A Year Later, Heading to the Land of Wind Battlefield

Tōka trained in the forest behind Konoha. Aside from Gai and Kurenai occasionally stopping by, only the Third Hokage ever appeared.

Over the course of a year, Tōka's genjutsu improved rapidly.

With the soul of a second life, his spiritual power was exceptionally strong.

Whoosh!!

Suddenly, a black shadow dropped from the sky. An Anbu wearing an animal mask appeared before Tōka.

However, the person before him was just a kid.

Judging by his build, he was definitely no older than fifteen—perhaps even younger!

Tōka narrowed his eyes and thought to himself, In Konoha's forty-fourth year, Kakashi should have become a Chunin.

As for whether he had joined the Anbu, Tōka did not know.

Still, among Konoha's teenage Anbu shinobi, aside from Hatake Kakashi—

Tōka could not think of anyone else.

Whoosh! Whoosh!!

Without a word, Kakashi threw two Shuriken. The sharp whistle of them cutting through the air made Tōka's expression change.

"So fast!" No wonder he was a genius who became a jonin at twelve!

Tōka's mind went blank. He dodged one Shuriken and drew a Kunai, knocking the other away with a clang.

But Kakashi's attack had only just begun.

Tōka had barely straightened up when Kakashi drew his short blade and charged low.

A cold gleam flashed, and Tōka instinctively crouched and lowered his head.

Several strands of hair at the back of his head were sliced away by the sharp blade.

Tōka's pupils contracted sharply. "This guy's serious?!"

At the same time, he flipped backward several times, quickly widening the distance between himself and Kakashi.

Although Kakashi's attacks were exceedingly fierce, they carried little killing intent.

"This is the perfect chance to test the results of this past year's training!"

The thought flashed through his mind. Tōka flipped his wrist, spun the Kunai in his palm, and gripped it in reverse.

His other hand rapidly formed seals...

"One-handed seals?" Kakashi was slightly surprised beneath his animal mask.

Tōka had already completed his technique. Three seals per second was his normal speed; four seals per second was his limit.

However, he could form seals with one hand. Some simple C-rank ninjutsu did not even require seals.

That was the advantage of this body—an innate talent!

The scene suddenly blurred, and a blood-soaked figure emerged from the forest.

It was Rin, Kakashi's current teammate.

"Rin? Why is she here?" Kakashi's expression changed as he cried out in shock.

Yet after only two breaths, he regained his composure.

"This is genjutsu!"

"That's right!"

The Hell Viewing Technique succeeded!

A faint voice sounded beside Kakashi's ear, followed by the sharp gust of a blade cutting through the air.

Drawing on his battlefield experience and his sharp sixth sense, Kakashi reacted.

He bent at the waist, lowered his head, raised his right leg behind him, then kicked upward with force.

The four fluid movements were completed in one motion.

Tōka had trained in taijutsu alongside Gai. When his attack missed, he sensed the sweeping kick behind him.

He immediately gave up pursuing Kakashi and leaped backward, instantly opening the distance.

"Release!" Seizing the opportunity, Kakashi formed seals with both hands and shouted.

The genjutsu was successfully dispelled.

"Was that the Hell Viewing Technique?" Kakashi stopped attacking and asked doubtfully.

"Yes and no. I made a small modification," Tōka explained.

The Hell Viewing Technique made an opponent see the terrifying sight they most did not wish to see.

But the Hell Viewing Technique Tōka used on Kakashi made him see the nightmare genjutsu Tōka wanted him to see.

Obito liked Rin, and Rin liked Kakashi.

Kakashi knew all of that.

So Tōka knew that the instant Rin appeared covered in blood, Kakashi would lose focus, whether or not he realized it was genjutsu.

And that opening was Tōka's only chance to attack.

"Your taijutsu is good, and your genjutsu is good too." Kakashi rarely praised anyone, but the kid before him truly deserved it.

No wonder Gai was always talking about Tōka.

"Oh? So we're not fighting anymore, Kakashi?" Tōka spun the Kunai in his hand once and slipped it into his ninja tool pouch.

"I only came to test your strength."

Kakashi removed his animal mask. He was not surprised that Tōka had seen through him.

Tōka was an exceptionally intelligent kid. Kakashi would not be fooled by his seven-year-old appearance.

"And what's the result?" Tōka raised an eyebrow and asked.

"You'll do." Kakashi sheathed his short blade on his back.

"Is that so..." Tōka narrowed his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing through them.

"Looks like you understand already," Kakashi said flatly.

Tōka said nothing and merely nodded slightly.

From the moment Kakashi appeared, Tōka had known that the Third Hokage would not give him any more time.

One year had already been the limit. Next came the battlefield.

