Chapter 89

Kisame and Itachi were not at all affected by the child's nervous behavior.

Some visitors even began to feel that the apostates were mocking the poor child; they just all sat in silence because they didn’t want to get into trouble.

- Target? – the Uchiha continued calmly.

“This... well, this... I have an important message for you,” then Ranmaru became noticeably more serious and took a folded note from his pocket.

It was immediately noticeable that the note was crumpled in the child’s pocket.

So Itachi only frowned slightly, not even thinking about accepting the note from Ranmaru's hand.

Meanwhile, Kisame watched them from the side with interest.

And then there was the sound of leisurely steps.

Following which a figure in a simple robe appeared in front of Itachi and Kisame.

“Haku, you...” hastily turned and greeted the approaching figure of Ranmaru, embarrassedly hiding the crumpled note behind his back.

“Ranmaru, there you are, it’s time for us to go,” Haku answered calmly, after which he politely addressed the Akatsuki members, “I apologize if this child caused you problems...

After that, Ranmaru turned around and quickly rushed towards Haku, quietly dropping that crumpled note on the floor along the way.

Haku took the child who ran up by the hand, and with the other hand he opened his umbrella and leisurely walked out of the tavern into the street. Not much time passed before their figures disappeared into the rainy fog.

“They are... shinobi,” Itachi whispered, looking after them.

“Without a forehead protector... I don’t know, maybe from Kiri, or maybe from somewhere else,” Kisame grinned with interest and, after thinking for a while, added, “however, it’s not surprising that shinobi from other villages hang around the border of the Land of Water.” By the way, you used Genjutsu on him, is there anything interesting?

After these words, he turned his gaze from the Uchiha to the note lying around.

“Nothing,” Itachi replied indifferently as always, he wouldn’t even bother using Genjutsu if it weren’t for Ranmaru’s decent chakra.

At such a meager answer, Kisame shrugged helplessly.

After all, in contrast to his indifferent partner, he, albeit quite a bit, was still interested in what he saw.

After thinking a little, he grabbed the handle of Samehada standing next to him and with a slight wave tossed the crumpled note right into his hand.

And when he finally unfolded the crumpled piece of paper, he saw only a clumsy word.

But this caused his round, white eyes to narrow sharply, and after a short moment they returned to normal.

As if nothing had happened.

- What's happened? – Itachi raised his head as if he felt something.

“Nothing special, just an entertaining guy,” Kisame replied, grinning with all his pointed teeth.

Meanwhile in the rain.

- Well, why all this? – Haku asked, holding Ranmaru's hand and continuing to walk forward.

The descendant of the Yuki Clan still did not understand what they were doing here, Yudao simply asked him to help Ranmaru, without any explanation of the reasons or other details.

“Ranmaru doesn’t understand anything either!” Yudao-sama just ordered Ranmaru to give this note to a couple of shinobi in black cloaks with red clouds, if one of them has a scary shark face, nothing more... - Ranmaru answered embarrassedly.

Haku couldn't help but laugh to himself when he saw such a naive reaction from the child. Two shinobi completed the mission, and neither of them knew its purpose. Well, what a funny situation!

But Haku had an idea when he remembered the crossed out forehead protectors of these shinobi, one of which had the Kiri symbol on it.

Maybe that's why Yudao entrusted this mission to Ranmaru...

***

Time flew by.

And now the time for the Chūnin Exams was approaching, and the Suna shinobi arrived in Konoha one after another, led by the Fourth Kazekage.

Kiri became completely quiet after Suna arrived in Konoha.

The peace and quiet of previous years was restored throughout the shinobi community.

But this was just the calm before the storm.

Iwagakure.

The Third Tsuchikage Ōnoki paced back and forth on the roof of the Tsuchikage Residence in annoyance.

Right now, he felt increasingly cut off from the rest of the great villages, although he didn't really know why.

At first glance, everything around is quiet and calm, but the experienced old man hasn’t felt like he’s on pins and needles since the Third Shinobi World War, whose curtain closed a long time ago.

- Monga! – Ōnoki soon whispered.

Phew!

A moment later, the sound of cutting air was heard.

And behind the Third Tsuchikage a large shinobi appeared with an extremely serious face.

– Is there anything interesting about the actions of other great villages lately? – Ōnoki asked, looking at Iwagakure in front of him.

“Konoha is holding the Chuunin Exam, the Fourth Kazekage is probably already in Konoha, and Kiri has calmed down,” after these words Monga thought about it and seriously continued, “Kumo shinobi have been too active lately, but the reason has not yet been established.”

Ōnoki nodded, having listened carefully to the short but succinct report, and after a short silence, he waved his hand to Monga behind him.

After which he nodded and immediately retreated back.

“Akatsuchi, bring Kitsuchi,” then Ōnoki turned his head and addressed the Jounin standing next to him.

Then the surprised Akatsuchi immediately left after Monga.

Not much time passed before Akatsuchi appeared again on the roof next to the Third Tsuchikage, only this time along with a tall and muscular middle-aged shinobi with a beard and a potato nose.

Kitsuchi, who came at the first call, cast a questioning glance at Ōnoki, obviously not understanding the reason for the sudden call.

“So that means the two of you will lead a division and move to the borders with the Countries of Lightning and Fire, and this must be done secretly!” Ōnoki stated sharply before they could ask.

Are they raising troops?!

Akatsuchi and Kitsuchi's faces showed confusion.