Crossing the Rain Curtain

Torifu Akimichi, this character only appeared as background in the original work, yet the backgrounds where he appeared were quite high-end...

He was once a direct subordinate of the Second Hokage, one of the ninja who accompanied the Second Hokage to the peace talks with Kumogakure. He experienced the Kinkaku and Ginkaku rebellion in Kumogakure, the sacrifice of the Second Hokage, the succession of the Third Hokage, and many other events. He was an undisputed veteran elite ninja.

He remained active until the end of the Third Shinobi World War, and finally died unfortunately while accompanying the Third Hokage to fight the Nine-Tails during the Nine-Tails' Rampage.

Therefore, having such a ninja as a squad leader is extremely reliable, and the difficulty of the missions he participates in will also be very "reliable."

As for the other two ninja in the squad, Yuzuru was completely unfamiliar. Although the Uchiha clan was famous, not every Uchiha ninja was well-known.

But no matter what, the combat power of Uchiha ninja needs no doubt. In past ninja wars, there was a saying circulating among various countries to try not to fight against Sharingan ninja alone... I just don't know if the Uchiha ninja in the squad has awakened it.

The squad leader is powerful, Special Jonin Kairi Omori has reconnaissance abilities, and Chunin Hazuki Uchiha's strength won't be too bad... Counting them, it seems only Yuzuru is a burden dragging them down.

There was no room for Yuzuru to express his opinion in the squad; he was just a Genin, so he decided to speak as little as possible.

"Enough with the pleasantries. Although we are a hastily assembled squad, and you all should have recently experienced the misfortune of losing teammates, the situation won't allow us much rest... Do you all understand what I mean?" Torifu Akimichi gave a brief pre-mission briefing.

"Understood."

"Good, now I will explain the mission. Several days ago, our reconnaissance channel to Iwagakure was suddenly cut off, preventing us from obtaining timely information on Iwagakure's movements. Without intelligence, worse things could happen at any moment... Therefore, we must figure out what exactly happened and try to re-establish the reconnaissance channel to Iwagakure."

"The specific plan is to infiltrate westward from the border of the Land of Rain and the Land of Grass, all the way to the border area between the Land of Rain and the Land of Earth, to find our reconnaissance ninja's stronghold and confirm their situation. If we have the capacity, we will establish new reconnaissance strongholds... In other words, this is a behind-the-lines mission."

"The risk is high, but we have to do it."

"Any other questions?"

The importance of intelligence for ninja combat and even the outcome of war is undeniable. It can be said that the victory or defeat in the intelligence war largely determines the outcome of the entire war. Therefore, the mission undertaken by Torifu Akimichi's squad is quite important.

As for doubts? Yuzuru had doubts. Why should such an important mission be carried out by a hastily assembled squad? Shouldn't at least an Ino-Shika-Cho be formed to undertake it?

Has Konoha's troop shortage reached such an extent?

Leading a ninja squad to infiltrate and reconnoiter behind enemy lines is indeed in line with Torifu Akimichi's strength profile. However, Yuzuru is just a Genin with little practical combat experience.

Let alone him, even the original owner of this body only grew up in the peaceful era between the First and Second Shinobi World Wars and had little combat experience to begin with.

"Alright, since there are no questions, check your equipment, confirm your status, and unify the code word... We'll rest briefly and depart in one hour."

Yuzuru didn't expect the mission to be so urgent. That made sense; intelligence is the lifeline. At this time, Yuzuru could only hope that they weren't the only squad undertaking this major mission... The more people there were, the more likely the mission was to succeed.

An hour passed quickly. Torifu Akimichi, who had been resting with his eyes closed under a large tree, suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Time's up, let's go."

Ninja have no right to choose their missions. Following the captain's order, the four of them rushed into the deep forest of the Land of Rain under the gloomy sky.

"I'll take the lead, Hazuki and Kairi will cover the flanks, and Yuzuru will be in the rear. Maintain formation," Torifu Akimichi said.

The formation was a common infiltration formation. The captain was quite considerate of Yuzuru, knowing he was the weakest and placing him at the rear of the team... If Yuzuru were placed at the front of the formation and encountered an enemy unexpectedly, he could easily be instantly killed.

