The Hokage Building.
Hiruzen Sarutobi gently exhaled a stream of smoke and swiftly wrote out the mission orders.
A-rank mission: Investigate the rogue ninja appearing near the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. Appointment: Yuhi Kurenai as team leader, with Gekko Hayate and Inuzuka Tsume as team members. Depart immediately.
After signing the orders, he turned to the guard beside him. "Kakashi, first tell Yuhi Kurenai to come see me, then notify the others."
"Yes, Lord Third."
Kakashi used Body Flicker and left. Before long, a female ninja with a stunning figure, wine-red eyes, and long hair entered.
"Lord Third." Yuhi Kurenai bowed.
"Jonin Kurenai, you're here." Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled kindly. "How has your Genjutsu training been going lately?"
"Thank you for your concern, Lord Third. Lord Tobirama's notes on Genjutsu have been extremely helpful. I've already developed two B-rank Genjutsu."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, looking at his daughter-in-law with even greater approval. "I see. As it happens, I have an A-rank mission for you. Rogue ninja are suspected of appearing near the border with the Land of Water. Take a team to investigate. Jonin from Takigakure will assist you, and it shouldn't be too difficult."
As he spoke, Hiruzen Sarutobi handed Yuhi Kurenai the appointment letter, his old face creasing into a broad smile.
"Asuma happens to be off duty for the next couple of days. I've already asked him to wait for you along the way. It's been a while since you two saw each other, so he can accompany you on the mission. If anything dangerous happens, he'll be able to help right away."
Yuhi Kurenai's cheeks flushed slightly. She lowered her head. "Thank you, Lord Third."
"Haha, off you go. Asuma's been busy protecting the Daimyo for a long time, and he doesn't get much time off. He's a bit wooden, too. It's a wonder you don't mind."
Yuhi Kurenai blushed even more and hurried out of the office.
Gekko Hayate and Inuzuka Tsume had arrived as well. After exchanging a few words, the three of them immediately set off toward Takigakure.
Along the way, they met up with Asuma.
Those two were Konoha's golden couple, and everyone knew they were in love.
Asuma was the Lord Third's son, while Yuhi Kurenai was the daughter of Yuhi Shin, a hero who had died in the Nine-Tails' Rampage.
Both were Jonin. One specialized in Nintaijutsu, the other in Genjutsu. They were a perfect match.
The four traveled onward, and the next day they joined up with a patrol squad of Chunin from Konoha and Takigakure who were monitoring the border.
As the Jonin leading this mission, Yuhi Kurenai was in charge of everyone, including a Jonin from Takigakure.
But after exchanging intelligence, her brows furrowed.
"You're saying the activity near the border has been growing more intense over the past two days? The rogue ninja's techniques have already reached A-rank in power?"
She was filled with questions.
A-rank techniques were uncommon—in fact, they were extremely rare. They were usually a ninja's ultimate trump card.
The Chunin squad patrolling the border had only dared to watch from a distance over the past two days. Hearing the explosions from dozens of kilometers away had left them terrified.
Now that Konoha's Jonin had arrived, they looked as if they'd found something to lean on.
"Lady Kurenai, Lord Asuma, we're not making this up. The explosions could be heard from dozens of kilometers away, and there were flashes of lightning so bright they looked like explosions. It was beyond anything a person could withstand."
The group had little experience with major battles. Just seeing the terrifying attacks had left them without the courage to face them directly.
Yuhi Kurenai and Asuma exchanged glances, both seeing the gravity in the other's eyes.
"From that description, the rogue ninja at the border may be S-rank."
Asuma spat out the Senbon he'd been holding in his mouth and pondered. "Bright flashes of lightning? If someone can practice a technique so openly, they must be developing an A-rank Lightning Release technique. Which S-rank rogue ninja specializes in Lightning Release?"
Yuhi Kurenai thought for a moment. "It could be Hiruko or Kakuzu. They're the only two who are skilled in Lightning Release Ninjutsu. But Hiruko is more likely. Kakuzu is skilled in all five nature transformations."
After they finished speaking, everyone fell silent.
The two people they'd mentioned came from Konoha and Takigakure, respectively. Both villages had representatives right there.
Only after a while did Yuhi Kurenai speak. "Whoever's at the border, we need to find out. From now on, the Chunin patrol squad doesn't need to accompany us. This is our mission."
After giving a few instructions, the Jonin from Takigakure didn't leave. His role was to assist with the mission.
The five of them blurred out of sight.
Half an hour later, they were about thirty kilometers from their destination, but all of them stopped at the same time.
It was already evening. The setting sun sank toward the west, and the light dimmed.
In the distance, streaks of purple-blue lightning kept appearing across the sky. Accompanied by low rumbling, they made the group uneasy even from afar.
"What's that?"
Suddenly, Gekko Hayate spotted a thick pillar of light rising into the sky. It flickered rapidly a few times, then vanished.
Yuhi Kurenai had seen the pillar disappear, too. She asked in confusion, "Why does it look so much like a Storm Release laser?"
"It does look similar, but the scale is absurd," Asuma said.
"Guessing won't do. We'll have to see for ourselves. If the enemy is too strong, we'll retreat."
The mission was important, but Yuhi Kurenai had to ensure her teammates' safety first. There was no point in making needless sacrifices.
They moved quickly through the dense forest, crossing river after river and passing waterfalls.
As they drew closer, the pillars of light appeared more and more frequently, and the intervals between their disappearance grew shorter.
Whenever a pillar appeared, rings of blue light spread out around it like waves, sweeping up countless wisps of water vapor.
The pillar's shape also grew stranger. Its cylinder gradually flattened, until it looked like an enormous sword—though its details were still somewhat rough.
At some point, the sky had grown overcast. Heavy black clouds hung over the mountaintops, dense streaks of lightning coursing through them as bolts struck down from time to time.
"Stay alert. The enemy seems to be reaching a critical stage in developing their technique. Everyone, keep hidden. This is only a reconnaissance mission; we don't need to capture or fight them."
Yuhi Kurenai gave the warning.
Given the situation, she had already prepared herself for the possibility that the mission would fail.
The five of them said nothing. With grim expressions, they hurried onward.
Fifteen kilometers. Ten kilometers. Five kilometers...
When they were three kilometers away, the pillar of light stabilized and fully transformed into a gigantic sword of light. Lightning coiled around its blade, radiating a terrifying, fearsome presence.
The group stopped without thinking. Goose bumps rose on their skin, and their faces were full of shock.
"It's too dangerous. We can't get any closer."
The electric charge hanging in the air made their hair stand on end.
They hid beneath the shade of a giant tree. Their eyes, enhanced with chakra, let them see the source of everything.
Three kilometers away, a figure held a gigantic sword of light nearly one kilometer tall as he rose into the air.
He wasn't particularly tall, and his face was obscured by the dazzling lightning, making it impossible to see clearly.
From a distance, he looked like a Thunder God, floating in the air with a divine weapon a thousand meters long in his hand, surrounded by countless bolts of lightning and laser-like flashes.
He slowly raised his hand and made a slashing motion, aiming straight toward where Yuhi Kurenai and her team were hiding.
The roar of the waterfalls throughout the border region seemed to fade without anyone noticing.
Only the countless peals of thunder remained, accompanied by a clear voice that rang across the land.
Storm Release: Futsu-no-Mitama!
Before you continue