A War Mission That Wouldn't Be Easy

This mission is classified as a Level A war mission, which is very rare in recent years.

Because several major powers have signed peace treaties, even though they are just pieces of paper, it at least shows that everyone is inclined to recuperate and not to openly wage war.

Therefore, the most intense conflicts would naturally occur between small ninja villages, missing-nin, and Rogue Ninja.

Small countries situated between major powers are constantly embroiled in minor conflicts, with powerful ninja villages occasionally intervening behind the scenes. Countries like the Land of Rain and the Land of Waterfalls also possess strong local forces, making it difficult for many ambitious individuals to realize their grand plans.

"... So many guys are setting their sights on the vast northern region, wanting to establish a foothold there." Shuichi explained the detailed information during the journey.

"Many factions and missing-nin have been very active lately. This time, our clients include the Daimyo of the Land of Hot Springs and several lords of smaller factions in the Land of Fields. To complete the mission as quickly as possible, I plan to split our forces into two groups..."

This time, he personally applied to take on the war mission, Third Hokage naturally did not refuse. His subordinate team members included Ishikawa Tatsuki, Yūhi Kurenai, Uchiha Itachi.

Both the Land of Hot Springs Land of Fields are currently rare examples of weak and incompetent nations. The Yugakure is known as the Village of Peace, while the Land of Land of Fields doesn't even have a ninja village. However, both countries have fertile lands and abundant resources, which quickly attracted many skilled individuals.

For example, the Kirigakure missing-nin from Kirigakure who escaped from the chaos in the Land of Water recently are constantly moving towards that direction. The Land of Fire does have a good environment, but Konoha is too powerful, and even Jonin don't dare to act arrogantly there. Therefore, heading north has become one of the best options.

The team continued to gather information about the mission. The Land of Hot Springs possessed a significant tourism industry and was quite wealthy, naturally attracting the attention of many "big shots."

Many villages and towns have been looted. The ninja from the Hot Spring Ninja are no match for the experienced warriors and are now anxiously awaiting reinforcements from the Konoha Ninja.

"Therefore, I will go to the Land of Hot Springs alone, and the three of you will be responsible for the Land of Fields area," Shuichi instructed. "You also know the information about the several experts there, and I have confidence in your abilities. Kurenai will lead the team as the temporary captain. We will all meet at the border between the two countries in five days."

After another half-day of high-speed march, their squad was quite close to the Land of Fire Border. "OK, I'll go first, you guys be careful!"

Having said that, Shuichi turned around and became a blur, speeding away towards the northeast and disappearing in a few moments.

"..."

Ishikawa Tatsuki scratched his head. This Shuichi is too big! Itachi is still just a child. When I was 8 years old... I was still practicing the Three Basic Ninjutsu Techniques at the Ninja Academy.

"Let's discuss the action plan now. Five days is a bit tight, so we'd better finalize the strategy quickly." Hong quickly took on the role of team leader.

He took out a map of the Land of Fields and unfolded it. It clearly divided the land into several regions, with three red dots forming a triangle.

"There are three enemy groups in total, and the one closest to us should be the strongest," Hong said in a deep voice. "The leader is Anmoto, Jonin Kirigakure. He doesn't have any particularly strong subordinates. What do you think about choosing them as our primary targets?"

Yūhi Kurenai's statement wasn't an exaggeration. Both she and Ishikawa Tatsuki now possess the strength of Special Jonin, thanks to Shuichi's years of guidance and resources, coupled with their own decent aptitude, making them outstanding among the younger generation.

Moreover, they have been working together for a long time and have a very high level of tacit understanding. Ishikawa Tatsuki is skilled in the use of ninja tools such as Earth Release, Fire Release, and Explosive Tag, and with Kurenai's Genjutsu, they can control a wide area and can handle being surrounded by multiple people.

Itachi didn't have many achievements before, but he graduated from the Ninja Academy at the age of 7, which definitely makes him a rare genius. After receiving guidance from Shuichi for almost a year, he should also have Chunin strength, right?

According to the intelligence we have, only one of the opponents at the three target locations is Special Jonin Anmoto. The only problem is that we need to take the initiative and go deep into the enemy's base to kill them. Therefore, we don't have the advantage of terrain and are very likely to be ambushed by the enemy.

"How about we deal with the other two weaker enemies first?" Ishikawa Tatsuki thought for a moment, then pointed to the map and said, "Let Itachi get used to the battle atmosphere, so he won't be injured or killed in the chaos when facing the Anmoto Prisoners."

