Masashi tried to dodge, but his injuries had slowed him. The sword drove through his chest, emerging from his back.

  Hot blood poured over the leader's hands as he bared his teeth in triumph.

  "Why... boss?"

  His grin faltered. That voice... The dying face looking up at him wasn't Masashi's—it was Renji, his right-hand man.

  The sword he thought had pierced his enemy's chest was buried deep in his heart, just where he believed he'd scored his final victory.

  He yahe bde free, stumbling back.

  The bodies around him... Kazuo y with a deep gash in his shoulder—where he thought he'd wounded Masashi first.

  Shin's hand was mangled, missing two fingers.

  Each wound matched perfectly: the cracked ribs, the deep back ssh, the pierced shoulder. Every injury they thought they were inflig on Masashi had been carved into his panions instead.

  The metallic stench of blood filled his nostrils as reality crashed down. All those triumphant moments, whehought they were finally wearing their enemy down, nding blow after blow—they had been tearing each other apart, cutting down their own panions one by one.

  "Genjutsu is fasating," a voice came from behind him.

  The leader turned slowly. Masashi stood unharmed, Sharingan spinning zily.

  "When did you—"

  "The moment you met my eyes. Though I have to admit," Masashi stepped over a fallen body, "I didn't expect you to be quite so... thh with your own men."

  The leader stumbled back, tripping over one of his dead panions. Blood squished beh his hands as he tried to push himself up. "Please... I didn't—"

  Masashi's hand shot out, catg him by the throat. "You wanted a fight. Was this everything you hoped for?"

  A swift strike to the throat, and the leader joined his men ih.

  Masashi searched their bodies, finding oy pockets and cheap ons. What a disappoi.

  Leaving the defeated bounty hunters behind, he resumed his journey.

  The rendezvous point was a small forest, its trees barely thriving, but it was enough to hide someone.

  He moved silently into the woods, where he sensed a familiar chakra. The teahouse owner was croug behind a rge rock.

  Masashi crept up to him and grabbed him by the neck. Time for the verification protocol.

  "Don't move! This is a robbery! Fifty thousand ryō minimum, no upper limit!"

  "I've got no money, just my life to offer." The teahouse owner was pletely unfazed. "Besides, don't stress—it's just a shadow e. Who carries cash on a shadow e?"

  "A Root agent like you?" Masashi let go and crouched o him. "Where are the targets?"

  "No need for the attitude. Everyone's like me out here," the teahouse owner replied. "Head north, and you'll find a valley. The Hannya Bck Ops have been holed up there fes."

  "Is that reliable, or are we walking into a trap?"

  "Trust me, we've scoped it out plenty of times. The group aren't that skilled—they just run fast."

  "Alright, I'm heading there."

  "Wait." The teahouse owner looked desperate. "Got a cigarette?"

  "No, I don't smoke."

  "You're in this line of work and don't smoke? Are you a rookie?"

  "I'm your backup. If Root hadn't paid handsomely, no one would've e to this pce. And why would a shadow e need cigarettes?"

  "My wife's strict. I only smoke using a shadow e. Also, watch out—the Hannya Bck Ops like strapping explosive tags to themselves."

  With that, the teahouse owner's e dissipated in a puff of smoke.

  What a guy—more afraid of his wife than enemy shinobi.