Now that the decision had been made.
Naruto and the others no longer hesitated.
"Then, let's go."
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
"Swish!"
With their respective luggage secured.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura immediately set off, following closely in the direction Kakashi had left earlier.
Although there was a clear difference in speed, and Naruto and the others did not know the exact route or destination like Kakashi did, this did not pose too much of a problem. Fortunately, Naruto still retained a fairly clear impression of the general plot related to the Land of Waves. More importantly, the Land of Waves was an island nation. Although it was located off the southeastern coast of the Land of Fire, precisely because it was an island country with a small territory, and because the location where Naruto and the others had been performing their mission was already very close to the Land of Waves, Naruto could still roughly judge the general direction.
Moreover, one of the most basic skills a ninja must master was tracking.
Kakashi would never imagine that the three troublesome brats in his team would actually chase after him. Naturally, he had not deliberately erased his traces. As long as they followed these traces, it would not be difficult to determine the general direction and approximate location.
As long as they got close enough.
Was there any fear of being unable to find the exact position?
One had to understand that battles between shinobi.
Could hardly be described as subtle.
Especially when B-rank or even A-rank ninjutsu were involved.
The violent chakra fluctuations caused by such techniques.
Could be sensed from several kilometers away.
Naruto had no worries at all about finding Kakashi.
As for Sasuke and Sakura, they simply followed Naruto's footsteps. Sakura's mentality had yet to fully stabilize, and Sasuke could not be bothered to ask questions. In any case, following Naruto would be fine.
This was also the most straightforward thought deep in the Second Pillar's heart at this moment.
Meanwhile, the narrative split into two threads.
After Naruto and the other three briefly discussed their course of action, they officially began tracking Kakashi.
On the other side.
Kakashi, who had already rushed ahead toward the target location, showed no restraint at all along the way. His chakra was fully released, and his movement speed was almost three to four times faster than Naruto and the others in their current state.
A distress signal.
Naruto and the others could not truly understand it.
Or rather, Naruto knew that the brown eagle was a messenger beast used by Konoha to transmit urgent information, but he still could not decipher its contents. He could only make deductions based on Kakashi's subtle reactions, expressions, and the plot he remembered.
However, as a shinobi of Konoha Village.
Hatake Kakashi understood the message instantly.
There was no complicated content.
It was the most direct and simplest request for assistance.
The moment this signal was sent.
It meant that a Konoha shinobi—or at least a Konoha shinobi squad—had encountered danger and urgently needed nearby Konoha ninja to provide support. Kakashi did not reveal anything on the surface, but deep in his heart, a strong sense of concern quietly emerged.
Performing missions in border regions.
Often involved the interests of multiple parties.
Although Kakashi was most concerned about the safety of the Konoha shinobi who had sent the signal, he also had to consider whether the next conflict might trigger larger ripples. After all, Konoha Village had managed to maintain a fragile peace for more than ten years. If a new round of Shinobi War were triggered due to improper handling of an incident, it would definitely not be an outcome Konoha wished to see.
The Land of Waves.
This was a small country located on the southeastern border of the Land of Fire.
If viewed across the entire Shinobi World.
It was an extremely insignificant nation.
Not only did it lack its own hidden village, but even its daimyo lived in poverty. As an island country, it lacked most essential resources. Even if one counted all the residents scattered in ravines and coastal settlements, the total population barely reached tens of thousands. Restricted by these various factors, the Land of Waves had always given the rest of the world the impression of being extremely impoverished.
And yet.
From a geographical perspective.
Its importance to the Land of Fire was unusually high.
The reason was simple.
The Land of Waves was located between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water.
This alone was enough to determine its immense strategic value.
In the five or six decades since the establishment of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Konoha Village and Kirigakure had fought more than a dozen times, either directly or indirectly, and many of those conflicts erupted near the Land of Waves.
Especially after the destruction of the Uzumaki Clan and the fall of the Land of Whirlpools.
Over the years, the ambitions of the Land of Water had gradually focused on the Land of Waves. If Kirigakure wished to advance toward the Land of Fire, the Land of Waves was undoubtedly the best springboard and forward base.
The moment Kakashi saw the distress signal.
His first thought was also the Land of Water—and Kirigakure.
Carrying out missions in this region had the highest probability of encountering Mist shinobi.
"Judging from the information just now… we're already close to the Land of Waves. I hope it isn't shinobi from Kirigakure…"
Kakashi sped toward the target location while thinking silently.
It wasn't exactly fear.
Encounters between shinobi from different villages during missions, followed by conflict, were extremely common. However, for the current Konoha Village, it was best not to stir up major trouble.
After all, Konoha had suffered heavy losses during the Third Shinobi World War. Then came the Nine-Tails Incident, which resulted in the deaths of the Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato and his wife Uzumaki Kushina. After that, Orochimaru defected due to forbidden human experimentation. Jiraiya left the village to search for and monitor his former companion while also gathering intelligence. Even earlier, Tsunade—having lost both her younger brother Nawaki and her lover Dan Katō—fell into despair, developed hemophobia, and chose to leave the village.
Then—
The Nine-Tails Incident became the fuse that completely ignited the long-suppressed conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan. Coupled with persecution from the higher-ups and internal tensions within the clan itself, a series of factors ultimately led to the extermination of the strongest clan in Konoha. Hundreds of adult Uchiha—who could have become mid- to high-level combat forces—were wiped out. More importantly, among the three Uchiha who could have stood at the pinnacle of the village's combat power, two died—Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Fugaku—and the last one, Uchiha Itachi, was branded a traitor and defected from Konoha.
As the head of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.
Konoha Village.
More than ten years after the end of the Third Shinobi World War.
Not only failed to obtain the rest and recovery it deserved, but instead continued to weaken. Its overall combat strength was far inferior to its peak. Even compared to the period immediately after the Third Shinobi World War—when Konoha could still simultaneously contend with two or three villages—the current Konoha was much weaker.
At that time, the Third Hokage still possessed formidable strength. The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, was at the height of his power. Uzumaki Kushina, capable of suppressing the Nine-Tails, was still alive. Orochimaru and Jiraiya had not yet left the village. The ranks of Konoha shinobi were filled with elites.
Compared to that era.
The current Konoha.
Could only be described as fragile beneath its calm surface.
If you want, next I can:
Transition directly into Kakashi encountering Zabuza
Adjust timing so Team 7 arrives at a critical intervention point
Tighten geopolitical tension with Kirigakure involvement
Just tell me how you want Chapter 70 to unfold.
The Duel doesn't end here… it only gets more intense.
30+ chapters ahead are already waiting.
If you want to see the next moves, the hidden strategies, and the outcome before anyone else
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