"Otherwise, if he were to be ambushed by Jonin right from the start, the danger would be extremely high. Even for the two of us, defeating Special Jonin from Kirigakure wouldn't be so easy..."

Now that Shuichi is no longer there to look after them, it seems best to be cautious. Ninja battles are full of surprises, and if they expose a weakness while trying to protect a teammate who is holding them back, even if they are slightly stronger, they could still be wiped out.

Itachi didn't speak immediately; he was also looking at the map. The three target points were distributed in an inverted triangle shape Land of Fields. If they were to attack the Anmoto forces last, the team would definitely have to take a much longer detour, just to allow him to accumulate combat experience.

"Senior, don't worry about me. I think the best course of action is to eliminate the Anmoto Prisoner as soon as possible." Itachi was silent for a moment, then calmly said, "Firstly, because of our battle condition, we are currently at the peak of our chakra reserves, so prioritizing the elimination of the most troublesome enemy is the best option."

"The second reason is that if the time drags on, the situation may change. The enemy's stronghold has complex terrain, and they are launching frequent attacks because of their superior strength. If we arrive last, we may not be able to complete the mission on time."

"Thirdly, please trust my abilities!" Itachi said resolutely, "There's no need to change your tactics to protect me. If the enemy truly targets me, they only need timely support. If I accidentally lose my life, that's my own fault."

"This..."

Hong looked at his youthful face, which seemed to resemble Shuichi's younger self, with pride and confidence hidden in his bones.

Without further hesitation, she gave the order, "Rest for a moment, then we'll first wipe out Anmoto's gang. We'll set off once we're ready."

The Land of Fields is somewhat similar to the Land of Rivers, with plains and mountains interspersed, and the roads are not easy to travel.

The places that could serve as ninja strongholds were naturally even more treacherous. The three members of the Konoha Squad walked along a dark and damp mountain path, with weeds and pebbles scattered along the way.

Although some of the surrounding trees are relatively short, they grow in an extremely strange way, with branches like iron rods stuck horizontally on the trunk. It is quite difficult to push them aside, and taking a detour would only add to the trouble, making it a real headache.

In addition, the slope gradually becomes steeper, requiring more physical exertion with each step. At the same time, one must also guard against dangerous animals and attacks from unknown sources, making it a test for any ninja.

"Crackling..."

Several pairs of ninja shoes made a slight rustling sound as they stepped on the withered branches and leaves. The leaves, soaked with moisture, were no longer crisp, giving the sound a strange, muffled quality.

Ishikawa Tatsuki led the way, with Itachi following closely behind, and Kurenai, as the captain, brought up the rear to provide backup. The team was somewhat odd, resembling the shape of a concave character.

"The terrain is so complicated; it's too easy to be ambushed." Ishikawa Tatsuki frowned, his eyes scanning both sides of the canyon, a hint of worry in his voice for a potential battle. "Kurenai, it seems we need to be careful..."

"I know!" Yūhi Kurenai replied, slowing the group's advance slightly as she occasionally Hand Seals to sense her surroundings.

Increasing the frequency of using Sensory Ninjutsu will greatly increase chakra consumption, but in the face of such treacherous terrain, reconnaissance is essential; otherwise, it would be irresponsible to the lives of teammates, even if it weakens direct combat capabilities.

The three carefully climbed around the mountain, unaware that their presence had been discovered.

Inside a rock face halfway up the mountain, a simply dressed, worn-out man was scanning down with a monocular telescope, moving back and forth along a narrow path. Suddenly, he spotted the Konoha trio walking by.

The moment he saw the people, he froze, then slightly turned the binoculars to magnify them, trying to see them more clearly.

Not long after, he crouched down, crept up, and ventured deep into the rock wall, turning through several passages until he arrived at a room where several figures were sitting.

"Anmoto, I've spotted some people heading up the mountain. Judging from their movements, they're clearly well-trained ninjas!"

Anmoto, who was resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. There was a clear scratch on his Kirigakure Forehead Protector, which was also obscuring his right eye. Half of his face was scarred beneath the Forehead Protector. Could he be an ugly version of Dark Kakashi?

"Looks like they're after us; it must be a commission from those forces." His left eye was fixed on the scout, the Byakugan of his eye much more prominent than usual, giving him an unusually fierce look. "Quickly, give us information about who's coming!"

"Yes..." The scout swallowed hard. "There are three people in total, a man, a woman, and a child. Their Forehead Protector and faces are too far away to see clearly. They've already covered half the distance."

