My Techniques are a bit off

In the following days, everything was unexpectedly quiet.

Link had expected attacks to increase after entering the Land of Rivers, but to his surprise, several days passed without incident. The convoy safely reached its destination—a bustling town.

The streets were lively, crowded with people and filled with the constant noise of vendors calling out their wares. Many passersby wore straw hats.

[Is it because we're close to the Land of Rain? There must be a lot of Amegakure people here.]

Link scanned the pedestrians near the convoy, diligently fulfilling his role as a bodyguard.

"Don't be so tense," Nara Ensui said casually. "A B-rank mission like this is already more than halfway done once we've reached the city. No one would attempt an assassination in broad daylight here."

"That would break the rules."

While the wealthy and powerful might tolerate covert assassinations, they wouldn't condone blatant disruptions to public order.

Despite its flaws, the Land of Rivers was a resource-rich nation, and other countries would at least show it some respect.

The convoy passed through the bustling streets and soon checked into a Inn. As usual, Link patrolled the area with Iris and Ami to ensure safety. During their rounds, he suddenly felt the sensation of being watched and turned his head.

It was a kunoichi from the Sunagakure. She had a pretty face, short blonde hair tied into four small braids, and wore a light purple long-sleeved, tight-fitting dress over a mesh bodysuit. A large fan was strapped to her back.

Her height was about… 155 centimeters.

Link, ever sensitive to height, quickly assessed her exact stature.

Their gazes briefly met before they each looked away.

[That outfit, and a Sunagakure kunoichi... is that Temari?]

He speculated. If the target really was Temari, it likely meant the Sunagakure had sent Baki as the Jōnin to secure the gold mine—the same elite Jōnin who, with one move, nearly killed the protagonist, Naruto.

[If a fight breaks out...]

Link began planning countermeasures. As a reincarnator, he had memorized detailed information about notable characters, ensuring he wouldn't fall victim to a first encounter. Armed with foreknowledge, he could simulate potential battles.

Clearly, the Sunagakure placed great importance on the gold mine.

Moreover, by this time, the Sunagakure would have already set the Konoha Crush plan into motion. Both Temari and Kankuro were canonically held back from promotion, waiting to participate in the Chūnin Exams at Konoha as part of the scheme.

Even though the Sunagakure and Konohagakure were still allies at this point, vigilance was essential.

After completing a patrol around the Inn, Link regrouped with his teammates at the agreed time. It was then he learned that not only had the Sunagakure arrived, but the Amegakure had as well.

The officials of the Land of Rivers had assigned merchants from the three nations to Inns adjacent to each other, explaining their presence.

The trio reported their findings to Nara Ensui, who was guarding the Land of Fire merchant.

"I understand," Nara Ensui acknowledged. "Everyone will need to be extra vigilant tonight."

…

That Night: Moonless, Rainy, and Windy

Perhaps due to their proximity to the Land of Rain, a light drizzle began after nightfall.

"Drip, drip, drip…"

Rainwater dripped continuously, forming ripples in the puddles below.

"Hmm?!"

Leaning against a wall, waiting silently, Link suddenly straightened up. He felt a noticeable drain in his stamina.

This signaled that his shadow had detected something unusual and shifted from its two-dimensional state to three-dimensional, consuming more energy to alert him.

Gathering chakra, forming seals, and releasing—

Shadow Clone Technique.

Link gripped a kunai, opened a window, and climbed onto the rooftop. His shadow clone stood at the edge, staring at the neighboring Inn.

It was the one housing the Amegakure merchants and Amegakure shinobi.

From the rooftop, he couldn't discern exactly what was happening, but the faint scent of blood, diluted by the rain, reached his nose.

Looking down, he noticed the water flowing from the Inn's drainage system had turned dark red.

[Something happened...]

Link didn't rush over but heightened his vigilance. If Amegakure shinobi were being killed, it had nothing to do with him. However, he had to consider the possibility that the culprit might target his group next.

"Crash!"

A window shattered, and a Amegakure shinobi wearing a respirator was thrown out, landing in the street below. His face was pale, and a gaping wound the size of a bowl pierced his chest and back. Moments later, his lifeless body lay still.

Link's gaze shifted to the broken window. In the dim light, he saw the assailant—a man wearing a straw hat, with a Amegakure headband hanging around his neck. Unlike typical Amegakure shinobi, he lacked a respirator and had a knife scar on his right cheek.

Noticing Link, the man smirked provocatively.

[A rogue ninja? No...]

Link stood motionless, observing the scene calmly. Meanwhile, his shadow quietly crept through the rain, moving beneath the Inn, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

In a four-person team, Nara Ensui, the Jōnin, was responsible for the core protection role and wouldn't leave the merchant's side. Among the remaining three, Link, as a Chūnin, was tasked with decision-making and tactical leadership.

Even as a body hit the ground, its fall masked by the rain, Link trusted that Iris and Ami, stationed below, had heard it. Despite the provocation, he refrained from any aggressive action.

For the mission's sake, he couldn't afford unnecessary conflict.

Raindrops fell from his sleeves as Link stood still, like a statue. From his vantage point, he quietly watched the supposed rogue shinobi slaughter the entire Inn's occupants before retreating without haste.

Only when the group of shinobi disappeared into the distance did Link withdraw his gaze, re-enter the Inn, dismiss his shadow clone, and return to his post despite his wet clothes.

…

The next morning, the Land of Fire merchant headed to the gold mine auction site, with Link, still in damp clothes, trailing behind.

"Well done," Nara Ensui said, deliberately falling back a few steps to walk beside Link (though not shoulder-to-shoulder for obvious reasons). He didn't hold back his praise before rejoining the group.

Could a Jōnin miss what happened at the neighboring Inn?

Absolutely not. In fact, he had probably noticed it earlier than Link.

Link felt a flicker of pride. So far, his performance as a Chūnin promoted under exceptional circumstances had been satisfactory, earning a compliment from a Jōnin.

Still... the Amegakure shinobi without respirators lingered in his thoughts.

According to the timeline, the Amegakure was still embroiled in internal conflict. Hanzo of the Salamander should still be alive, given that Amegakure ninjas during the Chūnin Exams were shown wearing respirators.

This meant the rogue shinobi from last night were likely associated with the Akatsuki.

Would the Akatsuki ignore the gold mine? Unlikely.