Several days later, under the scorching sun of the Land of Wind.
Hidezawa, Yugao, and Shisui trudged slowly across the endless desert. Their footsteps left shallow imprints on the golden sand before the wind quickly erased them, as if they had never existed at all.
The Land of Wind had always lived up to its name—sunny skies, a blazing horizon, and beauty so sharp it almost mocked them. But beneath that beauty, the climate was merciless. The air was so dry it felt like their lungs were constantly parched, and the sun overhead bore down with a cruelty that made even the seasoned shinobi squint.
Along the way, Hidezawa glanced at the ground several times. Scattered across the dunes were remains—skeletons, bleached white by the desert sun.
The desert was littered with such silent reminders. To Hidezawa, it was absurd that anyone could choose to settle here.
"Is this really a place for humans to live?" he asked aloud, frowning.
Konoha, in comparison, was paradise. At least in the forests of Land of Fire, he could see wild boars charging about or deer with their silly expressions, grazing without a care. Here, the only animals were sand lizards and birds that looked ready to sink their beaks into him if he showed a moment of weakness.
Shisui tugged at the scarf covering his head, clearly uncomfortable, though he managed a small smile. "The climate here is… extreme. But for the mission, we still have to endure it."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Hidezawa waved dismissively. Missions, missions—Shisui always sounded so damn earnest about them, more enthusiastic than him, even though Hidezawa's entire livelihood depended on them.
"However, Hidezawa, you seem to have recovered a bit."
Yugao's calm voice broke through his thoughts. She turned her head slightly, her sharp eyes studying him with quiet intensity. "When we set off, you seemed a little listless. But now, despite the harsh environment, you look much better. It seems I don't need to worry."
"Oh?" Hidezawa raised an eyebrow, smirking. "So, senpai, you've been paying attention to me all this time? I'm flattered."
The playful tone didn't mask the truth—his mood really had been dark a few days ago. Who wouldn't be when handed a suicidal mission?
Eliminate Pakura.
Danzo had said it so casually, as if he were asking him to fetch groceries instead of assassinate a kunoichi who was, by all accounts, monstrously powerful. Hidezawa wasn't even sure he could defeat her, let alone kill her.
Sure, his stats were impressive, and he was already hovering around jōnin-level strength. Once he hit LV7, he could probably match an elite-jōnin. But Pakura? That woman wasn't someone ordinary. She might already be elite-jōnin, maybe even stronger. And she wasn't exactly easy to find either—last he'd heard, she was on her way to Kirigakure, practically courting death.
The more Hidezawa thought about it, the more suspicious the mission seemed. Could it be that damned dog Danzo was actually using this as a way to test whether Uchiha Shisui could be eliminated? Aburame Tatsuma's words echoed in his head: "Don't you still have your Anbu teammates?"
A sarcastic smile escaped his lips. 'Following Danzo really means you could be sold out at any time.'
What should have been a simple reconnaissance had now become an assassination—an assassination where he was clearly nothing but a sacrificial pawn. Danzo himself never dirtied his hands; he stirred up chaos with empty words, letting others die while he sat comfortably in the shadows.
Hidezawa had also noticed something else: every mission from Danzo clashed directly with Hiruzen's goals. Hiruzen valued stability. Danzo craved chaos, the kind of chaos that could raise his status and tighten his grip on power.
Still, Hidezawa wasn't stupid. A mission only said "eliminate Pakura". It never specified how. That left plenty of room for interpretation—and manipulation.
"You… isn't it natural to care about your teammates?" Yugao said suddenly, her voice slightly strained. Clearly, his teasing earlier had unsettled her. She quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, we need to focus on the mission. Patrols are everywhere. It looks like Kirigakure's harassment of the Suna is severe."
"Indeed."
Shisui's voice was thoughtful as his eyes swept over the endless desert. "And honestly, carrying out this mission won't be easy. Patrol ninjas don't have useful intelligence, and as for Sunagakure village itself…"
He trailed off, but all three of them understood.
Sunagakure was suffering from both internal and external crises, so naturally, its defenses were impossibly tight. Infiltrating Sunagakure was out of the question. Without good intel, their mission was practically doomed.
Yugao's brow furrowed. Shisui sighed.
But Hidezawa? He stroked his chin, a spark of amusement in his eyes. "Actually, we don't need to worry so much."
The other two turned to him.
"We can't march into Sunagakure village, that's obvious. But what about Kirigakure?" His lips curled into a grin. "They're the ones constantly harassing Sunagakure. Do you really think Kirigakure would waste time sending weaklings? No. They'd send strong shinobi. And in response, Sunagakure would be forced to deploy their elites."
Shisui's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Yugao blinked, realization dawning.
"If we 'happen to encounter' one of their clashes," Hidezawa continued, his tone laced with mischief, "then we can just let the clam and the snipe fight while the fisherman reaps the rewards."
Information could be pried out from whichever side survived—or better yet, both. It was unscrupulous, yes, but extremely practical.
"But if we're exposed," Yugao asked cautiously, "won't it harm the village?"
Hidezawa waved it off. "We can disguise ourselves as Iwagakure shinobi. They're Sunagakure's enemies too. Besides, don't forget—Sunagakure has disguised themselves as other villages before to attack our outposts. It wouldn't be out of place."
Shisui didn't need long to decide. "Understood. Hidezawa's plan is excellent. We'll do it."
His voice carried no hesitation. People who had lived through war knew better than to cling to lofty ideals. Flexibility was survival.
"Then, we—" Shisui started, but suddenly froze. His eyes lifted toward the sky.
Almost instantly, Yugao and Hidezawa followed his gaze. A crimson flare cut through the blazing sun, rising high before exploding against the heavens.
The three exchanged glances. Hidezawa's expression darkened.
[Obtained New Mission]
[Acquire relevant intelligence from Sunagakure and Kirigakure shinobi]
"Another mission?" he muttered under his breath. "That makes three…"
Still, he wasn't displeased. More missions meant more opportunities. He looked at his teammates and smirked. "Seems like we're lucky."
Without wasting another moment, the three concealed their chakra and darted toward the direction of the flare.
The desert was treacherous, and Sunagakure reinforcements were surely converging on the signal, so they moved cautiously, every step calculated. Fortunately, the flare wasn't far.
Soon, the distant echoes of battle reached their ears—boom, crash, whoosh. Paper bombs exploded in rapid succession, followed by the clash of kunai and the unmistakable roars of unleashed ninjutsu. The desert itself seemed to tremble under the weight of the conflict.
"We've entered the combat zone. Be cautious." Shisui whispered, pulling on his Anbu mask.
Hidezawa and Yugao followed suit, slipping their masks into place.
Before they closed the distance, Hidezawa glanced sideways at Yugao. His tone softened, just for her. "Don't worry, senpai. With me here, you'll be fine."
Her eyes widened behind the mask, a faint heat creeping up her cheeks. "You… you rascal." The memory of him standing against Orochimaru flickered through her mind, and despite the seriousness of the moment, she couldn't decide if she was more annoyed or amused.
But before she could retort, Shisui's quiet voice cut in.
"Everyone… we might have trouble." His gaze was fixed on the battlefield ahead.
Through the shifting heat haze, a figure became visible.
"That woman… isn't she Pakura of the Scorch-style?"
*****
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