"Are you sure?"
Ringo, who had originally planned to complain a few times, couldn't help but become serious when she heard the intelligence from Amane.
"An abnormal biological Chakra behind us suddenly disappeared. It doesn't seem to be caused by other creatures."
The two kept their voices low, intentionally hiding it from Ye and Toyama Kei, who was accompanying them. There was no other way; Ye simply didn't inspire their trust, neither in terms of strength nor acting.
It was better to stay ignorant with the target of the mission; this way, they could even confuse the enemy.
"You're smart; do you have any countermeasures?"
Amane blinked, a little surprised that Ringo would trust her so much in an emergency, not only asking for her opinion but also praising her. For a moment, Amane felt a slight urge to court death.
"I still prefer your previous wild and untamed look."
A dazzling blue Lightning Bolt appeared simultaneously with a dangerous look in her eyes, and Amane quickly raised her hands in surrender.
"You'll see the old me when we get back. Hurry up and get to the point!"
Amane said she was happy to be a little mischievous. Ringo, when angry and when in a good mood, had her own cute points, especially at her current young age, which was truly synonymous with 'fiercely adorable.'
"First, we need to figure out his purpose and allegiance. I've already sent a Shadow Clone over."
"You can even use Shadow Clone Jutsu?!"
The Shadow Clone Jutsu originated from the Second Hokage, but because this Jutsu was too useful for reconnaissance, and the Second Hokage had passed away decades ago, this Jutsu was no longer exclusive to Konoha in the Ninja World.
(PS: In the original work, other Ninja villages' Ninja have used it, but both were from Iwagakure. In the TV and movie versions, other Ninja villages can use it, including the Fourth Raikage.)
However, this Jutsu is not something anyone can use; its difficulty is B-rank. The Chakra consumed to perform this Jutsu is something ordinary Ninja simply cannot bear, and it also has dangerous side effects.
"Well, if it's you, you wouldn't use Ninjutsu recklessly, would you?"
Although a moment of worry arose, Ringo quickly realized how cunning the girl in front of her was; this was someone who had managed to defeat her using only some very ordinary Ninjutsu.
So why did she feel worried for a moment?
Thinking of this, a feeling of displeasure began to spread in Ringo's heart, and then she punched Amane.
"What are you doing? Are you under Genjutsu?"
She quickly activated her sensing ability to check, but Ringo's Chakra was flowing normally, just exceptionally vibrant. So, was she the one under Genjutsu?
"Hmph! Idiot!"
???
It felt somewhat familiar, like when communicating with girls and they suddenly start acting crazy for no reason. She didn't expect to still be confused now that she was the one. Could it be that her Feminization wasn't deep enough?
"I went there in Lady Terumi's form."
Although she was inexplicably sulking, the necessary explanation still had to be given.
"Hmm? But if they dare to track us, they should be of the sensing type, right?"
The reason Transformation Jutsu became a mandatory Ninjutsu for Ninja is that non-Sensing Ninja have difficulty truly determining its authenticity. Its versatility and practicality are simply maxed out.
But in the current situation, the possibility that the person following them is not a sensing type is not very high.
"It doesn't matter if my true identity is discovered. The question is, when they see this face, will they choose to attack directly or to talk?"
If it's our side who senses that the person in front is a fake Lady Terumi, it doesn't matter, because Amane's Chakra has already been recorded. But if it's the enemy, will they choose to attack directly or engage in deceptive talk?
And if it's a conversation, Amane has a bit of confidence to test the opponent.
"I see. If they attack directly, there's a high probability they're the enemy. And if they choose to talk, will you discern if they're a spy yourself?"
It was indeed a very thorough probing method. But at this moment, Ringo suddenly thought of an interesting scenario: what if the person following them was Lady Terumi herself?
However, she immediately dismissed this strange thought. If it were her, it would be even simpler; wouldn't she just dispel the Shadow Clone? Lady Terumi isn't the type to say things like "disrespectful" and charge forward to attack.
Lady Terumi's gentle personality was truly well-known throughout Hidden Mist... "Who dares to impersonate me! How disrespectful!"
Lady Terumi's eyes held a hint of a smile, but her face was filled with anger as she spoke to the person who looked exactly like her.
"…"
Amane's Shadow Clone formed hand signs, preparing to leave, but just as her hands moved, a beautiful woman's face appeared before her, and her hands were seized.
[It's Shadow Clone Jutsu. And you even transformed into my appearance. You've thought this through very carefully.]
As a Kirigakure elite who had seen many battles, Lady Terumi instantly analyzed Amane's intention and was also surprised that she could be discovered by these three children under ten years old.
Now, it seems this plan needs to change.
