Mid-January, Konoha Year 61 – Land of Wind
Night fell upon the sandy coast of the Land of Wind. Clusters of bonfires dotted the surroundings. Along the coastline stood numerous ninja, their expressions tense, hands gripping kunai or shuriken, all eyes fixed on the sea.
In the shallow waters near the shore, a colossal iron ship lay anchored. Thick black smoke billowed from its massive funnels. From the ship's deck, an endless stream of soldiers clad in black armor, wearing steel helmets and wielding giant hammers, leaped down.
They landed without a word, only the heavy thud of their footsteps breaking the silence as they charged directly towards the crowd on the shore.
Seeing the large contingent of armored soldiers, the ninja bearing Sand forehead protectors readied themselves for battle.
Closer and closer they came. The soldiers finally clashed with the Sand ninja. A soldier at the forefront raised his giant hammer and swung it down towards the ninja before him. The Sand ninja reacted swiftly, retreating backward explosively, only to be immediately overwhelmed by a barrage of kunai and shuriken flying from all directions, aimed at the soldier.
Seeing the soldier riddled with projectiles, the Sand ninja breathed a small sigh of relief. But before he could fully react, a giant hammer flew through the air, striking him squarely in the chest.
The immense force sent the Sand ninja flying backward, blood instantly spewing from his mouth. He crashed against a large rock, finally stopping. Painfully lifting his head, the Sand ninja stared forward in horror. The soldier, who should have been turned into a pincushion by the kunai and shuriken, stood up as if completely unharmed. The giant hammer was missing from his hands – clearly, he was the one who had just attacked.
"H-How... how is this possible..." The Sand ninja's pupils contracted, watching the soldier walk towards him. He muttered in disbelief, "Could it be... Is he undead...?"
At that moment, cries of agony filled the air all around. Faced with the seemingly immortal nature of these soldiers, the Sand ninja forces were being routed, falling into utter disarray...
Konoha Village
After comfortably eating and drinking at home for half a month, Haruno Sakura felt like she'd gained weight. Since the New Year had passed, Tsunade-sensei hadn't assigned her any missions, and Kakashi-sensei was nowhere to be seen. This allowed Sakura a rare period of doing little besides eating and sleeping.
Aside from the somewhat tiring nightly sessions training Junko, Sakura was quite content with her current life. Konoha truly was a gentle haven...
However, comfortable days always come to an end.
"Sakura, Tsunade-sensei wants you to see her this afternoon," Karin relayed the message when she returned at noon.
"Got it. Looks like there's a mission!" Sakura responded, sprawled inelegantly on the sofa.
After lunch and a short rest, Sakura stretched lazily, said goodbye to Mebuki, and headed out. Unexpectedly, Karin followed her.
"Huh? Are you coming with me?" Sakura glanced at Karin in surprise.
"Sensei told me to go too," Karin replied.
"Is that so..." Sakura mused. If Karin's joining, the mission probably involves tracking something.
Some time had passed since the New Year, and the village crowds had gradually thinned, no longer as bustling as before. Sakura and Karin chatted idly as they walked down the village streets.
Soon, they arrived at the Hokage building. After greeting the ninja on duty, Sakura led Karin straight to the Hokage's office.
Knock knock.
"Enter."
Sakura managed to remember to knock this time, narrowly avoiding barging straight in and earning another lecture from Tsunade-sensei.
Entering the office, she found a boy already present. Sakura had no intention of acknowledging him and addressed Tsunade directly. "Sensei, you wanted to see me."
"Mm, looks like everyone's here," Tsunade nodded. "I have a mission for you all."
"What kind of mission?"
"A merchant caravan arrived in the village this morning. They've commissioned us to find their missing ferret," Tsunade paused. "The mission rank is D-rank. However, the handover point is in a village within the Land of Wind."
"Huh? Why do we have to go to the Land of Wind for the handover?" Sakura asked, confused.
"This caravan came from west of the Land of Rain. They won't be staying in Konoha but continuing onward, passing through this specific village in the Land of Wind. You aren't particularly skilled at tracking, but the journey is long. Just in case, I've added you to the team," Tsunade stated nonchalantly.
So I'm just a bodyguard, Sakura grumbled silently.
"Neji, you should know him," Tsunade gestured towards the boy Sakura had been ignoring. "Neji and Karin will be your teammates for this mission."
"Yes, understood!" Sakura acknowledged, looking at the white-eyed boy. Although she didn't want to interact with him, maintaining good relations was necessary for teammates. She extended her right hand towards Neji with a smile. "Please take care of me..."
"Hmph!" Neji glanced at Sakura's outstretched hand but didn't take it, merely snorting dismissively.