If he could survive, then once he advanced to Chunin and reached jonin strength, he would enter the Anbu directly.

"So, did you bring me a mission order?" Tōka looked at Kakashi and asked.

"No. I only came to test your strength." Kakashi shook his head, then vanished with a whoosh.

"Looks like the Third Hokage has grown a little impatient. Or perhaps he's starting to lose his grip on certain people." Tōka curled his lips as a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Konoha's darkness. Konoha's Root. The reason Danzo had not sent anyone after him—

The Third Hokage must have intervened. Securing a year had been enough.

Inside the Hokage Building in Konoha, Minato's team had just withdrawn from the battlefield.

Only Minato and the Hokage were here. Kakashi had been sent to the forest to test Tōka's strength, while Rin and Obito had been allowed to return home to rest.

Konoha's wartime arrangements were simple. Some shinobi went to the front lines, then withdrew after three to five months.

That way, no one would be forced to remain away for too long and grow homesick.

Minato's team and part of the frontline force had returned.

Tōka was one of the replacements in this rotation.

Combat personnel were not replaced all at once, but according to a fixed sequence.

"Minato, what do you think of that kid?" The Third Hokage took a puff from his pipe and asked.

"Well, there aren't many kids who can fight Kakashi for that long." Minato's narrowed eyes suddenly opened wide, revealing a sharp gleam.

He had been the first to discover Tōka's existence.

"That's true. Although they only exchanged two moves, if they continued sparring, they probably wouldn't be able to determine a victor anytime soon." The Third Hokage nodded.

As the Professor of Ninjutsu, he had a keen eye. Naturally, he could tell that neither Tōka nor Kakashi had gone all out.

Especially Tōka, with that ability where a single hit meant certain death.

Just thinking about it was troublesome. It felt like facing a hedgehog covered from head to toe in deadly poison.

"How is the situation on the battlefield?" the Third Hokage asked again. Although battle reports arrived daily, he wanted to hear Minato's opinion.

"We hold the advantage, but it will still be difficult to crush the Sunagakure Shinobi in one stroke," Minato stated directly.

The Land of Wind was a place where the eye could see nothing but yellow sand.

Charging in recklessly would mean surrendering the advantage of terrain, and there was no use in conquering the Land of Wind anyway.

How could a land of wind and sand compare to forests filled with towering trees?

"Yes. If the Sunagakure Shinobi insist on dragging this out..." The Third Hokage had a headache. The wrinkles on his face seemed to deepen.

Konoha had deep reserves, vast lands, and abundant food. It did not fear the war of attrition.

But the most crucial point was that Konoha stood at the center of the continent, surrounded by enemies on all sides.

The Land of Wind was not Konoha's only enemy!

To the west lay the Land of Wind and Sunagakure. The Land of Wind was barren, and Sunagakure ranked among the weaker powers of the Five Great Nations.

But it was still one of the Five Great Nations and could not be underestimated.

To the northwest lay the Land of Earth and Iwagakure. The Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, currently ruled there. He was extremely warlike and harbored deep hatred for Konoha.

Ōnoki himself was immensely powerful and possessed the Kekkei Tōta, Dust Release: True Several Heavenly Hands Technique.

Iwagakure was one of Konoha's greatest enemies.

Northeast of the Land of Fire was the Land of Lightning, bordering Kumogakure, where every citizen was a soldier.

Lightning Release Taijutsu was extremely formidable, and Lightning Release was the strongest among the Five Great Nations.

As for the last one, the Land of Water, Kirigakure lay east of the Land of Fire and was an extremely isolationist village.

Kekkei Genkai clans emerged there one after another. Hidden deep within the sea, it had the ocean as a natural barrier.

Knock, knock, knock!!

Just as the Third Hokage and Minato wore worried expressions and stared blankly at the sky—

The door to the Hokage's office was knocked upon.

"Is that Tōka? Come in." The Third Hokage put away his solemn expression, and his usual kind smile returned.

Creak!

The wooden door was pushed open, and Tōka walked in with steady steps.

His pace was neither hurried nor slow. He lacked the lively spring in a child's step, yet he was not as heavy and sluggish as an old man.

"Lord Hokage."

The Third Hokage. The future Fourth Hokage.

Tōka silently glanced at the two men before lowering his head.

He watched his nose, his nose watched his heart, and he stood there with the calm composure of an old man, saying nothing.

The Third Hokage and Minato exchanged a glance, seeing the same unusual look in each other's eyes. Sure enough, they could not treat him like an ordinary child.

"Tōka, what brings you here?" The Third Hokage smiled warmly. He knew Tōka would never be the first to speak.

"There is something," Tōka said quietly.

When he finished speaking, the room fell silent again.