Even though Yuzuru claimed to be proficient in the Body Flicker Technique, how fast could a Genin's Body Flicker Technique be?

Before the squad set off, Yuzuru's mood was quite chaotic, even feeling an irrepressible sense of irritation. However, after the squad departed, he suddenly regained his composure and calmness.

"No matter what, I'll do what I can..." he reminded himself silently.

The four of them moved through the forest, the heavy rain masking their footsteps. After about two hours of travel, the team's direction shifted slightly northwest, moving closer to the Land of Grass side.

Torifu Akimichi cautiously observed his surroundings while also checking on his teammates behind him. He hadn't expected this Genin, Yuzuru, to easily keep pace with the team. It seemed this Genin's strength wasn't so terrible as to be unbearable to look at.

During the march, he signaled to his teammates behind him.

The meaning of this signal was simple: they had left the operational area of Konoha ninja, and the possibility of encountering enemies was increasing.

In this position, if they were attacked, they could only rely on the squad's combat power and couldn't expect timely support from allies.

Yuzuru secretly heightened his vigilance, knowing that killing might begin at any moment.

The cold rain occasionally brushed across his cheeks, flowing down his chin and neck, soaking into his clothes. The damp and cold sensation made him somewhat uncomfortable, but this sensation also made every cell in his body become excited.

Then...

"Don't be too tense. It's not time to mobilize your Chakra for combat yet."

Well, Yuzuru was just a novice, and even managing his stamina and energy required reminders from his teammates... Being able to maintain full alertness on the battlefield was a good thing, but it wasn't necessary at this moment.

"Kairi, anything unusual?" Torifu Akimichi asked Kairi Omori, the squad's reconnaissance ninja.

Kairi Omori shook her head; she hadn't found anything unusual yet.

However, since Kairi Omori was a visual-based reconnaissance ninja, not a Chakra-sensing type, the environment and climate of the Land of Rain were extremely disadvantageous to her. The dense jungle and the pouring rain would further weaken her reconnaissance abilities.

"Alright, maintain formation and keep moving."

As the squad advanced further, they would enter an area frequently patrolled by Amegakure ninja. Although Amegakure was not one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, its ability to fight Konoha, Sunagakure, and Iwagakure simultaneously meant its strength was by no means comparable to a small ninja village.

At least within the Land of Rain, Amegakure ninja had the advantage of terrain.

Soon, Yuzuru experienced the dangers of the battlefield.

About fifteen minutes later, Yuzuru felt he was gradually adapting to the environment of the Land of Rain. His three teammates passed by a large tree one after another, and everything seemed as usual. However, just as Yuzuru was about to pass, an enemy covered in dirt and leaves suddenly leaped from the tree canopy ahead.

The opponent swung a short sword with his right hand, aiming directly at Yuzuru's chest.

The attack was sudden and the angle was tricky. Yuzuru instantly felt a chilling killing intent.

However, Yuzuru did not panic, or rather, in this situation, he had no room to panic when facing the threat of death.

In an instant, almost purely on instinct, Yuzuru's right foot, planted on a thick, gnarled branch, spun lightly. As his body turned to the side, he dodged the enemy's assassination attempt by a hair's breadth. While dodging, he hooked a kunai with his left index finger against his leg, smoothly and precisely gripping it in his hand. Immediately after, his left arm opened naturally, positioning the kunai's sharp edge at a specific spot.

By the time the enemy's figure crossed paths with him, the kunai's blade had severed the opponent's neck, making it look as if the enemy had deliberately run into it.

The sound of rain by Yuzuru's ear seemed to stop for a moment. When the pattering rain resumed, he saw the enemy's neck spraying blood.

The blood mixed with the rainwater, its heavy scent and vivid color quickly diluted.

With a crisp thump, the enemy's body fell into the mud beneath the tree, and more blood began to stain the earth.

His three teammates barely registered something was wrong. They stopped and looked back, witnessing Yuzuru kill the enemy.

Huh? A Genin?

This focus, this fluidity of movement, this on-the-spot performance, and they're a Genin?

Almost the same confusion appeared in the teammates' minds simultaneously.

But this wasn't the time to discuss it; the enemy's ambush had begun.