Sadness, New Mission

In the early days of Konohagakure's establishment, to ensure that no one forgot the fallen heroes, the village's public cemetery was built behind the Monument.

This way, whenever someone visited their departed loved ones, they would pass by these heroes, subtly cultivating the Will of Fire in everyone.

At this moment, Senba, dressed in black, was silently cleaning his grandfather's tombstone. He had a mission that afternoon and wanted to bid farewell to his elder one last time before leaving.

When the elder passed away, his greatest concern was Senba. However, Senba's current situation was far better than that of his peers, so the elder passed away with a smile.

Therefore, Senba quickly emerged from his grief. The departed were gone, and those who lived on had to continue moving forward.

After finishing his cleaning, Senba didn't leave directly. Instead, he walked towards the Monument not far away, wanting to see these heroes of Konoha.

The Monument grounds were a square area. Senba stopped at the very front, where it read "Hashirama Senju."

From here, walking backward, were Mito Uzumaki, Tobirama Senju, Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, and so on. As he walked forward, more names appeared in his sight.

Regarding this, Senba couldn't help but feel a surge of respect. Regardless of whether they were used and discarded as tools, they had indeed protected Konoha.

When he reached the latter half, a Monument inscribed with "Rin Nohara" appeared before Senba. He didn't stop but walked past it directly.

"Fresh chrysanthemums on a day like this. It seems Kakashi Hatake's tendency to get lost isn't without reason."

Recalling the bright chrysanthemums in front of Rin Nohara's Monument he had just seen, Senba couldn't help but admire Kakashi Hatake's thoughtfulness.

However, as fate would have it, just as he reached the exit, a young man with silver hair and a forehead protector worn askew walked in.

Looking at the young man's striking appearance, Senba was momentarily stunned. He naturally recognized him as Kakashi Hatake, but his attention was drawn to the chrysanthemums the young man was holding.

As if realizing something, Senba's hair stood on end, and he calmly walked past Kakashi Hatake.

"This child, he must be the one the Third Hokage mentioned. He really resembles the Second Hokage." After marveling at Senba's appearance like everyone else, Kakashi Hatake dismissed him from his thoughts.

A few minutes later, Kakashi Hatake looked at the chrysanthemums beneath Rin's Monument. He skillfully placed his own chrysanthemums beside them, a scene he was long accustomed to.

Thinking that Rin had other friends coming to pay their respects, Kakashi Hatake squatted on the ground, wiping the Monument while recounting his recent experiences.

Only in this way could Kakashi Hatake's deeply wounded heart find solace.

"Is he taking a dump? Do you have to assume that posture to take a dump, Obito?"

In a different dimension not far from Kakashi Hatake, a frivolous and playful voice rang out, starkly contrasting with his surroundings.

In this dimly lit space, countless gray, elongated rock pillars of various sizes floated randomly, arranged without any pattern.

On one of these rock pillars, Obito, clad in a black robe with red accents and wearing a mask with a spiral pattern, was watching Kakashi Hatake's figure. The frivolous voice came from behind the mask.

"Tch!"

Obito raised his left hand and forcefully pierced his right side. "Shut up, Tobi!"

After silencing the other party, the Sharingan in Obito's right eye spun rapidly, forming a sharp spiral, and his sclera filled with bloodshot veins.

"Kakashi! Kakashi! I will make you taste the agony of hell!" A desperate roar echoed through the dark space.

The Land of Rivers is located at the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. Its terrain is characterized by a dense network of rivers and lush vegetation, with no other significant resources.

This type of terrain is abundant in the Land of Fire, but highly sought after in the Land of Wind. Sunagakure, surrounded by desert, was practically salivating at the sight of so much water.

Based on the principle of "if the enemy wants it, I'll stop them," Sunagakure was repeatedly repelled by Konohagakure every time they attempted to enter the Land of Rivers. This constant back-and-forth left the war-torn land scarred and desolate.

Consequently, the Land of Rivers has no independent ninja village. After all, Sunagakure was poor, and each invasion was like a locust swarm, sucking the land dry.

Unlike Kusagakure, which could navigate between Konohagakure and Iwagakure by offering some tribute, that approach wouldn't work here.

However, despite the tense current situation, merchants have always been adept at taking risks. Furthermore, no ninja village would engage in such self-destructive behavior as attacking merchant caravans.

Therefore, a merchant caravan traveling from the Land of Water to the Land of Wind, upon entering the Land of Fire, temporarily set up camp and sent someone to Konohagakure with a request.

"This is the most likely area where problems might arise during this mission," Genma Shiranui said, drinking tea to alleviate his hangover as he presented a photograph.

It turned out that after the Third Shinobi War ceased, all the major ninja villages were secretly licking their wounds. This provided an opportunity for rogue ninja to gradually gain prominence.

On the essential route from the Land of Rivers to the Land of Wind, a group of rogue ninja had emerged, specializing in robbing travelers. These individuals were elusive, and only later investigators managed to capture photos of the scene.

News travels fast among merchant caravans, so upon receiving this information, they also brought photographs provided by survivors.

"Teacher Genma, so we just need to escort them to the border between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Wind?" Senba asked, picking up a photo from the table. Several long tracks on it made him frown.

"Teacher Genma, don't you think these tracks resemble those made by a giant reptile?"

Senba placed the photo on the table and tapped the tracks with his index finger. Yue and Iruka, standing nearby, leaned in to examine them closely.

The photo clearly showed several deep, winding tracks on the ground, which Senba traced with his finger.

"Such large tracks, and this is a scene of battle. It must be a Ninja Beast, a Python. No, wait..."

Seeing Yue Uchiha, whose mouth he had just covered, Senba's eyes revealed a hint of helplessness. This girl was truly carefree; if others heard her, it would cause more trouble.

"Senba, your idea isn't wrong. The mission department consulted with that person, and the final conclusion was that they are unrelated, so you don't need to worry."

Only after hearing Teacher Genma say this did Senba relax. The next second, he felt his hand being bitten, and he remembered he was still covering Yue's mouth.

"Blech~~"

With her mouth freed, Yue Uchiha stuck out her tongue at Senba, mocking his caution. Iruka, standing beside them, looked at their playful interaction with a helpless expression, thinking how energetic they were.