"A child?" Anmoto's face darkened. "Our intelligence may have leaked out. Knowing I'm here, they still dared to send such a young ninja? Do they think every genius is Purple Aurora?"

A man covered in bandages next to him laughed, his voice hoarse. "Boss, I haven't made a move in front of anyone since I arrived. Let's show them what we're made of this time!"

"Alright, then we don't need to wait around anymore. We can use the things we've prepared. Let's all move together." Anmoto said arrogantly, and several of his subordinates stood up at the same time.

Although he kept spouting harsh words, he wasn't stupid. Anyone who dared to cause him trouble was definitely more than Chunin- level ninja, so if he was going to fight, he would make full use of his advantages and never engage in a direct confrontation if he could launch a sneak attack...

Yūhi Kurenai and her two companions were unaware of the impending battle. They walked quite a distance up the mountain, and their bodies inevitably broke out in a light sweat after such a long period of exercise.

"Seniors, can you smell anything?" Itachi suddenly asked.

Hong didn't ignore his words. Instead, she immediately used her Sensory Ninjutsu to find nothing amiss before looking around. She then pointed to a shallow pool of water not far away. "It might be the scent of that flower. I remember this variety is non-toxic."

"Hmm... alright." Itachi didn't say anything more, but as he started to move again, he picked up his water pouch, took two sips, and then took out three different colored pills and swallowed them, while quickly wiping his face with his hand.

The team moved more cautiously, and they didn't sense anyone along the way, which was unusual.

As a highly skilled ninja from one of the Five Great Ninja Villages, Anmoto couldn't possibly be unaware of the importance of intelligence gathering. On the other hand, it's quite possible that the enemy has already used the terrain to their advantage and laid an ambush, intending to catch them off guard...

"Stop!" After walking a few hundred meters more, Ishikawa Tatsuki waved for everyone to stop. "The road ahead is narrow, and the rocks on both sides are relatively soft. It's very likely that someone has set a trap. I'll send an Earth Clone to scout ahead."

As a seasoned explosives enthusiast, this type of terrain is perfect for manipulating landslides, a tactic he has used to defraud countless people. He is also an expert in physics-based targeted blasting, so how could he not be prepared for this?

After the Earth Clone, it walked forward at a leisurely pace, not missing any suspicious spots along the way, and soon entered a narrow passage, tapping left and right on the rocky cliffs.

"There's definitely a problem; we need to be careful..."

"Boom!"

Halfway through his shout, a rapid series of explosions suddenly erupted overhead. Large and small rocks, carrying immense kinetic energy, crashed down. The Earth Clone, with its limited strength, was unable to retreat in time and was engulfed in the next moment.

"They're about to attack! Everyone be careful!" Kurenai once again acted correctly. When the explosion occurred and the ground shook, she wasn't affected by the sudden change in situation, but immediately used her Sensory Ninjutsu.

"Two on the left, three on the right, charging towards us. There's one person hiding on the hillside to the upper right, we'll attack the right first!"

The squad immediately turned to the right and moved quickly, forming a diagonal triangular formation with Ishikawa Tatsuki as the arrowhead.

Due to the urgency of the situation, Red did not explain her reasons for doing so, but the other two guessed the general idea as soon as they set off: one of the enemies on the left was likely Anmoto.

They are currently outnumbered, so we must concentrate our forces as soon as possible to defeat them one by one and avoid being besieged.

If one's perception methods are not precise enough, they might directly attack the side with fewer people. However, without overwhelming strength, they simply cannot quickly kill the Kirigakure Special Jonin. If they are delayed for even a few seconds, their own side will be attacked from both sides.

"Quite clever! You didn't fall for the trick or the trap!"

The bandaged man Jōshiryu, stood on the hillside preparing his Ninjutsu. Seeing the three Konoha members' choice, a sinister smile crept across his face, "But I have a backup plan for you to try. Let's see how you handle it!"

Down the hillside, three ninjas dressed in different styles were sprinting at full speed. One was wielding an iron claw, while the other two carried Katana and iron forks. The distance between them and Ishikawa Tatsuki and the others was rapidly closing.

"20 meters... Time to make a move!"

Both sides had the same idea: to use ninja tools to pave the way and force their opponent to reveal an opening, so as to gain an advantage in close combat.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh..."

The three Konoha Squad simultaneously threw Shuriken, perfectly covering the enemy's possible dodging range. Unexpectedly, the enemy pulled out a shield from behind and threw several special small paper balls at the same time...