[This girl's intelligence is a problem. According to intelligence, she has already gained the trust of two teammates. As long as she doesn't panic, she can completely end this trial in a way I don't want. How about...]
"You dared to transform into my likeness without permission, Young Lady, you are very bold."
"Is there something Lady Terumi needs?"
She glanced behind Lady Terumi. Although she couldn't see, her sensing ability had detected people just as Lady Terumi made her move. Amane wondered if she was on some special mission.
"How did you discover us?"
She didn't mention the disrespectful matter again; Lady Terumi had only wanted to scare the Young Lady a little.
Then, as Amane explained her discovery, Lady Terumi silently shifted her gaze to a certain direction behind her.
"Write a self-reflection report when you get back!"
Amane still couldn't see the person there, but that surge of resentment came directly at her.
"Disobedient? Still making faces at a child? Double it!"
"Lady Terumi, my discovery was also by chance. I mainly used a Shadow Clone to confirm what was behind me; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to detect it from this distance."
Amane quickly tried to plead, though it might not have any practical use, being resented by someone was never good.
"Hmm... that's fine too. Speaking of which, are you interested in becoming my student?"
Looking at that gentle smiling face, Amane's mind didn't react for a moment.
What kind of tactic is this? I only thought about becoming a high-ranking Kirigakure Ninja before. Or is this to keep her close to Lady Terumi for surveillance?
Seeing Amane seemingly stuck, Lady Terumi patted her shoulder and continued, "Although you're not from a prominent family, as you said before, time can prove everything. How about it? Want to come to big sister's side?"
"I need to go back and discuss it with Mr. Nakamura..." Amane planned to stall for a bit. But even though she brought up her guardian, Lady Terumi still didn't stop persuading her.
"Mr. Nakamura is very strong, but in my opinion, your fighting style doesn't match his at all.
He excels in Kenjutsu and Wind Release Chakra, making him formidable at close and mid-range. But you don't have Wind Release Chakra, do you?
Being able to simultaneously test for both Water and Lightning Attributes proves you possess Bloodline Limit talent. When it comes to this, I am the unrivaled choice in this Hidden Mist Village, you also want to become stronger as soon as possible to help Mr. Nakamura, right?"
Indeed, whether a Bloodline Limit can be cultivated depends on talent. And this talent is reflected in whether you can simultaneously get two results from Chakra Nature detection.
For example, with the Chakra Paper in the original work. If a piece of paper shows two changes without training, it means you are naturally capable of using two Chakra Natures simultaneously; this is a talent.
(The above is a fan setting)
[I see, thinking about it, Kirigakure's talent pool has indeed severely withered. If I interpret it this way, Lady Terumi's actions today can be explained. But... why do I feel like my situation is getting deeper and deeper?]
Perhaps it was still a bit of youthful arrogance, or perhaps the talent she possessed in this life made Amane want to display it, thereby gaining the satisfaction she lacked in her previous life.
In the beginning, Amane had only used her above-average Chakra and outstanding sensing abilities as selling points. Subsequently, she believed her performance was low-key, except during her battle with Ameyuri Ringo.
[Ye's level was too poor, exceeding my expectations. I should have let Ringo beat me up and then 'given up on myself' at that time.]
Victory led to the addition of strategic thinking and flexible combat as selling points, besides the two prominent ones mentioned earlier, which is why she now attracted Lady Terumi's attention.
For Amane herself, this was not a bad thing; she could accumulate powerful capital through these experiences.
However... the weight of the word'spy' became heavier.
[If I'm exposed in the future, it will truly ignite hatred. Although Danzo gave the orders, I am still the one executing them.]
She couldn't help but recall Yakushi Kabuto, a well-known spy in the Ninja World. But his situation was completely different from Amane's. Kabuto lost his sense of self after Yakushi Nono's death, so he could erase his self and emotions, but Amane couldn't do such a thing now.
However... [I really want to fully experience this new life.]
If she were honest with herself, Amane felt somewhat apologetic morally due to the current situation, but on the other hand, she was genuinely happy to be chosen.
It seemed contradictory, but in reality, these were not two ends of a scale; if anything, it was a bit of a dilemma.
"I will consider it carefully, Lady Terumi."
Anyway, it wasn't appropriate to make a decision now, so Amane planned to stall for a while and sort out her feelings.
"Understood. Then, the day after you complete this mission, I hope to receive your answer."
[She's really in a hurry. However, from itachi shinden, the time Yagura was released from Genjutsu should be within six months to a year.]
But nothing happened during the Anbu arc that should have belonged to Kakashi, making Amane doubt the authenticity of the anime original plot. Many of the timeline inconsistencies in Naruto were caused by the anime.
"So, big sister gave you this opportunity, shouldn't you help big sister with a favor later?"
Saying this, Lady Terumi showed a mischievous smile.