The First Mission in the Ninja World

Three days later, at dawn, the Seventh Squad finally arrived at the outpost on the border.

This outpost was extremely well-hidden, buried deep underground, with its only entrance on the surface concealed by a thousand-year-old tree with lush foliage.

The ancient tree's roots were like coiled dragons, intricately intertwined, cleverly disguising the cave entrance as a natural tree hollow.

Without specialized Sensory Ninjutsu, even elite reconnaissance ninja would find it difficult to detect the secret within.

Jiraiya exchanged a secret code with the guards hidden in the shadows, and only then were the four of them allowed to enter.

In the deepest part of the outpost, a figure was buried in a mountain of scrolls, his brow furrowed as he dealt with documents.

He seemed completely immersed in his work, not even noticing someone approaching.

It was Jiraiya who broke the silence first, his tone carrying a hint of emotion at their reunion, "Orochimaru, it's been a long time. I didn't expect you to be in charge here."

Hearing this voice, Orochimaru, who had been processing documents, stopped his work and looked up.

Sen took the opportunity to get a good look at one of the future Sannin.

At this time, Orochimaru was only in his early twenties. His golden vertical pupils did not yet hold the undisguised evil and madness they would later possess, only a lingering sense of fatigue from long hours of research and work.

"Jiraiya?" Seeing his visitor, Orochimaru's pale face relaxed slightly from its tired expression, "It's been a long time. I heard you were back in the village, working as a Jonin Leader."

Jiraiya moved aside, standing beside Sen and the other two, and briefly introduced the trio before going out with Orochimaru to catch up.

Meanwhile, Sen and the other two could finally wash away the dirt and fatigue accumulated from three consecutive days of traveling in the wilderness.

They had spent three days in the jungle, and their bodies reeked of decaying leaves.

Even though they had prepared medicine to repel leeches in advance, they were all bitten and swollen red.

The three of them slept until evening before waking up groggily.

Just after they finished eating, Jiraiya walked over, holding a mission scroll and carrying a large backpack.

The style of the backpack was exactly the same as the wooden barrel the Sound Ninja had used to carry Sasuke.

Jiraiya checked the supplies in the backpack, confirmed everything was in order, then unrolled the scroll and briefly explained the mission:

"This mission isn't complicated; it's mainly about delivering some supplies. This is good, as it means you won't have to directly engage the enemy."

He moved his finger from the first red dot to the last, saying, "This is an island bordering the Land of Water. The ninja on the island haven't responded for a week. The village suspects they may have already been killed. We need to confirm the intelligence here.

Time is tight; we need to depart now."

The three listened and nodded. The mission wasn't complicated; it was just delivering supplies.

Only Sen felt a bit curious. Judging by the description, the mission was urgent, yet they were assigned to it... it was as if it had been waiting specifically for them.

Before he could think further, Jiraiya had already placed the heavy backpack on his shoulders, stating with a smile, "The capable should bear more burdens. You are the little captain of our Seventh Squad."

Sen did not object. The weight was indeed nothing to him.

The group began to set off towards the first outpost along the coast.

An hour later, they arrived at their destination.

The atmosphere here was clearly much more tense than in the rear. After confirming Jiraiya's secret code, the on-duty ninja even required Sen and the other two to verify other codes in sequence before lowering their guard and letting them in.

With the help of the Anbu stationed there, the supplies were distributed in an orderly fashion.

To their slight surprise, they didn't prioritize receiving food. Instead, they scrambled for cigarettes and alcohol. Some even paid a high price for cigarettes, with food and medical supplies coming later.

Sen noticed that the packaging of the cigarettes, without exception, bore the crest of the Sarutobi Clan.

He sneered inwardly, realizing that war profiteering was truly ubiquitous.

"Intelligence said there were 12 people here. Why are there only 7 now?" Jiraiya asked.

The ninja who had been excited about cigarettes moments ago fell silent instantly, and even the on-duty ninja looked away.

