Konoha.
After a day of preparation, the two mission teams set off.
Team Kakashi departed first.
Takumi's team followed afterward.
He brought Kurenai, Hinata, Shino, Kiba, and Rin, who had to come along for fear of running out of Chakra.
They secretly trailed behind Team Kakashi.
With Hinata's Byakugan and Kiba's sense of smell, they didn't worry about losing the trail even from a slightly greater distance.
At first, everyone thought this was an official mission.
But after trailing them for two days, Kurenai, as the team's Jonin Instructor, couldn't hold back any longer.
"Hey, Takumi, what exactly are you planning? If you don't explain clearly why we're tracking Shinobi from our own village, it could easily lead to misunderstandings," Kurenai said in a low voice.
Hinata and the others also nodded frequently.
Seriously, weren't they supposed to be on a mission?
Why had the whole trip turned into following Kakashi's team?
"It's fine to tell you now."
Seeing no one else around, Takumi spoke directly.
"The Land of Waves is in turmoil. The richest man, Gato, controls the country. He uses his wealth and violence to control all sea transportation entry and exit points."
"For an island nation like the Land of Waves, controlling the sea routes means controlling all the country's wealth, politics, and population."
"The old man Kakashi's team is protecting might seem ordinary, but he's actually a bridge builder. If he completes the bridge connecting to the mainland, it would obstruct Gato's ability to seize the Land of Waves' wealth."
"So Gato will definitely send his men to assassinate him."
Takumi laid out the situation in one go.
But the others didn't fully trust Takumi.
Even Kurenai, who believed Takumi was a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths, looked skeptical.
Primarily because what Takumi said was unverified intelligence, making it hard to believe without confirmation.
But just then.
"Hey, look! It seems like Naruto and the others are under attack!" Kiba called out softly.
Everyone quickly looked towards Team Kakashi and indeed saw two Shinobi emerging from a puddle of water.
Kakashi was immediately shredded.
However, Kurenai saw clearly that it was actually a clone, and the real Kakashi had already left using a substitution technique.
But Naruto didn't see that and thought the shredded log was Kakashi's corpse.
The sudden attack left him standing frozen.
The attacking Shinobi naturally showed no mercy to Naruto.
A sharp scythe swung towards Naruto's head!
"Naruto! What are you doing!"
Sasuke immediately acted, blocking the attack.
Sakura also quickly ran to protect Tazuna.
The two assassins were stunned.
And at that moment, the supposedly dead Kakashi appeared, easily dispatching the two Shinobi.
He then evaluated the performances of the three Genin one by one.
"Whoa, Shinobi really did attack!" Kiba exclaimed in surprise, then turned to look at Takumi in shock.
"They were Shinobi... I remember Kakashi took a C-Rank mission. C-Rank missions don't involve fighting Shinobi..." Kurenai said with a grave expression.
Having performed many missions, she knew Tazuna must have withheld information.
"Takumi-kun is truly amazing. Someone really did attack." Hinata looked at Takumi with admiration, her face flushed.
"So it seems what Takumi said is true. That man named Gato really is controlling the Land of Waves." Shino said seriously.
"Correct."
Takumi also wore a serious expression.
"But this isn't over yet. These two were just scouts. Stronger individuals will definitely appear later."
With this precedent, they now had some trust in Takumi's words.
Team Kakashi, after learning the situation from Tazuna, continued their journey.
After two more days of travel, on a flat forest path…
Naruto and the others encountered their next opponent, Zabuza.
"That's... the Demon of the Hidden Mist, Momochi Zabuza!"
Kurenai recognized this S-Rank Missing-nin from Kirigakure and couldn't help showing a shocked expression.
"Whoa! Takumi was right again!" Kiba continued to stare at Takumi in shock.
"Truly foreseeing events like a god." Shino also sighed in amazement, "A second wave of Shinobi really came."
