Chapter 49: Reconnaissance Mission
"You want us to go to Baosha Town to scout the enemy? If we encounter enemies from whom we can't get information, we shouldn't expose our whereabouts…"
A hint of surprise flashed across Hyuga Mirai's face after receiving this mission.
They had only rested for less than half a day. While it was enough to recover some energy, they shouldn't be in such a hurry.
Hyuga Mirai didn't think their superiors were making things difficult for them, and they weren't the only squad to receive a reconnaissance mission.
"Sigh, do we have to go on a mission already when we haven't rested for long?"
Kurenai Yuhi complained, but she still checked her ninja tools pouch as quickly as possible. After confirming everything, she waited for Hyuga Mirai's instructions.
'Preemptive strike, it seems Orochimaru is planning this.'
Hyuga Mirai thought to himself. Although the first wave of Konoha forces included many elite ninjas, their numbers were small. If they waited for the Sand Ninja to attack, even if they could repel the enemy, their own losses would certainly be significant.
However, using these elite ninjas for a proactive strike would surely catch the Sand Ninja off guard. After all, no one would expect Konoha, which used to advocate for peace, to proactively attack a neighboring country without any reason.
This was practically prioritizing battle results over reputation. Even if the surprise attack on the Sand Ninja achieved a significant victory, Hyuga Mirai was eighty percent sure that Orochimaru would be held accountable by the Third Hokage.
"Let's go, Kiyomi, Kurenai."
After getting ready, Hyuga Mirai smiled at Kurenai Yuhi and said, "Kurenai, whether we can complete this mission might depend on your genjutsu."
… … … … … … … … … …
Baosha Town is located on the border of the Land of Wind's desert. A few dozen li further ahead is the territory of the Land of Rivers. The Land of Rivers, sandwiched between two major ninja villages, has an environment that seems to be influenced by both countries: half desert and rocky mountains, the other half covered by forests and vegetation.
Not long after leaving the camp, Kurenai Yuhi asked, "Captain, where are we going to gather information?"
Hyuga Mirai thought for a moment, then took out a map and looked at it, saying, "The Sand Ninja in the Land of Rivers should be professional intelligence ninjas, and there might even be Sand Ninja Anbu. It will be very difficult to get information from them…"
"I think we can take a longer route, from the Land of Rivers near the Land of Rain, enter the Land of Wind, find isolated Sand Ninja logistics teams, and gather information from them."
After Hyuga Mirai stated this idea, both Kurenai Yuhi and Hyuga Kiyomi paused, looking at their captain with a hint of surprise.
Their captain, who usually couldn't even be bothered to leave the village for missions, was so bold today, directly choosing the most laborious and dangerous method…
However, risk and opportunity are equal. According to Hyuga Mirai's plan, if successful, they would indeed obtain a lot of useful information.
Hyuga Kiyomi frowned slightly and asked, "Won't that be too dangerous?"
A three-person squad daring to infiltrate the enemy's rear—they weren't Konoha White Fang, and even Konoha White Fang's last mission failed.
"There's danger, but with our two abilities, we can avoid most of it."
Hyuga Mirai pointed to his and Hyuga Kiyomi's Byakugan, slowly explaining,
"If we use our Byakugan to scout back and forth, we can avoid most enemies. Plus, I'm quite confident in erasing our tracks and eliminating our scent."
"We can bypass the Land of Rivers within two days and reach a defense line that the Sand Ninja have overlooked. Don't worry about Chakra consumption; I brought a lot of special military rations."
Kurenai Yuhi and Hyuga Kiyomi heard Hyuga Mirai's thorough arrangements and couldn't help but agree to the operation.
Perhaps it really could work!
Moreover, in previous missions, Hyuga Mirai had always prioritized caution. Now that he had proactively proposed this mission, he must have a high degree of confidence.
Kurenai Yuhi nodded and said, "I agree with this operation."
After Kurenai Yuhi agreed, both of them looked at Hyuga Kiyomi. She stood up directly and decisively said, "Since everyone agrees, let's depart."
Afterward, Hyuga Mirai distributed some of the military rations he had prepared. Although the taste was average, the ingredients were all top-grade from the Konoha Hospital. One pellet could restore more than half of a Chunin's Chakra within an hour.
Before departing, Hyuga Mirai said with a solemn expression, "Since you've agreed to this mission, I have one thing to say upfront: during the mission, you are not allowed to question my orders. Once I give an order, you must execute it immediately!"
Kurenai Yuhi and Hyuga Kiyomi heard Hyuga Mirai's serious tone for the first time. Hyuga Kiyomi knew that this was directed at her. Although she felt a bit angry, she still agreed.
It was only right to follow the captain's command during a mission. Although Hyuga Kiyomi usually had a temper, she demonstrated the qualities of a competent ninja when carrying out missions.
Subsequently, the three of them took a detour, trying to avoid the main battlefield between the Sand Ninja and Konoha in the Land of Rivers. Moreover, they rarely rested along the way. Whenever they felt their Chakra was excessively depleted during their journey, they immediately took a military ration to replenish their Chakra.
Especially Hyuga Kiyomi, who also needed to activate her Byakugan to observe if there were any enemies around. Her Chakra consumption was much more severe than Kurenai Yuhi's, requiring her to take a military ration every one or two hours.
Hyuga Mirai also pretended to eat military rations to replenish his Chakra, though what he ate were chocolate beans that resembled military rations. After fusing with the hashirama cells' gene sequence, Hyuga Mirai's Chakra levels increased daily. If he hadn't known how to use Sealing Jutsu to absorb and store Yang Release Chakra, his Chakra levels, which exceeded those of a Jonin, would have long aroused suspicion from others.
"Stop, the border of the Land of Wind is not far ahead. Let's rest for three hours before setting off again."
Hyuga Mirai extended his hand, ordering the two women to stop. After more than a day of high-intensity travel, even with military rations to replenish Chakra, the mental fatigue could not be alleviated.
The three found a suitable and very hidden place to rest. Then, Hyuga Mirai took out some food from a Sealing Scroll.
Although they couldn't light a fire, this food was much tastier than military rations. After they had eaten their fill, Hyuga Mirai told the two women to rest, while he stood guard.
Although he had traveled at high intensity for over a day, Hyuga Mirai felt no fatigue at all. He could feel that all the cells in his body maintained a very strong activity, and under the nourishment of this Chakra, even his Byakugan felt very comfortable.
However, the occasional blurriness still persisted.
"It seems I need to get a full body check-up when I return. Is it the Caged Bird Curse Mark on my soul acting up…"
Regarding this issue, without professional medical equipment nearby, Hyuga Mirai couldn't find the specific reason.
Two hours later, Hyuga Kiyomi and Kurenai Yuhi, after a hearty meal and a good sleep, were fully recovered.
After checking everything and confirming there were no issues, the three immediately headed towards the Land of Wind!