"What!?!"
Uchiha Kin woke up early to utterly baffling news.
Hatake Sakumo was taking him to reclaim an outpost in the Land of Rivers.
His frail body couldn't handle this!
"Lord Sakumo is waiting for you."
The Chūnin delivering the message left the tent immediately after speaking, as if eager to avoid any association.
How pragmatic.
Sunlight streamed through the open tent flap, yet Kin felt no warmth or hope.
What could he do? He was utterly despondent.
There wasn't much to pack—his belongings were still in Ryūchi Cave. He fastened his sword to his waist and stepped outside.
Compared to the previous day, the camp was eerily quiet, devoid of the earlier cries of pain. The atmosphere here was almost lively, with ninjas moving about and even laughing.
The moment they spotted Kin, passing ninjas stiffened, some even bowing respectfully.
This is too much!!
It felt like they were sending him to the gallows.
Which, admittedly, wasn't far from the truth.
Kin's eyes were lifeless as he entered the command tent.
Hatake Sakumo sat on the ground, sharpening his blade. He looked up at the sound of footsteps.
"You're here?"
"I shouldn't be."
"But you are."
"Can I leave?"
"Only if you defect."
"Heh." Kin's deadfish stare conveyed his resignation. He couldn't recall ever offending Sakumo.
"Meet your teammate."
Sakumo sheathed his sword and stood. Only then did Kin notice the other person in the tent—a woman.
She wore an oversized gray coat that concealed her figure, paired with sunglasses. The epitome of mystery.
"Aburame Mushihi." She nodded at Kin.
"Tch." Kin sucked in a sharp breath.
"Aburame women are terrifying in every sense," Sakumo chimed in, voicing Kin's exact thoughts.
Mushihi slumped like a defeated pup, radiating despair.
"My apologies for being an Aburame."
Kin shot Sakumo a questioning look. This was his other teammate? She didn't seem reliable.
"Don't worry. Mushihi has exceptional survival skills. You should worry about yourself first."
Sakumo offered no comfort, only salt for Kin's wounds.
Kin hung his head. Now he understood where Mushihi's demeanor came from—Sakumo had broken her too.
"Are you two ready?" Sakumo awaited their response.
"I'm prepared," Mushihi said.
"I'm prepared to run."
Kin had already plotted his escape route. At the first sign of danger, he'd flee—even if it meant becoming a rogue ninja.
"Relax. It's not that dangerous."
Sakumo smirked and pushed open the tent flap.
"Move out!"
Land of Rivers
The terrain was dominated by mountains and forests.
Sakumo, Kin, and Mushihi perched on a tree, observing a distant sand fort.
"This close?" Kin frowned. The fort was barely half an hour's walk from the Land of Fire.
"Their goal is to invade the Land of Fire," Mushihi explained. "With the upper hand, they're fortifying positions in the Land of Rivers to block Konoha's counterattacks. Once their defenses are complete, they'll advance."
She added, "Our remaining forces at the border have held the line, but it hasn't been easy. Suna attacks periodically, and each time, our losses are heavy."
"So what's our mission?" Kin had only defended under Jiraiya; offensive tactics were unfamiliar.
"Eliminate their outpost." Sakumo unsheathed his sword.
"That sand fort?" Kin pointed. It seemed too obvious for a surveillance post.
"A decoy. The real threat is underground."
Sakumo tied a mask over his face—a precaution against Suna's poisons. Kin drew his blade.
"You two don't need to do much," Sakumo said. "Just stay alive."
"Huh?" Kin blinked. Then why bring us?
Mushihi obeyed without question. Her body dissolved into a swarm of black insects, vanishing except for a few that landed on Sakumo's shoulder.
Her voice echoed: "Lord Sakumo, these insects will mark your targets."
Sakumo nodded and leapt toward the fort.
"Shave!?" Kin recognized the technique—the Six Styles were gaining popularity in Konoha.
In a flash, Sakumo appeared inside the fort.
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted, sending a shockwave outward. Sakumo used Shave to evade the blast.
A barrage of kunai, shuriken, and even giant Fūma Shuriken followed. Sakumo moved like a flickering image, dodging midair by stepping on projectiles with Shave.
Suna ninja emerged from the ground. Puppets attacked first, but Sakumo severed their chakra strings with a single slash.
The Suna ninja swarmed him.
Sakumo accelerated. No opponent lasted more than a second.
One ninja began hand seals—only for his head to roll moments later as Sakumo appeared behind him.
Like a white crescent, Sakumo carved through the enemy.
Then came the worst.
A Suna ninja, turning his back, suddenly clutched his rear and rocketed skyward, landing near Kin. The man reached out pleadingly, but blood gushed uncontrollably from his backside.
Konoha's Secret Taijutsu: One Thousand Years of Death!
Kin sweatdropped. Several Suna ninja lay similarly afflicted.
He'd known Sakumo created this move, but witnessing its brutality firsthand was… unsettling.
Imagine taking a full blade there.
A shiver ran down his spine.
By the time he looked back, the battle was over. The Suna forces, though few, had been decimated in moments.
The last ninja fell.
...
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(End of Chapter)