One Year Later, Heading to the Land of Wind Battlefield

Tōka trained in the forest behind Konohagakure. During this time, besides Kai and Kurenai visiting occasionally, only the Third Hokage would appear.

In the span of one year, Tōka's Genjutsu improved rapidly.

Possessing the soul of a second-generation individual, his mental strength was exceptionally powerful.

Whoosh!!

Suddenly! A black shadow descended from the sky, and an Anbu wearing an animal mask appeared before Tōka.

However, the person in front of him was just a kid.

Judging by the other party's build, he was definitely no older than fifteen, possibly even younger!

Tōka narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself, in Konoha Year 44, Kakashi should have become a Chunin.

He wasn't sure if he had joined the Anbu.

But at present, among the Konoha Anbu ninjas in their teens, besides Hatake Kakashi.

Tōka couldn't think of anyone else.

Swish swish!!

Kakashi threw two Shuriken without a word. The whistling wind from the approaching Shuriken made Tōka's expression change.

"Such speed!" As expected of a genius who became a Jonin at twelve!

Tōka's mind went blank as he dodged one Shuriken, simultaneously pulling out a Kunai and deflecting the other with a clang.

However, Kakashi's attack was just the beginning.

As soon as Tōka straightened up, he saw Kakashi draw a short sword and charge forward, crouching low.

A cold glint flashed, and Tōka instinctively squatted down, lowering his head.

A few strands of hair behind his head were sliced off by the sharp short sword.

Tōka's pupils constricted sharply, "Is this guy serious?!"

At the same time, he flipped and jumped, quickly creating distance between himself and Kakashi.

Although Kakashi's attacks were fierce, they lacked killing intent.

"This is the perfect opportunity to test the results of my training over the past year!"

As the thought crossed his mind, Tōka flipped his palm, twirling the Kunai in his palm and gripping it in a reverse hold.

His other hand quickly formed hand seals...

"Single-handed hand seals?" Kakashi, beneath the animal mask, was slightly surprised.

Tōka's jutsu was complete. Three seals per second was Tōka's normal speed, and four seals per second was his limit.

However, he could form hand seals with one hand, and some simple C-rank Ninjutsu didn't even require hand seals.

This was the advantage of this body, an innate talent!

The scene suddenly became hazy, and a blood-stained figure walked out of the forest.

It was none other than Rin, a teammate of Kakashi's current squad.

"Rin? Why are you here?" Kakashi's expression changed, and he exclaimed in shock.

In just two breaths, he snapped back to reality.

"This is Genjutsu!"

"That's right!"

Hell Viewing Technique successful!

A faint voice sounded in Kakashi's ear, followed by the sound of a blade cutting through the air.

Relying on his battlefield experience and keen sixth sense, Kakashi...

bent down, lowered his head, lifted his right leg back, and kicked up forcefully.

Four consecutive movements, executed in one go.

Tōka, who had also been training Taijutsu with Kai, felt a whip kick coming from behind him after his attack missed.

He immediately abandoned pursuing Kakashi, leaped backward, and instantly created distance.

"Release!" Kakashi seized this opportunity, formed hand seals with both hands, and shouted.

The Genjutsu was successfully dispelled.

"Is this Hell Viewing Technique?" Kakashi stopped attacking and asked doubtfully.

"Yes and no, it's just been slightly modified," Tōka explained.

Hell Viewing Technique makes the opponent see the terrifying scene they are most unwilling to see.

The Hell Viewing Technique Tōka used on Kakashi made him see the terrifying illusion Tōka wanted him to see.

Obito liked Rin, and Rin liked Kakashi.

Kakashi knew all of this.

So, the moment Tōka saw Rin appear covered in blood, whether Kakashi realized it was Genjutsu or not, he would be stunned.

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

"Your Taijutsu is good, and your Genjutsu is also good." Kakashi rarely praised people, but the kid in front of him was indeed worthy of praise.

No wonder that guy Kai always mentioned Tōka.

"Oh? So you're not fighting anymore? Kakashi!" Tōka spun the Kunai in his hand, then put it back into his ninja tool pouch.

"I just came to test your strength."

Kakashi removed his animal mask; he wasn't surprised at all that Tōka had seen through him.

Tōka was a remarkably intelligent kid; Kakashi wouldn't be fooled by his seven-year-old age.

"What was the result?" Tōka asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's enough," Kakashi said, sheathing his short sword behind his back.

"Is that so..." Tōka narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them.

"It seems you've understood," Kakashi said calmly.

Tōka didn't speak, merely nodding slightly.

