Konoha's Ninjas Have Arrived!

At the beginning of the morning, a bright red sun leaped out from the sea, casting a reddish halo over the entire island.

A little boy ran along the beach, facing the salty yet refreshing sea breeze, leaving behind a trail of tiny footprints that were then smoothed away by the waves.

Fine beads of sweat glistened on Katsuki's forehead in the morning light. His breathing was remarkably steady, even after running for about seven kilometers. He showed no signs of exertion, appearing completely at ease.

As a proper transmigrator, he was well aware of the course of history. Therefore, as soon as he understood his situation, he felt an urgent sense of life and death. To survive, he exercised diligently every day.

This was a chaotic era, with no pure land to escape conflict. Combat was the eternal main melody of this world, and strength was the fundamental basis for standing in the world.

Since he was reborn into the Uzumaki Clan, he couldn't let down this powerful bloodline. In that regard, he was quite fortunate. The Uzumaki Clan's monstrously strong physique and their unparalleled sealing techniques were all capital for rising to power! He was much luckier than being reborn into some unknown, minor ninja family.

The Uzumaki Clan was an old family in the Ninja World. Even though they had declined considerably, their foundation was still there. Their deep heritage was something new powers that had recently emerged couldn't compare to. In terms of cultivating clan disciples, they had a very rigorous training regimen that suited the Uzumaki Clan's characteristics, a result honed over generations.

Of course, perhaps because of this, the young clan members trained their muscles but didn't train their minds, leading the once-great clan to seem like "Wang Xiao Er celebrating the New Year," declining year after year.

Katsuki had begun his training under the guidance of the clan elders since he was four years old. He learned to read and write, understood the glorious history of the Uzumaki Clan, underwent physical training, practiced shurikenjutsu, and attempted to refine chakra. Everything proceeded step by step in an orderly fashion. After all, he and Kushina were the only children of suitable age in the village.

It was practically like private tutoring for the two of them, a brother and sister. However, considering the Uzumaki Clan's current desolate state, every child was a precious resource, making it understandable why the elders were dedicated to nurturing the younger generation. Besides, they were the children of the clan head. If their parents hadn't passed away so early, they might have even received better treatment.

On the rugged reefs by the beach, two young clan members sat yawning, keeping watch over the nearby sea. Although this was the western side of the island, facing the mainland, they had stationed two people here to stand guard to prevent the Land of Water from playing any tricks. Any more would truly strain their limited manpower.

The two young men disliked this boring guard duty but dared not disobey the clan's orders. They could only sit there counting crabs, betting on what time Katsuki would pass by the reefs, finding their own amusement.

"Here they come, here they come, haha, I win today..." One of the clan members, with neat short hair, spotted the small figure on the beach from afar and shouted happily. Seeing his cousin next to him unmoving, he nudged him with his elbow and squinted, "Hey, cousin, you're not planning to welch on the bet, are you?"

"Don't mess around, something seems to be coming from over there." The older, more steady youth narrowed his eyes, trying to discern the true appearance of the small black dot on the horizon.

"It's a ship, a ship from the Land of Fire, with the Land of Fire's flag. Hurry and report to the Great Elder, someone from the Land of Fire has arrived." The youth kicked his still dazed cousin and herded him like sheep, galloping towards the center of the island.

On the calm sea, a medium-sized ship sailed at a steady pace, its sails slightly puffed. The wind wasn't strong at the moment, but fortunately, even without wind, the ship had a propeller for propulsion. White waves parted, leaving a churning wake behind the large vessel.

Onboard, besides the sailors, were individuals wearing masks, carrying short swords, and dressed in black tight-fitting clothes and gray suspender shirts. They weren't actual cross-dressers; this was the standard uniform of Konoha's Anbu. As elites among elites, these killers had all fought their way through enemy lines multiple times, their killing intent impossible to conceal. The sailors gave these menacing figures a wide berth, fearing they might provoke them and get a knife in them, which would be truly disastrous.

"Captain, the island of the Land of Whirlpools is in sight," an Anbu member reported softly from outside the cabin door.

The cabin was small. A white-haired Anbu member wearing a dog-head mask with red markings sat cross-legged on the ship, engrossed in a book. Only when he heard the voice outside did he reluctantly close the book and carefully put it away. "Pass down the order, all personnel prepare to land."

The Anbu member outside responded and left.

Soon, in less than half a minute, the well-trained Anbu ninja had all gathered on the deck, startling the sailors into keeping their distance.

The captain stood at the bow of the ship, looking at the three small teams under his command. He sighed inwardly. The pressure on the village had been too great recently. For such an important mission as welcoming the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki from the Land of Whirlpools, they could only scrape together three small teams.

Clearly, this captain had forgotten that he alone was equivalent to a small-scale ninja army, and that this mission couldn't be carried out with great fanfare. Those participating in this operation were all loyal followers of the Third Hokage.

"I won't elaborate on this mission. I'll only emphasize one point: remember, this is an escort mission. The most important thing is to protect the safety of the future Jinchuriki, as those Mist Ninja can be quite troublesome when they go berserk." The captain began his pre-mission speech. His eyes, hidden behind the mask, revealed an unparalleled confidence.

"Of course, we'll return after we've picked them up, and it's very possible we won't encounter any Mist Ninja. But don't let your guard down because of that. No one knows when the Mist Ninja might attack the Land of Whirlpools. We must remain highly vigilant and not lose our lives in a place like this."

"Yes, Captain."

The three teams, twelve Anbu ninja, knelt on one knee and responded in unison. Their presence was quite imposing; ten-odd people were equivalent to a small army of a hundred.

The island grew larger in their sight, and they could clearly see two figures, one tall and one short, standing by the beach. Their crimson hair indicated their Uzumaki Clan identity, but...

"Why is it a child?"

The captain was perplexed. What was the meaning of the Uzumaki Clan arranging a child here? He pondered but couldn't understand their intention. Seeing the beach drawing near, he suppressed his doubts and waved his hand gently. His subordinates swiftly leaped off the ship and sped towards the beach, treading on the gentle waves.