An Old Man's Plea

As one of the Five Great Nations of the Shinobi World, the Land of Fire possessed abundant resources, and its territory was naturally vast.

The group traveled nonstop for an entire day, yet they had only covered half the distance. It would take at least another day to reach the Land of Fire border.

After a day of traveling, everyone was somewhat exhausted, and the only food they had to stave off hunger was the utterly unpalatable Soldier Pills.

"According to the map, there's a small village ahead. We can go there and rest."

Hiruzen spoke up. They had set out in the morning, and an entire day had passed. It was time to rest.

Their target for this mission was not on the move, so there was no need to hurry so much.

"Great, we won't have to sleep out in the wilderness." Koharu's face bloomed with a blissful smile.

Though ninja had to adapt to surviving in all kinds of environments, for girls, sleeping outdoors all night would leave their skin dry and rough.

Having a village to stay in was naturally the best outcome. Maybe they could even take a hot bath.

It was not just Koharu; the others also wanted to rest in the village.

"Then let's reach the village before sunset."

Everyone immediately quickened their pace. If they failed to reach the village before dark, they would have no choice but to camp in the wilderness.

Chisato was already starting to struggle. From time to time, Kagami had to carry her on his back so she could recover her strength before continuing.

Yet Torikaze looked as though nothing was wrong. Whether running or walking, he remained utterly at ease, making Chisato increasingly jealous.

She even had the urge to dissect Torikaze. She was beginning to wonder whether he was human at all—how could he still be so relaxed after an entire day?

"Torikaze, aren't you tired?" Chisato asked faintly from Kagami's back.

"I'm fine. I'm somewhat tired, but it's bearable."

Hearing this, Kagami also glanced at Torikaze. At such a young age, his physical condition was already comparable to Hiruzen's.

Chisato did not ask anything further. She lay on Kagami's back and promptly fell asleep. She had reached her limit.

Fortunately, Hiruzen's group arrived at the village before nightfall.

After finding an inn to stay at, everyone could finally get a good night's rest.

To their surprise, the inn even had a hot spring! Soaking in one before bed was simply the most enjoyable thing imaginable.

Yet strangely, everyone in the village seemed listless and utterly devoid of energy.

They paid little attention to Hiruzen's group, and some were even preparing to leave with their wives and children overnight.

Only the innkeeper seemed relatively normal, welcoming Hiruzen's group with considerable warmth.

The innkeeper was a kind-faced old man who looked as though he had weathered many storms.

He did not appear particularly afraid of Torikaze and the other ninja.

"My lords, are you here to wipe out the mountain bandits?"

The innkeeper asked uncertainly, but Hiruzen could see the plea in his eyes.

"That's right, sir. Have those mountain bandits affected this village too?"

Hiruzen was puzzled. There was a full day's journey between the two places. The mountain bandits should not have come this far.

"Ah, it's not because of that." Seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression, the innkeeper revealed his troubles.

"Our village is small. We mainly make a living by running small shops."

"But because of those mountain bandits, merchants and travelers passing between the villages have all begun avoiding this road."

"No one comes to the village anymore, and people are having trouble making a living. If no one deals with those mountain bandits soon, I'm afraid we won't be able to survive."

Only then did Hiruzen Sarutobi understand. Though this village was small, it stood at the junction of several small villages.

It was like a transfer station, providing a place for people traveling long distances to rest.

With people's livelihoods already at stake, they could not delay much longer. Hiruzen immediately promised the innkeeper that they would deal with the mountain bandits.

As soon as the news spread, the villagers cheered in delight. At last, there was a glimmer of hope.

In order to complete the mission and eliminate the mountain bandits more quickly, allowing the small village to resume normal operations,

Hiruzen led everyone in drawing up a more detailed battle plan, ensuring that no mountain bandits would escape to other mountains and continue harming the people.

After a night of rest, the group set out brimming with energy. Chisato no longer looked as worn out as she had the day before and had returned to her spirited self.

They set out at first light, maintaining a rapid pace throughout the journey.

This allowed them to reach the Land of Fire border by the afternoon.

The nation had neglected to govern areas like this, resulting in a chaotic mix of all sorts. Even Rogue Ninja from Sunagakure could come to the Land of Fire and run rampant!

The borderlands were mostly covered in dense forests, making them ideal for enemies to hide in.

However, Kagami Uchiha quickly noticed traces of the mountain bandits with his Sharingan. The group followed Kagami Uchiha's trail and finally found their lair.

It was an extremely secluded valley, its entrance only wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

By then, the sky was gradually darkening, and visibility in the forest was even lower. Only Kagami and Chisato could see in the darkness due to their Sharingan.

The entrance was not heavily guarded. There were only a few men, and they died silently in moments.

The group swiftly infiltrated the valley, with Hiruzen Sarutobi directing everyone to act according to the plan.

"Before night falls completely, kill them all!"

"Deal with the small fry first. The ninja come last."

Hiruzen gave his orders with calm decisiveness. Throughout the process, Torikaze was also constantly learning from Hiruzen Sarutobi's control of the situation and judgment.

After all, Torikaze would have to carry out missions himself in the future.

Just as everyone was preparing to begin, Torikaze pulled seven miniature Crystal Seeds from his ninja tool pouch.

Though they looked more like Crystal Seeds than Crystal Balls.

Torikaze gave everyone a Crystal Seed. "This is a ninjutsu I developed. It can help you block one instance of physical damage."

Everyone nodded and accepted them without hesitation. Against first-rate samurai, the usefulness of these Crystal Seeds was self-evident.

No one could be completely certain that they would emerge uninjured from a battle against samurai.

"Move out!"

At the command, the group turned into afterimages and shot in all directions.

Only Torikaze remained where he stood. His task now was to seal off the entire valley.

"Crystal Release—Crystal Creation."

Fifty Crystal Seeds slowly formed in his palm, and he scattered them around the valley entrance.

As Torikaze channeled his Chakra, Crystal Vines burst from the ground, their tangled roots and branches weaving into a Crystal Vine Net.

The branching vines embedded themselves deeply into the mountain walls at the valley entrance.

They sealed the entrance shut completely.