From the moment Kakashi appeared, Tōka knew the Third Hokage wouldn't give him any more time.

One year was the limit; after that, it was time to enter the battlefield.

If he could survive, he would be promoted to Chunin, reach Jonin strength, and then directly enter the Anbu.

"So, did you come to give me a mission assignment?" Tōka asked, looking at Kakashi.

"No, I just came to test your strength," Kakashi shook his head, then with a whoosh, he leaped away.

"It looks like the Third Hokage is getting impatient, or rather, he's starting to lose control of certain individuals!" Tōka curled his lips, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

The darkness of Konoha, the roots of Konoha. The reason Danzo hadn't sent anyone to find him must have been the Third Hokage's intervention, buying him a year, which was enough time.

Inside the Hokage's office building in Konohagakure, Minato's squad had just returned from the battlefield.

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

Konoha's wartime strategy was simple: a portion of ninjas would go to the front lines to fight, and after three to five months, they would be recalled.

This way, there wouldn't be prolonged battles leading to homesickness.

Minato's squad and some of the front-line ninjas had been withdrawn.

Tōka was one of the personnel who would be replacing them.

The rotation of combat personnel wasn't done all at once but followed a specific order.

"Minato, what do you think of this kid?" the Third Hokage asked, taking a puff from his pipe.

"Hmm, not many kids can fight Kakashi for so long," Minato's narrowed eyes suddenly widened, revealing a sharp glint.

He was the first to discover Tōka's existence.

"That's not wrong. Although they only exchanged two moves, if they continued sparring, it would take a while to determine a winner," the Third Hokage nodded.

As a Ninjutsu doctor, his judgment was keen, and he could naturally tell that neither Tōka nor Kakashi had gone all out.

Especially Tōka, with his ability to kill instantly if he landed a hit.

Just thinking about it made him feel troubled, like facing a hedgehog, a hedgehog covered in potent poison.

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

"Although my forces have the advantage, it's still difficult to crush the Sand Shinobi in one fell swoop," Minato stated the crucial point directly.

The Land of Wind was nothing but sand as far as the eye could see.

Charging in rashly would mean losing the advantage of terrain, and conquering the Land of Wind would be useless anyway.

How could sandy land compare to a forest with towering trees?

"Yeah, if the Sand Shinobi are determined to drag this out..." the Third Hokage felt a headache coming on, his facial wrinkles seeming to deepen.

Konoha had a strong foundation, abundant resources, and sufficient food; it wasn't afraid of a war of attrition.

But the most critical point was that Konoha was located in the center of the continent, surrounded by enemies.

Konoha had more enemies than just the Land of Wind!

To the west was the Land of Wind, Sunagakure. The Land of Wind was barren, and Sunagakure was one of the weaker among the Five Great Shinobi Nations.

But it was still one of the Five Great Nations and couldn't be underestimated.

To the northwest was the Land of Earth, Iwagakure, currently governed by the Third Tsuchikage, Ōnoki. He was an extremely warlike individual and harbored intense hatred for Konoha.

Ōnoki himself was powerful, possessing the Kekkei Tōta, Dust Release: Particle Style.

Iwagakure was a major enemy of Konohagakure.

To the northeast of the Land of Fire lies the Land of Lightning, with its "everyone a soldier" policy and Kumogakure.

Their Taijutsu is incredibly powerful, and their Lightning Release is the strongest among the five great nations.

The last one, the Land of Water, Kirigakure, is located to the east of the Land of Fire, an extremely isolationist village.

Various Kekkei Genkai families emerge endlessly, always hidden deep within the sea, with the ocean serving as a natural barrier.

Knock, knock, knock!!

Just as the Third Hokage and Minato wore worried expressions, staring blankly at the sky.

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

"Is that Tōka? Come in," the Third Hokage retracted his solemn expression, a kind smile appearing on his face as usual.

Creak!~

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

His pace was neither rushed nor slow, lacking the liveliness of a child or the heavy weariness of an old man.

"Hokage-sama."

The Third Hokage, the future Fourth Hokage.

Tōka glanced at the two of them silently before lowering his head.

Keeping his eyes on his nose and his mind on his heart, he remained silent with a composed demeanor.

The Third Hokage and Minato exchanged a look, noticing a hint of surprise in each other's eyes. Indeed, we can't treat him like an ordinary child.

"Tōka, what brings you here?" the Third Hokage asked with a gentle smile, knowing Tōka would never speak first.

"There is a small matter," Tōka said quietly.

As his words fell, silence returned to the room.

The Third Hokage tapped his pipe and put it away, deep in thought...

