Sending the Blade

"What's going on?"

Katsuki sat in a chair, slowly sipping her hot tea.

The tea was on the table, and hot water was readily available. The kettle was full, and he brewed the tea himself. Drinking something hot could warm him up, as the cold and damp climate of the Land of Rain was really unbearable. Although he didn't have to worry about catching a cold or getting sick because of his constitution, hot tea was still very appealing.

He is now alone in this tent, which belongs to Sakumo. It is, after all, the commander's residence. He occupies a tent by himself, complete with a table, chairs, and a bed, and hot water is always available.

"That's great, the treatment of important people is indeed different."

Two years ago, when Katsuki came to the Land of Rain, she experienced military life, sharing a tent with several others, including Otoha. However, she didn't have the privilege of having her own tent to herself.

"Thinking about it this way, this war has been going on for more than two years."

"That's right, the war has been going on for two years."

Sakumo lifted the curtain and strode in.

"Teacher."

Katsuki put down her teacup and quickly stood up.

"Sit down. When did you become so reserved? It's been over two years since we last met. Have we grown apart?" Sakumo smiled and waved his hand, sitting directly on the edge of the bed.

"Hehe, isn't this about respecting teachers and honoring the Way?"

Katsuki made Sakumo a cup of tea and sat back down in his chair.

The master and apprentice silently sipped their slightly bitter tea, sizing each other up. They hadn't seen each other for two years. Sakumo hadn't changed much, except for a few more signs of vicissitude on his face; the hardships of the battlefield had truly taken their toll.

Being a ninja is not a long-lived profession.

Most ninjas rarely die of old age. Even if they don't die on the battlefield, and are lucky enough to live to their forties or fifties, their bodies will suffer severe decline. This is the consequence of overworking their bodies in their early years. Unless they have strong bloodlines or are exceptionally talented, they cannot escape this tragic end.

Sakumo stared directly at Katsuki. Compared to two years ago, Katsuki had grown taller again. Even when sitting, it was clear that he had grown much taller, and his physique was also more robust than before. His gaze, however, remained as calm as ever. When they first met in Uzushio Village, Sakumo felt that Katsuki was much more mature than his peers.

However, he himself hadn't had much interaction with children, so he didn't find anything strange about it. Besides, the Shinobi World was full of all sorts of exceptionally talented freaks, and precocious cases like Katsuki's were not uncommon.

"You're already Chunin. Your progress is much faster than I expected, far too fast," Sakumo broke the silence.

"Well, luck, I guess. I was lucky; I killed a Cloud Ninja Jonin, though I almost died myself," Katsuki replied, holding his teacup.

"Luck? Luck... Good luck is also part of strength. Many strong people just lack that little bit of luck and end up losing their lives. I hope your good luck continues."

Sakumo's words stunned Katsuki; he never expected that Konoha's White Fang would believe in something as unreliable as luck.

Yes, it's something unreliable, not something completely unreliable.

Katsuki believes in luck, but luck is the most unreliable thing. Rather than relying on it, it's better to make more preparations and put in more effort in daily cultivation, which is far more reliable than praying for so-called luck.

"Surprised? You'll understand once you've spent more time on the battlefield; luck can really be that important sometimes... Anyway, let's not talk about that. Here, take this."

Sakumo dragged a small, square wooden box out from under the bed. He opened the box and took out a long wooden box, about fifty centimeters long.

The moment Katsuki saw the box, his heart began to race. He had a vague idea of what was inside, and he couldn't help but swallow hard, his eyes fixed on the long wooden box.

"Ha, do you care that much?"

Sakumo noticed Katsuki's gaze and shook the long wooden box in his hand.

"Hmm, inside is..."

"The gift I promised you was originally meant to celebrate you becoming Genin, but I didn't expect you to become Chunin right away. Open it and take a look."

Sakumo simply shoved the box at him.

I took the long wooden box, unlocked the latches, and carefully opened the lid.

A flash of cold light caused his pupils to contract instinctively.

The dagger lay quietly in the box, its blade gleaming with a silvery-white luster like ice and snow, with faint silver-gray patterns on the edge. The handle was made of wood and was tightly wrapped in fine black cloth.

"The blade is 20 centimeters long, the handle is 12 centimeters long, and the entire length is 32 centimeters. It is a genuine masterpiece crafted by a master swordsman, a first-rate sword, and its Chakra flow is also top-notch..."

Sakumo pointed to the short sword and recounted its information to Katsuki one by one.

"Now... it's yours."

Finally, Sakumo concluded by smiling at Katsuki.

After a brief test of its feel, he sheathed the sword and carried the short sword on his back, just like Sakumo's attire.

"Teacher, you came to see me in such a hurry, it wasn't just because you wanted to give me a gift, was it?"

Katsuki asked tentatively, "He just traveled a long way here, and Sakumo took him away from the main group in such a hurry. It's too rushed. If it's just a simple gift delivery, there's no need to rush."

"That's right, there are other reasons why I called you here. The details are a bit complicated, so listen carefully."

Sakumo held a teacup, and wisps of white steam rose up, obscuring his face and making it appear blurry.

······

"A reconnaissance... mission?"

Katsuki scratched her head.

It was definitely not a simple matter.

"The village sent a report about you. You've mastered the Sensory Ninjutsu unique to your Uzumaki Clan, right? And your naturally enormous Chakra reserves allow you to frequently use the Shadow Clone Technique, and you also know Earth Release Stealth Technique. You'd be perfect as a scout to gather intelligence. Of course, this kind of mission is very dangerous, with an extremely high mortality rate, but it also hones your skills. What do you think?"

"A scout? But I've never received any training like this before. Can I handle it? This is different from a regular patrol or pursuit mission, isn't it?"

"It is different, what you said is indeed a bit... um." Sakumo put down his teacup, rubbing his chin with a troubled expression.

"Alright, there's no rush for now. Although you've been to the Land of Rain, you haven't truly experienced what a battlefield is like. Perhaps it will be more appropriate for you when you have a sufficient understanding of war."

A cacophony of voices drifted from outside the tent, but it seemed to be quite far away; by the time it reached the master and his apprentice, it was just pure noise.

[Ear Strength Enhancement], activated.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, the noisy, low sounds in Katsuki's ears suddenly became loud and clear. She could hear the chaotic footsteps of the patrolling ninjas, their complaints about the weather, their curses against the Sand Ninjas, and so on.

"It seems the Sand Ninja have retreated."