I knelt on the hard, rocky ground, one hand flat against the earth, the other forming a half-ram hand seal.
I took a breath and focused my senses, probing beneath me, searching for any trace through the ground.
Nothing...
A few paces away, I could feel Takeru doing the same. "Anything on your end?" I called out.
"No... nothing I can tell," he replied, his voice strained.
Earth ninjutsu always left a trace. It was unique to earth and water techniques. The trace would dissipate over time depending on the amount and density of chakra used. I wasn't sure exactly why, but shinobi experienced with earth-natured chakra could detect it even without being sensors.
I stood and nodded to Riku and Hanami, who stood behind us. We were in a large valley, mountains rising on either side. The valley stretched long and wide between the mountain walls. The terrain was rough: jagged rock, loose gravel, patches of hard dirt baked by years of sun. Sparse shrubs clung to cracks in the stone. Here and there, a few stubborn trees twisted upward, a stark contrast to the lush greenery of other parts of the region. We were clearly at the border of an arid desert.
Immediately upon arrival, we had scouted the surrounding mountains and found nothing but the local flora and fauna: rodents darting between rocks, small mammals digging burrows, and high overhead, birds of prey circling lazily in the cloudless sky.
No patrols. No scouts. Nothing.
At first, the lack of immediate contact with the enemy seemed suspicious, but as time passed, I accepted that missions wouldn't always involve combat. Still, I remained vigilant. I wouldn't let my teammates die on my first mission as leader.
"Alright, Hanami, you're up. Time to rig this place," I said, nodding to Hanami as Riku, Yukimaru, and she approached.
"It's kinda weird that there's nobody here, though..." Riku muttered, looking around the valley with barely concealed suspicion, Yukimaru barking his agreement.
"I know, and that's why we'll keep our guard up as we complete our mission," I replied, rolling my shoulder.
"He's right," Takeru added. "And we haven't found any movement underground in the mountains, and Taicho can't sense anyone other than us..."
I nodded, focusing on Hanami as she knelt, both knees on the ground. She reached behind her to unclasp the large scroll from her back and unfurled it. It was almost half
her height, seals lining its surface in neat rows.
She formed a quick hand sign.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
Small bursts of smoke filled the air.
She meticulously unsealed stacks of tags and other equipment, then glanced at me.
I nodded and addressed the team. "Alright, we'll move in pairs: Hanami and I, Takeru and Riku. You know the drill: plant the tags as deep as possible, and avoid using ninjutsu if you can. Ready?"
They nodded and began working. Hanami divided the tags evenly between us. There were at least a hundred, and we had to place them 100 to 200 meters apart, in a roughly straight line regardless of terrain.
Later, the barrier corps would trigger this system once the forward operating base was established. It would serve as an early warning system for the region. The other squads were doing the same in their assigned areas, so once triggered, it would form a large curtain for the barrier team, providing valuable intelligence across this entire section of the border.
It took us five hours to bury all the tags. We used our kunai to dig, place the tags, and then carefully conceal them to look as natural as possible. I was sweating, and my back ached from all the bending and digging. Hanami double-checked each tag to ensure everything was correct. Once satisfied, we headed back down the mountain valley to the temporary camp.
I ordered the team to run at full speed back to camp. I didn't want to linger in a location where backup would be difficult to secure, especially now that our mission was complete.
By the time we arrived, we were exhausted and drenched in sweat from the work and the sprint. I felt grimy and unclean. We ran down the mountain path until the rocky terrain transitioned into sparse grass and trees. We leaped from the ground into the trees, making our way to the camp.
When the squad first arrived a few days ago, we debated whether to set up camp further into the mountains or where we Konoha ninjas felt most at home: amongst the trees.There's a reason they call us tree huggers, I thought with tired amusement.
I was glad we chose this spot. I felt far more comfortable resting amongst nature.
We reached the small camp, marked by a low earthen hut that Takeru and I had built for the squad to sleep in. Gin and Misaki immediately snapped into combat positions.
They looked slightly disheveled but relaxed when they recognized us. Gin, a kid younger than even Riku, was short and skinny, with messy hair tied back haphazardly with a strip of cloth. His mesh armor hung loosely on his frame, but his eyes were sharp.
War did that to people, I thought somberly.
Misaki stood calmly beside him. Older than us, she possessed an unassuming sort of beauty.
Her long, dark hair was tied back, accentuating her sharp features.
A thin scar, like a pale line drawn by a blade, ran from beneath her ear down the length of her neck.
She held her kunai low and steady.
"The wind blows the leaves," she stated the security phrase.
"Yet the tree endures," I replied as we entered the camp.
Immediately, they relaxed.
Gin grinned. "Good to have you guys back."
I exhaled.
"How was the mission?" Misaki asked. "Any problems?"
"No..." I said quietly. Me and the team sat down on the ground, and Gin passed me a canteen of water.
I sighed, resting my legs. "The tags were set, but we couldn't find anyone there..." I took a few gulps of water and set it down, wiping my mouth with the back of my
hand. "Anything from your end...?" I asked, looking at them. Gin was busy passing more canteens to the rest of the team.
"I have good news and bad news," she stated, leaning back against one of the trees, folding her arms beneath her chest.
