First Mission and Karasu Tengu

The Land of Grass is located between the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth. Due to its weakness, it acted as a "central air conditioner" during this ninja war, maintaining a friendly attitude towards all ninja villages. It provoked no one, and the major powers had no interest in attacking this tiny land.

Lycoris Flower Shore is a flower field in the Land of Grass. As far as the eye could see, mountains and plains were covered in delicate white and yellow chrysanthemums. Only a wide Kitsuchi road cut through the sea of flowers like a blade.

At this moment, several horse-drawn carts laden with supplies rumbled along the flower-lined road. The wheels occasionally made a "rumbling" sound on the ground. Seven ninjas, clad in well-equipped gear, were positioned around the carts. The forehead protectors on their heads all bore the same symbol: a large and small mountain connected together.

This indicated their identity—ninjas from Iwagakure.

"Stay alert," the ninja at the front of the carts shouted to the other six. His name was Tsuchikage, and he was the leader of this group.

"The front lines are tense, and food is running low. We must deliver these supplies to the front lines safely and intact," Tsuchikage yelled again. He then leaned against a cart, warily observing their surroundings.

Beside him, a subordinate walked over and spoke in a low voice, "Captain, this flower field is the most dangerous place. If there's an ambush, it's most likely to be here."

"Mm," Tsuchikage nodded, looking at the chrysanthemums covering the mountainside. The mountain breeze sent countless petals drifting down, filling the air with an intoxicating floral scent.

As far as the eye could see, flowers carpeted the ground.

These flowers, having grown for many years without care, were mostly chest-high. If someone were to hide within them, they would be completely concealed.

The Iwagakure ninjas at the front lines were locked in a fierce battle with Konoha ninjas. Supplies had been scarce for a long time, so headquarters had ordered them to transport provisions to the front.

Their vigilance stemmed from the fear of Konoha ninjas intercepting them midway.

At this moment, they had already passed the halfway point of the flower field. As long as they successfully left this area, the rest of the journey would be on flat roads, significantly reducing the possibility of an ambush.

Therefore, if there was an ambush, this was the best place for it.

"Tell everyone to be serious and stay on high alert," Tsuchikage said again. Under normal circumstances, the route for transporting supplies was top secret, making an ambush unlikely.

However, for some reason, a sense of unease spread through him.

"Shisui, do you detect anything unusual?" he asked the reconnaissance ninja in the middle of the carts.

The ninja named Shisui shook her head. "No."

Tsuchikage let out a soft sigh and removed his forehead protector, looking at the ninja village symbol on it. He suddenly let out a laugh. "I've been too stressed lately. Always seeing shadows."

The carts continued to move forward, with only the sound of the wind and hooves breaking the silence. If one were traveling for leisure, Lycoris Flower Shore would be a good choice.

?

His eyes snapped open, and he finally realized something was wrong.

Only the sound of the wind and hooves, and nothing else!

It was too quiet! Normally, there would be a cacophony of insect chirps in a flower field!

"Everyone, alert!" he stood up and roared!

The next moment, from the calm flower field, seven or eight figures leaped out. They wore masks, and their auras were chillingly cold. In mid-air, countless shuriken and explosive tags flew towards the Iwagakure ninjas!

"Enemy attack!" Tsuchikage roared. His hands rapidly formed hand seals, and with a rumble, a barrier rose from the ground, enveloping him and the supplies behind him.

Boom, boom, boom—

Explosive tags detonated one after another. In an instant, the flower field, which resembled a fairyland, was engulfed in flames.

"I'll handle that Jonin. You deal with the others. Make it quick!" the masked man in the lead, Shinnosuke, coldly commanded. He then moved alone to attack Tsuchikage.

A fireball shot out, directly shattering the Earth Style: Earth Wall.

However, Tsuchikage, within the Earth Style: Earth Wall, was no pushover. The moment the barrier was broken, his arm solidified with a large amount of earth and rock.

Earth Style: Weighted Rock Technique!

"Anbu!" he roared, engaging Shinnosuke in a fierce battle. For a moment, the shockwaves from the clash of two Jonin made it impossible for anyone else to get close.

"Seven, go take care of that reconnaissance ninja," one of the masked men said in a low voice, then charged towards a target himself.

Sora Uchiha grunted and surveyed the battlefield. In just a few breaths, clashes erupted everywhere, and smoke billowed into the sky.

His gaze slowly locked onto Shisui, the reconnaissance ninja from Iwagakure. This female ninja was his first target after joining the Anbu.

Time returned to one day prior.

"From today onwards, your codename is: Seven," Shinnosuke said at the Anbu base.

[Ding!]

[Host detected joining the Anbu.]

[Phase One of mission complete.]

[Acquired: Karasu Tengu.]

Sora Uchiha was stunned for a moment. Hearing the system's voice, he finally realized that he had joined the Anbu just like that, without any other procedures. It was unbelievably hasty.

Karasu Tengu?

His heart pounded wildly. If he remembered correctly, Karasu Tengu was the third stage manifestation of Susanoo.

In his excitement, he almost let out a monkey-like cry. If he were still at the Anbu base, he feared he would be unable to resist releasing Karasu Tengu on the spot.

Shinnosuke looked at the Uchiha youth before him with a strange expression. The excitement flickering in the youth's eyes did not escape his notice. He thought to himself, "Sora Uchiha is so excited to join the Anbu. A good omen. His heart belongs to the Anbu. Excellent."

He continued, "According to our intelligence, Iwagakure ninjas will escort a batch of supplies to the front lines tomorrow. Our objective is to disrupt this Iwagakure escort mission."

[Ding!]

[Notification to Host: Karasu Tengu causes significant eye damage and carries the risk of blindness. Please use with caution.]

Sora Uchiha felt like a burning flame suddenly doused with a bucket of cold water. The system's reminder instantly calmed him down.

He suddenly remembered that the last time he used Uchiha's Glory, the Mangekyo had appeared and he had felt discomfort in his eyes.

He suddenly understood that before awakening the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, techniques related to Mangekyo Sharingan would still cause damage to his eyes, even if he hadn't awakened the Sharingan yet.

This sense of disappointment was so profound that he didn't even hear the mission Shinnosuke had issued.

As for Shinnosuke, from his perspective, Sora Uchiha's excitement in his eyes was instantly replaced by disappointment upon hearing the mission. This caused his lips to twitch slightly.

He thought to himself, This guy was so excited to join the Anbu, but he looks like this as soon as he hears the mission. It seems he still needs more training...

And so, Sora Uchiha welcomed his first mission today.

Beneath that fox mask, a pair of cold eyes were revealed.

Shisui's heart skipped a beat. She felt an invisible pressure emanating from Sora Uchiha. She took a deep breath, sizing up Sora Uchiha's figure, and reassured herself:

"Don't be scared, don't be scared. The voice and build of that person suggest he's just a child. Even though I'm a reconnaissance ninja, I should be able to handle him."

Then, she patted her chest, her gaze firm. A layer of rock and earth slowly covered her arm as she cheered herself on, "I will win!"