Only one ninja closest to Jiraiya replied in a low voice, "Three... sacrificed. Two were seriously injured and sent back to the rear. They probably... won't be able to be ninja for the rest of their lives."

"Alright, I understand. I will report your situation to the village. They should send you reinforcements."

Hearing this, Kushina's eyes immediately reddened, "We... let's hurry and deliver the supplies to Lookout Island! The sooner we get there, the sooner we can support the front lines, and also... reduce some casualties."

Minato also nodded in silence.

While distributing supplies, he had secretly glanced at the scene outside the defensive fortifications. The scorched land was covered with traces of ninjutsu and explosive tags, and many incomplete skeletons were scattered among them.

Even if they wanted to bury them, it was impossible to distinguish between friend and foe.

The three bid farewell to the people at the outpost and quickened their pace, soon arriving before the last outpost—

Lookout Island.

The island was not very large, but it was at a high altitude. For the Land of Fire, this location was an excellent vantage point for vigilance, while for the Land of Water, it was a good springboard for attacking the Land of Fire.

In short, it was a strategically vital location.

The Anbu ninja guarding the dock handed them a boat, their tone as indifferent as ice, "Here's the boat you requested. The waves aren't strong today; you can reach it in forty minutes if you row quickly."

Jiraiya was about to thank them, but the other party had already turned and left, standing guard over the sea horizon like a statue.

"This is strange..." Jiraiya muttered to himself. "Even the Anbu should be happy to see a supply unit. These guys are a bit too cold..."

No one answered his question.

Not long after their small boat sailed away, the Anbu ninja summoned a sea bird, tucked a coded note into the message tube on its leg, and then released it.

The sea bird flapped its wings and flew rapidly towards the direction of Lookout Island. However, its speed was much faster than Jiraiya and the others' small boat, and it didn't seem to be going to notify them.

Half an hour later, the four of them finally landed on Lookout Island.

Although the island was several square kilometers in area, it was perpetually shrouded in dense fog, making visibility extremely low, barely reaching three to four hundred meters.

Jiraiya cautioned, "Be careful not to get separated. Much of this island is still virgin forest. Confirm your companions' positions every thirty seconds. We're only here to gather intel; no need to engage in combat."

The others nodded and continued to make their way laboriously across the island.

Minato stood up from the ground and said, "There seems to be someone ahead, but the fog is too thick to see clearly."

Jiraiya nodded, looking at the drag marks on the ground, and added, "There's also a smell of blood nearby, be cautious."

Just then, a Konoha ninja, covered in blood, stumbled out of the fog.

The person seemed to have lost an eye, and with his left hand covering his severed right arm, he breathed with difficulty.

His gaze swept over them, and a smile spread across his dried-out face. However, his face was devoid of blood, making him look somewhat ghastly.

"Is this Konoha's rescue?! Thank goodness... thank goodness! Save me!"

Seeing this, Kushina took out medical supplies and instinctively moved forward, but Jiraiya, Sen, and Minato all reached out to stop her simultaneously.

Sen looked at Kushina, who was confused, and reminded her with a somewhat cold voice, "What did school teach us is the first thing to do when encountering an unidentified comrade on the battlefield?"

Kushina suddenly understood, but then her eyes filled with disappointment. She wished so much that the person before them was truly a comrade from the village.

She dejectedly uttered a few words, "Confirm... the code phrase."

At that moment, six figures appeared on the treetops before them like ghosts. One of them sneered:

"Captain Fuguki, it seems your acting isn't very good. The sneak attack failed. But it doesn't matter, killing you directly is the same."

The expression of the injured man who had just begged for help changed, and the smile on his lips stretched to his ears.

After a puff of white smoke, his body inflated like a balloon, instantly transforming into a fat man with long brown hair, carrying a large sword.

"Heh heh, can't be helped. I turned into one of them, and had Samehada secretly bite them from behind. The scene of flesh and blood flying was just too beautiful."