Naruto: Mastered Your Strategy?

A silent night, under a cold and indifferent moon.

Knock knock knock

Kurenai opened the door and found Asuma standing there, the smell of alcohol hitting her immediately, causing her to frown slightly.

"What is it, this late?" she asked.

"Hey, Kurenai," Asuma began, but the words he had rehearsed earlier suddenly stuck in his throat.

"What happened to your door?" He scratched his head, noticing the makeshift patch on the wooden door.

Kurenai's expression darkened ever so slightly. "I forgot my key once and had to break in."

"Oh." Asuma chuckled awkwardly, followed by an uncomfortable silence.

"Do you need something?"

"I'm leaving for that mission I told you about tomorrow," Asuma said.

"Mhm, be careful on the way."

"Uh... is there anything you'd like me to bring back for you?"

"No, thanks."

Behind Asuma, the hallway was dimly lit, while Kurenai stood in the warm light of her apartment's entrance. He glanced into her room but could tell from her calm expression that she had no intention of inviting him in.

"Good luck with the Special Jōnin exam," Asuma said clumsily.

"Thank you."

"... Sorry to bother you. Get some rest."

Asuma fidgeted awkwardly, not knowing what to do with his hands, before finally scratching his cheek with his index finger.

"..."

Watching Asuma's dejected figure turn and walk away, Kurenai felt a pang of guilt.

They had grown up together, and while she didn't harbor strong romantic feelings for him now, she couldn't deny that she had once envisioned a future with him.

"Asuma."

He stopped suddenly, turning back, eyes filled with hope that only deepened Kurenai's guilt. She avoided his gaze.

"... You should drink less, and cut back on smoking too."

"Oh... okay."

Asuma stood there, dumbfounded for a moment, before quickly nodding in agreement.

"Goodnight," he said, smiling once more and waving goodbye.

Bang. The door closed.

Kurenai leaned against the door, staring up at the ceiling light for a long time before lowering her head, feeling a mix of frustration and confusion.

"Just leave me alone, all of you…"

...

The Land of Hot Water.

A famous hot spring resort, frequently visited by travelers dressed in various, exotic styles from all over. Once home to the Hidden Village of Hot Water, its ninja forces had dwindled after the great wars, as the local daimyo had deliberately weakened them. Over time, the village had earned a reputation as "the village that forgot war." Yet, due to its beautiful natural environment and tourism industry, it was evolving into a neutral country.

Ren silently followed Asuma to a small town and booked a room in the same inn, right next to Asuma's, without any hesitation, not bothering to hide his presence.

His instructions from both the Hokage and Danzo were clear: do not reveal himself or intervene unless absolutely necessary. He had also reviewed Asuma's mission, which was a B-rank task involving the elimination of a group of rogue ninjas from a cult that had infiltrated the Land of Hot Water.

Based on the description, it didn't seem like a particularly difficult mission, but there were reports from other villages indicating several squads had already been lost there. This was why Sarutobi had refused to let Asuma take the mission alone.

In terms of difficulty, B-rank missions could vary greatly, with the expectation that they might involve combat against enemy shinobi. These tasks were categorized as B-rank or higher. However, in rare cases, B-rank missions could turn out to be more challenging than certain A-rank missions.

Soaking in the misty hot springs, Ren was only a few meters away from Asuma, though they couldn't see each other through the thick steam.

So relaxing to bathe in a hot spring during winter... Ren mused, thinking he should bring Shisui here one day.

After the bath, Asuma returned to his room, while Ren went out to gather intelligence on the mission.

It appeared Asuma wasn't particularly motivated, as he seemed rather laid-back about the whole task.

Ren, however, discovered some useful information. Rumor had it that a group calling themselves "the Sacred Cult" had been preaching the teachings of an "Undying God" in the town. They even performed public demonstrations, claiming to behead people only to have them survive, which attracted many believers, including locals and travelers.

The legend of the Undying God seemed deliberately spread, and the cult was now seeking twenty young women to offer up to this deity, promising them a cure for all diseases and even the ability to bring the dead back to life.

Ren attended one of these sermons, listening to a long and convoluted speech about the deity's teachings. He was even handed a flyer explaining how to participate in the rituals to worship the Undying God.

Many people seemed genuinely interested, likely because they had sick loved ones and had placed their last hopes in this empty faith.

Returning to the inn, Ren slipped the flyer under Asuma's door before heading back to his own room to rest.

The next morning, Asuma left his room, ready to gather information for the mission, only to find the flyer on the ground.

He picked it up and stared at it for a moment, bewildered.

"Well, that was easy," he muttered.

Indeed, it had been easy for him, unaware of the effort Ren had put into obtaining that information the night before.

Asuma took the flyer and went to the indicated location, where he encountered three robed cultists, but they blocked his way, saying that men were not allowed to worship the Undying God.

Meanwhile, Ren, having transformed into a young woman using a transformation jutsu, was easily allowed inside. As he passed by Asuma, he couldn't help but glance at him with a look that said, Idiot.

The flyer clearly stated they were only looking for twenty young women, yet Asuma had stubbornly shown up anyway. No wonder he was denied entry.

Fortunately, Asuma wasn't entirely clueless. After leaving, he also used a transformation jutsu to sneak back in.

"Devout followers of the Undying God, it is only at sunset that our prayers will be heard by the divine," announced one of the cultists, leading Ren and the other women into a room where they were told to wait. Ren noticed that Asuma, in disguise, had begun chatting with some of the women, likely trying to gather more details about the ritual.

As dusk fell, the cultists led the group of women out of the town, through forests and rivers, to a hidden cave.

What kind of god needs to be worshiped in a place so hidden from the light? Ren thought, already making mental notes of the terrain and escape routes in case a fight broke out.

It seemed Asuma was thinking along similar lines, as his eyes constantly scanned their surroundings.

Inside the cave, they were hit with a wave of damp, stagnant air. After wading through a shallow pool, they entered a large, open space. Immediately, Ren picked up the scent of a strange fragrance.

There were stone steps, and on a stone table sat an offering tablet, illuminated by large torches that bathed the otherwise gloomy cave in a flickering light.

Not very impressive, Ren thought. These heretics hadn't even bothered with elaborate theatrics.

"Welcome, faithful followers of the Undying God," a man in a white robe greeted them with a smile.

"Your devotion will earn you the divine power to fulfill your wishes," he said, prompting excitement among the women.

"Is that true? I want to cure my mother."

"My father's been sick for a long time."

"Me too!"

The girls' enthusiasm brought a pleased smile to the white-robed man's face.

"To worship the Undying God, one must purify themselves. You will need to drink the holy water to cleanse your bodies before offering your prayers," he said.

The black-robed cultists brought out trays of wooden cups filled with the so-called "holy water" and began distributing them.

Ren accepted a cup and noticed it was a green liquid that gave off a sweet fragrance.

Using his Sharingan, he could see that the liquid was infused with a unique chakra.

One of the women eagerly drank from her cup, but soon her eyes lost all life, her expression going blank.

Ren realized then that the liquid served as a medium for casting genjutsu, and the strange scent in the cave amplified its effects. Even a ninja who drank it wouldn't be able to break free easily.

Clatter!

Asuma smashed his cup on the ground, shouting, "Don't drink that! This guy's a fraud!"

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