Naruto - Light Ninja

Chapter 57 - Hunting a Jinchuuriki 02.

[Chapter Size: 1900 Words.]
Third Person POV
The Land of Sound.
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...

Naruto, Akame, and Kimimaro continued their journey into the Land of Tea, following the coast and heading south.

"Let's camp here for tonight," Naruto said as they reached the middle of the territory, entering the forest and choosing a spot as night fell.

They had a peaceful night, avoiding any ninja by choosing a kind of hole to make the campfire. The next day, they continued, heading towards where the scroll instructed Naruto to start the investigation.

After a few hours passing by the blind spots of some patrols, they moved on, while Naruto sensed something ahead of them.

"There's a small village over there," Akame alerted ahead of Naruto, pointing to a formation of houses in the distance.

"Yes. We can start there and gather information. After all, the Kiri rebels informed us that their Jinchuuriki was seen in this region..." Naruto said and headed towards the village.

The village was simple, with wooden houses and thatched roofs, surrounded by green tea fields that stretched as far as the eye could see. "Let's remain discreet, we might be seen as invading ninjas," Naruto said, removing his mask.

"Akame, come with me. Kimimaro, stay vigilant for anything unusual," Naruto instructed, and Akame removed her mask as they descended into the area. There were some people entering the town, so they could pass as travelers, blending into the place instead of arriving on horseback and having to prove that point.

Akame performed a temporary transformation jutsu on herself and Naruto, and they stepped in without anyone noticing. Thus, they began to walk through the village. People looked at them with curiosity, but no one seemed hostile, thinking they were newly arrived travelers.

"Where should we start?" Akame asked quietly.

"I want you to use your genjutsu without the victims noticing if they know anything while I talk about the Jinchuuriki," Naruto instructed, and she nodded.

They entered a small local tavern, where the air was filled with the comforting aroma of fresh tea. Naruto approached the counter while all the people, mostly appearing elderly, looked at them curiously but no one spoke to them. Naruto finally reached the counter with Akame and signaled to the bartender.

"Can I help you, young travelers? How about some tea?" the man asked kindly.

"Give me your best tea. We also want some information," Naruto requested, and the man nodded, first preparing the tea while he and Akame sat down.

"Here it is." The bartender delivered the tea, and Naruto quickly turned to him, handing over ryō notes, more than enough to cover the tea and the information, leaving the man a bit surprised by the amount.

"We're looking for someone," he began, keeping his voice low. "A man named Utakata. Do you recognize him or know anything?" Naruto showed him a photo of Utakata.

The bartender looked around, checking if no one else was listening, then leaned forward.

"Utakata, you say? I remember him... he passed through here a while ago, maybe two weeks... I don't know where he went... but there's someone in town who might know, his name is Gefu, he organizes caravans to the capital, and I remember this man with a young woman paying for his services..." he said as Naruto nodded, pleased to uncover relevant information on his first attempt, confirming that Utakata had indeed passed through here.

"Thank you for the information," Naruto responded, finishing his tea with Akame as the man took the money and left.

"Is it really him?" Naruto asked Akame, as she searched the man's memories without him knowing, activating her Sharingan discreetly. Naruto felt he was telling the truth but couldn't read someone's mind like a Sharingan user could.