Even if Tōka were sent to the battlefield, he couldn't be treated as cannon fodder. Tōka would need to be assigned to a powerful captain.

Minato, standing beside him, was the best choice.

However, Minato had just returned from the battlefield and needed at least some rest.

Moreover, Minato already had Kakashi, Obito, and Rin under his command.

"Perhaps Jiraiya-sensei..."

Minato had intended to mention Orochimaru and Tsunade as well, but then he suddenly fell silent, as if remembering something.

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

The Border White Fang would be the overall commander, Tsunade would be in charge of the medical department, and there were also the two powerhouses, Orochimaru and Jiraiya.

"This is for the best," the Third Hokage pondered for a moment before making his decision.

He planned to write a letter of recommendation for Jiraiya and also send him the classified information about Tōka.

And the messenger would naturally be Minato.

After all, with Minato's speed, a day or two of vacation wouldn't matter.

Tōka understood the Third Hokage's intentions. He bid farewell and turned to leave.

Though his expression remained unchanged, Tōka was filled with immense joy in his heart. He could finally leave Konoha.

"A year and a half of peace has passed, quite unexpected!" Tōka walked away from the Hokage Building.

During the Third Shinobi War, the Third Hokage, though aged, still possessed a third of his former heroic aura.

Danzo's power was growing, and he was secretly involved in some illicit activities with Orochimaru. Tōka believed it wouldn't be long before it all erupted.

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

Leaving the main streets of Konoha, Tōka headed towards the secluded mountain forest.

"Even though I don't know if we'll be enemies or friends in the future, we are friends now."

The first person Tōka wanted to see was, naturally...

Kai!

However, as Tōka made his way to Kai's residence, he passed through a large, quiet forest, and a strange feeling washed over him.

"Genjutsu?" Tōka's heart leaped, but his expression remained unchanged.

He walked silently, his pace steady, secretly gathering Chakra to break the Genjutsu while remaining vigilant of his surroundings.

Rustle, rustle...

The wind stirred the fallen leaves, swirling them through the air before carrying them away.

"Kai!" Tōka's Chakra was fully gathered, his gaze sharpened, and he let out a low cry.

But he found...

The surrounding scenery remained completely undisturbed!

"Not Genjutsu?" Tōka trusted his own abilities and had some research into Genjutsu.

Unless it was Itachi God, a master of Genjutsu who wielded it with ease.

No, that's not right!!

Tōka suddenly remembered that there was another Genjutsu master in Konohagakure at this time!

Even Itachi Uchiha had learned Genjutsu from that person.

As fellow members of the Uchiha clan, Body Flicker Shisui, who possessed the strongest Genjutsu, Kotoamatsukami—Shisui Uchiha!

"I have no connection with the Uchiha, so there's no reason for Shisui Uchiha to attack me?" A hint of doubt surfaced in Tōka's heart.

At this moment, he couldn't afford to hide anymore and stopped in his tracks.

Tōka's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, scanning his surroundings vigilantly, his right hand hidden behind him quickly forming hand seals.

This was a sensory jutsu taught to him by Kurenai. Although it couldn't compare to Karin's Mind's Eye of the Kagura.

It was more than enough for this small situation!

"Found you!" A killing intent flashed in Tōka's eyes as he raised his palm.

Time vanished, decay and age.

The terrifying aura caused the entire forest to pause, and the world seemed to freeze.

Bang!

Gray bones pierced through the body, directly shattering a large tree.

The illusion was thus broken...

"Such terrifying attack power. No wonder Lord Danzo took an interest in you." An Anbu member wearing a strange mask appeared before him.

Tōka narrowed his eyes. The man's mask was more complex than the standard animal masks of the Anbu, and he had directly mentioned Danzo.

No need to guess, this guy in front of him was definitely from Root.

And through the dark holes of the mask, Tōka clearly saw a pair of scarlet three-tomoe Sharingan.

"It really is you, Shisui Uchiha!" A drop of cold sweat trickled down Tōka's forehead.

"You know who I am?" Shisui Uchiha didn't deny it; instead, he openly admitted his identity.

It was precisely this that made the already tense atmosphere even more oppressive.

Tōka knew that the Genjutsu hadn't been broken by the attack of the gray bones. It was only when Shisui realized he had seen through the illusion that he withdrew his power.

"What is your purpose?" Tōka asked in a deep voice.

"Lord Danzo wants to meet you," Shisui Uchiha replied directly.

As expected, it was like this...

A flicker of hesitation crossed Tōka's eyes as he calculated his chances of winning in a fight against Shisui.