Sage

Ch.31

Three cloaked figures flickered into a small clearing, the slim crescent moon overhead barely illuminating their surroundings. It was only training and reflexes that allowed them to navigate the treacherous ground, especially with the hazy fog covering the ground around their feet. The leader of the trio held up a hand, halting them before they could step out of the tree line. Carefully he peered out through the mist, using his superior eyesight to scope out the path ahead for enemies or any other unwanted surprises. Finally with a small nod they proceeded on, swiftly vanishing from their spots in blurs of speed.

When they reappeared to the civilian eye they were stood outside of a small out-of-the-way building that looked to be barely standing. The various small, high-up windows were either broken or so clogged with dust and dirt they were practically opaque. The walls themselves were almost completely covered in vines and other parasitic plants that worked their way into every nook and cranny, weakening the concrete. Cracks mirrored the plants, winding around corners or just spreading out like black spider webs. After a moment of carefully observing the building the leader of the group nodded again, the slight movement almost invisible in the darkened night.

"Are we sure this is the place?" The leader of the group pulled back his hood, allowing his spiky blonde locks to fall about his face. He looked up at the building before them; it just had 'gloom' written all over it and the sooner they could be done with this mission the better.

"It matches the intelligence we got." The second tallest of the group also pulled back her hood, revealing shoulder length green tresses and half-lidded orange eyes that caught the weak moonlight. "Although whether or not that makes it credible is debatable." The trio sighed at that even as the last member pulled down her hood, long purple hair flowing down her back like a waterfall.

"Well, that's what we're here for isn't it?" The leader just nodded with a grimace, this whole mission was just giving him a bad vibe, but somebody had to do it.

"Alright, follow my lead." With that he leapt up onto the roof of the building, his companions following shortly afterwards. The last three weeks for the rebellion hadn't been all that good; despite their victory with the prison camp they had begun to steadily lose ground. Their supply routes were being hit harder than ever, leaving many of their off-the-grid bases in dire need of support. Only when the help finally came they would only find a camp in ruins, the tents burned down and the rebels either missing or badly wounded.

Most disturbingly Naruto had noticed that only the supply runs that he took no part in were being ambushed these days, giving the loyalists a slight edge. It cost them both men and supplies, something the rebels really couldn't afford to lose. It spoke of a traitor amongst the rebels, somebody feeding Yagura information about their camp locations and supply movements while ensuring Naruto couldn't act against it. It was worrying because despite the investigation being done into it, no leads were being turned up.

Right now all of the forces in the north were spread thin; with their front lines weakened by lack of food and weapons the loyalists had slipped more than a few forces into their territory. Right now they were having to divert people away from the contested zones in order to protect their villages and towns. This in turn simply weakened their lines further, allowing more forces to slip through and continuing like this in a vicious cycle. Unless they could do something soon, or the spy was found, it didn't look too good for the rebellion.

Right now Naruto, Fuu and Shizuku had been sent out to investigate a report about an old supply cache that had been supposedly abandoned around the start of the rebellion. It was in a forgotten corner of Mizu no Kuni that was neither Rebel nor Loyalist territory. If the reports were accurate then the supplies here would bolster both their front lines and morale, hopefully breaking them out of this dangerous downwards spiral. Usually they would have a few more people backing them up but they just didn't have the Shinobi to spare.