The Mission Plan Changed

The battle between the Jonin was fierce, and none of them noticed Karot's arrival.

Although Teacher Matsushita was fairly strong among the Chunin, the ninja sent to carry out an infiltration mission weren't weak either—and they had the advantage in numbers.

"Is this really how strong Jonin are?"

Disappointment showed on Karot's face. He had to remember that his previous sparring partner had been Hatake Sakumo, who was at Kage Level. The gap between Kage Level and Jonin was enormous.

"Karot, you're finally here."

Matsushita Hokuto's furrowed brow relaxed. He had been stalling the Stone Village ninja while waiting for Karot to come to their aid. Having a student nearly as strong as himself was the squad's biggest trump card. The Stone Ninja had been counting on the same thing: they wanted their own ninja to take out the Konoha ninja and come to their aid, so the Konoha Jonin wouldn't lash out in desperation. Their little schemes were clicking along nicely.

"What do you mean?"

The enemy voiced his disbelief.

But Karot ignored him.

"Teacher, this is the last one. We need to hurry."

Karot spoke calmly.

"Brat, you're dead!"

With that, the enemy charged toward Karot at incredible speed. Karot didn't react as the man rushed at him.

Just as the enemy thought he was about to stab Karot with his kunai, Karot grabbed his wrist and kicked him in the chin. Crack! He shattered the man's jaw. The Stone Ninja collapsed to the ground, dead, and Karot let go of his arm. Then he began searching the man's body. As expected, ninja sent on infiltration and assassination missions were always loaded with valuables.

It happened so quickly that Matsushita and the other Stone Ninja hadn't even reacted before the fight was over. Since when had Jonin become so easy to kill? A Jonin was considered a high-ranking figure in any ninja village.

"Hey, Teacher, need a hand?"

After finishing his search, Karot called out to Matsushita, who was still staring in a daze. This was a battlefield, not a place to sit back and watch.

Sigh. My own student thinks I'm a pushover. I'll just have to win back some face.

Matsushita Hokuto was stronger than his opponent, which was why Karot had let him handle the fight alone.

"Damn it, Konoha ninja! Don't underestimate me!"

The Stone Village ninja shouted angrily. His hands moved rapidly through a series of seals. Under Matsushita's wary gaze, he turned and ran. He actually ran away. Karot and Matsushita Hokuto stared in disbelief. What happened to the Will of Stone? He runs, I chase, and he has nowhere to go. Karot hadn't planned to get involved, but now that the man had run, it was as if he was looking down on him. I'll give him a 39-meter head start. My little Karot knife is already itching for action.

Karot took out a kunai and channeled Ki into it. Pale yellow Ki enveloped the weapon, and he threw it toward the fleeing Stone Village ninja. Whoosh! The ninja felt something fly out through his chest. He looked down and saw a kunai. Then he fell from the tree.

"This..."

Matsushita stared at the scene in shock. Before he'd even had time to chase after the man, it was already over.

Was killing a Jonin really that easy? Just how strong is Karot?

After resting for an hour, the squad set out again. Sanada was injured, which slowed them down. The journey should have taken only one day, but it took two. When they finally reached the border, the atmosphere there was oppressive.

Everyone's face was stern. The place felt like a powder keg, ready to explode at the first spark.

Entry and exit were tightly controlled. Even Matsushita and his squad had to go through several rounds of checks before they were allowed into the camp.

"Thanks for your hard work, Matsushita."

The Jonin who was taking over the mission greeted Matsushita with a cheerful hug. The two were friends, and seeing a friend in a place like this was always a welcome surprise.

"Not at all. You're the ones working hard. Without you guarding the border, the village wouldn't be at peace."

"By the way, let me introduce you. This is Hatake Karot."

"Karot, this is my good friend Inoue. He's also a student of Teacher Hatake."

"Hatake? Could it be...?"

The Jonin who had greeted them looked at Matsushita. When Matsushita nodded, it confirmed his suspicions.

"Teacher Hatake's son really is a fine young man. Your name from the Chunin Ninja Exams has even reached us out here—the Hatake Clan's genius."

"Oh, really?"

Karot rubbed the back of his head, a little embarrassed. He was still shy, and being called a genius to his face made him uncomfortable.

After chatting for a while, Inoue left.

"I can't believe our mission has been classified as Rank A."

The squad was delighted. A higher rank meant a higher payment, and nobody minded getting a bigger cut.

"This is only the beginning. Don't get arrogant or complacent. Every Rank A mission is extremely dangerous. The slightest mistake could cost you your life."

Matsushita earnestly warned them. He didn't want to lose any of his squad members, especially with Karot about to leave the team. He had reported the mission in detail, and the village would certainly have other plans for a ninja as capable as Karot.

"Don't worry, Teacher. When have we ever not listened to you? Except for Karot, that is."

"I can't pretend I didn't hear that last part."

At some point, Karot had appeared behind Sanada and murmured in his ear.

"So what if you heard? I'm just telling the truth."

Sanada's mouth was the hardest part of him.

Karot poked Sanada's wound.

"Ah!"

Sanada jumped up in pain.

"Karot, look what you've done!"

"I did a good deed and was polite about it. Thanks for the compliment."

Karot looked completely unbothered, making Sanada's face redden with anger. Those two really were a pair of clowns. Matsushita was starting to get a headache. They bickered whenever they got the chance, and Sanada always got bullied by Karot, yet a moment later they'd be friends again. Maybe that was just youth.

Now that the mission was over, there was no need to hurry back. They took their time on the journey home.

"Caw, caw."

An eagle's cry came from overhead.

When Matsushita saw the carrier eagle, his expression immediately changed.

He whistled the signal, and the eagle circling overhead descended, landing steadily on his shoulder. Matsushita took the note from its leg. After reading it, his expression turned grave. He spoke up.

"Plans have changed. We're not going back to the village. We've been assigned an urgent mission: a Jonin has defected. We're to capture him alive or kill him."

"What? A Jonin actually defected?"

Sanada looked utterly disbelieving. Anyone who became a Jonin was a genius and wielded considerable power. A Jonin's defection would cause immeasurable losses—intelligence about troop deployments and personnel, for example.