Chapter 160 -160: Hinata Byakugan
Because he was worried that Riku might lose his other arm again, the boat captain continued speaking, "They’ve issued a bounty.
As long as any shinobi from Konoha enters the Land of Water, and they can be captured and delivered to Akita, there’s a reward—500,000 ryō for a Genin, 3.5 million for a Jōnin."
Hearing this, Riku smiled faintly. "This Akita’s pretty good at mobilizing people."
Due to the long-standing isolation of Kirigakure and the Land of Water, practically anyone traveling from Konoha to the Land of Water was assumed to be coming to destroy them.
That was the case 99% of the time.
Konoha had no diplomatic contact with the Land of Fire, the Land of Water, or Kirigakure anymore.
"Where is their base?"
Upon hearing the question, the boat captain replied quickly, "That I really don’t know. All I’ve heard is that if you want to claim the bounty, you go to Village in the Land of Water. Just hand them over there, and the bounty is paid."
Riku nodded, having understood enough.
"Alright."
The boat captain thought Riku was letting him off. But the next second, pain shot through his neck, and his vision went black as he lost consciousness.
Riku tossed the captain’s body into the sea.
After that, he woke Hinata, Ino, and Shino.
Hinata blinked, then immediately stood up, drew a kunai, and looked around. Only the sailors’ unconscious bodies were scattered across the floor.
Ino and Shino, both alert, frowned at the scene around them.
The cabin was stained with blood.
All three of them turned to Riku.
He calmly sheathed his short sword. "They were planning to hand us over to the shinobi gang we’re about to eliminate."
"Hurry up and memorize their faces. Use the Transformation Jutsu to disguise yourselves. We’re heading to Baishui Village to gather intel."
"I’ve already gotten everything I need from the captain. But your vigilance is still too low. You should’ve been more careful even when just buying food."
The three of them looked somewhat embarrassed by Riku’s rebuke.
Truthfully, Riku hadn’t noticed anything suspicious at first either—these people looked like ordinary civilians. But when he examined the food more closely, he grew suspicious and ran a few checks.
The drug they’d used was very basic. Even if Riku hadn’t noticed, Hinata, Ino, and Shino should’ve been able to detect it too.
They just hadn’t thought to check.
But for now, the mission came first.
Riku performed several Shadow Clone Jutsu.
Each clone transformed into one of the three Genin.
The reason Riku didn’t impersonate all the sailors himself was because he wanted his team to develop their own disguise and infiltration skills.
He could have done the entire infiltration alone—but that wouldn’t teach them anything.
As the team’s Jōnin leader, he had a responsibility to help them gain experience beyond just completing missions.
The three of them flushed with shame and used the Transformation Jutsu to assume the forms of some of the sailors, while Riku took on the appearance of the ship’s captain.
His four Shadow Clones transformed into the team’s likenesses.
Ino couldn’t help laughing. "Riku, you can create that many Shadow Clones? That’s amazing."
Even most Jōnin could only safely make two Shadow Clones. The chakra is divided equally among all clones, and producing too many would leave a shinobi exhausted or dangerously weakened.
Once everyone was in disguise, they steered the boat toward Baishui Village.
Fortunately, they had a map of the Land of Water. Without it, they wouldn’t have even known which direction to head.
According to the map, Baishui Village was clearly marked.
After sailing for six days straight, Riku and the others finally arrived.
From the distance, Riku noticed that the village was nestled deep within a mountainous forest.
Hidden among dense trees, Baishui Village was remote and well-concealed.
Standing atop a hill overlooking the valley below, Ino grumbled, "Why would they choose to trade way out here? Can a place like this really pay out 5 million ryō?"
The amount was equivalent to the payout for five S-rank missions. Even if killing a Jōnin was technically worth more, the isolated nature of this village made Ino question whether they could really afford it.
Riku answered calmly, "It’s not about whether they have it. Once we’re inside, keep your disguises solid. Don’t make any sudden moves. We need to get the location of Akita and the others through their contacts. Understood?"
Hinata and Shino nodded firmly.
Ino smiled. "Got it. You can count on me, Riku."
Riku gave her a side glance. You’re actually the one I’m most worried about.
Between the three, Hinata and Shino were more reserved but also more stable and reliable.
Still, this was part of their training. Riku didn’t intend to spoon-feed Ino. She’d need to figure things out on her own.
With Hinata, Shino, and Ino’s Shadow Clone doubles trailing behind, the group made their way down toward Baishui Village.
Among the three Genin, the person most valuable to Akita’s group wouldn’t be Riku—after all, they didn’t know him. The target would be Hinata.
As a member of the Hyūga clan’s main house, her Byakugan alone made her an irresistible target, especially for a former Konoha ninja like Akita.
After walking about ten minutes with the disguised clones, they finally entered the small village.
There weren’t many people—maybe a hundred at most. About thirty homes made up the entire settlement.
Surprisingly, no one stopped or searched them.
Riku, having interrogated the boat captain beforehand, knew the procedures.
He led the group straight toward the village’s izakaya—the designated trade point.
On the way, a few villagers gave them strange looks.
Some were curious. Others looked outright hostile.
Riku wasn’t sure why.
Even Ino and the others felt uneasy under the villagers’ stares.
Sensing their nervousness, Riku patted them on the shoulder and offered a small smile.
Reassured, the three Genin steadied themselves.
Still, the tension in the air was undeniable.
Mimicking the gruff tone of the boat captain, Riku pushed open the izakaya door and stepped inside with the others.
There were only about a dozen people inside.
Behind the counter, the old owner was practically asleep.
Riku walked to the bar and knocked on the table. "We’ve got the goods—three small ones and a big one."
The owner looked up groggily and glanced at the four figures behind Riku.
He broke into a grin. "You old dog. Not bad at all, huh? You even managed to grab one like that. That girl’s from the Hyūga clan, isn’t she?"
The man had spotted Hinata’s clone immediately.
Even without activating the Byakugan, the distinctive pale eyes of the Hyūga were unmistakable.
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