Reconnaissance Mission

"Have us scout enemy movements in Sandstorm Town? If we encounter enemies we can't obtain intelligence from, we must not expose our whereabouts..."

A trace of astonishment flashed across Hyuga Mirai's face upon receiving the mission.

They had rested for less than half a day. Though they had recovered some energy, there was no need to be in such a rush, was there?

Hyuga Mirai did not think their superiors were deliberately making things difficult for them. Besides, they were not the only squad assigned to scout the enemy.

"Ah~, we haven't rested for long, and we're already being sent out on another mission."

Though Yuhi Kurenai complained aloud, she still checked her Ninja Tool Pouch as quickly as possible. Once she confirmed everything was in order, she waited for Hyuga Mirai's instructions.

Striking first... so that's what Orochimaru is planning.

Hyuga Mirai thought to himself. Although the first group Konoha had sent contained quite a few elite ninja, their numbers were limited. If they waited for the Suna-nin to come knocking, then even if they managed to repel the enemy, they would certainly suffer heavy losses themselves.

But if they used this group of elite ninja to launch a proactive attack, they could surely catch the Suna-nin off guard. After all, no one would expect Konoha, which had always advocated peace, to take the initiative and attack a neighboring country without any reason.

They were practically choosing military achievements over reputation. Even if the surprise attack on the Suna-nin achieved a considerable victory, Hyuga Mirai was eighty percent certain that Orochimaru would be held accountable by the Third Hokage.

"Let's go, Kiyomi, Kurenai."

After finishing his preparations, Hyuga Mirai smiled at Yuhi Kurenai. "Kurenai, whether we can complete this mission may depend on your Illusion Technique."

Sandstorm Town lay along the desert border of the Land of Wind. A few dozen li ahead was River Country, which was wedged between the two great ninja villages. Its environment seemed to have been influenced by both major countries as well—half desert and rocky mountains, half forests and vegetation.

Not long after leaving camp, Yuhi Kurenai asked, "Captain, where are we going to gather intelligence?"

Hyuga Mirai thought for a moment, then took out a map and looked it over. "The Suna-nin in River Country should be professional intelligence ninja. There may even be Suna-nin Anbu among them. It'll be difficult to gather intelligence from them..."

"I think we should take a longer route, pass through the side of River Country bordering the Rain Country, and enter the Land of Wind. We can find isolated Suna-nin logistics squads and collect intelligence from them."

When Hyuga Mirai voiced this idea, both Yuhi Kurenai and Hyuga Kiyomi froze, looking at their Captain with surprise.

Their Captain, who had once been too lazy to even leave the village for missions, was being so bold today—directly choosing the most demanding and dangerous approach...

But risks and opportunities were equal. Following Hyuga Mirai's plan, if they succeeded, they would indeed obtain plenty of useful intelligence.

Hyuga Kiyomi frowned slightly. "Wouldn't that be too dangerous?"

A three-man squad daring to infiltrate behind enemy lines? They were not the Konoha White Fang, and even the Konoha White Fang had failed on his final mission.

"There are dangers, but with the abilities of the two of us, we can avoid the vast majority of them."

Hyuga Mirai pointed at his and Hyuga Kiyomi's Byakugan as he slowly explained.

"If the two of us use our Byakugan to scout the area back and forth, we can avoid most enemies. And I'm fairly confident in my ability to erase our tracks and conceal our scent."

"If we bypass River Country within two days, we can reach a section of the defense line the Suna-nin have overlooked. There's no need to worry about Chakra consumption—I brought plenty of specially made Soldier Pills."

Hearing Hyuga Mirai's thorough arrangements, Yuhi Kurenai and Hyuga Kiyomi could not help but approve of the operation.

Perhaps it really could work!

Besides, Hyuga Mirai had always been cautious in past missions. Since he had proposed this mission himself, he should be very confident in it.

Yuhi Kurenai nodded. "I support this operation."

After Yuhi Kurenai agreed, both of them looked at Hyuga Kiyomi. She immediately stood up and said decisively, "Since we all agree, let's go."

Hyuga Mirai then handed out the Soldier Pills he had made himself. They did not taste particularly good, but their ingredients were all top-grade supplies from Konoha Hospital. One pill could restore more than half a Chunin's Chakra within an hour.

Before setting out, Hyuga Mirai spoke with a grave expression. "Since you've agreed to this mission, let me make one thing clear first. During the mission, you are not allowed to question my orders. Once I give an order, it must be carried out immediately!"

It was the first time Yuhi Kurenai and Hyuga Kiyomi had heard Hyuga Mirai use such a stern tone. Hyuga Kiyomi knew those words were directed at her. Though she felt somewhat angry, she still answered in agreement.

Following the Captain's command during a mission was only natural. Hyuga Kiyomi might have had a temper normally, but when carrying out missions, she still demonstrated the qualities of a qualified ninja.

The three of them then took a detour, doing their best to avoid the main battlefield between the Suna-nin and Konoha in River Country. They rarely rested along the way. Whenever they felt their Chakra was overly depleted during the journey, they immediately swallowed a Soldier Pill to replenish it.

Hyuga Kiyomi in particular needed to keep her Byakugan activated to watch for enemies nearby, so she consumed far more Chakra than Yuhi Kurenai. Every hour or two, she had to take another Soldier Pill.

Hyuga Mirai also pretended to eat Soldier Pills to replenish his Chakra, though what he ate were chocolate beans shaped like Soldier Pills. After fusing with the Gene Sequence of Hashirama Cells, Hyuga Mirai's Chakra reserves had been increasing every day. If he had not used Sealing Technique to absorb and store Yang Release Chakra, the amount of Chakra he possessed—already beyond that of a Jonin—would have long since aroused suspicion.

"Stop. The Land of Wind's border is not far ahead. We'll rest for three hours before continuing."

Hyuga Mirai raised a hand to halt the two women. After more than a day of high-intensity travel, even though the Soldier Pills replenished their Chakra, there was no way to ease their mental exhaustion.

The three found a well-concealed spot suitable for resting. Hyuga Mirai then took out some food from a Sealing Scroll.

Though they could not light a fire, this food tasted much better than Soldier Pills. After the three had eaten their fill, Hyuga Mirai told the two women to rest while he stood watch.

Although he had traveled intensely for more than a day, Hyuga Mirai did not feel the slightest bit tired. He could feel every cell in his body brimming with powerful vitality, and under the nourishment of this Chakra, even his Byakugan felt exceptionally comfortable.

Yet the occasional blurriness remained.

"Looks like I'll need a full-body examination after I return. Could the Caged Bird Seal on my soul be causing this...?"

Without professional medical equipment nearby, Hyuga Mirai could not determine the exact cause.

Two hours later, after eating their fill and getting some sleep, Hyuga Kiyomi and Yuhi Kurenai had fully recovered.

After checking themselves over and confirming that there were no issues, the three hurried into the Land of Wind!