Sakura felt awkward. What is Tsunade-sensei thinking? Why not assign Naruto and Sasuke? Even Hinata would be better. But then again, Naruto and Sasuke weren't skilled trackers either, and the mission was long-distance, taking place in another country. Sending Hinata might not be suitable. Neji was strong, and his Byakugan was perfect for reconnaissance. Combined with Karin's sensory perception... the arrangement seemed tactically sound. Still, looking at Neji's somewhat cold expression, Sakura felt a headache coming on. Neji seems quite hostile towards me. Coincidentally, I'm not exactly fond of him either...
"Sakura," Tsunade frowned, her tone serious. "Don't mess this up, understand?"
"Yes, Sensei, please rest assured!" Sakura immediately straightened up and replied formally.
"Call me Lady Hokage!" Tsunade corrected, displeased.
"Yes, Lady Hokage!"
"This is fur from the ferret in question. According to the caravan, the ferret might be somewhere in the Land of Rivers," Tsunade handed Sakura a small, transparent vial. "Depart immediately."
"Yes!"
Konoha Village Gate
Neji looked disapprovingly at the tardy Haruno Sakura. "You took too long preparing!"
After leaving Tsunade-sensei's office, Sakura had sent Neji ahead to gather supplies while she took Karin straight to the Konoha Hospital. There, she found Shizune-senpai and stocked up on various antidotes. Recalling how she almost died last time due to lacking an antidote, Sakura felt it was better to be prepared, especially since Sand ninja were known to use poisons. While encountering them, let alone fighting them, was unlikely, it was always better to be safe than sorry. Afterward, she had gone home to grab the various flavored soldier pills she had made during her recent idle time. After her previous experiences, Sakura would rather have supplies she didn't need than need supplies she didn't have.
Naturally, all this took some time. Hearing Neji's complaint, Sakura rolled her eyes but didn't bother responding. Perhaps because of my interference, Naruto never had his 'talk' with Neji. His attitude hasn't changed at all.
"Fine. You're the Hokage's disciple anyway. Do as you please," Neji turned away, shrugging with a hint of arrogance. "Well then, Captain, where should we search first?"
Sakura rolled her eyes again, unfolded the map, and pointed to markings on it. "We head to the River Country Canyon first. The client indicated this general area."
"Then let's go, Captain!" Neji nodded curtly and set off first.
Karin observed the palpable tension emanating from Neji but said nothing, silently falling in step behind Sakura. Her intuition told her this person wouldn't be easy to get along with. Clutching the vial containing the ferret fur, she followed the other two as they began running through the forests of the Land of Fire.
The Land of Rivers bordered the Land of Fire, nestled between it and the Land of Wind. Though caught between major powers, unlike the Land of Rain which often became a battlefield, the Land of Rivers was seldom touched by war. Consequently, no hidden village ever formed there. The local Daimyo actively developed commerce and agriculture, making it one of the most popular countries for civilians, alongside the Land of Fire and the Land of Tea. This, perhaps, suggested that ninja hadn't played a universally positive role in the world.
The River Country Canyon lay at the border between the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers. Passing through the canyon led directly into the Land of Wind. For ordinary people, national borders held little meaning; wherever there was no war, that was their home. It was as simple as that.
A river snaked through the bottom of the canyon. High above, a suspension bridge spanned the gorge, connecting both sides. Lush forests flanked the bridge, teeming with various animals going about their lives.
Suddenly, a flock of small birds burst startled from the forest canopy, signaling the arrival of uninvited guests who shattered the forest's tranquility.
Neji looked up at the fleeing birds. "I have reason to suspect you are currently unqualified to hold the rank of Chunin," he stated coolly, then shook his head slightly. "But never mind. You are the Hokage's disciple, after all."
"I don't think I've offended you, Neji!" Sakura retorted, frowning at his sarcastic tone.
Neji glanced dismissively at Sakura. "No, you haven't. I am merely stating facts." He then turned to Karin. "I hear your sensory perception is excellent. There's faint chakra residue on the ferret fur Lady Hokage provided. The ferret is likely a ninja beast. We'll rely on you for tracking from here."
"Understood," Karin replied professionally. She disliked Neji's attitude but knew they couldn't afford infighting during a mission. She had already sensed the chakra when she received the vial.
Sakura felt a surge of anger at being ignored but internally admitted that Neji wasn't entirely wrong. She still lacked some of the essential qualities of a Chunin. Her promotion had been based on past achievements that exceeded expectations for her age – likely a misjudgment by the Third Hokage. As she grew older, the gap between her and true geniuses would narrow, gradually diminishing her initial advantages. However, possessing memories from another world still gave her a unique perspective, unconstrained by this world's norms. That remained a slight edge.
Tsunade-sensei probably made me captain on this mission to give me a chance to justify canceling my previous punishment and retaining my Chunin rank.
From that perspective, Neji wasn't wrong; being the Hokage's disciple certainly came with privileges. But Sakura still felt infuriated by Neji's negative, fatalistic attitude.