Kazuki Utsuki's attention was focused on the mountain behind them. The two Takigakure ninja had just mentioned that Tsunade was last seen heading that way. Given the news that she was badly injured, there was a good chance she was still somewhere in the mountains.
Sora Uchiha, meanwhile, was thinking about Hero Water. He'd heard of the stuff—it was Takigakure's most prized treasure. Supposedly, a single drop could increase your Chakra tenfold or more. It was priceless.
Still, Sora was puzzled. Tsunade was a ninja with monstrous strength. Did she really need more Chakra? In other words, she had no reason to steal Hero Water. Besides, she'd been on a mission near Iwagakure. The idea that she'd gone all the way to Takigakure to steal Hero Water was absurd.
Unless she'd stolen it to sell and use the money as gambling funds?
Sora fell silent. If Hero Water could be sold, it would fetch an astronomical price. Given Tsunade's gambling habit, maybe—just maybe—she really had stolen it to gamble.
Ha, just kidding. Tsunade was one of the Konoha Sannin, after all. She had principles.
While Sora's mind wandered, Kazuki had already made up his mind. He leaped onto a tree.
"Shichi, we're going to the mountains. We'll let the captain know about this on the way."
He pulled out his old-fashioned phone, only to realize there was no signal. With a sigh, he put it back in his pocket. He'd have to wait until they had reception to contact Shinnosuke.
Even if they couldn't notify him yet, they still had to go. If Tsunade really was hiding in the mountains, a lack of backup could lead to disaster.
"Yeah." Sora nodded. It might not have been the best decision, but it was definitely the most reasonable one.
Kazuki sprang high into the air and landed on the treetop. The tree was at least ten meters tall, giving him a wide view. He quickly pinpointed the mountains.
Why? Because there was only one mountain range in sight. That had to be the mountain behind them.
Having made their decision, the two hurried toward it.
[Thud—]
[Mission issued]
[Mission objective: Rescue Tsunade]
[Reward: Unknown]
Sora, darting through the woods, froze for a moment. Then he grumbled inwardly:
"System, you're issuing this mission way too late. I'm already on one!"
He was worried the system would pull something like this in the future—wait until after he'd taken part in the Kikyo Mountain Battle, then give him a mission about doing something during the battle.
[Ding]
[The system detected Tsunade in danger]
[Mission issued accordingly]
Sora froze. What did it mean, the system had detected Tsunade in danger? Hadn't she been in danger since this morning?
Why had the system only detected it now?
Suddenly, a sharp thunderclap seemed to explode in his mind.
No. If the system hasn't malfunctioned, there's only one possibility. Tsunade really was trapped, but she wasn't in mortal danger before. Something must have changed, and now her life is at risk!
Over the years, Sora had come to understand the system to some extent. It wouldn't actively interfere with the general course of the original story. The missions it issued wouldn't affect the plot.
For example, it might ask him to take first place in the Chunin Ninja Exams. Whether he did or not wouldn't make much difference to history. The world wouldn't revolve around him; one more or less made no difference.
Take the cause of the Third Shinobi World War, for instance. Sasori assassinated the Third Kazekage, and Sunagakure's search for him led to war.
In other words, he could have used his advantage in information to make Sasori's assassination fail and prevent the spark that ignited the Third Shinobi World War. It would have been simple: find a few people to spread rumors in Sunagakure until the Third Kazekage became wary.
But when he'd planned to act, the system had issued a mission: [Do not interfere with the start of the Third Shinobi World War]. There was no reward, but there was a penalty for failure.
And that penalty was... death.
At the time, he hadn't thought much of it.
Years later, the mission to rescue Tsunade had made him remember how strange that earlier mission had been—especially the penalty for failure. He couldn't accept it. That wasn't a mission; it was an order to die.
Back to the present. If his suspicions were right, Tsunade might die. What would happen if she did?
There was no doubt: it would completely derail the story of Naruto and bring about all kinds of unpredictable possibilities.
If his guess was right, then the system's existence was, to some extent, meant to maintain the story's proper course.
Then what was the point of his existence? The system made him stronger, yet forbade him from disrupting the plot?
The more he thought about it, the grimmer his expression became. The mission to rescue Tsunade had hit him like a bolt from the blue, leaving him reeling.
If—if the system existed to maintain the story's proper course, then what would happen next?
Rin's death. Obito's fall into darkness. The Uchiha Clan Massacre!
He couldn't accept that!
Smack! Smack!
Sora slapped himself hard across the face and muttered, "Don't overthink it. Maybe it's just a coincidence. It's only a mission. There doesn't have to be some grand reason behind it."
"It's just a coincidence..."
"Just... a coincidence..."
He shook his head, afraid to dig any deeper. He couldn't bear whatever truth might lie beneath it.
Even so, the matter planted a seed in his heart—
a seed that would sprout and leave him with bitter regret.
The mountain behind Takigakure was covered in waist-high weeds, and the range was riddled with caves of all shapes and sizes.
Anyone could hide anywhere. The only way to find them was to comb the area systematically, with search teams closing in from all sides. At that very moment, dozens of Takigakure ninja were searching in exactly that way.
"Move faster! It'll be much harder to find anyone after dark."
"Scouts, search every inch of the area!"
"You there! Slacking off? Want to eat shit? Get moving!"
A hundred meters away, two pairs of eyes watched the busy ninja from the weeds. After a long while,
Kazuki lowered the leaf he'd been holding aside, his expression grave.
"This is trouble. There are people everywhere. There's no way we can break through their line."
"Seriously, these ninja are insane. They're wasting this much manpower and resources just to find someone?" Sora clicked his tongue and lowered his own leaf.
"What do we do now?" he asked.
Kazuki pondered for a moment and took out his phone, but there was still no signal. Of course. They were deep in the mountains—getting a signal would've been a miracle.
"We can't just wait. If Jonin Tsunade is really in these mountains, we're in trouble." He pulled out a Kunai and unconsciously rubbed his fingers along it, a nervous habit of his.
Sora thought it over. His feelings about the system were complicated now, but he still had to carry out the mission to rescue Tsunade.
"Monkey, I'm small. You make a distraction and open up a gap. I'll slip into the mountains first."
He laid out a plan.
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