Engaging the Enemy! (Bonus chapter for [Cat-Eared Alice])
Land of Rivers.
A lush country with numerous rivers.
The Five Great Nations do not border each other, but rather there are many countries that serve as buffer states. The Land of Rivers is one such country that serves as a buffer zone between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.
Their weak national strength and weak ninja left them completely powerless to resist external threats.
We can only accept it passively.
In peacetime, such a country can be called a buffer state; in times of war, it becomes a stepping stone for powerful nations and a victim of conflict.
"This is the state of the Land of Rivers." Shino said calmly to the two girls by the campfire.
The orange-yellow Kakkō cast flickering shadows on his profile, obscuring his expression.
It was already dark. After leaving the izakaya, the Fourteenth Squad marched at full speed and stopped here. They temporarily camped here, lit a campfire, cooked a pot of hot soup, and began to eat dinner.
They had already entered the Land of Land of Rivers, and Shino briefly introduced the two to the situation there. Although he was a ninja from the Land of Rivers Land of Fire, he didn't shy away from these matters, simply presenting the dark side of the Shinobi World objectively. After all, the two ninjas before him were also members of the Anbu, and they would inevitably encounter such things sooner or later...
"Besides the oppression from powerful nations, various underground organizations and missing-nin groups also like to establish bases in such countries. These places, where the tentacles of powerful nations and ninja villages cannot reach, are the most suitable for them to develop their influence and carry out covert activities," Shino continued. "Sakura, the underground bounty operation you destroyed before was mainly located in Land of Rivers."
These underground organizations rarely establish their bases within the territories of the Five Great Nations because they cannot compete with the power of the great ninja villages; often, a few Anbu can wipe out an important base of an underground organization.
Conversely, because the state lacks the ability to confront them, it can only allow them to take whatever they want and act recklessly.
Orochimaru's bases were mostly established in the territories of these countries, and his experimental subjects were often the people of these countries.
"This kind of country is practically a sex slave..." Sakura exclaimed.
"What BQ? Barbecue?" Shino asked, turning his head in confusion.
"It's nothing, Captain, you misheard..." Sakura quickly explained.
The true meaning of this word is so shameful, it absolutely cannot be allowed to go out!
The girl quickly changed the subject.
"On another note, our unauthorized intrusion into the territory of the Land of Rivers is also an act of disrespect from a great nation's ninjas, isn't it?" Sakura asked, scratching her cheek.
Shino ate a few mouthfuls of dry rations with the hot soup, his mouth full of food, and mumbled, "Yeah... you're only just realizing that?"
This is how great powers behave.
Theoretically, their crossing of the Land of Land of Rivers in a combat posture constitutes trespassing... However, in reality, only between major powers do laws require permission to enter another country's territory. Ninjas from major powers never need to report when passing through or carrying out missions within their country. This is true even for Konoha, the village known as the friendliest ninja village in the Shinobi World.
This contemptuous attitude towards the country has caused much suffering to the people here and is a breeding ground for hatred...
"Then the people of that country must be living a very painful life... being bullied by various forces in the Shinobi World," Sakura said absentmindedly, her gaze wandering. "That's why they hate us. It's precisely because of this fertile ground of hatred that an organization like Akatsuki was born, isn't it?"
Sakura now understands the resentment and hatred towards powerful nations. During her previous missions in the Land of Waves and the Land of Snow, as well as some Anbu missions, she encountered some people who held this view, believing that the suffering of their nation was caused by powerful nations.
Or, to go deeper, it is caused by the current Five Great Nations structure and the long-standing wars between them.
If Sakura weren't from the Land of Fire, she would definitely approve of this method.
To a large extent, this law is correct; however, peace cannot be achieved by dissolving the Five Great Nations, as some people imagine.
"Yes, sometimes outstanding ninjas emerge from the five great nations, like Hanzo of the Salamander. If such a ninja were to take revenge on the Five Great Nations out of hatred, it would be a real headache..." Shino sighed. "However, the biggest problem is the mutual hostility and hatred between the Five Great Nations, which is the source of most tragedies in the world. If peace could be achieved between the Five Great Nations, the Shinobi World would be much more peaceful."
"Forget it, don't overthink it. This isn't something we should be worrying about."
Shino's thoughts were similar to those of most Jonin.
Having been exposed to many things, I have a certain perspective and understand the problems of this world. I also hope to live a peaceful life.
Unless someone is a psychopath, who would want to constantly undertake dangerous missions and live a life of dancing with Bleach?
They just didn't know what to do; perhaps they had some ideas, but dared not put them into action, knowing that the wall of reality was extremely hard, and dared not rashly bump into it.
Going with the tide best describes them.
This is the common thought of Jonin, the elite of the Shinobi World.
To be realistic, if Sakura's strength also remains at the Jonin level, she will become that kind of person too. With great power comes great responsibility; conversely, if she hasn't even reached Kage Level, there's no need for her to meddle in other people's business, it's not her place to care.
"Inheriting old hatreds, creating new hatreds... If ninjas cannot break free from this cycle, there will be no true peace in this world," Sakura said calmly.
"Heh heh..." Shino remained silent.
"Let's get back to the main topic! We're not far from the Tenchi Bridge now, and Ming should be able to get there on time. However, the mission might be very difficult... We might even encounter Sasori or Orochimaru! According to the information gathered by the Intelligence Division, Sasori of the Red Sand is quite strong, possibly no weaker than Kakuzu."
"Therefore, I reiterate: unless absolutely necessary, do not take the initiative to attack the Akatsuki. They are very strong, and the risk of fighting is very high. We should try our best to avoid combat!"
In Shino's imagination, the best way to complete the mission would be to secretly observe Sasori's intelligence exchange with his subordinates, then capture Sasori's subordinates alive, use a clone to track Sasori, and obtain their intelligence as much as possible without alerting Akatsuki.
In short, the premise of all actions is to avoid letting Akatsuki discover Konoha's activities.
"That's all." The captain poked at the fire, glanced at Yuzuki whose eyelids were sticking together, and said, "Hurry up and finish eating so you can rest!"
"For Ming's mission, we must be well-rested and prepared tonight!"
"Yes, Captain!"
The night passed quietly.
The next morning, the Fourteenth Squad set off at sunrise, speeding through the Land of Rivers, heading upstream.
Shino timed it perfectly; just before noon, he led the two of them to the vicinity of the bridge.
The Fourteenth Squad then found a secluded shady spot by the river to stop.
The captain looked at the map and confirmed their location by comparing it with the terrain.
"The Tenchi Bridge is just ahead," Shino said, putting the map back in his pocket and taking a deep breath. "Next, we need to approach the Tenchi Bridge stealthily and observe it discreetly—"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh--!
Shino's words were interrupted by dozens of Kunai that pierced through the air!
(Guaranteed minimum/, Bonus chapter 1/.)
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(An extra chapter for [Alice with Cat Ears]!)
(I'm catching up on anime today, so I haven't written much... But you guys, Hanabi will be super handsome and beautiful when she grows up! You can watch Boruto: Naruto Next Generations episode 9 for details.) 89