"The bad news is that one of the other squads came in for a regular check-in, and they couldn't find any Suna ninjas either. And they have a Hyuga."
I grimaced, understanding her meaning.
"Huh? What do you mean? I thought that this front was going from bad to worse," Riku asked from where he knelt beside Yukimaru, feeding the ninken some water.
"She means that either Suna has lost just as much as us, or..."
"They're planning something big..." Takeru finished for me, grunting and looking glum.
"...huh... And the good news...?" I asked slowly.
"Kuromaru is going to be here to retrieve us in a few hours. The base has been set up, and we can move back."
"Thank the Sage," Hanami muttered. "I could use some warm food."
We all felt the same.
"That's good then. What about Tsume and Sayuri-san?" I asked after a
moment.
"Taicho is in the base, and I'm not sure about Sayuri-san..." she said, sitting down with us.
"We wait then..." I concluded, nodding at her.
Sayuri-san was conscripted with some other shinobi from the other squads to move about to all the small towns and villages to set up some basic channels of communication and, depending on circumstance, buy supplies from them. It would be easier here, as the Land of Rain needed Konoha to protect them, so it was going to be much easier for them.
Most of the shinobi that were chosen on that particular mission looked civilian friendly—a code word for pretty people.
We relaxed for a while. I looked up at the canopy that let beams of sunlight through, felt the slight breeze of wind, and just the quiet hum of the forest.
It was peaceful...
That is, if you weren't constantly aware of the war surrounding you and the ever-present threat of death.
My fingers itched for the scroll tucked inside my vest. I thought about training, about the wind manipulation exercises Shigure had taught me, but I shook my head.
That would be a really stupid idea. We were still deep in enemy territory. I could train once we returned to camp. I was surprised by how easily I was progressing.
Instead, I closed my eyes and lost myself in the surrounding flora. My bloodline amplified the incredible sensation. I felt a peace that defied description. All my worries and buried feelings, stirred awake in this place, melted away.
Time blurred as I sensed a quadruped moving fastthrough the forest, headed straight for us. I tensed, crouching, and
called out, "Contact!"
Everyone instantly rose, readying for a fight.
As the being entered my chakra sensing range, I relaxed. It was Kuromaru.
I raised a hand, calming everyone. Yukimaru's ears perked up, and he yipped a few times. Riku sniffed the air and completely relaxed.
"It's alright, guys, it's just Kuromaru," he said, smiling.
The foliage parted as the large black ninken bounded out with impressive speed, landing in front of us. He gave a low bark and dropped the scroll he'd been carrying. Riku immediately picked it up and read it.
He grinned, looking at us, waving the scroll, and then handing it to me. "That's our cue..." he said happily.
I nodded, reading the contents and confirming, "Yup... It's time to go," I said, smiling at everyone.
Elated, we packed our belongings. I formed a Boar sign, molding and feeding chakra into my legs, and the small hut crumbled into a slow cascade of dirt and packed clay. We shouldered our packs, adjusted the straps, and checked our weapons one last time.
Kuromaru turned and gave another low bark, impatient now.
We left the place in high spirits, following Kuromaru as he led us back to camp.
We ran, leaping from branch to branch at first, the forest canopy blurring past in streaks of green and brown. Wind tore at my clothes and cooled the sweat on my skin. My legs burned with the effort, but we covered ground quickly.
The terrain gradually shifted as we pushed forward. The trees thinned, and the brush gave way to packed earth and wider trails marked by heavy traffic. I began to pick up chakra signatures ahead, dozens, then hundreds.
"We're almost there," I muttered.
A few minutes later, we broke through the final treeline.
The forward base came into view. It looked like a small, rough village had sprung up overnight, complete with earthen walls, watchtowers, and tents packed tightly together.
The guards spotted us immediately. After a quick check to ensure we weren't infiltrators, they waved us through. People bustled about, carrying crates, sharpening weapons, and grabbing food.
Kuromaru didn't hesitate, weaving between the tents like he owned the place, and we followed.
He finally slowed near the center of the base.
There, the largest structure stood: a command tent nearly twice the size of the others. Guards were posted outside, and runners moved in and out constantly.Leaning against one of the support posts with her arms crossed was Tsume.
She spotted us instantly.
Her mouth split into that sharp, wolfish grin.
"About time," she said.
I stepped forward. "Mission complete. All tags were placed, and we didn't encounter any enemies."
She nodded once. "Good."
Then she jerked her chin toward the others. "You four, go. Eat and get some rest."
Her eyes landed back on me.
"You're coming with me." Surprised, I nodded and followed her as the others left.
We walked toward the command tent together, and that's when I felt it. My steps slowed without me realizing.
A massive chakra signature came rushing towards the command tent. Underneath it, something darker pulsed with hatred and anger, something ancient.
I swallowed.
Tsume glanced at me. "Something wrong?"
"...No." My voice felt tighter than I wanted.
We rounded the last line of tents, and I saw her stop near the tent's entrance, panting.
Long red hair framed her face, like a waterfall of blood flowing down her back. She was tall and athletic, wearing the standard jonin garb with a hitate tied to her forehead. Her chakra rolled off in waves, thick and hot. Her violet eyes met mine, and I stiffened.
I knew instantly who she was...
Kushina Uzumaki.