Chapter Thirteen: Hankuang's Moment of Glory Is About to Begin!

"Is there any new intelligence?"

"Hmm?"

Hankuang looked at Kakashi in disbelief, wondering if this guy had been possessed.

Just a moment ago, he had still been trading verbal blows with him. How had he suddenly come over to ask about intelligence?

Where's your face?!

However, as a teammate, Hankuang was still generous enough to share some of his doubts.

After all, if he couldn't figure it out himself, it was perfectly reasonable to throw the problem to Kakashi.

"Why didn't Minako issue an A-rank mission, but instead issue a rank mission?" Hankuang voiced his doubt.

"That's normal."

Kakashi happened to know the reason.

"Oh? You call this normal?" Hankuang couldn't understand.

"Because of the Five Great Shinobi Villages Agreement."

After organizing his thoughts, Kakashi continued.

"There's an agreement between the Five Great Shinobi Villages. Its contents stipulate that the jonin of each village cannot enter neutral countries."

"What if they enter anyway?" Hankuang countered.

"That would mean violating the agreement. The other villages would then have reason to send their own jonin into neutral countries as well."

After hearing Kakashi's explanation, Hankuang rubbed his chin.

This was the first time he had heard of such an agreement.

After thinking it over briefly, he immediately found several loopholes in it.

For example, how would it be handled if a jonin infiltrated a neutral country in disguise?

For a jonin, infiltrating a place like that wouldn't be difficult.

Suppose a Kumogakure jonin infiltrated the Land of Hot Water, secretly overthrew its government, and then covertly deployed a ninja force along the Land of Hot Water border.

Meanwhile, Konoha continued honoring the agreement like an idiot.

Once Kumogakure launched a surprise attack, they could probably advance to Konoha's gates in no time.

So who was the idiot who had drafted such an agreement?

Wasn't this agreement specifically designed to facilitate sneak attacks on the other shinobi villages?

His thoughts returned to the present.

Hankuang couldn't help asking about the agreement's origins.

Kakashi thought for a moment before answering honestly.

"This agreement was drafted by the Third Hokage and refined with Danzo's assistance. In the end, the other shinobi villages agreed to it."

Hankuang: "???"

No wonder.

No wonder Konoha was always the one being attacked first by the other shinobi villages.

After speaking with Kakashi, a sense of urgency rose in Hankuang's heart.

The reason was that Five Great Shinobi Villages Agreement.

Hankuang was a pessimist.

Whenever he judged a situation, he always prepared for the worst.

So now Hankuang wondered: What if the Land of Hot Water had already changed hands?

If that were the case, wouldn't his squad be walking straight into a pride of lions as four little lambs?

Land of Hot Water border (the border between the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire)

Akutagawa Shinichi stood on the east bank of the river, gazing at the scenery of the Land of Fire.

This river was the boundary separating the Land of Hot Water and the Land of Fire. The eastern bank belonged to the Land of Hot Water, while the western bank belonged to the Land of Fire.

Clop! Clop! Clop!

The quiet atmosphere was broken when a subordinate ran over.

"Lord Shinichi, the border forces have finished assembling."

"Oh? How many?" Akutagawa Shinichi asked indifferently without turning around.

"A total of Chunin."

"Only ...?"

Muttering to himself, Akutagawa Shinichi frowned.

For the rebels to seize control of the Land of Hot Water, they had to carry out the necessary purges against the existing forces.

However, after the purge, the number of shinobi had plummeted.

These Chunin were the entire strength of the Land of Hot Water's border ninja force.

"Deploy all these shinobi here!"

"Remember, if any Konoha shinobi enter the Land of Hot Water from here, kill them without exception."

Akutagawa Shinichi issued the order in a grim tone.

This was the route leading to the Daimyo Palace of the Land of Hot Water.

Under the restrictions of the Five Great Shinobi Villages Agreement, any Konoha Chunin or Genin who entered the Land of Hot Water from here would be doomed.

This was not an order from the rebel leader Kawashiro, but a secret directive from Kumogakure.

Chapter Thirteen: Hankuang's Moment of Glory Is About to Begin!

Night.

Unusually, no one in Team 9 went to bed early.

Nohara Rin volunteered and went off to win Minako over.

Kakashi folded his arms across his chest and leaned against a tree, gazing up at the night sky.

Obito moved over beside Hankuang, his face solemn.

"Hankuang."

"Hmm?"

"Do you have someone you like?"

"Someone I like?"

Hankuang thought seriously for a moment.

"The person I like hasn't been born yet."

"Huh?"

Obito was completely confused.

But then he reacted.

Doesn't that just mean he doesn't have anyone? Why put it so euphemistically?

After finishing that topic, Hankuang casually said,

"By the way, Obito, if our squad encountered an enemy, what would you do?"

"Of course I'd charge in!"

"What if you couldn't beat them?"

"Then I'd let Kakashi handle it."

"What if Kakashi couldn't hold them off either?"

"Then..." Obito fell silent.

He couldn't think of what to do.

If even Kakashi couldn't hold them off, wouldn't that mean the entire squad had been wiped out?

"What would you do, then?"

Suddenly, Kakashi's voice came from behind them.

Kakashi had heard their entire conversation. He was curious about what Hankuang would do in that situation.

Unfortunately.