High up among the branches of towering trees, several figures streaked forward at high speed.
Tsunade led from the front. Hyuga Hiashi and Hyuga Hizashi guarded the flanks, observing both sides, while Hyuga Arin brought up the rear.
This was a textbook advance formation.
This mission was nothing like the previous one.
There was no time for casual conversation along the way—they were pushing at full speed toward the border of the Land of Fire.
Hyuga Arin carried a backpack nearly as tall as he was, yet its weight had no effect on him whatsoever.
By contrast, Hiashi and Hizashi in the middle were already breathing a little harder.
This load still put some pressure on them.
"Good thing my equipment boosted my strength quite a bit," Hyuga Arin thought to himself.
With the +3 Strength bonus from his gear, his raw power far exceeded that of shinobi his age.
Inside the pack were all sealing scrolls—containing ninja tools, soldier pills, medical supplies, and other strategic materials.
Every single item was vital. There could be no losses.
Because of this, the mission had been directly classified as A-rank.
Without Tsunade, they would never have gotten an opportunity like this.
The team sped through the forest.
They crossed woodlands, waded through rivers, and entered the mountains.
Ninjas rarely traveled on main roads; instead, they moved through mountains and wilderness.
Only after entering the mountains did the group finally stop to rest.
Under the night sky, a crescent moon hung high above the desolate mountain range.
They built a campfire.
The flames flickered unsteadily in the night wind.
Tsunade poked the fire with a stick, making it burn a little stronger.
"From here on, it'll take another three days of travel to reach our destination," she said.
That was at a ninja's rapid marching speed. For ordinary people, it would take at least a month.
"And the next stretch," Tsunade added, "is the most dangerous."
Hiashi and Hizashi frowned deeply.
Hyuga Arin, on the other hand, looked eager and excited.
This brat really did fear that the world wasn't chaotic enough.
Tsunade gave Hyuga Arin a speechless look.
"If we're attacked," Hyuga Arin asked bluntly, "what level of ninja are we likely to face?"
If it was a jōnin, he'd prioritize survival.
If it was chūnin, he'd decide whether to fight based on numbers.
If it was genin—
Just farm them.
Tsunade shot him a sideways glance.
"Most likely chūnin. The chances of jōnin or genin are relatively low."
Jōnin were closely monitored by Konoha—any hint of their presence would result in immediate expulsion.
Genin, on the other hand, could barely survive under Konoha's scrutiny.
Chūnin sat in an awkward middle ground—not monitored closely enough, yet not so weak they'd be easily killed—making them far more likely to survive within the Land of Fire.
"Probably," Tsunade added after a pause.
Hyuga Arin felt that word carried a worrying lack of confidence.
Watching Tsunade's impassive face, he quietly raised his guard.
Are we bait?
"Tonight, the three of you rest properly. I'll take watch," Tsunade said gravely.
Now even Hiashi and Hizashi sensed something was off.
Still, none of them said anything and obediently lay down to rest.
Hyuga Arin glanced at the backpacks stacked together.
If he wanted to confirm whether they were bait, he'd need to verify whether the sealing scrolls inside were real.
After hesitating, he chose not to check.
They were just genin following orders—so what if they knew the truth?
Hyuga Arin condensed his bronze saber, hugged it close, curled up beside a rock, and closed his eyes to sleep.
Tsunade glanced at the bronze saber in his arms.
"A new Hyuga bloodline limit… or some kind of ninja tool?"
Hyuga Arin carried far too many unusual items—especially that blade.
She hadn't seen him take it out even once on the road, and there was nowhere on his body where it could've been hidden.
Still, she didn't pursue the matter and swallowed the doubt.
Late night.
Cold winds howled.
Tsunade sat by the campfire and took a light sip of strong liquor, driving away the chill.
She glanced at the withered yellow branches around them.
"Winter's coming…"
…
The night passed peacefully.
In the morning, the three ate soldier pills and immediately resumed their march.
Soldier pills replenished chakra and staved off hunger—essential supplies during long operations.
They continued forward in silence. The sooner they arrived, the sooner they'd be safe.
As they advanced, Tsunade grew increasingly vigilant.
Hiashi and Hizashi also became more tense.
Only Hyuga Arin looked utterly unconcerned.
Suddenly, Tsunade stopped on a tree branch and turned, signaling to the others.
"Recon."
All three activated their Byakugan, rapidly scanning the surroundings.
In Hyuga Arin's vision, everything turned transparent.
Several figures stood motionless in the distance.
The chakra flowing through their bodies couldn't be hidden from the Hyuga Byakugan.
Hiashi immediately signaled Tsunade.
"Five enemies ahead. Based on chakra volume—one suspected jōnin, two chūnin, and two genin."
Tsunade frowned.
Hyuga Arin understood her expression.
There were too few enemies.
If they were truly bait, drawing out only five attackers—four of whom were under jōnin level—made no sense.
There should have been far more hostile ninja lurking within the Land of Fire.
Yet there truly were no others nearby.
Tsunade rapidly issued hand signals:
She would take the jōnin.
Hyuga Arin and Hizashi would stall the two chūnin.
Hiashi would hold off the two genin.
Once she finished her target, she'd clean up the rest.
Hyuga Arin bared his teeth in a grin and flashed signals back just as quickly.
"No. Give me the two genin. Let them handle the chūnin."
Hiashi wasn't willing to be outdone and signaled as well.
"I can hold off one chūnin."
As the Hyuga clan's heir, he refused to admit he was weaker than the others.
Tsunade gave Hyuga Arin a long, deep look, then swept her hand downward.
"Operation begins."
Hyuga Arin secured the bronze saber at his waist, tying it down with his trouser cord to keep it from falling.
Noticing the suspicious looks from the other three, he snorted.
Did they think he was bullying the weak and fearing the strong?
He had no intention of explaining.
Whatever they thought had nothing to do with him.
The four figures vanished from their positions in an instant.
…
Xi'an led his squad, hidden deep within the forest.
They had received intelligence—this was a Konoha supply line, and the convoy had already departed.
Their mission was to halt the transport and prevent Konoha from establishing defenses along the Rain Country front.
He adjusted the Cloud ninja forehead protector on his head, still not quite used to wearing it.
The group had waited calmly here for a long time.
As the four remained concealed among the trees—
A figure suddenly dropped from above, charging straight at him.
"Heavenly Kick of Pain!!"
"Heavenly Kick of Pain!!"
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