Seijuro was currently in full ANBU gear, inside his squad's area—you know, the place shared by all squads, though each squad had their own section and their own training grounds. Sure, there were a few common areas where everyone trained, but he only went there like once a week. And when he did, it was usually a 1 vs 11 situation.
Spoiler: he always won.
The thing about him was—he actually fared better the more opponents he had to fight.
That 1 vs 20 proved it.
It was quite fun, really.
Oh well, he did clash with Sakumo a couple of times.
He lost... on purpose. Not trying to show his full strength yet.
As far as Konoha was aware, he was an elite Jōnin. And with Sage Mode, that should push him to low Kage-level strength, give or take.
So beating a mid to high Kage-tier combatant like Sakumo Hatake? That would be way out of his supposed paygrade.
Beating him in pure physical combat, that is.
His score with Sakumo so far was...
60–59.
When illusions were allowed, he would win. His illusions practically made him unkillable. Once anyone was under his Five Senses Kekkei Genkai, it was GG.
Done. And there was nothing they could do about it.
Seijuro stood at the front, his ANBU gear crisp, fox mask unmoving.
His chakra—quiet, calm, coiled like a serpent before a strike.
He looked over his team. Each one had been with him through hell and worse. This was his team, for now.
His eyes swept over them.
"Deer."
Shikaku Nara. Analytical genius. Calm under pressure.
Wore a stag-themed mask with single antlers on each side.
The tactician. His mind, a battlefield.
"Bull."
Choza Akimichi. Powerhouse. Towering. Loyal.
His mask resembled a bison's, with thick horns and wide tusks.
He broke what couldn't be reasoned with.
"Eagle."
Hikaru Hyūga. Byakugan prodigy. Quiet. Lethal.
His mask was sleek, silver, shaped like a raptor's beak.
Overwatch. Surveillance. Execution.
He was also a member of the side branch of the Hyūga clan. His range was like 5 kilometers in one direction and about 1 kilometer in all directions.
Yes, his range was quite large for a Hyūga. Apparently, he was supposed to be part of the main branch—but he came out the womb after his brother, so...
Shit happens.
"Moth."
Shiran Aburame. Calm. Methodical. Voice like silk.
His mask resembled delicate wings etched in symmetrical lines.
The swarm in the dark. His kikaichū moved like silent storms.
Seijuro had the sneakiest of suspicions that this man was part of Root.
Why, you may ask?
Seijuro never once felt any emotion from the man. Like, sure, ANBU are supposed to be cold killing machines.
But at least with the others, he saw some semblance of human emotion. The Ino-Shika-Chō trio? He saw a shit-ton of emotions. Even the Hyūga showed a little something.
But this dude? Stone cold. Also, the seal on his tongue was a dead giveaway.
"Wisp."
Inoichi Yamanaka. Sensor-nin. Interrogator.
His mask had spiraling mist patterns, nearly translucent.
He haunted the enemy's mind—literally.
Seijuro's voice echoed, smooth and without waste.
"Target: Hidden Mist Territory. Operation Mist Veil."
"Objective: Disrupt Kiri's war infrastructure from the inside. Spread chaos. Assassinate key targets. Plant false intelligence. Do not get caught. Do not engage unless it is to kill silently or escape cleanly."
He turned slightly, gazing over each one.
"Deer."
"Expect battlefield shifts. I'll need you guiding our path—adjustments by the hour."
Shikaku nodded grimly.
"Suicide odds: 78%. And if we get caught, I'm assuming no rescue," he said, looking at Seijuro.
"You are correct."
"What a drag," the man sighed, putting on his mask, still ready for the mission.
"Bull."
"Did you stock up on pills? Do we need to stop by a nearby shop so you can restock on calories?"
Choza patted his supply pouch with a grunt.
"I got enough to get fat, punch through a wall, then get even fatter."
"Moth."
"How are the colonies?"
Shiran, the Aburame, bowed slightly.
"Feeding has been optimal. I've bred a pheromone variant. Can mark targets from a distance for team tracking."
"Eagle."
"Anyone tracking us?"
The Hyūga's Byakugan had been active since entry.
"Nothing within five kilometers. We're clear."
"Wisp."
"I'll need deep-link sensory relay once we land. You'll be syncing us?"
Inoichi smirked faintly.
"Already started forming the bridge."
Inoichi would be their phone—he'd create a mental link between all of them, so they could talk without, you know...
Actually talking and all.
Seijuro's gaze narrowed.
"Good."
He looked over them one more time.
"I need your limits now. How far can you go?"
Each one gave their combat endurance, stamina levels, and chakra reserves. Most were at full. They'd been resting. Prepping.
There was no turning back once they stepped on that boat.
No rescue.
Only blood.
"Speaking of which... before we arrive there, we need to stock up on supplies. The best way to get into their village right now is as merchants."
They nodded.
—
Time Skip
The next day, the team arrived in the Land of Hot Springs.
All ANBU gear was sealed away.
They were disguised as pilgrims, tradesmen, and spa-goers. Simple travelers making their way east.
From a distance, they looked normal.
Even though they arrived on the first day, they didn't enter the boat to Kiri until six days later.
Why, you ask?
Well, they spent the first couple of days checking how Kiri worked. Seijuro had the Hyūga wear something over his eyes to hide his Byakugan—the man could still use it to look hella far, but now he just had something covering his pupil-less eyes.
Seijuro also had to put several city officials under his illusion to get the correct paperwork and enter the Land of Mist legally and all.
Going through all that tedious process, for that.
He also made sure the paper were given in such a way it made it look like they waited for months for it,
Even giving the people working there the illusion they were there a while.
A/N Also I am aware I said beating Sakomo would bring to much attention yet he beat him 59 time, I want to add extra context, when they only using swordmanship, Sakumo win, when Seijuro his illusion, he wins.
So the battle most of the time at least from the point of the anbu, is who is going to get their technique off first, if Sakumo overwhelm Seijuro first he win, but if Seijuro trick him, and place him under a genjutsu he win.