The Third Hokage tapped out his pipe and put it away as he pondered...

Even if Tōka was sent to the battlefield, he could not be treated as cannon fodder. He had to be assigned a powerful captain.

Minato beside him was the best possible choice.

However, Minato had just returned from the battlefield and needed time to rest.

Furthermore, Minato already had Kakashi, Obito, and Rin under him.

"Perhaps Jiraiya-sensei..."

Minato had originally wanted to mention Lord Orochimaru and Lady Tsunade as well, but he seemed to recall something and abruptly fell silent.

The Third Hokage paused slightly, then understood Minato's meaning.

White Fang was the commander-in-chief at the border, Tsunade oversaw the medical division, and there were also the two powerful shinobi, Orochimaru and Jiraiya.

"That will do." After pondering for a moment, the Third Hokage made his decision.

He planned to write Jiraiya a letter of recommendation and send him the classified information regarding Tōka as well.

As for the messenger, Minato was naturally the most suitable choice.

With Minato's speed, losing a day or two of leave did not matter anyway.

Tōka understood the Third Hokage's meaning. After saying his farewells, he turned and left.

Though Tōka's face remained expressionless, his heart was filled with boundless joy. At last, he could leave Konoha.

"I spent a peaceful year and a half. That really was unexpected." Tōka walked away from the Hokage Building.

Though the Third Hokage had grown old during the Third Shinobi War, he still retained some of the bearing of a shinobi hero.

Danzo's power was steadily increasing, and he was secretly doing shameful things with Orochimaru. It probably would not be long before it all came to light.

With complicated emotions swirling in his heart, Tōka decided to see a few friends one last time.

Leaving Konoha's main streets, Tōka headed toward the secluded mountain forest.

"Whether we become enemies or remain friends in the future, at least we are friends now."

Naturally, the first person Tōka wanted to see was...

Gai!

However, as Tōka headed toward Gai's residence and passed through a large stretch of quiet forest, a strange feeling rose in his heart.

"Genjutsu?" Tōka's heart skipped a beat, but his expression did not change at all.

He continued walking at an unhurried pace, secretly gathering chakra to dispel the genjutsu while remaining alert to his surroundings.

Rustle, rustle, rustle...

The wind swept up fallen leaves, sending them spinning through the air into the distance.

"Release!" Tōka finished gathering his chakra, narrowed his eyes, and shouted.

Only to discover...

The scene around him had not changed in the slightest!

"Not genjutsu?" Tōka trusted his own strength and had done some research into genjutsu.

Unless it was Itachi, a grandmaster of genjutsu who could cast it with a casual gesture.

No, that wasn't right!!

Tōka suddenly remembered that Konoha had another genjutsu grandmaster at this time!

Even Itachi Uchiha had learned genjutsu from him.

A fellow member of the Uchiha Clan, Body Flicker Shisui—Shisui Uchiha, who possessed the strongest genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami!

I have no dealings with the Uchiha Clan. There's no reason for Shisui Uchiha to attack me, is there? A trace of doubt surfaced in Tōka's heart.

At this point, he could no longer afford to hide and stopped where he stood.

Tōka's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's as he warily scanned his surroundings, while his hidden right hand swiftly formed seals.

Kurenai had taught him this sensing technique. Though it could not compare to Karin's Mind's Eye of the Kagura,

it was more than enough for a small situation like this!

"Found you!" Killing intent burst from Tōka's eyes as he raised a hand.

Time was erased, worn away by decay.

The terrifying aura brought the entire forest to a halt, as though heaven and earth themselves had frozen.

Bang!

An ash bone burst through the ground, directly shattering a large tree.

The illusion was broken as a result...

"What terrifying attack power. No wonder Lord Danzo has taken an interest in you." An Anbu wearing a strange mask appeared before him.

Tōka narrowed his eyes. The man's mask was more intricate than the animal masks worn by the Anbu, and he had openly mentioned Danzo.

There was no need to guess. This fellow was definitely from Root.

Through the pitch-black holes in the mask, Tōka clearly saw a pair of scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan.

"So it really is you, Shisui Uchiha!" A drop of cold sweat slid down Tōka's forehead.

"You actually know me?" Shisui Uchiha did not deny it, openly admitting his identity instead.

That only made the already tense atmosphere grow heavier.

Tōka knew that the genjutsu had not been broken by the ash bone's attack. Shisui had withdrawn his power after realizing that Tōka had seen through the illusion.

"What do you want?" Tōka asked in a low voice.

"Lord Danzo wishes to meet you," Shisui Uchiha answered directly.

So it was still this...

A trace of hesitation flashed through Tōka's eyes as he calculated how much chance he had of winning against Shisui.

(To be continued)