The wilderness was damp and cold. This being his first field mission, Byakuya lacked the experience to pack a camping tent, and no one had bothered to remind him.
But his mood was surprisingly good. After all, he had looted a Summoning Jutsu scroll—a bona fide space-time ninjutsu—from the enemy.
Chewing on a slightly sweet soldier pill, his stamina recovered to about fifty percent. He sprinted across the open fields, looking for a temporary shelter.
His plan was to rest until tomorrow. Only when his stamina was fully restored would he hunt down the remaining enemies.
That being said, the intel for this Root mission was disastrously wrong. "Rogue ninjas" my ass. These were professional bounty hunters from the Exchange.
The mission difficulty had multiplied several times over.
The captured map only marked key rear facilities. The rest of the terrain was depicted vaguely—just mountains and forests. Right now, all he could see around him were trees and peaks.
Passing through a forest, he spotted faint plumes of smoke rising from a village nestled in the mountains, illuminated by the pale moonlight.
Before reaching the village, he hid the Shuten-doji mask inside his coat. Only then did he knock on a door.
He explained his situation and offered five hundred ryo for food and lodging. The family happily invited him in.
He ate a hot meal that tasted terrible, but he kept his guard up. He didn't dare sleep deeply, drifting in a half-awake state until he heard a rooster crow.
He got up immediately and headed straight for the Soldier Pill Research Base.
His stamina wasn't back to peak condition, but it was close enough. His chakra levels were similar.
He pulled up the status interface.
> [System: Hard Work Pays Off]
> Limited Time Mission (3 Days): Practice Storm Style Ninjutsu (0/50)
> Reward: Minor increase in Ninjutsu Talent.
He had just been wishing for a mission to boost his Ninjutsu talent, and here it was. Ask and you shall receive.
However, now wasn't the time to grind Storm Style mastery. He needed to finish the Root mission that snake Hiroya had given him. Like it or not, he needed the nutrients the "Roots of the Leaf" provided.
Adjusting his pace to conserve stamina, Byakuya cleared his mind and bee-lined for the research base.
---
Meanwhile, back at the Ninja Tool Research Substation.
Two Root ninjas wearing animal masks arrived on the scene.
They crouched beside the mutilated corpses of the bounty hunters, which had been blasted by explosive tags.
"Someone took the ID tags and the Exchange mission scrolls from these two 'Anteater Bounty Group' members."
"Check inside the station."
The two scouted the perimeter. They found nothing particularly noteworthy. Even the signs of battle outside the basement didn't impress them; it was just standard ninja tactics involving Shadow Clones and feints.
"Counting the two Anteater members we killed at the Soldier Pill Research Base, all four Chunin-level infiltrators in the Land of Fire's rear are dead. Let's return and report."
"Who do you think killed these two at the tool station?"
"Not our business."
"Sorry."
The Root ninja in the bird mask stared at his partner in the badger mask, who had lowered his head. "No names. No feelings. No past. No future. There is only the mission."
Without wasting another second, the two sprinted back toward the Hidden Leaf.
This clean-up job was just an appetizer—something they did on the way. Their real destination was the front lines against the Cloud Village. That would be the true test.
These two nameless Root operatives were part of a team assigned to gather intel on the Two-Tails Jinchuriki, Yugito Nii.
Root knew very little about Yugito, other than reports of her undergoing brutal training in the Cloud Village. However, based on other intelligence, they deduced that the Cloud was planning to deploy a Jinchuriki onto the battlefield.
The reason they suspected the Two-Tails and not the Eight-Tails was that Root doubted the Cloud's Eight-Tails Jinchuriki could control such terrifying power.
Whether this deduction was true or false, they needed to send significant manpower to verify it.
The two trekked back to the village, completely ignoring the gate guards, and went straight to the underground Root base to report to Ryoma Aburame.
Ryoma listened and nodded. "You two should depart."
"Understood."
"Dismissed."
Ryoma stood in silence for a moment before finding Danzo Shimura. He bowed his head. "Lord Danzo, among the off-the-books personnel Hiroya manages, there seems to be someone with potential."
He concisely explained the situation regarding the dead bounty hunters, adding his own analysis.
"Lord Danzo, we are in desperate need of manpower. He has the strength to kill two Chunin. He could handle some of the organization's missions."
Danzo narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. After a long pause, he spoke slowly. "Summon Hiroya."
"Yes, sir."
---
Vice Principal Hiroya arrived as fast as his legs could carry him.
"Who did you assign the rogue ninja mission to?" Danzo asked.
Hiroya turned pale. Did Byakuya screw it up? If he drags me down with him, what do I do? How do I deflect the blame?
"Speak."
"I... I assigned it to Byakuya Senkaku. The disappointing son of Tetsuji Senkaku."
"Oh? You are not lying to me? You truly gave it to Byakuya Senkaku?"
Hiroya was on the verge of tears. He kowtowed. "Lord Danzo, even if you gave me a hundred bear galls for courage, I wouldn't dare lie to you! The mission to eliminate the rogue ninja was absolutely given to Byakuya Senkaku."
"I see. You are dismissed."
"Huh?! Y-yes! Understood!"
Hiroya left, trembling and utterly confused.
Ryoma flipped through Byakuya's detailed file. "For him to kill two Chunin... given his documented skill level, it sounds like a fantasy."
"Byakuya Senkaku... He just graduated from the Academy. One mission proves nothing. Perhaps the bounty hunters were careless, or perhaps he got lucky. Observe him for a while longer."
"My Lord, why are you so patient with this kid?"
Danzo spoke slowly. "If his strength was truly what is recorded in this file, he would already be a corpse."
"I don't understand your meaning, sir."
Danzo walked toward the door, intending to meet Hiruzen Sarutobi to discuss the Cloud's Jinchuriki. The Leaf was facing unimaginable pressure on the battlefield; they had to present a united front. "You don't need to understand. Just do as you are told."
Ryoma immediately dropped to one knee. "Forgive my impudence."
"Lord Danzo! Latest intel from the Sand Village!"
Nonou Yakushi, with her long, pale blonde hair and round glasses, ran in hurriedly and handed a report to Danzo.
He broke the seal on the scroll.
Danzo scanned it quickly, then read it again, word for word.
"The Third Kazekage is gone, yet the Sand Village refuses to die."
He handed the scroll back to Nonou. "Even though the Sand has stabilized their internal situation, to divert pressure from within, they might very well open an external front. Tell our spies in the Sand not to expose themselves. Continue gathering valuable intel."
"Yes, sir."
Danzo's figure slowly disappeared down the corridor.
Ryoma stood next to Nonou and looked at the contents of the report.
"Rasa of the Sand... so he's the one who stepped up. I recall he also mastered the Third Kazekage's Magnet Style bloodline limit."
"And Pakura," Nonou added. "She is not to be underestimated either. She possesses the rare Scorch Style."