White Fang was the first to speak, explaining the situation.
It wasn't a sign of weakness—it was because he didn't want to start an all-out battle for no reason! The treasure was gone, and if both sides slaughtered each other here, what would it even be for?
Besides, White Fang was wary of Hattori Ryuuno.
That man was an all-rounder in battle—whether in close combat, long-range attacks, or prolonged skirmishes, he had no weaknesses. His fearsome reputation was not just for show. Though White Fang had never fought him before, he couldn't afford to take him lightly.
Hattori Ryuuno didn't respond to White Fang's words. Instead, he surveyed the great hall, analyzing the scene.
He examined the dust patterns on the ground.
Some areas had thick layers of dust, while others had thinner layers—likely due to tremors from battles in the forest above, which had shaken dust loose. Haruto Saito's footprints were still visible, partially covered by a new layer of dust, proving he had been here recently.
Then there were the marks left by stacked chests. The indentations in the dust were clear. Judging by the thickness of dust within the imprints, the chests had been moved some time ago—not today.
And then there was the luxurious wooden bed.
It too was covered in dust, but not as thickly—which meant it had been placed here more recently than the missing treasure.
Layered dust was the perfect evidence!
Based on these observations, Hattori Ryuuno concluded that the treasure had indeed been here—but had been moved before White Fang's arrival.
White Fang was telling the truth!
—
Silence filled the chamber.
The Konoha ninja remained tense, watching Hattori Ryuuno and the Seven Ninja Swordsmen closely.
A very awkward problem had emerged—
Hattori Ryuuno's forces were blocking the only exit!
The corridor was narrow, meaning Konoha's forces were effectively trapped inside the vault! Of course, Konoha had many powerful fighters, and they could fight their way out.
But if a battle broke out here, the vault could collapse—burying everyone alive!
Suddenly, muffled footsteps echoed from the tunnel.
More Mist ninja were arriving!
Since their skill levels varied, the faster, stronger ones had arrived first.
More and more Mist ninja poured into the tunnel, quickly increasing the number behind Hattori Ryuuno to seventy or eighty.
—
Two minutes had passed.
Hattori Ryuuno hadn't spoken yet—he was still deep in thought.
Where had the treasure gone?
"Haruto Saito... He didn't return to Konoha, meaning someone else sent the message back. Hiruzen Sarutobi dispatched White Fang here, but now the treasure is missing... Before this, only Haruto Saito knew the treasure's location... Could it be that... he moved it?"
Hattori Ryuuno considered the possibility.
It was the most logical explanation.
But something didn't add up.
Why would Haruto Saito move the treasure in secret? It didn't make sense. Did he have hidden motives against Konoha?
And even if he wanted to move it, how could he transport an entire treasure hoard alone?
Unless...
He hadn't moved it far—he had merely relocated it somewhere else in the Poison Punishment Forest, a place only he knew about. If the distance was short, he could have done it alone—running back and forth to carry it all.
"He's a defector from Amegakure..." Hattori Ryuuno suddenly recalled.
For a moment, he truly began to suspect Haruto Saito's loyalty!
But it was a flimsy theory—Haruto Saito was Hiruzen Sarutobi's personal disciple. Someone who was personally chosen by the Hokage would not have loyalty issues.
Otherwise, Hiruzen would never have taken him in!
Everything was becoming more and more confusing!
—
"If we must fight, let's take it outside!" White Fang suddenly spoke. "If we battle here, we'll all be buried alive."
His meaning was crystal clear.
Hattori Ryuuno understood as well.
If they fought here, the vault would collapse.
Even if the rest stayed back, just a battle between him and White Fang alone could bring the entire place down!
As soon as White Fang finished speaking, two men standing beside him removed their masks.
The man on his left was in his thirties, had a bearded face, and exuded the air of a high-ranking leader.
Hattori Ryuuno's expression changed slightly!
This man was none other than Nara Rakuyama, Supreme Commander of Konoha's Fourth Division!
He had personally come to help White Fang open the vault!
Then, the white-eyed ninja on White Fang's right removed his mask.
Only now did Hattori Ryuuno realize—this was Hyuga Raita, head of the Hyuga Clan's Branch Family!
Hattori Ryuuno suddenly understood something.
His side no longer had the advantage!
He had previously considered an opportunity to eliminate White Fang.
But now, that seemed impossible!
Both Nara Rakuyama and Hyuga Raita were renowned powerhouses!
Even worse—their status meant they never traveled alone. Whether it was the Fourth Division Commander's personal guard or the Hyuga Branch Family's elite escort unit, they were always accompanied by top-tier fighters!
Which meant... the masked Konoha ninja standing behind them were likely all extremely strong!
—
"Fine. We'll take this fight outside." Hattori Ryuuno finally nodded.
He then signaled his men to retreat, and White Fang followed closely behind.
Hattori Ryuuno briefly considered collapsing the tunnel to trap White Fang's forces underground—but the idea was pointless. With over a hundred Konoha ninja, they could dig their way out even if all the exits were sealed.
Both sides moved slowly. Once White Fang's team entered the tunnel, no one dared to make a reckless move.
If a fight broke out now, the entire tunnel could collapse, burying everyone alive!
It took a nerve-wracking twenty minutes for both sides to return to the surface.
—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The fight erupted instantly!
Without hesitation, everyone attacked!
After all, they were enemies!
Even if they had just encountered each other in the wilderness, they would have fought anyway!
White Fang clashed against Hattori Ryuuno.
Nara Rakuyama and Hyuga Raita led their forces against the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
—
This battle was fated to have no clear winner.
Both sides were too evenly matched!
After two intense hours of combat, both sides had suffered casualties—and then they withdrew!
There was no point in continuing.
Both sides had come for the treasure—but the treasure was gone!
If they kept fighting, it would only result in massive losses for both sides.
Neither Konoha nor the Mist could afford that.
So, both forces retreated.
While there had been casualties, the overall losses were minimal.
Now, both White Fang and Hattori Ryuuno had only one thing on their minds—
Where was the treasure?!
—
As soon as White Fang's forces withdrew from the Poison Punishment Forest, he immediately sent an urgent report to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The treasure was missing.
And in his analysis, he reached a single conclusion—
Right now, there was only one person in the entire ninja world who knew where the treasure was...
Haruto Saito!