"By the way, is this Zabuza guy very strong?" Kiba asked Kurenai curiously.
"He's an S-Rank Missing-nin from Kirigakure, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. His strength is considerable." Kurenai said with a grave expression.
Hearing this, the others immediately looked tense.
"However, don't worry, Kakashi is very strong. He won't lose to him." Kurenai added, seeing their tension.
"No, if it were one-on-one, that would be fine. But with three rookies and an employer present, it's hard to say. Kakashi will be distracted." Takumi frowned, "I think the opponent will likely use an environmental interference technique first, trying to destroy the morale of the three rookies and disrupt their formation. Kakashi will emerge to fight the opponent, it will be an even match, but due to the environment, he'll be at a disadvantage. In the end, he'll probably be trapped by something like a Water Prison Technique."
"I guess Sasuke will be the first to crack under the pressure, even wanting to commit suicide!"
"You... you can even analyze something like that?"
Not just Kurenai, but Rin, Hinata...
The whole group widened their eyes, finding it unbelievable!
'This is insane!'
'Analyzing who might come was already outrageous enough.'
'Now you've analyzed the entire battle process?'
'Even predicting that Sasuke would be the first to crack?'
'This... have you read the script?!'
The group felt extremely astonished.
Especially Kurenai.
She didn't believe Takumi could analyze things so accurately!
Forget the rest, just the part about Sasuke cracking first was utterly bizarre!
'What a joke, Sasuke is an Uchiha Clan's genius, the former pride of heaven.'
'How could he be the first to crack?'
'It should be Naruto or Sakura, right?'
However,
What made Kurenai's jaw drop happened immediately afterward!
Sure enough, not long after Zabuza revealed his identity, the Hidden Mist Technique appeared on the scene.
"Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique!"
Zabuza activated the technique, and instantly, thick mist spread through the forest.
The area turned completely white.
"Everyone, be careful! This is Kirigakure's assassination technique! Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura! Bring the client over here, all close to me!" Kakashi's expression was grim.
Naruto and the others were also frightened by the heavy mist, feeling a strong sense of suffocation.
"This..."
Kurenai looked at Takumi as if she'd seen a ghost.
The first technique was guessed correctly by him.
"The head, the neck bones, the spine, the heart..."
"Every vital point on your body, how many times can you dodge?"
Another hit.
Zabuza's low voice echoed, constantly stimulating everyone's nerves.
Besides Team 7 led by Kakashi, Team Kurenai was also extremely tense!
But then, an unbelievable scene occurred.
'Such strong killing intent...'
'If I breathe wrong, or move my eyes, I might let my guard down and get killed!'
'If I stay in this atmosphere for an hour, I don't know how tense I'll become!'
'The killing intent of Jonin clashing, the feeling of my life being in someone else's hands...'
'No good!'
'If this continues, I'd rather just die!'
In the thick mist, Sasuke's expression grew increasingly ugly!
He seemed unable to bear the immense aura.
He tremblingly raised a kunai, pointing it at his own neck.
It seemed he was preparing to commit suicide!
Just as Sasuke was about to stab downwards, Kakashi suddenly spoke:
"Don't worry, Sasuke. I will protect you with my life."
"I will never let my comrades be killed!"
Hearing this, Sasuke suddenly snapped out of it and lowered the kunai in his hand.
Witnessing this scene, everyone in Team Kurenai's mouths fell open into an 'O' shape!
'He guessed right!'
'Takumi guessed right again!'
'It really was Sasuke who cracked first!'
"This!?"
"Why? Why was it Sasuke!"
The whole group stared at Takumi in shock, as if they'd seen a ghost!
"Don't you understand yet?"
Takumi said nonchalantly.
"Psychological tactics target mid-level experts. Only experts would understand the meaning behind those words..."
"Rookies like Naruto and the others simply don't understand what Zabuza is saying."
It must be said, Takumi's explanation was indeed very persuasive and could explain it!