The journey proceeded smoothly while still within the borders of the Land of Fire.
However, as they gradually approached the border, Moonlight Kuren and the others spoke less and less. Most of the time, they remained silent.
Rather than silence, it was more accurate to say they were heightening their vigilance.
During wartime, even the interior of the Land of Fire frequently experienced unrest—let alone what lay beyond its borders.
And the Land of Rain at this moment was practically a den of danger, where enemies could appear at any time.
The Land of Rain lay at the junction of the Land of Fire, Land of Wind, and Land of Earth.
Touching all three great nations, it was an absolute strategic crossroads.
Even before officially entering the Land of Rain, the weather began to change.
The clear blue sky and bright sunlight vanished, replaced by thick, mountain-like storm clouds.
The atmosphere grew increasingly heavy and oppressive.
Finally, after stepping into the Land of Rain, drizzle began falling from somewhere unknown.
At first, the raindrops were fine—
Then they gradually became denser.
Moonlight Kuren led the way, with Yu Ye and the others following closely behind.
As squad leader, Moonlight Kuren handled task coordination, intelligence exchange, and command.
Once inside the Land of Rain, Yu Ye's group quickly received intelligence from Konoha scouts and began carrying out the mission Moonlight Kuren had described.
This was not a solo mission.
Other ANBU squads were operating simultaneously—it was a mission with full wartime nature.
"Tenba, walk in the middle. Dark Night and I will take the rear."
Asama Sana nodded slightly toward Yu Ye, then glanced at Yamanaka Hai and Moonlight Kuren.
Moonlight Kuren agreed.
"Yes. Tenba, take the center. That way, if something happens, the formation won't collapse."
"..."
Behind the mask, Yu Ye's expression turned rather complicated.
They were really treating him as a burden now, weren't they?
Still, when others were genuinely concerned for him, he couldn't exactly reject it.
With no choice, Yu Ye nodded and moved to the center of the formation.
Behind him, Yamanaka Hai and Asama Sana exchanged a glance.
"Protecting Tenba is also part of the mission."
"With his talent, a few real missions should be enough to turn him from a rookie into an elite."
"For these first few missions, we'll shoulder more responsibility."
After whispering briefly, the two adjusted their spacing, forming a triangular formation with Moonlight Kuren—Yu Ye firmly enclosed in the middle.
Behind the mask, Yu Ye's face darkened with black lines.
In the end, he could only shake his head helplessly.
Fine…
If they insist on protecting me, I'll accept it.
The squad pressed deeper into the Land of Rain, officially beginning their mission.
The execution itself went smoothly.
Their task was to follow scout intelligence, conduct deeper reconnaissance, and assassinate enemy shinobi whenever possible.
In simple terms—ambushes, tracking, and covert killings.
Time passed quickly.
Nearly a full month went by in the Land of Rain.
Throughout that month, Yu Ye had almost no opportunities to act.
Most encounters were resolved before him—Moonlight Kuren, Yamanaka Hai, and Asama Sana always stepped in first.
In their eyes, Yu Ye might indeed be stronger than either Yamanaka Hai or Asama Sana individually, given that he had defeated all ANBU candidates.
But real battlefield slaughter was different.
They feared that even the slightest hesitation could lead to irreversible disaster.
Still, over the course of that month, Yu Ye's observations, insights, and tactical suggestions repeatedly impressed them.
His talent was undeniable.
Yet admiration was admiration—
They still didn't allow Yu Ye to participate directly in life-or-death clashes.
At most, he was allowed to help clean up the battlefield.
For the first few missions, as long as Yu Ye didn't become a liability, that was enough.
That was their mindset.
ANBU squads typically rotated back to camp once a month to hand over intelligence.
Yu Ye's team had already penetrated deep into enemy territory.
After completing another successful assassination, they prepared to withdraw.
"We didn't suffer a single casualty this entire month."
Yamanaka Hai released his hand seals and relaxed slightly.
Moonlight Kuren sheathed his ninja sword—its faint flames dissipating—and nodded.
"Good fortune played a role, but you two did excellent work. Tenba also did well—no drag on the team."
Yu Ye walked over from behind.
They had just wiped out a four-man Iwagakure squad—before Yu Ye could even act, Moonlight Kuren and the others had already finished them.
Still…
'Didn't drag the team down'…
That phrasing really stung.
"All right, let's keep moving. The camp shouldn't be far now."
Moonlight Kuren turned and started forward.
Yu Ye exchanged a glance with Yamanaka Hai and the others before following.
With a flawless month behind them, the atmosphere had relaxed considerably.
But then—
The rain suddenly felt heavier.
When it struck their bodies, it carried a strange sensation.
As ANBU elites, all of them reacted instantly.
"Not good! There's an ambush!"
Moonlight Kuren's heart lurched.
There was no time to question why an ambush would exist so close to a Konoha camp.
He pushed off the ground to retreat, drawing his ninja sword at the same time.
But the moment he exerted force—
His footing vanished.
No—
Swirling water abruptly formed beneath his feet, dragging him down.
"Water Vortex Slaughter Formation!"
"Damn it!"
Moonlight Kuren's heart sank.
At this life-and-death moment, he slashed out with his blade without hesitation.
WOOOM!!
Flames erupted—
Only to be instantly extinguished by the water.
"That's impossible!"
Shock flashed across Moonlight Kuren's eyes.
This strike had been full power.
Even against powerful A-rank ninjutsu, he was confident he could hold his own.
Even with elemental disadvantage, it should never have ended in such complete suppression.
There was only one explanation.
This wasn't a simple Water Release technique.
—or rather—
This was a multi-person barrier-type sealing jutsu!
Rain continued to fall.
From Yu Ye's perspective, the ground had suddenly transformed into a swirling water vortex that engulfed Moonlight Kuren in an instant.
SPLASH—SPLASH!
The next moment, the water turned a vivid crimson.
"Captain!"
Yamanaka Hai and Asama Sana cried out in horror.
SLASH!
The water vanished.
Moonlight Kuren's body was riddled with countless bloody holes.
He struggled faintly—
Then collapsed into the pool of blood.
Rain continued to fall.
But the puddles on the ground had already been dyed a deep, horrifying red.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/FinalArcHero789