The Adventurous Gamer Ninja - Daichi Hekima [Vol. 02]

Chapter 367 - At Long Last...

Land of Earth: 8:20pm.

The night had settled comfortably over the landscape, moonlight revealing rolling hills and distant mountain silhouettes.

Kakashi Hatake, Daichi Hekima and the shadow clone of Jiraiya the Sannin were swiftly moving through the rocky terrain in the Land of Earth. Avoiding the patrol squads of the hidden stone village was time consuming but thanks to the information Danzo was able to get, it made their journey a bit easier.

The Leaf ninjas were passing through one of the rare areas where vegetation naturally grew in the Land of Earth. But unknown to them two eyes were observing their movements when they passed through that section.

"It's them," one of the white Zetsu clones whispered, peering from behind a cluster of low shrubs.

The second white Zetsu clone nodded in agreement, leaning forward. "Yes, I see them. That's Kakashi and Jiraiya. And that boy Daichi. They're in disguise but it's them." it said quietly.

They watched as the trio moved steadily northward, their outlines faint against the moonlight.

The Zetsu clones were several hundred meters away and were half submerged in the ground. From their vantage point they could track their quarry's direction without being detected.

"How interesting," the first Zetsu clone said. "They're headed north, not west."

The second clone cocked its head. "Madara expected them to pursue Orochimaru to the west. Dragon is going west, right?"

A faint breeze rustled the grass at their feet. The first clone's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "Yes, Dragon was seen heading west. But these Leaf shinobi... they're going north. Why?"

The second clone shrugged its pale shoulders. "Who knows? Maybe they have their own plans or suspect a trick. Jiraiya isn't an idiot. He could be trying to outsmart Orochimaru by searching in a different location."

The first Zetsu clone considered this, crossing its arms. "Should we inform Kakuzu and Hidan right now? Pain told us to update them if something changed."

The second clone rubbed its chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... We do have new information. But telling Kakuzu and Hidan to chase these three north might be a waste of their time if the real targets Dragon and Orochimaru are west."

"Haa? Then what should we do?... All this thinking. My head hurts." The first white Zetsu clone stared blankly ahead and then looked down as if feeling tired. Suddenly he had an idea. "Wait. I know. Obito, no. Madara, he'll know how to solve this problem. He can decide what direction Kakuzu and Hidan need to go. So let's just tell him."

The second clone nodded. "Yes, you're right. We better report this to Madara first. Our orders were to keep them updated. This definitely counts as an update."

"Those Leaf ninjas are out of our range now. They sure move quickly," noted the first clone, its voice low. "We should go now and deliver our report."

The second clone agreed. "Time to vanish."

In near silence, the white Zetsu clones sank into the earth, slipping away from the spot they'd chosen for their reconnaissance.

—-

Land Of Earth: Western Region. 11:30pm.

By 11:30 pm, under the vast dome of a star-strewn sky, Jiraiya, Tobirama, and Danzo materialized within a rugged expanse of rocky wilderness. The land was strewn with jagged outcroppings of stone, broken hills, and twisting ravines.