After settling the refugees, Tsunade, Shizune, Yakumo, and Uchiha Shinji sat around a campfire, discussing the current situation.
"The Land of Grass is in utter chaos right now. The Five Kage, in their rush to seize control of the Hidden Grass Village, chose to strike simultaneously. But according to the intelligence we've received, every village's shinobi army, including our Hidden Leaf, has faced ambushes and suffered heavy losses!"
Shizune shared the information she and Tsunade had gathered with Yakumo and Shinji.
After she finished, Tsunade looked at the two and asked, "What are your thoughts?"
Having learned that Yakumo and Shinji not only escaped successfully but also rescued a group of refugees from the Hidden Grass Village and just defeated 'Upper Rank Six,' Tsunade no longer saw them as mere children. She now treated them as true shinobi.
Yakumo shook her head.
Faced with such a complex situation, she couldn't make sense of it.
Shinji, however, asked, "Lady Tsunade, has our mission been called off?"
Tsunade blinked, then shook her head. "No, the Hokage hasn't issued any orders to cancel our reconnaissance team's mission."
Shinji shrugged, spreading his hands. "Then shouldn't we be discussing how to track down the Akatsuki members and provide intelligence support for the upcoming extermination operation?"
Tsunade looked at Shinji, a hint of surprise on her face.
She had expected a boy yet to graduate from the ninja academy to be overwhelmed and lost in the face of such a dangerous mission. Yet, Shinji was displaying remarkable composure and competence.
Shizune spoke up, "The situation has changed. Didn't you hear what I just said? The Land of Grass is crawling with powerful mysterious enemies. These individuals are incredibly strong, especially the 'Upper Ranks' and a group of mysterious swordsmen clad in haori, who have inflicted heavy casualties on the shinobi armies of the five great villages. On top of that, there's the monster from the Land of Grass's 'Box of Bliss.' Reinforcements won't be able to reach us anytime soon."
Tsunade added, "Indeed, the appearance of these mysterious enemies is highly unusual. Many suspect they may not even be part of the Akatsuki."
With the 'Upper Rank demons' and the demonized Demon Slayer Corps at its core, supported by a vast horde of demons, this force—comprising nearly all the power of the Demon Slayer world—had the capability to annihilate entire nations.
This led to widespread suspicion.
If the Akatsuki secretly possessed such terrifying power, they wouldn't need to bide their time. They could have flipped the table long ago.
Shinji asked calmly, "Lady Tsunade, what are you suggesting? That we retreat now?"
Tsunade replied, "The situation in the Land of Grass is completely different from what we anticipated before we set out. Add to that the refugees from the Hidden Grass Village, and I've decided to abandon the mission and retreat to the Land of Fire."
Yakumo nodded immediately. "I have no objections!"
Tsunade's reasoning was sound, and as the commander of the reconnaissance team, her order to abandon the mission was justified.
Shizune followed suit. "Same here!"
Just as the group thought this was a mere formality, Shinji stood up and shook his head. "I disagree!"
"What!?"
All eyes turned to Shinji.
Shinji spoke slowly, "With the Land of Grass in such chaos, the village needs intelligence support more than ever. But Lady Tsunade's point is valid—these Hidden Grass Village refugees need protection. So, you all go ahead and retreat. I'll stay behind alone."
Tsunade frowned.
Shizune looked stunned.
Yakumo leapt to her feet, exclaiming, "Shinji, what are you talking about!? Staying here alone is too dangerous!"
Shinji shook his head. "If it's just me, it's actually safer."
Yakumo grew angry. "You—"
Tsunade scrutinized Shinji. "Is this a decision you've thought through carefully?"
"Yes."
Shinji nodded slightly.
Tsunade raised a hand to stop Yakumo and Shizune, who were about to continue persuading him, and said seriously to Shinji, "Be careful. If things go south, I authorize you to retreat at any time!"
"Yes!"
Shinji acknowledged the order, then promptly gathered his gear and left the group.
As Shinji's figure vanished into the night, Yakumo was both shocked and anxious. "Lady Tsunade, how could you let Shinji stay behind to carry out the mission alone?"
Tsunade replied, "His demeanor was calm, which shows that staying behind to execute the mission alone wasn't an impulsive decision. He must have a solid plan. Besides, he's right—the current chaos makes firsthand intelligence even more critical for us."
Yakumo still wasn't reassured. "But…"
"Yakumo, remember, we are shinobi!"
With that, Tsunade also looked in the direction Shinji had gone.
She was both surprised and understanding of Shinji's choice to stay behind alone. Having lived through multiple shinobi world wars, she had seen countless individuals risk everything for the chance to achieve great deeds.
On Shinji's end, finally free of his burdens, he dashed swiftly through the forest.
The time had come for his showdown with the mysterious 'Lampbearer' from the Demon Slayer world. No matter what, he couldn't retreat to the Hidden Leaf now.
As for what others thought of him, he didn't have the luxury to care at the moment.
Whoosh.
Leaping onto the canopy of a large tree, he scanned his surroundings while refining his plan in his mind.
"If that guy can share information with every demon, then until he shows himself, I need to stay low-key and avoid engaging demons as much as possible."
Having gleaned this critical intelligence from Kaigaku, 'Upper Rank Six,' Shinji was adapting accordingly.
If every 'demon' was an eye for the mysterious 'Lampbearer,' then he and his forces needed to avoid contact with demons at all costs. Only by doing so could he ensure his intelligence wasn't compromised, allowing him to remain in the shadows and strike the enemy unexpectedly.
"Good thing I have 'Jikibi,' or I'd be completely outmatched in this information war!"
Grumbling to himself, Shinji activated 'Jikibi' and issued orders to Karin, Hidan, Sasuke, Haku, Neji, and Kimimaro, who were lying low nearby: stay discreet, avoid combat with demons as much as possible, and gather intelligence on the Akatsuki members' movements.
After issuing the orders, he severed the 'Jikibi' connection with the six and continued his analysis. "The Akatsuki likely doesn't know the full details about the demons yet. Since they've come to the Land of Grass, they're bound to clash with the demons. What I need to confirm now is how many Akatsuki teams are here and whether they're enough to draw out the 'Lampbearer.'"
With that thought, Shinji's mind shifted, and he activated 'Jikibi' once more. This time, he reached out not to his allies but to an Akatsuki member—Deidara.